System and method for a centralized intelligence network

• US 8,930,486 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2001
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Fang, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): BAYARD, DJENANE M
• Application Number:
  US09/962,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20030061302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,850 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1262 with more than one format/standard, e.g. conversion from CD-audio format to R-DAT format
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/133 Protocols for remote procedure calls [RPC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/43622 Interfacing an external recording device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

A system and method for a centralized intelligence network are presented. A user connects to a control gateway. The control gateway is configured to access a control module. The control module is configured to perform at least one operation associated with the user device. The control module performs the operation. The control gateway sends, to the user device, information based on the performed operation. Accordingly, control modules may assist user devices in providing functions for a user.

Claims

1. A method for a centralized intelligence network, comprising:

receiving, at a second control gateway via a network, a request from a first user device relayed through a first control gateway coupled to the first user device to invoke a function of a second user device, the second control gateway coupled to the second user device and comprising at least one control module associated with the second user device, the control module to perform at least one operation to assist the first user device in invoking the invoked function on the second user device and to assist the second user device in completing the invoked function, the at least one operation not included as an operation performed by the second user device;

performing, by the control module, the operation associated with the invoked function; and

sending, by the second control gateway to the second user device, information based at least in part on the performed operation, the information comprising a command associated with the invoked function.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first user device and the second user device comprises one of a computer, a communications device, an application-specific device, and an entertainment device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first user device comprises a telephone coupled to the first control gateway via a public switched telephone network (PSTN), and the second user device comprises a VCR.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the invoked function comprises recording, the operation comprises triggering recording at a selected date or time, and the sent information includes control information to cause the second user device to begin recording.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sent information includes information content presented by the second user device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at the second control gateway a section of a control module to perform the operation.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising upgrading the control module, the upgrading comprising replacing the control module, modifying the control module, or adding at least one control module accessible to the second control gateway.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the network comprises one of the Internet, an intranet, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), and a cable television network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second control gateway is connected to a plurality of control gateways in a hierarchical mesh network, the plurality of control gateways comprising the first control gateway and the network comprising the hierarchical mesh network.

10. A centralized intelligence network, comprising:

a first control gateway coupled to a first user device and comprising a first control module associated with the first user device to receive a register request from the first user device to invoke a function on a second user device, the first control gateway to send a service request to invoke the function to a second control gateway; and

the second control gateway coupled to the second user device to receive, via the network, the service request and activate a second control module associated with the second user device to perform an operation of the invoked function based on the register request to assist the first user device in invoking the invoked function on the second user device and to assist the second user device in completing the invoked function, the operation not included as an operation performed by the second user device, the second control gateway to send information to the second user device based at least in part on the performed operation, the information comprising a command associated with the invoked function and the second control gateway comprising the second control module.

11. The network of claim 10, wherein the first control gateway connects to the second control gateway in a hierarchical mesh network.

12. The network of claim 10, wherein the network comprises one of the Internet, an intranet, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), and a cable television network.

13. The network of claim 10, wherein each of the first user device and the second user device comprises one of a computer, a communications device, an application-specific device, and an entertainment device.

14. The network of claim 13, wherein the first user device comprises a telephone coupled to the first control gateway via a public switched telephone network (PSTN), and the second user device comprises a VCR.

15. The network of claim 14, wherein the invoked function comprises recording, the operation comprises triggering recording at a selected date or time, and the sent information includes control information to cause the second user device to begin recording.

16. The network of claim 10, wherein the sent information includes at least one of control information and information content.

17. The network of claim 10, wherein:

the first control module is upgradable by replacing the first control module, modifying the first control module, or adding another control module accessible to the first control gateway; and

the second control module is upgradable by replacing the second control module, modifying the second control module, or adding another control module to the second control gateway.

18. A control gateway for a centralized intelligence network, comprising:

a connection mechanism to connect the control gateway to at least a second user device and via a network to another control gateway coupled to a first user device;

a control module to perform at least one operation to assist the first user device in invoking a function of the second user device and to assist the second user device in performing the invoked function, the at least one operation not included as an operation performed by the second user device and the function invoked by a request received via the network and the other control gateway from the first user device; and

a transmission mechanism to send information to the second user device based at least in part on the performed operation, the information comprising a command associated with the invoked function.

19. The control gateway of claim 18, the connection mechanism to connect the control gateway to a plurality of control gateways in a hierarchical mesh network, the network comprising the mesh network and the plurality of control gateways comprising the other control gateway.

20. The control gateway of claim 18, wherein the invoked function comprises recording, the operation comprises triggering recording at a selected date or time, and the sent information includes control information to cause the second user device to begin recording.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a plurality of processor-executable instruction sequences for:

receiving, at a second control gateway via a network, a request from a first user device relayed through a first control gateway coupled to the first user device to invoke a function of a second user device, the second control gateway coupled to the second user device and comprising at least one control module associated with the second user device, the control module to perform at least one operation to assist the first user device in invoking the invoked function on the second user device and to assist the second user device in completing the invoked function, the at least one operation not included as an operation performed by the second user device;

performing, by the control module, the operation associated with the invoked function; and

sending, by the second control gateway to the second user device, information based at least in part on the performed operation, the information comprising a command associated with the invoked function.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the invoked function comprises recording, the operation comprises triggering recording at a selected date or time, and the sent information includes control information to cause the second user device to begin recording.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, further comprising processor-executable instruction sequences for:

receiving a section of the control module to perform the operation.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, further comprising processor-executable instruction sequences for upgrading the control module, the upgrading comprising replacing the control module, modifying the control module, or adding at least one control module accessible to the second control gateway.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the network comprises one of the Internet, an intranet, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), and a cable television network.