Systems and methods for operating a peripheral record/playback device in a networked multimedia system

• US 7,360,235 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2003
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Helios Streaming, LLC (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Davies, David B., Russ, Samuel H., Krantzler, Irvan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Ngoc
• Application Number:
  US10/437,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20040068755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,798 Days
• Field of Search: 725/74, 725 78- 83, 725/85, 725/127, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153, 348/734, 348/552, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 398/106, 398/135, 398/107
• US Class Current: 725/133
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• 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 21/43622 Interfacing an external recording device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44231 Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 : for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed of a network including a primary device, a plurality of remote devices, and a shared peripheral device. The network allows the remote devices to operate the peripheral device, such as a DVD player, VCR, or camcorder, via the primary device and the network. The peripheral device is typically connected to the primary device and shared among all devices. The network also includes a splitter/isolation module (SIM) that routes the signals between the primary device and the plurality of remote devices.

Claims

1. A system for providing a shared device in a networked multimedia system, the system comprising:

a primary set top terminal (STT) for receiving a plurality of downstream presentations and reverse command signals, and for providing selected presentation signals; and

a plurality of remote STTs coupled to the primary STT via a splitter/isolator module (SIM), wherein the splitter/isolator module (SIM) comprises a splitter configured to facilitate communication with the remote STTs and the primary STT, the SIM being configured to receive the downstream presentations from a communications network and provide the downstream signals to the primary STT, the SIM being further configured to provide at least one selected presentation signal from the primary STT to at least one of the remote STTs in response to receiving a request by the at least one of the remote STTs,

wherein the primary STT is further configured to instruct a peripheral device to provide a media presentation for communications to at least one of the remote STTs,

wherein the splitter/isolation module (SIM) is further configured to receive, directly from at least one of the plurality of remote STTs, at least one upstream signal, the splitter/isolation module (SIM) being further configured to send the at least one upstream signal received directly from the at least one of the plurality of remote STTs directly to the communications network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of remote STTs is configured to transmit a reverse command signal requesting the selected presentation signals.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the reverse command signal is indicative of command operations, and wherein the primary STT is configured to forward the command operations to the peripheral device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the command operations comprise one of a record, play, pause, fast-forward, rewind, and stop command.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the primary STT is coupled to the peripheral device with an infrared (IR) cable and a sensor, wherein the primary STT is configured to convert the command operations into IR signals for transmission via the IR cable to the sensor that is located on the peripheral device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein at least one of the remote STTs is configured to provide a user option to select one listing from a plurality of listings including manufacturers and models that is indicative of a plurality of peripheral devices, and wherein the one selected listing includes the appropriate IR signals for the peripheral device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the primary STT includes an interactive program guide (IPG) that is shared among the primary STT and the plurality of remote STTs, and wherein the IPG is updated to include a channel for the one selected listing that is indicative of a peripheral device screen.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the peripheral device is configured to generate at least one remote command signal.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the media presentation includes at least one of the following:

an analog signal and a digital signal.

10. The system of claim 9, the primary STT further comprising a processor and an encoder, the processor for instructing the encoder to digitally compress the analog media presentation prior to routing to the remote device requesting media presentation.

11. The system of claim 1, the primary STT further comprising a modulator for modulating the selected presentation signals to a predetermined frequency and for providing modulated signals to at least one remote STT requesting media presentation.

12. The system of claim 1, the primary STT further comprising a storage device for selectively storing presentations from at least one of the plurality of downstream presentations and the media presentation.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the following includes a display device:

the primary STT and at least one of the remote STTs.

14. A method in a primary STT for communicating signals in a networked multimedia system comprising the steps of:

receiving at a primary STT a command signal from a remote STT via a splitter/isolation modulate (SIM), the command signal being indicative of a user request for providing at least one media presentation signal from a peripheral device to the remote STT;

instructing the peripheral device to transmit the requested at least one media presentation signal;

communicating the at least one media presentation signal to the remote STT via the SIM; and

displaying the requested at least one media presentation signal on a display coupled to the remote STT,

wherein the SIM is configured to receive, directly from the primary STT and the remote STT, at least one upstream signal, the SIM being further configured to send the at least one upstream signal directly to the communications network.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising digitally compressing at least one of the media presentations prior to communicating at least one of the media presentation signals to the remote STT via the SIM.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising modulating at least one of the media presentation signals at a predetermined frequency.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the command signal is a play command.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of receiving a second command signal that is indicative of at least one of the following:

a pause command, a rewind command, a fast-forward command, a stop command, and a record command.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of receiving a second user input signal that is indicative of a record command for recording a selected one of at least one of first media presentation signal.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the command signal is filtered to prevent transmission to an external recipient.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of the following includes a display device:

the primary STT and at least one of the remote STTs.