Device control via digitally stored program content

• US 6,868,292 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2001
• Issued: 03/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Karthikeyan, Rajeshwari, Seah, Ernest, Yap, Adrian, Ficco, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel Todd
• Application Number:
  US09/878,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20020035404A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• Field of Search: 340/517, 340/523, 340/3.1, 340/825.52, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 725/151, 725/153, 725/78, 725/79, 700/19, 700/65, 700/276, 700/277, 700/284, 700/9, 700/11, 700/12, 700/14, 700/16, 709/203, 709/208
• US Class Current: 700/19
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A method and system of controlling devices with digitally stored content. Devices such as home electronic appliances, lighting systems, heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, home security systems and home entertainment systems are controlled from a single, centralized device. A set top box (STB) stores scripts that include program content for controlling the operation of a plurality of these devices from the STB. A user of the STB selects the desired scripts, and the STB accesses the selected scripts from storage based on a triggering mechanism such as time, content, event, etc. The STB selectively controls operation of certain devices designated in the script. The method provides ease of control over multiple and diverse devices, applications and media within a user'"'"'s own home environment, with more functionality and flexibility than currently available.

Claims

1. A method of controlling devices via digitally stored program content, comprising:

storing a script in a mass storage device of a media receiver configured to receive and process a media broadcast signal for presentation on a display device operatively coupled to the media receiver, the media receiver further configured to generate a graphical user interface on the display device, the graphical user interface including one or more menus associated with script selection, creation, modification, or operation, wherein the script includes program content for controlling a plurality of devices from the media selection;

accessing the stored script based on a triggering mechanism that initiates the stored script; and

running the stored script to selectively control operation of at least one of the plurality of devices as designated by the stored script.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of devices include any of home electronic appliances, lighting systems, heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment, home security systems, home entertainment systems, and designated websites and associated internet media.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a command from an interface selected from one of a remote control device, input device from a PC, or execution keys and buttons provided in the media receiver, to display the one or more menus on the display device that is operatively connected to the media receiver.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the user creates a customized script from the program content stored in the mass storage device, or creates a customized script by accessing an online subscriber service to select desired program content to be contained within a downloaded script.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein storing, accessing and running are controlled by a host processor within the media receiver.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the host processor communicates with devices designated in the script by sending commands over existing electrical wiring to modules that are plugged into the designated devices.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the host processor communicates with devices designated in the script by sending commands via an infrared transmitter, which are received by infrared receivers operatively connected to the designated devices.

8. The method of claim 5,

wherein the media receiver and the plurality of devices are arranged as a network,

wherein the host processor includes a command and control interface and each device has a control application associated with it that is invoked via the host processor, and

wherein the host processor communicates with devices designated in the script by invoking control application for each of the designated devices.

9. The method of claim 5,

wherein the media receiver and the plurality of devices are arranged as a wireless network with the media receiver having a transmitter and each of the devices being provided with a wireless receiver,

wherein the media receiver and the plurality of devices are configured to include a wireless spread-spectrum link, and

wherein the media receiver is configured to communicate with devices designated in the script by sending commands between transmitter and receiver over the wireless spread-spectrum link for each of the designated devices.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the wireless network is a home local area network (LAN) that is configured to communicate with a network service provider in order to input preferences for, select and download offered scripts or program content routines to the mass storage device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the mass storage device is a hard disk drive that stores a database of pre-programmed scripts, and is adapted to store individual, selectable program content routines for creating a customized script.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the media receiver downloads a selected script into the mass storage device from a subscriber online service, based on selections made by a user.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the script is run from a remote source.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the source is selected from any of a PC, laptop and hand-held computer.

15. The method of claim 4, wherein the script is selected and downloaded to the media receiver from a satellite system, or selected and downloaded as a pay-per-script event from a cable or satellite TV provider.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the script comprises a script formatted in accordance with an Advanced Television Enhancement Forum-based format.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more menus comprise a trigger setting portion, a script downloading portion, a script modifying portion, a script creating portion, an entry adding portion, an entry deleting portion, a searching portion or a help portion.

18. A media receiver for controlling devices via digitally stored program content, wherein the media receiver is coupled to a display device, the media receiver comprising:

graphics processing circuitry coupled to the display device and configured to receive input signals and to generate output signals for presentation on the display device;

a decoder coupled to the graphics processing circuitry and configured to receive and process a media broadcast signal to produce a first input signal to the graphics processing circuitry;

a mass storage device for storing a plurality of selectable scripts, wherein each of the scripts includes program content for controlling a plurality of devices from the media receiver; and

a host processor for accessing a stored script based on recognition of a triggering mechanism that initiates the stored script, wherein the host processor runs the stored script to selectively control operation of at least one of the plurality of devices designated in the stored script, and wherein the host processor is further configured to generate a graphical user interface including one or more menus associated with script selection, creation, modification, or operation, the host processor producing the graphical user interface as a second input signal to the graphics processing circuitry.

19. The media receiver of claim 18, wherein the plurality of devices include any of home electronic appliances, lighting systems, heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment, home security systems, home entertainment systems and designated websites and associate internet media.

20. The media receiver of claim 18, wherein the host processor receives a command from an interface selected from one of a remote control device, input device from a PC, or execution keys and buttons provided on the media receiver, to display a menu on the display device that is operatively connected to the media receiver, and wherein the user selects a desired script from the mass storage device.

21. The media receiver of claim 20, wherein the user creates a customized script from program content routines stored in the mass storage device, or creates a customized script by accessing the subscriber service online to select desired program content routines to be contained within the downloaded script.

22. The media receiver of claim 18, wherein the host processor communicates with devices designated in the script by sending commands over existing electrical wiring to modules that are plugged into the designated devices.

23. The media receiver of claim 18, wherein the host processor communicates with devices designated in the script by sending commands via an infrared transmitter, which are received by infrared receivers operatively connected to the designated devices.

24. The media receiver of claim 18,

wherein media receiver and the plurality of devices are arranged as a network,

wherein the host processor includes command and control application circuitry and each device has a control application associated with it that is invoked via the host processor, and

wherein the host processor communicates with devices designated in the script by invoking a control application for each of the designated devices.

25. The media receiver of claim 18,

wherein media receiver and the plurality of devices are arranged as a wireless network with the media receiver having a transmitter and each of the devices being provided with a wireless receiver to receive a wireless spread-spectrum link, and

wherein media receiver communicates with devices designated in the script by sending commands between transmitter and receiver over the wireless spread-spectrum link for each of the designated devices.

26. The media receiver of claim 25, wherein the wireless network is a home local area network (LAN) that is configured to communicate with a network service provider in order to input preferences for, select and download offered scripts or program content routines to the mass storage device.

27. The media receiver of claim 18, wherein the mass storage device is a hard disk drive that stores a database of pre-programmed scripts, and is adapted to store individual, selectable program content routines for creating a customized script.

28. The media receiver of claim 18, wherein a selected script is downloaded into the mass storage device from a subscriber online service.

29. The media receiver of claim 18, wherein the triggering mechanism is selected from one of a time trigger, content trigger, programming trigger and event trigger.

30. The media receiver of claim 18, wherein the script is run from a remote source.

31. The media receiver of claim 30, wherein the source is selected from any of a PC, laptop and hand-held computer.

32. The media receiver of claim 21, wherein the script is selected and downloaded to the media receiver from a satellite system, or selected and downloaded as a pay-per-script event from a cable or satellite TV provider.

33. The media receiver of claim 18, wherein at least one of the plurality of selectable scripts comprises a script formatted in accordance with an Advanced Television Enhancement Forum-based format.

34. The media receiver of claim 18, wherein the one or more menus comprise a trigger setting portion, a script downloading portion, a script modifying portion, a script creating portion, an entry adding portion, an entry deleting portion, a searching portion or a help portion.

35. The media receiver of claim 18, wherein the host processor comprises a session manager configured to generate the graphical-user interface.

36. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium having computer program logic stored thereon for enabling a processor in a media receiving system configured to receive and process media broadcasting signals and present the signal on a display device operatively coupled to the media receiving system, the computer program logic enabling the media receiving system to control devices with content that is digitally stored in the system, the computer program logic causing the processor to:

generate a graphical user interface including one or more menus associated with script selection, creation, modification, or operation on the display device operatively coupled to the media receiving system,

store a script in a mass storage device of the system, wherein the script includes program content for controlling a plurality of devices from the system;

access the stored script based on a triggering mechanism that initiates the stored script; and

run the stored script to selectively control operation of at least one of the plurality of devices as designated by the stored script.