Electronic device system

• US 7,689,095 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2001
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sugiyama, Nobukazu, Korehisa, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Boccio; Vincent
• Application Number:
  US09/756,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20010021305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,368 Days
• Field of Search: 386/83, 386/46, 715/501.1, 725/37, 725/38, 725/46, 725/151, 725 10- 12, 348/734
• US Class Current: 386/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver

Abstract

An electronic device system includes a plurality of electronic devices each having at least an audiovisual playback device capable of reading one of stored audiovisual content data and received audiovisual content data, and an audiovisual output device capable of outputting desired audiovisual content, a bus establishing connection among the plurality of electronic devices, and a controller capable of controlling the electronic devices connected to the bus. In the electronic device, the audiovisual output device connected via the bus includes a device identifying unit for identifying, under the control of the controller, the audiovisual output device which outputs the desired audiovisual content, and a content output unit for outputting the desired audiovisual content when the audiovisual output device is identified by the device identifying unit.

Claims

1. An electronic device system comprising:

a plurality of audiovisual playback devices;

a plurality of audiovisual output devices capable of outputting desired audiovisual content and having an output device identifying means, each audiovisual output device including a respective user recognition apparatus;

a bus establishing a physical connection among said playback devices and output devices; and

a controller capable of controlling the playback devices and the output devices physically connected to said bus, the controller controlling the output devices according to the respective output device identifying means,

wherein the controller includes an infrared transmitter and a wireless transmitter,

wherein the controller provides two signals, the wireless transmitter provides a first signal enabling a user to select audiovisual content from any one of the playback devices and the infrared transmitter provides a second signal to cause identification of a selected one of the output devices to establish communication with the selected playback device,

wherein when a plurality of output devices are identified to establish communication with the selected audiovisual playback device at the same time, the audiovisual content is controlled to be output to the output device identified first among the plurality of identified playback devices.

2. An electronic device system according to claim 1, wherein said audiovisual output device which outputs said desired audiovisual content is one having the device identifying means which first identifies the audiovisual output device among the plurality of the audiovisual output devices identified by the device identifying means thereof.

3. An electronic device system according to claim 1, wherein said device identifying means identifies the audiovisual output device in accordance with infrared communication means capable of wirelessly communicating a control signal.

4. An electronic device system according to claim 3, wherein said control signal includes a selection signal for selecting from among the audiovisual content data stored in said audiovisual playback device.

5. An electronic device system according to claim 1, wherein said controller that remotely controls the plurality of audiovisual playback devices and the plurality of audiovisual output devices connected to said bus comprises one of a remote control unit, a portable phone, and an information device.

6. An electronic device system according to claim 1, wherein said bus comprises a digital bus according to the IEEE-1394 standard.

7. The electronic device system of claim 1, wherein the controller provides a content selection signal for selecting a desired audiovisual content from audiovisual content among audiovisual content data stored in the audiovisual playback device.

8. An electronic device system comprising:

a plurality of audiovisual playback devices;

a plurality of audiovisual output devices capable of outputting desired audiovisual content and having an output device identifying means;

a bus for establishing a physical connection among said playback devices and output devices; and

a controller including a wireless transmitter and capable of controlling said audiovisual playback devices connected to said bus, wherein said audiovisual output device connected via said bus comprises;

voice recognizing means for recognizing a voice; and

content output means for outputting the audiovisual content from said audiovisual playback device from which reading is requested by said controller when said voice recognizing means recognizes a specific voice,

wherein the controller provides two signals, the wireless transmitter provides a first signal enabling a user to select audiovisual content from any one of the playback devices and the voice recognizing means provides a second signal to cause identification of a selected one of the output devices to establish communication with the selected playback device,

wherein when a plurality of output devices are identified to establish communication with the selected audiovisual playback device at the same time, the audiovisual content is controlled to be output to the output device identified first among the plurality of identified playback devices.

9. An electronic device system according to claim 8, wherein said audiovisual output device which outputs said desired audiovisual content is one having the voice recognizing means which first recognizes the voice among the plurality of the audiovisual output devices recognized by the voice recognizing means thereof.

10. An electronic device system according to claim 8, wherein said controller that remotely controls the plurality of audiovisual playback devices and the plurality of audiovisual output devices connected to said bus comprises one of a remote control unit, a portable phone, and an information device.

11. An electronic device system according to claim 8, wherein said bus comprises a digital bus according to the IEEE-1394 standard.

12. An electronic device system comprising:

a plurality of audiovisual playback devices;

a plurality of audiovisual output devices capable of outputting desired audiovisual content and having an output device identifying means;

a bus for establishing a physical connection among said playback devices and output devices; and

a controller including an wireless transmitter and capable of controlling said audiovisual playback devices connected to said bus, wherein said audiovisual output device connected via said bus comprises;

vibration recognizing means for recognizing a vibration; and

content output means for outputting the audiovisual content from said audiovisual playback device from which reading is requested by said controller when said vibration recognizing means recognizes a specific vibration,

wherein the controller provides two signals, the wireless transmitter provides a first signal enabling a user to select audiovisual content from any one of the playback devices and the vibration recognizing means provides a second signal to cause identification of a selected one of the output devices to establish communication with the selected playback device,

wherein when a plurality of output devices are identified to establish communication with the selected audiovisual playback device at the same time, the audiovisual content is controlled to be output to the output device identified first among the plurality of identified playback devices.

13. An electronic device system according to claim 12, wherein said audiovisual output device which outputs said desired audiovisual content is one having the vibration recognizing means which first recognizes the vibration among the plurality of the audiovisual output devices recognized by the vibration recognizing means thereof.

14. An electronic device system according to claim 12, wherein said controller that remotely controls the plurality of audiovisual playback devices and the plurality audiovisual output devices connected to said bus comprises one of a remote control unit, a portable phone, and an information device.

15. An electronic device system according to claim 12, wherein said bus comprises a digital bus according to the IEEE-1394 standard.