Digital television apparatus for controlling a peripheral device via a digital bus

• US 6,665,020 B1
• Filed: 09/13/2000
• Issued: 12/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Izzat, Izzat Hekmat, Derrenberger, Mike Arthur, Nagpal, Sanjeev, Kurugay, Saban, Rhoads, Steven Charles, Chatterjee, Amit Kumar, Stahl, Thomas Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US09/508,922
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 710/104, 710/105, 710/107, 710/110, 710/305, 710/117, 710/8, 710/15, 345/723, 348/460, 348/552, 348/734, 348/569, 725/38, 725/80
• US Class Current: 348/552
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40058 Isochronous transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40065 Bandwidth and channel allocation home automation networks H04L12/2803; flow control H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40117 Interconnection of audio or video/imaging devices home automation networks H04L12/2803; bitstream network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A minimal level of interoperability for exchanging audio/video (A/V) content and associated control between common consumer electronic (CE) devices is defined. This interoperability is based on the IEEE 1394 serial bus for the physical and link layers and makes use of AV/C or CAL as the control language. This invention provides for reducing the number of remote controls that the user might need by allowing remote control commands to always be received by a controlling device (e.g., digital television) and then routed to the appropriate peripheral device (e.g. digital VCR) after translation into a universal format.

Claims

1. A digital television apparatus comprising:

(a) means for communicating via a digital bus with a peripheral device;

(b) means for receiving, from a data entry means associated with said digital television apparatus, a user initiated command associated with controlling said peripheral device, said user initiated command being recognized by said digital television apparatus and comprising header information and control information for controlling an operating mode of said peripheral device;

(c) means for mapping said control information into a universal command capable of being interpreted by said peripheral device, said peripheral device not being responsive to said user initiated command; and

(d) means for transferring said mapped control information over said digital bus to said peripheral device.

2. The digital television apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

(a) means for receiving, from said peripheral device, menu data associated with an on-screen display of said peripheral device; and

(b) means, coupled to said receiving means, for displaying said menu data.

3. The digital television apparatus of claim 2 and further comprising:

means for updating a portion of said on-screen display in response to said menu data.

4. The digital television apparatus of claim 2 wherein said menu data defines user selectable functions associated with said peripheral device.

5. The digital television apparatus of claim 4 wherein said peripheral device is a non-video device.

6. The digital television apparatus of claim 1, wherein said mapping means appends code type data to said universal command, said code type data indicating to said peripheral device that a received code is in a universal command format.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the mapping step further comprises appending code type data to said mapped control information, said code type data indicating to said peripheral electronic device that a received code is in said universal command format.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said peripheral device receives said control signal via a direct link, said peripheral device performs the step of:

(a) sending a message to said digital television, said message indicating the availability of digital data associated with an on-screen display of said peripheral device;

(b) receiving an acknowledgment from said controlling device; and

(c) transporting said digital data over said serial bus to said digital television.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of initiating a timer comprises:

initiating a timer to generate a time period in response to said control signal received via said direct link, said peripheral device only responding to additional commands received via said direct link during said time period.

7. A method for controlling a peripheral electronic device interconnected via a IEEE 1394 serial bus to a digital television apparatus, said method comprising:

(a) determining, in response to a bus reset, said peripheral electronic device interconnected via said serial bus;

(b) communicating via said serial bus with said peripheral electronic device;

(c) receiving, from a data entry means associated with said digital television apparatus, a user initiated command associated with controlling said peripheral electronic device, said command having a format recognized by said digital television apparatus and comprising control information for controlling an operating mode of said peripheral electronic device;

(d) mapping said control information into a universal command format capable of being interpreted by said peripheral electronic device, said peripheral electronic device not being responsive to said command; and

(e) transferring said mapped control information over said serial bus to said peripheral electronic device.

9. A method for controlling a peripheral consumer electronic device interconnected via an IEEE 1394 serial bus to a digital television comprises:

(a) receiving, via said serial bus, a control signal from said digital television, said control signal being translated from a format only recognized by said digital television; and

(b) initiating a timer to generate a time period in response to said control signal received via said serial bus, said peripheral device only responding to additional commands received via said serial bus during said time period.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said peripheral device is selected from a menu associated with said digital television, said menu listing the available peripheral devices.