Emulator-enabled network connectivity to a device
First Claim
1. An apparatus configured to facilitate the delivery of information from a remote source to a media decoder in a digital encoding format native to the media decoder, the apparatus comprising:
- a network interface configured to couple to an external network and to facilitate communications between the apparatus and the remote source;
a controller in communication with the network interface and configured to couple to the media decoder;
a local media source, coupled to the controller, to store media content;
instruction sequences executable on the controller, the instruction sequences comprising instructions for;
determining, responsive to selection of a media element, whether the selected media element is stored on the local media source;
issuing a command to the local media source to deliver the selected media element to the media decoder in response to a determination that the selected media element is stored on the local media source; and
responsive to a determination that the selected media element is not stored on the local media source but is stored on the remote source,(i) receiving network information corresponding to the selected media element from the remote source via the external network;
(ii) determining, based on signals received from the remote source, a digital encoding format in which the network information is being received;
(iii) determining the digital encoding format native to the media decoder;
(iv) transcoding the network information from the digital encoding format in which the network information was received to the digital encoding format native to the media decoder; and
(v) delivering the network information to the media decoder in the digital encoding format native to the media decoder wherein the instruction sequences (i) through (v) physically or logically emulate a device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An emulator is capable of connecting to an information interface that can communicate information from an information source to an information sink in a format native to the information sink. The emulator comprises an emulation controller capable of coupling to the information interface, a network controller coupled to the emulation controller and capable of coupling to an external network, and a storage. The storage holds an instruction sequence executable on the emulation controller. The instruction sequence comprises a code for receiving network information from the external network and a code capable of converting the network information to the native format for transfer to the information sink.
86 Citations
15 Claims
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1. An apparatus configured to facilitate the delivery of information from a remote source to a media decoder in a digital encoding format native to the media decoder, the apparatus comprising:
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a network interface configured to couple to an external network and to facilitate communications between the apparatus and the remote source; a controller in communication with the network interface and configured to couple to the media decoder; a local media source, coupled to the controller, to store media content; instruction sequences executable on the controller, the instruction sequences comprising instructions for; determining, responsive to selection of a media element, whether the selected media element is stored on the local media source; issuing a command to the local media source to deliver the selected media element to the media decoder in response to a determination that the selected media element is stored on the local media source; and responsive to a determination that the selected media element is not stored on the local media source but is stored on the remote source, (i) receiving network information corresponding to the selected media element from the remote source via the external network; (ii) determining, based on signals received from the remote source, a digital encoding format in which the network information is being received; (iii) determining the digital encoding format native to the media decoder; (iv) transcoding the network information from the digital encoding format in which the network information was received to the digital encoding format native to the media decoder; and (v) delivering the network information to the media decoder in the digital encoding format native to the media decoder wherein the instruction sequences (i) through (v) physically or logically emulate a device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of delivering media content to a media decoder, the method comprising:
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detecting the presence of the media decoder, the media decoder having a capability to decode information encoded in a digital encoding format native to the media decoder; determining whether a media element selected by a user is stored on a local device; issuing, responsive to a determination that the media element selected by the user is stored on the local device, a command to the local device to deliver the media element selected by the user to the media decoder; determining, responsive to a determination that the media element selected by the user is not stored on the local device, whether the media element selected by the user is stored on an external network device; accessing, responsive to a determination that the media element selected by the user is stored on the external network device, information from the external network device and in a digital encoding format different from the digital encoding format native to the media decoder, the information including the media element selected by the user; determining, based on the accessed information, the digital encoding format in which the information is being accessed; determining the digital encoding format native to the media decoder; transcoding the accessed information to the digital encoding format native to the media decoder; and delivering the transcoded information to the media decoder in the digital encoding format native to the media decoder. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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Specification