Media transfer and control system

• US 8,265,617 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2007
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Lazaridis, Mihal, Asthana, Atul
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAYLOR, NATHAN SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US11/733,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20080254785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,981 Days
• Field of Search: 455/569, 455/418, 455/556.1, 455/66, 455/344, 463/42, 709/217, 709/225, 709/224, 713/1
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/053 remote terminal provisioning, e.g. of applets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/25 related to user interface aspects of the telephonic communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/554 Data synchronization
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

A media transfer and control system that includes a handheld electronic device and an audio/visual system. The media transfer and control system provides for: (i) the transfer of media files between the handheld electronic device and the audio/visual system, (ii) the transmission of control commands from the handheld electronic device to the audio/visual system for controlling the function and operation of the audio/visual system through a user interface provided on the handheld electronic device, and (iii) the unsolicited transfer of media descriptive data between the handheld electronic device and the audio/visual system to create a synchronized global view on the handheld electronic device and/or the audio/visual system of all of the media content currently stored on and/or available through both the handheld electronic device and the audio/visual system.

Claims

1. A media transfer and control system, comprising:

a handheld electronic device having a processor and a memory, said handheld electronic device being configured for wireless communications, said memory storing a plurality of media files; and

an audio/visual system having a controller for controlling the operation of said audio/visual system and an internal storage mechanism for storing digital information representative of media, said audio/visual system being configured for wireless communications;

said processor of said handheld electronic device is;

(i) responsive to one or more first inputs from a user of said handheld electronic device, configured to generate one or more control signals and cause said handheld electronic device to wirelessly transmit said one or more control signals to said audio/visual system, and (ii) responsive to one or more second inputs from said user of said handheld electronic device, configured to access a selected one or more of said media files from said memory and cause said handheld electronic device to wirelessly transmit media data based on said selected one or more of said media files to said audio/visual system;

said audio/visual system, in response to wirelessly receiving said one or more control signals, provides said one or more control signals to said controller, said controller controlling the operation of said audio/visual system in accordance with said one or more control signals, and said audio/visual system, in response to wirelessly receiving said media data, performs at least one of;

(i) immediately causing a media output to be generated based on said media data and (ii) causing said media data to be stored in said internal storage mechanism;

said audio/visual system is configured to automatically and without a solicitation from said handheld electronic device wirelessly transmit to said handheld electronic device media descriptive data relating to media content that is currently available from said audio/visual system when said handheld electronic device and said audio/visual system are brought within wireless communications range of one another;

said handheld electronic device is configured to automatically switch from a first mode, said first mode including said handheld electronic device generating a handheld electronic device media output based on said selected one or more of said plurality of media files, to a second mode, said second mode including wirelessly streaming said media data based on said selected one or more of said media files to said audio/visual system to produce a seamless transfer of the handheld electronic device media output to an audio/visual system media output when said handheld electronic device and said audio/visual system are brought within the wireless communications range of one another;

said audio/visual system including an A/V receiver/tuner subsystem, said processor of said handheld electronic device configured to download from a third party source over a communications network information relating to media content that is available through said A/V receiver/tuner subsystem, and said controller of said audio/visual system is, in response to one or more of said one or more control signals received from said handheld electronic device, configured to cause said audio/visual system to at least one of;

(i) wirelessly transmit selected media data based on said media content available through said A/V receiver/tuner subsystem to said handheld electronic device, and (ii) generate a selected media output based on said media content available through said A/V receiver/tuner subsystem; and

said handheld electronic device storing a profile which specifies one or more operational parameters of said audio/visual system, and said handheld electronic device further configured to automatically generate and transmit to said audio/visual system one or more second control signals based on said profile when said handheld electronic device and said audio/visual system are brought within wireless communications range of one another, said one or more second control signals, when received by said controller, causing said controller to set the actual operational parameters of said audio/visual system in accordance with said profile.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said media content that is currently available from said audio/visual system includes media content stored in the form of one or more second media files stored in said internal storage mechanism.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said controller is, in response to one or more of said one or more control signals received from said handheld electronic device, configured to access a selected one or more of said second media files stored in said internal storage mechanism and cause said audio/visual system to wirelessly transmit media data based on said selected one or more of said second media files to said handheld electronic device.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein said controller is, in response to one or more of said one or more control signals received from said handheld electronic device, configured to access a selected one or more of said second media files stored in said internal storage mechanism and cause said audio/visual system to generate a media output based on said selected one or more of said second media files.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said audio/visual system includes an external storage mechanism, and wherein said media content that is currently available from said audio/visual system includes media content stored in the form of one or more second media files stored on a storage medium provided in said external storage mechanism.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein said controller is, in response to one or more of said one or more control signals received from said handheld electronic device, configured to access a selected one or more of said second media files stored on said storage medium and cause said audio/visual system to wirelessly transmit media data based on said selected one or more of said second media files to said handheld electronic device.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein said controller is, in response to one or more of said one or more control signals received from said handheld electronic device, configured to access a selected one or more of said second media files stored on said medium and cause said audio/visual system to generate a media output based on said selected one or more of said second media files.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said audio/visual system includes an A/V receiver/tuner subsystem, and wherein said media content that is currently available from said audio/visual system includes media content available through said A/V receiver/tuner subsystem.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said A/V receiver/tuner subsystem includes a satellite system and wherein said media descriptive data comprises sideband data relating to the media content available through said satellite system.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein said controller is, in response to one or more of said one or more control signals received from said handheld electronic device, configured cause said audio/visual system to wirelessly transmit media data based on said media content available through said A/V receiver/tuner subsystem to said handheld electronic device.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein said controller is, in response to one or more of said one or more control signals received from said handheld electronic device, configured to cause said audio/visual system to generate a media output based on said media content available through said A/V receiver/tuner subsystem to said handheld electronic device.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein said processor of said handheld electronic device is configured to generate one or more playlists that include information relating to at least a portion of said plurality of media files stored in said memory of said handheld electronic device and to at least a portion of said descriptive data relating said media content that is currently available from said audio/visual system.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the information included in said one or more playlists comprises a list of a plurality of media content items and, for each of said media content items, an indication as to whether the media content item is stored on or available through said handheld electronic device or said audio/visual system.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein said handheld electronic device is configured to automatically and without a solicitation from said audio/visual system wirelessly transmit to said audio/visual system media descriptive data relating to said plurality of media files when said handheld electronic device and said audio/visual system are brought within wireless communications range of one another.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein said handheld electronic device is configured to automatically switch from said second mode back to said first mode when said handheld electronic device and said audio/visual system are no longer within wireless communications range of one another.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein said handheld electronic device is configured to function as a telephone, and wherein said handheld electronic device is configured to automatically generate and transmit to said audio/visual system one or more second control signals when a call is received by said handheld electronic device, said one or more second control signals, when received by said controller, causing said controller to cause a current media output being generated by said audio/visual system to be suppressed.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein said handheld electronic device further include an ambient noise sensor for sensing a level of ambient noise, and wherein said handheld electronic device is configured to automatically generate and transmit to said audio/visual system one or more second control signals based on the level of ambient noise that is sensed by said ambient noise sensor, said one or more second control signals, when received by said controller, causing said controller to adjust a volume of a current media output being generated by said audio/visual system.

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein said audio/visual system comprises a wireless interface controller configured for wireless communications that is operatively connected to a legacy audio/visual system, wherein said controller and said internal storage mechanism form a part of said wireless interface controller, and wherein said controller is configured to control the operation of said legacy audio/visual system.

19. The system according to claim 1, wherein said audio/visual system is one of an automobile audio system and a home entertainment system.

20. The system according to claim 1, wherein said media data includes said selected one or more of said media files.

21. The system according to claim 1, wherein said selected one or more of said media files are stored in said memory in a compressed format, and wherein said processor of said handheld electronic device is configured to generate said media data by decompressing said selected one or more of said media files.

22. The system according to claim 1, wherein said selected one or more of said media files are stored in said memory in a compressed format, and wherein said media data includes said selected one or more of said media files in said compressed format.

23. The system according to claim 1, wherein said selected one or more of said media files are stored in said memory in an uncompressed format, and wherein said media data includes said selected one or more of said media files in said uncompressed format.

24. The system according to claim 1, wherein said audio/visual system includes an A/V output subsystem for outputting media content under the control of said controller, and wherein said one or more control signals, when provided to said controller, cause said controller to control said A/V output subsystem.

25. The system according to claim 1, wherein said audio/visual system includes an I/O section for enabling the input of one or more of a set of control instructions for execution by said controller for controlling said audio/visual system.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein said handheld electronic device includes a user interface for enabling the input of said one or more first inputs, said one or more first inputs being selected from a set of inputs that may be input using said user interface, said set of inputs being the same as said set of control instructions.

27. The system according to claim 25, wherein said handheld electronic device includes a user interface for enabling the input of said one or more first inputs, said one or more first inputs being selected from a set of inputs that may be input using said user interface, said set of inputs being a subset of said set of control instructions.

28. A communications stack for use in conducting wireless communications of digital data between a handheld electronic device having a processor for controlling the operation of said handheld electronic device and an audio/visual system having a controller for controlling the operation of said audio/visual system, comprising:

a digital data layer for wirelessly transmitting digital information representative of media content currently available through said handheld electronic device or said audio/visual system between said handheld electronic device and said audio/visual system; and

a metadata communications layer for wirelessly transmitting digital media descriptive data between said handheld electronic device and said audio/visual system, said digital media descriptive data relating to the media content currently available through at least one of said handheld electronic device and said audio/visual system;

said metadata communications layer is also for wirelessly transmitting digital information which enables said handheld electronic device and said audio/visual system to automatically switch from a first mode, said first mode including said handheld electronic device generating a first media output based on media content, to a second mode, said second mode including said audio/visual system generating a second media output based on said media content to produce a seamless transfer of the first media output to the second media output when said handheld electronic device and said audio/visual system are brought within wireless communications range of one another;

said audio/visual system including an A/V receiver/tuner subsystem, said processor of said handheld electronic device configured to download from a third party source over a communications network information relating to media content that is available through said A/V receiver/tuner subsystem, and said controller of said audio/visual system is, in response to one or more control signals received from said handheld electronic device, configured to cause said audio/visual system to at least one of;

(i) wirelessly transmit selected media data based on said media content available through said A/V receiver/tuner subsystem to said handheld electronic device, and (ii) generate a selected media output based on said media content available through said A/V receiver/tuner subsystem; and

said handheld electronic device storing a profile which specifies one or more operational parameters of said audio/visual system, and said handheld electronic device further configured to automatically generate and transmit to said audio/visual system one or more second control signals based on said profile when said handheld electronic device and said audio/visual system are brought within wireless communications range of one another, said one or more second control signals, when received by said controller, causing said controller to set the actual operational parameters of said audio/visual system in accordance with said profile.

29. The communications stack according to claim 28, further comprising a one-way control data layer for wirelessly transmitting one or more digital control signals generated by said handheld electronic device from said handheld electronic device to said audio/visual system, wherein said audio/visual system, in response to wirelessly receiving said one or more digital control signals, provides said one or more digital control signals to said controller, and wherein said controller controls the operation of said audio/visual system in accordance with said one or more digital control signals.

30. The communications stack according to claim 28, wherein said metadata communications layer is also for wirelessly transmitting digital information which specifies one or more operational parameters of said audio/visual system preferred by a user of said handheld electronic device from said handheld electronic device to said audio/visual system, wherein said digital information which specifies one or more operational parameters is used by said controller to control the operation of said audio/visual system.

31. The communications stack according to claim 28, wherein said communications stack is for use in conducting wireless communications of digital data between said handheld electronic device and said audio/visual system after said handheld electronic device and said audio/visual system form a wireless piconet.

32. The communications stack according to claim 28, wherein said media descriptive data includes one or more playlists or selections sequences which specify portions of the media content.

33. The communications stack according to claim 28, wherein said media descriptive data is encoded in XML.