Method and apparatus for controlling the operation of electronic entertainment devices in an entertainment system
First Claim
1. An apparatus for controlling the operation of electronic entertainment devices in an entertainment system comprising:
- a hardware system coupled to a plurality of electronic entertainment devices to receive audio-video signals;
transmit logic coupled to the hardware system, the transmit logic having a plurality of ports and a storage slot associated with each port to store control code protocols for each respective port, the ports being linked to the respective control code protocols to allow the transmit logic to identify a control data sequence based on the linked port, each port being independently addressable by the hardware system;
a plurality of transmitters, each coupled to a respective one of the transmit logic ports, to transmit the respective stored control code protocols to respective ones of the electronic devices.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for controlling the operation of electronic entertainment devices in an entertainment system is described herein. A hardware system is coupled to a plurality of electronic entertainment devices to receive and transmit audio-video signals Transmit logic is coupled through a digital computer interface, preferably a SCSI interface, to the hardware system. The transmit logic has a plurality of ports and a memory associated with each port for storing control data sequences for each respective port. Each portis independently addressable by the hardware system A plurality of transmitters, each coupled to a respective one of the transmit logic ports transmits the respective store; control data sequences to respective ones of the electronic devices. In a preferred embodiment, the hardware system has a microprocessor, user interface and system memory and the transmitters are infrared light transmitters, one of which is a blaster transmitter for transmitting control data sequences simultaneously in multiple directions.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controlling the operation of electronic entertainment devices in an entertainment system comprising:
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a hardware system coupled to a plurality of electronic entertainment devices to receive audio-video signals;
transmit logic coupled to the hardware system, the transmit logic having a plurality of ports and a storage slot associated with each port to store control code protocols for each respective port, the ports being linked to the respective control code protocols to allow the transmit logic to identify a control data sequence based on the linked port, each port being independently addressable by the hardware system;
a plurality of transmitters, each coupled to a respective one of the transmit logic ports, to transmit the respective stored control code protocols to respective ones of the electronic devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus for controlling the operation of electronic entertainment devices in an entertainment system comprising:
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system means coupled to a plurality of electronic entertainment devices for receiving audio-video signals;
logic means for storing control code protocols in a storage slot means for each of a plurality of ports, a storage slot means being associated with each port to store control code protocols for each respective port, the ports being linked to the respective control code protocols to allow the logic means to identify a control data sequence based on the linked port, the logic means being coupled to the system means, each of the plurality of ports being independently addressable by the system means;
a plurality of means for transmitting the respective stored control code protocols to respective ones of the electronic devices, each transmitting means being coupled to a respective one of the ports. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An entertainment system controller comprising:
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a high performance input/output bus coupled to feedback lines of a plurality of electronic entertainment devices of an entertainment system to receive audio-video signals over the feedback lines;
transmit logic coupled to the high performance input/output bus, the transmit logic having a plurality of storage slots to store control code protocols and a port associated with each storage slot, the ports being linked to the respective storage slot to allow the transmit logic to identify a control data sequence by addressing the linked port, the control code protocols being to activate respective functions in entertainment devices upon receipt by the respective entertainment device;
a plurality of transmitters, each coupled to a respective one of the transmit logic ports, to transmit the respective stored control code protocols to respective ones of the electronic devices;
a feedback analysis module to detect activation of an expected function by an electronic device over a respective feedback line in response to the control data sequence transmitted to the electronic device; and
code identification logic coupled to the feedback analysis module to store a control data sequence in response to an indication from the feedback analysis module that an expected function is activated. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification