Method for the data exchange between network devices

• US 8,037,222 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2001
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Hütter, Ingo, Brune, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Park; Ilwoo
• Application Number:
  US10/399,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20040044421A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,652 Days
• Field of Search: 345/700, 345/716, 345/733, 345744-750, 345/760, 709/203, 710/8, 710/62, 710/63, 710/72, 710/73
• US Class Current: 710/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40032 Details regarding a bus interface enhancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40084 Bus arbitration
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• 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 21/43622 Interfacing an external recording device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312

Abstract

Two or more electronic devices are connected via a bus system building a cluster or chain of devices. A device can be selected using a control device, wherein an user interface for the selected device is generated based on description data which are stored in the selected device and are transferred to the control device. A single user interface is shown on a display of the control device which allows to operate at least two devices simultaneously. The user interface of a first device is displayed as main user interface and the user interface of a second device is rendered within the main interface as reduced user interface which includes only operation elements necessary for operation of the second device in combination with the first device.

Claims

1. Method, comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a control device, a user selection of a first device;

receiving, by the control device, description data stored in the first device;

generating, by the control device, a user interface for the selected device based on description data and displaying the user interface on a display of the control device with interface elements associated with a second device, wherein the first and second devices are simultaneously operated with a single user interface, wherein the user interface of the first device is displayed as main user interface and the user interface of the second device is rendered within the main interface as reduced user interface which includes only operation elements necessary for operation of the second device as a sink device in combination with the first device.

2. Method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

displaying a list of possible sink or source device associated with the first device; and

receiving user selection of a sink device, wherein the second device corresponds to the user selected sink device.

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein the displaying a list comprising two separate lists, wherein a first list comprises sink devices and the second list comprises source devices.

4. Method according to claim 2, wherein the displayed list comprises a combined list comprising sink devices and source devices.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein the displaying step comprises displaying an operation element of the first device and an operation element of the second device as a single integrated common operation element.

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein the operation element corresponds to an operation of recording of the data stream.

7. Method according to claim 6, wherein the operation element corresponds to a recording of the data stream in response to one “

copy to”

button.

8. Method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving from devices connected to the control device elements for generating three different interface elements including a main user interface, a reduced sink user interface and a reduced source user interface.

9. Method according to claim 8, wherein the receiving step further comprises receiving identification data for panels of the user interface.

10. Method according to claim 9, wherein the receiving step comprises receiving a first identification data for the main user interface, a second identification data for the reduced sink user interface and a third identification data for the reduced source user interface are provided.

11. Method according to claim 9, wherein only a first identification data for the main user interface is provided by the selected device and wherein the reduced sink user interface and the reduced source user interface are specified by two dependent values, e.g. the two following values, of the first identification data.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a bus interface for coupling the apparatus to a plurality of devices via a digital bus;

a controller generating a user interface display for enabling user control of first and second devices via said user interface display, the controller receiving description data associated with the first and second devices via said digital bus, wherein the user interface display comprises a main user interface associated with the first device and a second user interface display rendered within the main user interface as a reduced user interface, the second user interface display including only operation elements necessary for operation of the second device as a sink device in combination with the first device.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the main user interface includes a list of possible sink or source devices within the network, and upon user selection of a second device from the main user interface, the controller generating the second user interface within the main interface, the second user interface being associated with the selected second device.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the main user interface include two separate lists, a first list comprising sink devices and a second list comprising source devices.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the main user interface includes a combined list that includes sink devices and source devices.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the user interface display includes an operation element of the first device and an operation element of the second device integrated into a single common operation element.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the single operation element comprises an operation element of the first device for playback of a data stream and an operation element of the second device for recording of the data stream.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the user interface display includes a first button that initiates a recording process wherein the data stream between the first device and the second device is set up.

19. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein a selected device provides elements for generation of three different user interfaces, including the main user interface, a reduced sink user interface and a reduced source user interface.