Control of interconnected audio/video devices

• US 6,918,136 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2001
• Issued: 07/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Shepherd, Nicoll B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shannon, Michael R
• Application Number:
  US09/773,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20010014972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,622 Days
• Field of Search: 725/80, 725/81, 725/85, 725/86, 348/734, 348/569, 348/563, 348/570, 710 15- 16, 340/3.71, 340/825.22, 345/158, 345/169
• US Class Current: 725/141
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/205 with control bus for exchanging commands between units
• 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 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

Abstract

A local communication system comprises a plurality of devices interconnected for data communication. One of the devices is a display device arranged to display data from one or more other devices of the system, and one of the devices is a remote control carrying a first group of controls (A . . . G) for controlling respective operational functions of a device of the system. The system is configured to identify a selected device of the system to be controlled by user operation of a remote control device, and to determine which operational functions of that selected device are missing on the remote control. For such functions, the system generates on the display device a user actuatable simulacrum of a control for that function (H, J, K, L).

Claims

1. A local communication system comprising a plurality of devices interconnected for the communication of data, wherein one of said devices is a display device arranged to display data from one or more other devices of the system, and wherein one of said devices is a remote control device carrying a first group of controls (A . . . G) for controlling respective operational functions of a device of the system, the system including:

selector means for identifying a selected device of the system to be controlled by user operation of said remote control device; and

virtual control means to determine which operational functions (H . . . L) of said selected device do not have a corresponding control on said remote control device, and generate on said display device a user actuatable simulacrum of a control means for each such operational function.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said simulacrum is generated by said display device based on data from said selected device.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said simulacrum is generated by said display device by reference to stored data, which data is accessed by reference to the device typo of the selected device.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said simulacrum is generated by said selected device and transmitted as display data to said display device.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said remote control device has a corresponding control for all functions of said display device.

6. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said remote control device includes a control for selectively actuating a displayed simulacrum.

7. A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said display device is arranged to display a plurality of simulacra and the remote control device comprises means for stepping through said simulacra and selecting one or more thereof.

8. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein interconnection between two or more of the devices is provided by a wireless link.

9. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein interconnection between two or more of said devices is via a digital data communication bus to which the devices are respectively interfaced, with said data being carried thereupon as discrete data packets.

10. Data processing apparatus comprising virtual control means in a system, said virtual control means configured according to claim 1.