Systems and methods for enhancing multimedia experience

• US 9,131,023 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2012
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Multimedia Enhancement LLC
• Original Assignee: Allan Voss
• Inventors: Voss, Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Mamo, Elias
• Application Number:
  US13/570,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20140047135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• 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 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts

Abstract

Systems and methods for enhancing multimedia experience are disclosed. A system includes a multimedia device adapted to obtain a multimedia data stream comprising multimedia data and at least one multimedia enhancement data sequence, and adapted to obtain instructions from a multimedia enhancement data sequence. The system further includes auxiliary devices communicatively coupled to the multimedia device, and adapted to receive the instructions from a multimedia device. The multimedia enhancement data sequences each include a start section, a target section, an instruction section, and an end section. A multimedia device is adapted to send instructions to at least one auxiliary device. A method includes obtaining a multimedia data stream comprising multimedia data and at least one multimedia enhancement data sequence using a multimedia device, obtaining instructions from a multimedia enhancement data sequence, and sending instructions to auxiliary devices communicatively coupled to the multimedia device.

Claims

1. A system for enhancing multimedia experience, comprising:

at least one multimedia device configured to obtain a multimedia data stream comprising multimedia data and at least one multimedia enhancement data sequence inserted as a sub-stream within the multimedia data stream, and configured to obtain at least one instruction from the at least one multimedia enhancement data sequence; and

at least one auxiliary device local to, and communicatively coupled to, the at least one multimedia device, and configured to receive the at least one instruction from at least one of the at least one multimedia device, said at least one auxiliary device having stored therein a set of preset instructions for performing a function;

wherein the at least one multimedia device is configured to send the at least one instruction to the at least one auxiliary device without disrupting a reading or interpretation of the multimedia data stream by the at least one multimedia device;

wherein, in response to the receipt of said at least one instruction, the at least one auxiliary device is further configured to execute at least a portion of said set of preset instructions in order to perform the function of the at least one auxiliary device according to the set of preset instructions; and

wherein the at least one auxiliary device includes at least one of a home lighting device or system, a robotic system, an animated figure, a motored apparatus, an electronic sign, and a mechanical device.

2. The system for enhancing multimedia experience of claim 1, wherein the multimedia data comprises at least one of binary data, text data, audio data, still images data, animation data, video data and interactivity data.

3. The system for enhancing multimedia experience of claim 1, wherein the at least one multimedia device is further configured to obtain the at least one multimedia enhancement data sequence from one of the at least one multimedia data stream.

4. The system for enhancing multimedia experience of claim 1,

wherein the at least one multimedia device is configured to begin obtaining the at least one multimedia enhancement data sequence upon obtaining a start section from the one of the at least one multimedia data stream, and

wherein the at least one multimedia device is configured to finish obtaining the at least one multimedia enhancement data sequence upon obtaining an end section from the one of the at least one multimedia data stream.

5. The system for enhancing multimedia experience of claim 1, wherein the at least one multimedia device is further configured to obtain a set of instructions from instruction data in at least one instruction section from the one of the at least one multimedia data stream.

6. The system for enhancing multimedia experience of claim 5, wherein the at least one multimedia device is further configured to decode instruction data in the at least one instruction section to obtain a set of instructions for at least one of the at least one target auxiliary device.

7. The system for enhancing multimedia experience of claim 1, wherein the at least one multimedia device comprises at least one of a main microprocessor, an optical drive, a codec decoder, a video/audio encoder, a Wi-Fi device, a Bluetooth device, an infrared device, SD RAM, flash memory, an IEEE 1394 port, a DVI port, an HDMI port, a USB port, and an analog video output port.

8. The system for enhancing multimedia experience of claim 1, wherein the at least one auxiliary device is further configured to send feedback data to at least one of the at least one multimedia device.

9. The system for enhancing multimedia experience of claim 1, further comprising at least one secondary auxiliary device communicatively coupled to at least one of the at least one auxiliary device and configured to receive a set of instructions from at least one of the at least one auxiliary device,

wherein at least one of the at least one auxiliary device is further configured to send at least one secondary set of instructions to the at least one secondary auxiliary device.

10. A method for enhancing multimedia experience, comprising:

obtaining a multimedia data stream from a nontransitory memory device including multimedia data and at least one multimedia enhancement data sequence inserted as a sub-stream within the multimedia data using at least one multimedia device;

obtaining a set of instructions from the at least one multimedia enhancement data sequence; and

sending the set of instructions from the at least one multimedia device to at least one auxiliary device local to, and communicatively coupled to, the at least one multimedia device without disrupting a reading or interpretation of the multimedia data stream by the at least one multimedia device;

interpreting the set of instructions using the at least one auxiliary device;

the at least one auxiliary device performing a function according to the interpreted set of instructions; and

the at least one auxiliary device including at least one of a home lighting device or system, a robotic system, an animated figure, a motored apparatus, an electronic sign, and a mechanical device.

11. The method for enhancing multimedia experience of claim 10, wherein the multimedia data comprises at least one of binary data, text data, audio data, still images data, animation data, video data and interactivity data.

12. The method for enhancing multimedia experience of claim 10, wherein obtaining a set of instructions from the at least one multimedia enhancement data sequence comprises obtaining at least one multimedia enhancement data sequence from one of the at least one multimedia data stream.

13. The method for enhancing multimedia experience of claim 10, wherein obtaining at least one multimedia enhancement data sequence comprises:

beginning to obtain the at least one multimedia enhancement data sequence upon obtaining a start section from the one of the at least one multimedia data stream, and

finishing to obtain the at least one multimedia enhancement data sequence upon obtaining an end section from the one of the at least one multimedia data stream.

14. The method for enhancing multimedia experience of claim 10, wherein obtaining a set of instructions from the at least one multimedia enhancement data sequence comprises at least one of obtaining and decoding the at least one instruction section.

15. The method for enhancing multimedia experience of claim 10, further comprising sending feedback data to at least one of the at least one multimedia device using the at least one auxiliary device.