Network-extensible reconfigurable media appliance

• US 7,904,465 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2007
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dennis Fernandez
• Inventors: Fernandez, Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Engelskirchen; Jeremy D
• Application Number:
  US11/934,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20080059401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/754
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/74 Browsing; Visualisation therefor end-user interfaces for requesting or interacting with video content, e.g. video on demand interfaces or electronic program guides, H04N21/472
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• 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 21/64784 Data processing by the network data processing in packet switching systems H04L12/56; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90; provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/617 Upgrading or updating of programs or applications for camera control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/262 Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2621 Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/913 Multimedia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Extensible reconfigurable media appliance for security and entertainment captures images digitally for storage. Digital effects and filters are applied to incoming video stream on-the-fly or to video data stored in memory. Digital effects and filters are dynamically stored, modified, updated or deleted, providing extensible reconfigurable effects studio. Digital media appliance communicates wirelessly with other media appliances, computers, security systems, video storage, email, chat, cellular services or PDAs to provide seamless integration of captured video stream.

Claims

1. Media appliance comprising:

means for sensing to generate an audio or visual (A/V) signal; and

reconfigurable logic or processor for processing the signal adaptively according to automatic recognition of one or more audio or video feature extracted from the processed signal, whereby such extracted feature is usable for image or database query;

wherein the signal is provided to a distributed group of network-extensible media appliances, such signal being provided using programmable protocol translation via real-time or dynamic electronic signal processing to convert a communication format of the provided signal, at least one of the appliances in the distributed group thereby presenting electronically the signal via an audio or video renderer, whereby such distributed group of network-extensible media appliances collaborates to reconstruct a covered event effectively by synchronizing processed A/V signals that are collected from distributed media appliances, such signals being synchronized to flow or branch according to a non-linear or non-deterministic script, template or storyboard;

wherein the sensed signal is generated and stored in one or more digital storage medium whereby a plurality of network-extensible media appliances in such distributed group each generate and store one or more such sensed signal in such one or more digital storage medium, such that said reconfigurable logic or processor accesses the stored signals from the one or more digital storage medium to process such signals adaptively by automatically synchronizing one or more flow or branch associated with post-processing such signals according to the non-linear or non-deterministic script, template or storyboard associated with a mobile extensible reconfigurable effects studio comprising the distributed group of network-extensible media appliances;

wherein the processed signal adaptively guides one or more media appliance operator in making discretionary emergency decisions to take alternate script paths, alter flow of script, storyboard or digital template, or deviate from such script, storyboard or digital template when one or more emergency condition or event does not occur according to such script, storyboard or digital template, by automatically employing one or more non-deterministic script, storyboard or digital template according to automated logic specified using Bayesian modeling, neural networks, fuzzy logic, or other adaptive technique for making emergency decisions under complex conditions or under incomplete information;

such complex conditions or incomplete information comprising variables external to the guided operator, whereby the processed signal comprises a weather, temperature and location associated with real-time condition input of external variables for a larger audience of guided operators, such that the reconfigurable logic or processor processes such signal adaptively in real-time according to automatic recognition of one or more such external conditions extracted from the processed signal associated with the larger audience.

2. The appliance of claim 1 wherein:

said sensing means encodes the signal according to a video format enabling emotion recognition.

3. The appliance of claim 1 wherein:

said reconfigurable logic or processor enables content, user or device authentication for security intelligence.

4. The appliance of claim 1 wherein:

said reconfigurable logic or processor tags the signal according to a digital rights management (DRM) flag or meta-datastructure.

5. The appliance of claim 1 further comprising:

means for rendering the processed signal using an abstraction layer for presentation according to an Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) format.

6. The appliance of claim 1 wherein:

said reconfigurable logic or processor enables alternate rendering of the signal according to a non-linear branching-point for a news, sports or movie program.

7. The appliance of claim 1 wherein:

said reconfigurable logic or processor processes the signal synchronously with a delegated A/V stream in an appliance group.

8. Media appliance comprising:

sensor to generate an audio or visual (A/V) signal; and

digital signal processor for processing the signal adaptively according to automatic recognition of one or more audio or video feature extracted from the processed signal, whereby such extracted feature is usable for image or database query;

wherein the signal is provided to a distributed group of network-extensible media appliances, such signal being provided using programmable protocol translation via real-time or dynamic electronic signal processing to convert a communication format of the provided signal, at least one of the appliances in the distributed group thereby presenting electronically the signal via an audio or video renderer, whereby such distributed group of network-extensible media appliances collaborates to reconstruct a covered event effectively by synchronizing processed A/V signals that are collected from distributed media appliances, such signals being synchronized to flow or branch according to a non-linear or non-deterministic script, template or storyboard;

wherein the sensed signal is generated and stored in one or more digital storage medium whereby a plurality of network-extensible media appliances in such distributed group each generate and store one or more such sensed signal in such one or more digital storage medium, such that said digital signal processor accesses the stored signals from the one or more digital storage medium to process such signals adaptively by automatically synchronizing one or more flow or branch associated with post-processing such signals according to the non-linear or non-deterministic script, template or storyboard associated with a mobile extensible reconfigurable effects studio comprising the distributed group of network-extensible media appliances;

wherein the processed signal adaptively guides one or more media appliance operator in making discretionary emergency decisions to take alternate script paths, alter flow of script, storyboard or digital template, or deviate from such script, storyboard or digital template when one or more emergency condition or event does not occur according to such script, storyboard or digital template, by automatically employing one or more non-deterministic script, storyboard or digital template according to automated logic specified using Bayesian modeling, neural networks, fuzzy logic, or other adaptive technique for making emergency decisions under complex conditions or under incomplete information;

such complex conditions or incomplete information comprising variables external to the guided operator, whereby the processed signal comprises a weather, temperature and location associated with real-time condition input of external variables for a larger audience of guided operators, such that the reconfigurable logic or processor processes such signal adaptively in real-time according to automatic recognition of one or more such external conditions extracted from the processed signal associated with the larger audience.