Home network appliance and method

• US 6,678,737 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2000
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: WebTV Networks Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Bucher, Tim
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Halim, Sahera
• Application Number:
  US09/560,978
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709/220, 709/200, 709/244, 709/232, 725/110, 715/513, 370/353
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV

Abstract

A central data management unit (i.e., a home network appliance) receives a request for Internet data from an input device having an associated display device. The Internet data request is then transferred from the central data management unit over the Internet. The central data management unit then receives the requested Internet data, processes the data, and forwards the data to the display device associated with the input device that generated the request. The central data management unit also receives a request for multimedia data from another input device associated with yet another display device. In response to the request for multimedia data, the multimedia data is tuned from a multimedia transmission. The multimedia data is processed at the central data management unit and is forwarded to the second display device associated with the second input device. Thus, for example, the central data management unit facilitates the display of a web page at a computer monitor and a television program on a television screen.

Claims

1. In a home network appliance that is configured to connect with a plurality of portal devices, each of the portal devices including an input device for receiving a request for at least one of Internet data and multimedia data from a user and display device for displaying the requested data to the user, wherein each display device has its own particular display requirements, and wherein the home network appliance is further configured to perform at least some of the processing of the requested data that would otherwise be required by each of the portal devices in order to display the requested data in the particular format required by each of the corresponding display devices, a method for reducing data processing capability requirements of the portal devices to display the requested data, comprising:

an act of receiving, from one or more of the plurality of portal devices at the home network appliance, a request for data;

an act of the home network appliance accessing the requested data;

an act of the home network appliance performing display processing on the requested data that is required to modify a display format of the requested data into one or more particular display formats, as required for display by each of the one or more corresponding display devices, and such that the one or more portal devices do not have to perform said display processing to the requested data in order to place the requested data into the one or more particular display formats required by the one or more corresponding display devices; and

an act of transmitting the processed data to the one or more portal devices for display at the one or more portal devices.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the requested data comprises Internet data.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, further including an act of filtering the Internet data.

4. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the processing includes converting non-viewable data into viewable data.

5. A method as recited in claim 2, further including an act of decoding the Internet data.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the requested data comprises multimedia data.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the requested data includes audio.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the requested data is received over the radio, and such that prior to processing the requested data, the method further includes an act of tuning into a radio channel.

9. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the requested data includes video.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the processing includes 3D processing of the video.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the video includes a certain number of frames per second, and wherein processing includes reducing the number of frames per second.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the processing includes enhancing the quality of the video.

13. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the multimedia data has a certain number of bits, and wherein processing includes reducing the number of bits.

14. A method as recited in 6, claim wherein prior to processing the requested data, the method includes tuning to a multimedia channel to access the requested data.

15. A computer program product for use in a home network appliance that is configured to connect with a plurality of portal devices, each of the portal devices including an input device for receiving a request for at least one of Internet data and multimedia data from a user and a display device for displaying the requested data to the user, wherein each display device has its own particular display requirements, and wherein the home network appliance is further configured to perform at least some of the processing of the requested data that would otherwise be required by each of the portal devices in order to display the requested data in the particular format required by each of the corresponding display devices, the computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions for implementing a method for reducing data processing capability requirements of the portal devices to display the requested data, the method comprising:

an act of receiving, from one or more of the plurality of portal devices at the home network appliance, a request for data;

an act of the home network appliance accessing the requested data;

an act of the home network appliance performing display processing on the requested data that is required to modify a display format of the requested data into one or more particular display formats, as required for display by each of the one or more corresponding display devices, and such that the one or more portal devices does not have to perform said display processing to the requested data in order to place the requested data into the one or more display formats required by the one or more corresponding display devices; and

an act of transmitting the processed data to the first portal device for display by the first portal devices.

16. A computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the requested data comprises Internet data.

17. A computer program product as recited in claim 16, wherein the processing includes converting non-viewable data into viewable data.

18. A computer program product as recited in claim 16, wherein the method further includes decoding the Internet data.

19. A computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the method further includes filtering the Internet data.

20. A computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the requested data comprises multimedia data.

21. A computer program product as recited in claim 20, wherein the requested data includes video.

22. A computer program product as recited in claim 21, wherein the processing includes 3D processing of the video.

23. A computer program product as recited in claim 21, wherein the video includes a certain number of frames per second, and wherein processing includes reducing the number of frames per second.

24. A computer program product as recited in claim 21, wherein the processing includes enhancing the quality of the video.

25. A computer program product as recited in claim 20, wherein the multimedia data has a certain number of bits, and wherein processing includes reducing the number of bits.

26. A computer program product as recited in claim 20, wherein the requested data is received over the radio, and such that prior to processing the requested data, the method further includes an act of tuning to a radio channel.

27. A home network appliance that is configured to connected with a plurality of portal devices, each of the portal devices including an input device for receiving a request for at least one of Internet data and multimedia data from a user and a display device for displaying the requested data to the user, wherein each display device has its own particular display requirements, and wherein the home network appliance is further configured to perform at least some of the processing of the requested data that would otherwise be required by each of the portal devices in order to display the requested data in the particular format required by each of the corresponding display devices, the home network appliance, comprising:

means for receiving a request from one or more of plurality of the portal devices for data;

means for accessing the requested data;

means for performing display processing on the requested data that is required to modify a display format of the requested data into one or more particular display formats, as required for display by each of the one or more corresponding display devices, and such that the one or more portal devices do not have to perform said display processing to the requested data in order to place the requested data into the one or more particular display formats required by the one or more corresponding display devices; and

means for transmitting the processed data to the one or more portal devices for display by the one or more portal devices.

28. A home network appliance as recited in claim 27, further comprising means for transcoding the requested data prior to transmitting.

29. A home network appliance as recited in claim 27, wherein means for accessing the requested data includes a first tuner dedicated to tuning to Internet data, a second tuner dedicated to tuning to audio data, and a third tuner dedicated to tuning to video data.

30. A home network appliance as recited in claim 27, wherein processing the requested data includes converting the requested data from a non-viewable format into a viewable format.

31. A home network appliance as recited in claim 27, wherein processing the requested data includes modifying the requested data from a first display format to a second display format.

32. A home network appliance as recited in claim 31, wherein processing the requested data includes modifying high definition television content for display on a standard resolution television set.