Method and apparatus for transmitting, receiving, and utilizing audio/visual signals and other information

• US 8,082,572 B1
• Filed: 06/08/2000
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tilford, Arthur R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANDRAMUNO, FRANKLIN S
• Application Number:
  US09/590,417
• Time in Patent Office: 4,212 Days
• Field of Search: 725/133, 725141-143
• US Class Current: 725/133
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• 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 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114

Abstract

Information such as audio/visual signals, books, video games, etc. are broadcast via satellite and received in a set top box. When requested by a hand held computing device (HHCD), the information is transmitted by the set top box to the HHCD and stored in the HHCD. The HHCD may be configured to display the information on the HHCD'"'"'s display screen, play back the audio, read a book on the display screen, play a video game on the hand held device, etc. The HHCD may also be configured to transmit the information to a set top box that is connected to an output device (e.g., a television, stereo, etc.). The information is played back or utilized by the output device.

Claims

1. A system of displaying audio/visual information on an output device using a set top box and a hand held computing device to store the audio/visual information and control the set top box, the system comprising:

(a) two or more set top boxes (STBs) for controlling a display of audio/visual information, wherein each STB is configured to;

(i) receive broadcast audio/visual information;

(ii) transmit audio/visual information to a hand held computing device;

(iii) receive audio/visual information from the hand held computing device;

(iv) transform the audio/visual information received from the hand held computing device to a form suitable for presentation on an output device; and

(v) cause the transformed audio/visual information to be displayed on the output device;

(b) the hand held computing device configured to;

(i) receive a user command from a user;

(ii) translate the user command into a command signal;

(iii) control one or more of the STBs using the command signal;

(iv) receive audio/visual information from a first STB;

(v) store the received audio/visual information;

(vi) transmit the stored audio/visual information to a second STB for display on the output device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first STB and second STB are the same.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first STB and second STB are different STBs.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the user command comprises a depression of a single button on the hand held computing device; and

(b) the user command causes;

(i) the transmission of the audio/visual information from the hand held computing device to the second STB; and

(ii) the second STB to playback the audio/visual information on the output device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the audio/visual information is stored on the hand held computing device in encrypted form.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the hand held computing device communicates with one or more of the STBs via a wireless transmission.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the hand held computing device communicates with one or more of the STBs via a wired connection.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the hand held computing device is further configured to control a video cassette recorder that is incorporated into one or more of the STBs.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more of the STBs are configured to filter out desirable information from the broadcast audio/visual information for transmission and storage on the hand held computing device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the audio/visual information is transmitted from one of the STBs to the handheld computing device over a constant periodic interval.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the audio/visual information is transmitted from one of the STBs to the handheld computing device only when an amount of the audio/visual information exceeds a threshold.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the audio/visual information is transmitted from one of the STBs to the handheld computing device when requested by the hand held computing device.

13. A set top box (STB) used for displaying audio/visual information on an output device, wherein the STB is configured to:

(a) control a display of audio/visual information on an output device;

(b) receive broadcast audio/visual information;

(c) transmit audio/visual information to a first of one or more hand held computing devices, wherein each of the one or more handheld computing devices is configured to;

(i) receive a user command from a user;

(ii) translate the user command into a command signal;

(iii) control the STB using the command signal;

(iv) receive audio/visual information from the STB;

(v) store the received audio/visual information; and

(vi) transmit the stored audio/visual information to the STB for display on the output device;

(d) respond to the command signal;

(e) receive audio/visual information from a second hand held computing device;

(f) transform the audio/visual information received from the first or second hand held computing devices to a form suitable for presentation on an output device; and

(g) cause the transformed audio/visual information to be displayed on the output device.

14. The STB of claim 13, wherein the first hand held computing device and second hand held computing device are different hand held computing devices.

15. The STB of claim 13, wherein:

(a) the user command comprises a depression of a single button on the second hand held computing device; and

(b) the user command causes;

(i) the transmission of the audio/visual information from the second hand held computing device to the STB; and

(ii) the STB to playback the audio/visual information on the output device.

16. The STB of claim 13, wherein the STB communicates with the one or more hand held computing devices via a wireless transmission.

17. The STB of claim 13, wherein the STB communicates with the one or more hand held computing devices via a wired connection.

18. The STB of claim 13, wherein:

a video cassette recorder (VCR) is incorporated into the STB; and

the VCR is controlled by the hand held computing device.

19. The STB of claim 13, wherein the STB is configured to filter out desirable information from the broadcast audio/visual information for transmission and storage on the hand held computing device.

20. The STB of claim 13, wherein the audio/visual information is transmitted from the STB to the first handheld computing device over a constant periodic interval.

21. The STB of claim 13, wherein the audio/visual information is transmitted from the STB to the first handheld computing device only when an amount of the audio/visual information exceeds a threshold.

22. The STB of claim 13, wherein the audio/visual information is transmitted from the STB to the first handheld computing device when requested by the first hand held computing device.

23. A handheld computing device used for displaying audio/visual information on an output device through a set top box, wherein the handheld computing device is configured to:

(a) receive a user command from a user;

(b) translate the user command into a command signal;

(c) control two or more set top boxes (STBs) using the command signal, wherein each of the STBs is configured to;

(i) receive broadcast audio/visual information;

(ii) transmit audio/visual information to the hand held computing device;

(iii) receive audio/visual information from the hand held computing device;

(iv) transform the audio/visual information received from the hand held computing device to a form suitable for presentation on an output device; and

(v) cause the transformed audio/visual information to be displayed on the output device;

(d) receive audio/visual information from a first STB;

(e) store the received audio/visual information;

(f) transmit the stored audio/visual information to a second STB for display on the output device.

24. The handheld computing device of claim 23, wherein the first STB and second STB are the same.

25. The handheld computing device of claim 23, wherein the first STB and second STB are different STBs.

26. The handheld computing device of claim 23, wherein:

(a) the user command comprises a depression of a single button on the hand held computing device; and

(b) the user command causes;

(i) the transmission of the audio/visual information from the hand held computing device to the second STB; and

(ii) the second STB to playback the audio/visual information on the output device.

27. The handheld computing device of claim 23, wherein the audio/visual information is stored on the hand held computing device in encrypted form.

28. The handheld computing device of claim 23, wherein the hand held computing device communicates with one or more of the STBs via a wireless transmission.

29. The handheld computing device of claim 23, wherein the hand held computing device communicates with one or more of the STBs via a wired connection.

30. The handheld computing device of claim 23, wherein the hand held computing device is further configured to control a video cassette recorder that is incorporated into one or more of the STBs.

31. The handheld computing device of claim 23, wherein the one or more of the STBs are configured to filter out desirable information from the broadcast audio/visual information for transmission and storage on the hand held computing device.

32. The handheld computing device of claim 23, wherein the audio/visual information is received in the handheld computing device from one of the STBs over a constant periodic interval.

33. The handheld computing device of claim 23, wherein the audio/visual information is received in the handheld computing device from one of the STBs only when an amount of the audio/visual information exceeds a threshold.

34. The handheld computing device of claim 23, wherein the audio/visual information is received in the handheld computing device from one of the STBs when requested by the hand held computing device.