Digital multi-room, multi-source entertainment and communications network

• US 6,907,458 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2001
• Issued: 06/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nortek Security & Control LLC (Melrose Industries Plc)
• Original Assignee: M & S Systems LP (Melrose Industries Plc)
• Inventors: Farris, Bradford Lowell, Tomassetti, Stephen Robert, Snedigar, Donald C., Wojciechowski, Thomas Gerald
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Application Number:
  US09/849,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20030023741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-203, 709217-219, 709223-224, 709/227, 700231-234, 700/241, 725 60- 61, 725/83, 725/104
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• 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 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams

Abstract

A peer-to-peer network of devices connected together with data being streamed over a digital network. Network devices include one or more data communication units that are locatable in two or more zones. Data communication units may be room stations and door stations connected to hub modules at an entertainment hub and local units connected to the entertainment hub. The entertainment hub may be connected to the Internet, either directly or, indirectly through one of the connected data communications units. Room stations include a sending unit, a receiving unit and an intercom unit (provide intercom, paging and station monitoring) and are located in different zones, each controlling local reception of data from the data stream and each may place data into the data stream. Room stations operate independently of each other such that a person at a first room station may select to receive audio data from another unit while a second person at a second room station is receiving data from yet another unit, each individually setting sound volume and tone controls independent of the other. Audio sources may include a radio tuner, a compact disc player, a mini-disc player, a microphone, a cassette player and a compressed audio data source and, any unit may select audio data from any audio source independent of other units. Room stations may include an interactive display and keypad with commonly used commands in a command menu. A time display may be included and stations may be time programmable. Some units may selectively disable issuance of commands from other network devices.

Claims

1. A peer-to-peer network of devices, said peer-to-peer network comprising:

a plurality of network devices locatable in two or more zones and connected together over a digital network, data being streamed over said digital network each of said network devices including one or more data communication units;

at least two said network devices including a receiving unit, said at least two devices being located in different ones of said zones, each of said receiving units controlling local reception of data from said data stream; and

at least two said network devices including a source unit, each said source unit selectively providing data to said data stream,

wherein a person at a first network device may select to receive data from a first source unit while a second person at a second network device is receiving data from a second source unit.

2. A peer-to-peer network as in claim 1, wherein the digital network further comprises:

at least one network device including an intercom unit in communication with receiving units, said intercom unit providing intercom, paging and station monitoring functions.

3. A peer-to-peer network as in claim 2, wherein at least one source unit is an audio source unit injecting audio data into the data stream.

4. A peer-to-peer network as in claim 3, wherein at least one receiver unit is an audio receiver extracting audio data from the data stream, said audio data being converted to sound and provided to the zone in which said audio receiver is located.

5. A peer-to-peer network as in claim 4, wherein at least one of the network devices is a room station, each said room station including an audio source unit, an audio receiver unit and an intercom unit.

6. A peer-to-peer network as in claim 5, wherein at least one of the network devices is a door station, each said door station including an audio receiver unit and an intercom unit.

7. A peer-to-peer network as in claim 5, wherein at least one of the network devices is a dual tuner, each said dual tuner including two audio receiver units.

8. A peer-to-peer network as in claim 5, wherein each of said network devices is attached to a central hub and is assigned a unique hub address.

9. A peer-to-peer network as in claim 8, wherein sound volume is set at each said audio receiver unit independent of sound volume settings at other said audio receiver units.

10. A peer-to-peer network as in claim 8, wherein sound tone is set at each said audio receiver unit independent of sound tone settings at other said audio receiver units.

11. A peer-to-peer network as in claim 8, including a plurality of audio source units each providing audio data from one of a plurality of audio sources.

12. A peer-to-peer network as in claim 11, wherein said plurality of audio sources includes a radio tuner, a compact disc player, a mini-disc player, a microphone, a cassette player and a compressed audio data source and, wherein any audio receiver unit may select audio data from any audio source unit independent of other said audio receiver units.

13. A peer-to-peer network as in claim 11, wherein a plurality of said network devices include an interactive display displaying status information, commands being provided to units connected to said network through each said interactive display.

14. A peer-to-peer network as in claim 13, wherein said interactive display provides a menu of said commands.

15. A peer-to-peer network as in claim 13, wherein at least one interactive display displays time information.

16. A peer-to-peer network as in claim 13, wherein ones of said network devices may selectively disable issuance of commands from other ones of said network devices.

17. A peer-to-peer network as in claim 13, wherein at least one network device includes a timer, said timer being able to initiate execution of selected commands.

18. A peer-to-peer network as in claim 11, wherein said digital network further includes a communication port selectively communicating with devices external to said digital network.

19. A communication and entertainment network, said communication and entertainment network comprising:

a plurality of peer-to-peer network devices attached to a central hub and assigned a unique hub address, each of said network devices being locatable in one of two or more zones, each of said network devices including one or more data communication units data being streamed over said central hub between connected devices;

at least two said network devices including a receiving unit, said at least two devices being located in different ones of said zones, each of said receiving units controlling local reception of data from said data stream;

at least one network device including an intercom unit in communication with receiving units, said intercom unit providing intercom, paging and station monitoring functions;

at least two said network devices including a source unit, each said source unit selectively providing data to said data stream,

wherein a person at a first network device may select to receive data from a first source unit while a second person at a second network device is receiving data from a second source unit.

20. A communication and entertainment network as in claim 19, wherein at least one source unit is an audio source unit injecting audio data into the data stream.

21. A communication and entertainment network as in claim 20, wherein at least one receiver unit is an audio receiver extracting audio data from the data stream, said audio data being converted to sound and provided to the zone in which said audio receiver is located.

22. A communication and entertainment network as in claim 21, wherein at least one of the network devices is a room station, each said room station including an audio source unit, an audio receiver unit and an intercom unit.

23. A communication and entertainment network as in claim 22, wherein at least one of the network devices is a door station, each said door station including an audio receiver unit and an intercom unit.

24. A communication and entertainment network as in claim 22, wherein at least one of the network devices is a dual tuner, each said dual tuner including two audio receiver units.

25. A communication and entertainment network as in claim 21, wherein sound volume is set at each said audio receiver independent of sound volume settings at other said audio receiver units.

26. A communication and entertainment network as in claim 21, wherein sound tone is set at each said audio receiver independent of sound tone settings at other said audio receiver units.

27. A communication and entertainment network as in claim 21, including a plurality of audio source units each providing audio data from one of a plurality of audio sources.

28. A communication and entertainment network as in claim 27, wherein said plurality of audio sources includes a radio tuner, a compact disc player, a mini-disc player, a microphone, a cassette player and a compressed audio data source and, wherein any audio receiver unit may select audio data from any audio source unit independent of other said audio receiver units.

29. A communication and entertainment network as in claim 27, wherein a plurality of said network devices include an interactive display displaying status information, commands being provided to units connected to said network through each said interactive display.

30. A communication and entertainment network as in claim 29, wherein said interactive display provides a menu of said commands, and wherein at least one interactive display displays time information.

31. A communication and entertainment network as in claim 29, wherein ones of said network devices may, selectively disable issuance of commands from other ones of said network devices.

32. A communication and entertainment network as in claim 29, wherein at least one network device includes a timer, said timer being able to initiate execution of selected commands.

33. A communication and entertainment network as in claim 19, wherein said digital network further includes a communication port selectively communicating with devices external to said digital network.