Control system and user interface for network of input devices

• US 8,134,650 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2009
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric US Incorporated (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Visual Solutions America Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Maxson, Brian D, Stecyk, Polly, Peterson, Brian, Houda, Pavel, Palmer, George E., Pu, Shenta T., Zanfino, Martin, Perry, Robert A., Teodorescu, Sorin I., Vann, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/619,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20100060791A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 348/734, 348/731, 348/705, 348/706, 348/460, 348552-554, 340/825.69, 340/825.22, 340/825.24, 340/825.72, 700/17, 715/717, 715/718
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• 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 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

Apparatus, methods, and systems for centrally and uniformly controlling the operation of a variety of devices, such as communication, consumer electronic, audio-video, analog, digital, 1394, and the like, over a variety of protocols within a network system and, more particularly, a control system and uniform user interface for centrally controlling these devices in a manner that appears seamless and transparent to the user. In a preferred embodiment, a command center or hub of a network system includes a context and connection permutation sensitive control system that enables centralized and seamless integrated control of all types of input devices. The control system preferably includes a versatile icon based graphical user interface that provides a uniform, on-screen centralized control system for the network system. The user interface, which includes a visual recognition system, enables the user to transparently control multiple input devices over a variety of protocols while operating on a single control layer of an input command device. In an alternative embodiment, the control system also enables gated signal pass-through control while avoiding signal jamming.

Claims

1. An audio-video (AV) system comprising

a display screen,

a context sensitive controller coupled to the screen and adapted to translate controller specific user input commands to peripheral input device appropriate messages to drive the peripheral input devices, wherein the peripheral input devices comprise analog and digital devices, wherein the controller is adapted to communicate with the analog input devices via IR signals sent from the controller to the analog input devices and communicate with the digital input devices via signals sent from the controller over a bidirectional bus when such devices are coupled to a plurality of input and output ports coupled to the controller, wherein the analog input devices being incapable of communicating over the bidirectional bus, wherein the controller comprises a user interface (UI) module adapted to translate user input controller specific commands and first and second control modules coupled to the UI module, the control modules adapted to convert translated user input controller specific commands into device specific output messages to drive the analogue and digital input devices, wherein the controller is adapted to generate a graphical user interface (GUI) displayable on the screen and coupled to the UI module, the GUI includes a visual recognition system and a device selection menu comprising a plurality of icons corresponding to a plurality of AV input devices when such devices are coupled to the controller, wherein the device selection menu comprises a device selection window, a video sink window, an audio sink window, and a connection sink window,

an IR signal receiver coupled to the controller and adapted to receive user commands,

an IR emitter coupled to the controller,

an IR emitter controller coupled to the first control module and the IR emitter, and

a driver module coupled to the second control module, the driver module adapted to communicate device appropriate output messages to the digital input devices.

2. The AV system of claim 1 wherein the visual recognition system comprises three states of visual recognition.

3. The AV system of claim 2 wherein the three states of visual recognition comprise a disabled state, a current device state, and a selected icon state.

4. The AV system of claim 3 wherein the visual recognition system comprises five states of visual recognition.

5. The AV system of claim 4 wherein the five states of visual recognition system comprise a disable state, a selected icon/current device state, a selected icon/not current device state, a not selected icon/not current device state, and a not selected icon/current device state.

7. The AV system of claim 1 wherein the AV system is a digital television.

6. An audio-video (AV) system comprising

a display screen,

a context sensitive controller coupled to the screen and adapted to translate controller specific user input commands to peripheral input device appropriate messages to drive the peripheral input devices, wherein the peripheral input devices comprise analog and digital devices, wherein the controller is adapted to communicate with the analog input devices via IR signals sent from the controller to the analog input devices and communicate with the digital input devices via signals sent from the controller over a bidirectional bus when such devices are coupled to a plurality of input and output ports coupled to the controller, wherein the analog input devices being incapable of communicating over the bidirectional bus, wherein the controller comprises a user interface (UI) module adapted to translate user input controller specific commands and first and second control modules coupled to the UI module, the control modules adapted to convert translated user input controller specific commands into device specific output messages to drive the analogue and digital input devices,

an IR signal receiver coupled to the controller and adapted to receive user commands, and

an IR emitter coupled to the controller,

wherein the UI module comprises

a first module adapted to determine a current system state and whether an input command comprises a menu related action or a direct device action,

a second module coupled to the first module, the second module adapted to determine whether a menu related action is a menu display action, a menu navigate action or a menu device action, and

a third module coupled to the first and second modules, the third module adapted to determine what device connections to make and instructing the first and second control modules as to what device actions to take.