Configuration for enhanced entertainment system control

• US 6,530,085 B1
• Filed: 09/16/1998
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WebTV Networks Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Perlman, Stephen G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Koenig, Andrew Y
• Application Number:
  US09/154,609
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• Field of Search: 725/82, 725/85, 725/80, 439/638, 439/653, 439/639, 439/502, 439/955
• US Class Current: 725/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/205 with control bus for exchanging commands between units
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

Systems and methods that reduce the complexity of interconnecting various consumer electronics devices. One consumer electronics device, such as an Internet terminal, forms a central hub to which all other consumer electronics devices are connected. The Internet terminal has a plurality of identical, interchangeable tongue and groove connectors, each having a plurality of pins. The connectors are identical and interchangeable in that a cable designed to connect a consumer electronics device to the Internet terminal may be plugged into any of the connectors and operate properly. A plurality of cables, each specifically adapted to connect to an existing or future type of consumer electronics device, are used to connect the consumer electronics devices to the connectors at the Internet terminal. Each cable has a connector at one end that attaches to the identical, interchangeable connectors, and one or more connectors at the other end that attach to the particular consumer electronics device. The Internet terminal senses the type of cable attached thereto and performs any appropriate configuration of the connector pins in order to match the signals provided or received from the connector to the particular cable.

Claims

1. A consumer electronics device for use in a consumer electronics system that includes one or more other consumer electronic devices interconnected with cables, said consumer electronics device being adapted to be connected to the one or more other consumer electronics device using a designated cable, said consumer electronics device comprising:

a plurality of identical, interchangeable connector means for connecting to a plurality of different cable types, each connector means comprising a plurality of pins adapted to conduct electrical signals, wherein at least one of the plurality of pins is shared by each of the plurality of different cable types;

means for sensing which particular cable type of said plurality of different cable types have been connected to a given connector means; and

means for dynamically configuring the at least one of said plurality of pins that is shared by each of the plurality of different cable types in order to match the electrical signals of the particular cable type attached to said given connector means.

2. A consumer electronics device as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of identical connector means comprises tongue and groove connectors.

3. A consumer electronics device as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for dynamically configuring configures only one or more output pins for said given connector means.

4. A consumer electronics device as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for dynamically configuring configures which type of video signals is output on one or more of said pins.

5. A consumer electronics device as recited in claim 1 wherein said consumer electronics device is an internet terminal device designed to provide access to the internet.

6. A consumer electronics device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a detachable cable adapted on one end to connect to any one of the identical connector means and further adapted on the other end to connect to a second consumer electronics device.

7. A consumer electronics device as recited in claim 6, wherein said detachable cable comprises means for selecting a conductor configuration of the detachable cable such that said detachable cable can connect said consumer electronic device with any one of two or more types of consumer electronics devices.

8. A consumer electronics device as recited in claim 6 wherein said given connector means comprise a tongue and groove connector and said cable connects to said tongue and groove connector on one end and said cable connects to an IEEE 1394 connector on the other end.

9. A consumer electronics device as recited in claim 6, further comprising a detachable adapter capable of being removably coupled to said other end of said detachable cable, said detachable adapter, when coupled to said other end, adapting said detachable cable from an S-video configuration to an RCA configuration.

10. A consumer electronics device as recited in claim 6 wherein said cable contains a resistor whose value can be sensed by said means for sensing in order to determine what type of cable has been connected to said given connector means.

11. A consumer electronics device as recited in claim 1 wherein said sensing means is adapted to sense a resistance value on one of said pins when a cable is attached to one of said connector means.

12. A consumer electronics device as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of pins is commonly connected between said plurality of connector means so that a common electrical signal resides on said commonly connected pins.

13. A consumer electronics device for use in a consumer electronics system that includes one or more other consumer electronics devices connected with cables, said consumer electronics device being adapted to be connected to the one or more other consumer electronics device using a designated cable, said consumer electronics device comprising:

a plurality of identical connector means for connecting to a plurality of different cable types, each connector means comprising a plurality of pins adapted to conduct electrical signals, at least one of said plurality of pins being shared among the plurality of different cable types; and

means for dynamically configuring the at least one shared pin to carry electrical signals appropriate for a particular cable type attached to a given connector means.

14. A consumer electronics device as recited in claim 13 wherein said means for dynamically configuring does not configure electrical signals for a particular connector means if a cable is attached to said particular connector means that has only input signals and receives no output signals.

15. A consumer electronics device as recited in claim 14 wherein said means for dynamically configuring only configures electrical signals to be carried on one or more output pins of said connector means.

16. A consumer electronics device as recited in claim 15 wherein said means for dynamically configuring configures which type of video signals are output on at least one of said pins.

17. A consumer electronics device as recited in claim 16, further comprising means for sensing which particular cable type of said plurality of different cable types have been connected to the given connector means.

18. A consumer electronics device as recited in claim 17 wherein said sensing means is adapted to sense a resistance value on one of said pins when a cable is attached to one of said connector means.

19. A consumer electronics device as recited in claim 18 wherein said plurality of identical connector means comprises tongue and groove connectors.

20. A consumer electronics device as recited in claim 13, wherein at least one of said plurality of pins is commonly connected between each of said plurality of connector means so that a common electrical signal resides on said commonly connected pins.

21. A consumer electronics device for use in a consumer electronics system that includes one or more other consumer electronics devices interconnected with cables, said consumer electronics device being adapted to be connected to the one or more other consumer electronics device using a designated cable, said consumer electronics device comprising:

a plurality of identical connector means for connecting to a plurality of different cable types, each connector means comprising a plurality of pins adapted to conduct electrical signals, wherein at least one of said plurality of pins is shared by each of the plurality of different cable types, and wherein at least one of said plurality of pins is commonly connected between each of said plurality of connector means so that a common electrical signal resides on said commonly connected pins;

means for determining which particular cable type of said plurality of different cable types have been connected to said plurality of connector means; and

means for dynamically configuring the at least one shared pin to carry electrical signals for each particular cable type attached to said plurality of connector means.

22. A consumer electronics device as recited in claim 21 wherein said means for dynamically configuring does not configure pins for a particular connector means if a cable is attached to said particular connector means that has only input signals and receives no output signals.

23. A consumer electronics device as recited in claim 22 wherein said means for dynamically configuring only configures one or more output pins of a given connector means.

24. A consumer electronics device as recited in claim 23 wherein said means for dynamically configuring configures which type of video signals are output on at least one of said pins.

25. A consumer electronics device as recited in claim 24 wherein said sensing means is adapted to sense a resistance value on one of said pins when a cable is attached to one of said connector means.

26. A consumer electronics device as recited in claim 25 wherein said plurality of identical connector means comprises tongue and groove connectors.

27. A consumer electronics system comprising:

a consumer electronics device comprising;

a plurality of identical connectors adapted to connect to a plurality of different cable types, each connector comprising a plurality of pins adapted to conduct electrical signals, wherein at least one of the plurality of pins is shared by one or more of the different cable types, and wherein at least one of said plurality of pins being commonly connected between each of said plurality of connector means so that a common electrical signal resides on said commonly connected pins; and

a configuration component that dynamically configures the at least one shared pin to carry electrical signals for a particular cable type attached to a given connector; and

at least one cable comprising;

a connector adapted to connect to any one of said plurality of identical connectors; and

at least one conductor with an associated connector adapted to connect to at least one other consumer electronics device.

28. A consumer electronics system as recited in claim 27 wherein said consumer electronics device further comprises means for sensing which of said plurality of different cable types have been connected to said identical connectors.

29. A consumer electronics system as recited in claim 27 wherein said cable further comprises a resistor whose value identifies the cable type of said cable.

30. A consumer electronics system as recited in claim 27 wherein said cable further comprises a digital code whose value identifies the cable type of said cable.

31. A consumer electronics system as recited in claim 27 wherein said cable is adapted to connect to at least one of either a video display device, a VCR, a cable box, a satellite receiver, a DVD, a laser disk, or sound equipment.

32. A consumer electronics system as recited in claim 27 wherein said cable is an IEEE 1394 cable.

33. A consumer electronics system as recited in claim 27, wherein said cable further comprises a switching mechanism that selects one of two or more conductor configuration of said cable, each of said two or more conductor configurations allowing said cable to connect said consumer electronics system with one of two or more types of consumer electronics devices.

34. A method for interconnecting a consumer electronics device having one or more identical and interchangeable connectors that support a variety of different cable types and one or more other consumer electronics devices having one or more other connectors, wherein each of the one or more identical and interchangeable connectors comprises one or more pins, and wherein at least one pin is shared by different cable types, the method comprising a first consumer electronics device performing acts of:

sensing a cable type for a cable connected to a particular identical and interchangeable connector;

configuring at least one pin of the particular identical and interchangeable connector to carry electrical signals appropriate for the sensed cable type, wherein the at least one pin is shared by different cable types; and

carrying electrical signals on the at least one configured pin that are appropriate for the sensed cable type.

35. A method as recited in claim 34, wherein the at least one pin of the particular identical and interchangeable connector is configured as an output pin for transmitting electrical signals.

36. A method as recited in claim 34, wherein the at least one pin of the particular identical and interchangeable connector is configured as an input pin for receiving electrical signals.

37. A method as recited in claim 34, wherein the electrical signals comprise a video signal.

38. A method as recited in claim 34, further comprising an act of simultaneous routing multiple signals from multiple source consumer electronic devices to multiple destination consumer electronic devices.

39. A method as recited in claim 34, wherein the cable connected to the particular identical and interchangeable connector comprises a resistor, the method further comprising an act of sensing the cable type by determining the value of the resistor.

40. A method as recited in claim 34, wherein the cable connected to the particular identical and interchangeable connector comprises a memory storing an identification code, the method further comprising an act of sensing the cable type by receiving the identification code from the memory.

41. A method as recited in claim 34, wherein the cable interconnects the first consumer electronics device to a second consumer electronics device, the method further comprising an act of sensing the cable type by interrogating the second consumer electronics device to determine the second consumer electronics device'"'"'s type and thereby inferring the cable type.

42. A method as recited in claim 34, wherein the cable comprises a plurality of pins, one or more of which are either connected to ground or are open, the method further comprising an act of sensing the cable type by identifying a pattern of the one or more open or grounded pins that corresponds to the cable type.