Consumer electronic devices with adaptable upgrade capability

• US 6,469,742 B1
• Filed: 04/12/1999
• Issued: 10/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Trovato, Karen I., Lord, William P.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US09/289,845
• Time in Patent Office: 1,289 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.544, 348/552, 348/553, 348/554, 348/555, 348/571, 348/575, 348/725, 348/460, 348/474, 725/131, 725/132, 725/134, 725/140, 725/141, 725/152, 725/153
• US Class Current: 348/553
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

An upgradable television, in accordance with the present invention, includes a plurality of modules for providing operating functions for the upgradable television, each module capable of identifying itself to a processor. The processor is coupled to each of the modules. The processor is for recognizing changes in the modules in accordance with the identification of the modules. A receiver is operatively connected to the processor for receiving information for upgrading the upgradable television in accordance with new modules introduced into the upgradable television. A method for upgrading is also described.

Claims

1. An upgradable television comprising:

a plurality of modules configured for providing operating functions for the upgradable television, each module configured for identifying itself to a processor;

the processor being coupled to each of the modules, the processor configured for recognizing a changed module in accordance with the identification of the modules and configured to generate a listen signal in response to a recognized change; and

a receiver operatively connected to the processor and configured to receive the listen signal and in response to the listen signal enter a listen mode to listen for information for upgrading the upgradable television in accordance with the changed module introduced into the upgradable television.

2. The television as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor includes a memory for storing programs including an operating system for controlling the upgradable television.

3. The television as recited in claim 1, wherein the receiver receives information from a remote source over at least one of a broadcast, a cable, a satellite, Internet and a communications network.

4. The television as recited in claim 1, wherein the modules include at least one of replaceable software modules and electronically erasable software modules.

5. The television as recited in claim 1, wherein the modules include means for identification for identifying individual modules within the upgradable television.

6. The television as recited in claim 1, further comprises a transmitter for requesting upgrade data from a remote source, the upgrade data to be delivered to the upgradable television pursuant to a request from the transmitter.

7. A system for upgrading and debugging upgradable televisions comprising:

a plurality of upgradable televisions, each upgradable television including;

a plurality of modules configured for providing operating functions for the upgradable television, each module configured to identify itself to a processor;

the processor coupled to each of the modules, the processor configured for recognizing a changed module based on the identification of the modules and configured to generate a listen signal in response to a recognized change; and

a receiver operatively connected to the processor and configured for receiving the listen signal and in response to the listen signal enter a listen mode to listen for information for upgrading the upgradable television in accordance with changed module introduced into each upgradable television; and

a remote station configured for providing information for upgrading the upgradable;

televisions in accordance with the changed module introduced into each upgradable television, the remote station configured to communicate with the upgradable televisions over a network.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the remote station includes a transmitter configured for transmitting upgrade information to the receivers of the plurality of upgradable televisions.

9. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the upgradable televisions each include a transmitter configured for transmitting error messages and module failures to the remote station.

10. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein the remote station is responsive to the error messages and module failures such that the error messages and the module failures are addressed remotely at the remote station and fixed at the upgradable televisions.

11. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the processors of each television are operatively connected to a memory, said memory having a stored operating system for controlling the upgradable television.

12. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the plurality of modules of each upgradeable television includes at least one hardware module.

13. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the plurality of modules of each upgradable television includes hardware modules, the processor further comprises a mechanism configured to activate the receiver to enter a listen mode to listen for information needed to make a new module operational, when at least one upgradable television module is manually replaced by the new module.

14. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the network includes one of a broadcast network, a cable network, a satellite network and a communications network.

15. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the modules of the upgradable televisions include at least one of replaceable software modules and electronically erasable software modules.

16. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the modules of the upgradable televisions include means for identification for identifying individual modules within each upgradable television.

17. A method for upgrading an upgradable television comprising the steps of:

for providing operating functions by a plurality of modules for the upgradable television;

identifying each module to a processor;

recognizing a changed module based on the identification of the modules at the processor;

entering a listen mode in response to the changed module to listen or information at a receiver for upgrading the upgradable television in accordance with new modules introduced into the upgradable television; and

automatically retrieving resources from a remote source for proper function of the change module such that the upgradable television is upgraded.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the step of automatically retrieving resources further includes the step of requesting resources to be transmitted from the remote source.