Laptop based television remote control

• US 8,844,824 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2013
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, James D., Karaoguz, Jeyhan
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US13/783,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20130179934A1
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 235/472.01, 235/381, 235/383, 235/385, 235/375
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/422 Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• 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 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

A portable computer may be provided that interacts with a television system. The portable computer may be adapted to receive a user input identifying a media selection and transmit a control signal to cause the storage of the media selection. In other aspects, a set top box may receive a control signal from a portable computer and direct storage of a media selection.

Claims

1. A portable computer for controlling a set top box, the portable computer comprising:

a communication interface operable to communicate with the set top box;

a user input interface operable to receive a user input identifying a media selection; and

processing circuitry operable to;

transmit a control signal via the communication interface to the set top box, where the control signal is adapted to direct the set top box to store the media selection to a storage device.

2. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the control signal identifies the storage device.

3. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the control signal is adapted to direct the set top box to store the media selection to a plurality of storage devices.

4. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the control signal is adapted to direct the set top box to store the media selection to a storage device via the internet.

5. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the control signal is adapted to direct the set top box to forward the media selection to the portable computer.

6. The portable computer of claim 5, wherein the storage device is embedded in the portable computer, the portable computer being configured to store the media selection forwarded from the set top box on the storage device.

7. The portable computer of claim 6, wherein the control signal is adapted to cause the set top box to, prior to forwarding the media selection to the portable computer, transcode the media selection from a first coding format to a second coding format, the at least one module being configured to store the media selection in the storage device according to the second coding format.

8. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the set top box includes a set top box storage device and the set top box also stores the media selection on the set top box storage device.

9. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the at least one module is operable to transcode media information received from the set top box from a first coding format to a second coding format and store the media selection on the storage device in the second coding format.

10. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the storage device is a removable storage device.

11. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the storage device is located at a different premises from the set top box.

12. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the portable computer is a laptop computer.

13. A home television system set top box comprising:

a communication interface operable to communicate with a portable computer; and

at least one module operable to;

receive a media storage command via the communication interface from the portable computer, the media storage command being adapted to direct the set top box to receive a media selection from a media source; and

in response to the received media storage command, communicate the media selection to a storage device.

14. The set top box of claim 13, wherein media storage command identifies a plurality of storage devices and directs the at least one module to store the media selection to the plurality of storage devices.

15. The set top box of claim 13, further comprising a set top box storage device and the at least one module is operable to transcode media information received from the set top box from a first coding format to a second coding format and store the media selection on the set top box storage device in the second coding format.

16. The set top box of claim 13, wherein the media storage command is adapted to direct the at least one module to store the media selection to a storage device at a different premises via the internet.

17. The set top box of claim 13, wherein the media storage command is adapted to cause the at least one module to transcode the media selection from a first coding format to a second coding format and forward the media selection in the second coding format to the portable computer, the storage device being embedded in the portable computer and the at least one module being configured to store the media selection in the storage device according to the second coding format.

18. The portable computer of claim 17, wherein the storage device is a removable storage device.

19. A portable computer for controlling a home television system, the portable computer comprising:

a communication interface operable to communicate with a set top box of a home television system;

a user input interface operable to receive a user input identifying a media selection; and

at least one module operable to;

transmit a media storage command via the communication interface to the set top box, where the media storage command is adapted to direct the set top box to display a first output channel on the home television system, forward a second output channel to the portable computer, and store a third output channel to a storage device.

20. The portable computer of claim 19, wherein storage device is a set top box storage system.