Docking station with redundant communication path
First Claim
1. A multimedia control system, comprising:
- a programmable multimedia controller being configured for controlling, switching data among and interoperating with associated components, including one or more of audio, video, telephony, data, security, motor-driven, or relay driven components, so as to provide one or more programmable services;
a portable control device having a touch sensitive user interface configured with configuration information for allowing a user to make selections that are converted into control requests, said portable control device including a connector for sending the control requests via wired communication and having wireless capabilities for transmitting said control requests with a wireless connection;
a docking station configured to couple said portable control device to said programmable multimedia controller, said docking station including detection logic that detects when said connector of said portable control device is connected to said docking station, and in response thereto causes a processor of said docking station to convert any control requests received from said portable control device into Internet Protocol (IP) messages for wired transmission to said programmable multimedia controller and any state information received from said programmable multimedia controller regarding implementation of said user selections received into update messages readable by the portable control device; and
a wired redundant communication path extending between said docking station and said programmable multimedia controller, and being configured to transmit the IP messages between the docking station and said programmable multimedia controller,wherein said portable control device is configured to send control requests to said programmable multimedia controller via the wireless connection, when not coupled to the docking station, and to pass control requests to the docking station for conversion into IP messages and transmission over said wired redundant communication path to said programmable multimedia controller, when coupled to the docking station, such that at least some of the control requests are sent via the wireless connection and at least some of the control requests are sent as IP messages via said wired redundant communication path, andwherein said programmable multimedia controller is configured to send update messages including state information regarding implementation of said user selections to said portable control device via the wireless connection, when the portable control device is not coupled to the docking station, and to send IP messages to the docking station for conversion into update messages and transmission to said portable control device, when said portable control device is coupled to the docking station, such that at least some of the update messages are sent via the wireless connection and at least some of the update messages are sent as IP messages via said wired redundant communication path.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A docking station adapted to receive a touch-sensitive portable control device for communication with a programmable multimedia controller is provided. The docking station has a dedicated, wired redundant communication path coupling the docking station to the programmable multimedia controller for providing effective communication in the absence of wireless or unreliable wireless communications. The docking station is configured to receive signals from the portable control device and to bi-directionally transmit signals to and from said programmable multimedia controller. The portable control device has both wireless and wired compatibility, which includes a touch sensitive user interface configured with configuration information for allowing a user to make selections and enter settings regarding components interfaced with the programmable multimedia controller. The docking station converts the user entered signals into IP messages suitable for transfer over the dedicated, wired redundant communication path.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A multimedia control system, comprising:
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a programmable multimedia controller being configured for controlling, switching data among and interoperating with associated components, including one or more of audio, video, telephony, data, security, motor-driven, or relay driven components, so as to provide one or more programmable services; a portable control device having a touch sensitive user interface configured with configuration information for allowing a user to make selections that are converted into control requests, said portable control device including a connector for sending the control requests via wired communication and having wireless capabilities for transmitting said control requests with a wireless connection; a docking station configured to couple said portable control device to said programmable multimedia controller, said docking station including detection logic that detects when said connector of said portable control device is connected to said docking station, and in response thereto causes a processor of said docking station to convert any control requests received from said portable control device into Internet Protocol (IP) messages for wired transmission to said programmable multimedia controller and any state information received from said programmable multimedia controller regarding implementation of said user selections received into update messages readable by the portable control device; and a wired redundant communication path extending between said docking station and said programmable multimedia controller, and being configured to transmit the IP messages between the docking station and said programmable multimedia controller, wherein said portable control device is configured to send control requests to said programmable multimedia controller via the wireless connection, when not coupled to the docking station, and to pass control requests to the docking station for conversion into IP messages and transmission over said wired redundant communication path to said programmable multimedia controller, when coupled to the docking station, such that at least some of the control requests are sent via the wireless connection and at least some of the control requests are sent as IP messages via said wired redundant communication path, and wherein said programmable multimedia controller is configured to send update messages including state information regarding implementation of said user selections to said portable control device via the wireless connection, when the portable control device is not coupled to the docking station, and to send IP messages to the docking station for conversion into update messages and transmission to said portable control device, when said portable control device is coupled to the docking station, such that at least some of the update messages are sent via the wireless connection and at least some of the update messages are sent as IP messages via said wired redundant communication path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of communicating between a programmable multimedia controller and a portable control device, comprising:
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downloading software configuration information to said portable control device allowing it to accept user selections on a user interface screen of the portable control device with respect to a component interfaced with the programmable multimedia controller; providing a docking station that receives the portable control device and accepts control requests from a connector of the portable control device, the docking station configured to detect when said portable control device is connected to said docking station; connecting the docking station to the programmable multimedia controller with a wired redundant communication path; receiving, at the programmable multimedia controller, at least some of the control requests via a wireless connection between said portable control device and said programmable multimedia controller and at least some of the control requests received as Internet Protocol (IP) messages via the wired redundant communication path between said docking station and said programmable multimedia controller, and sending commands to one or more respective components implementing user selections; and providing, by the programmable multimedia controller, update messages including state information regarding implementation of said user selections in a redundant manner over both the wireless connection between said portable control device and said programmable multimedia controller and as IP messages over the wired redundant communication path between said docking station and said programmable multimedia controller. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. A multimedia control system, comprising:
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a portable control device having a touch sensitive screen; a programmable multimedia controller coupled to a plurality of components, the programmable multimedia controller configured to download configuration data to the portable control device to configure the portable control device to accept user entries via the touch sensitive screen that indicate desired changes to one or more settings of the components; and a docking station used to communicate between the programmable multimedia controller and the portable control device, the docking station including; a header configured to receive a connector of the portable control device having the touch sensitive screen when the portable control device is docked to the docking station, a first port coupled to a first Ethernet communication path that extends between the docking station and the programmable multimedia controller, detection logic coupled to the header and configured to detect when the connector of the portable control device is connected to the docking station, and in response thereto provide a notification, and a processor coupled to the detection logic and configured to, in response to the notification from the detection logic, convert control requests that embody the user entries that indicate desired changes to the one or more settings for the components coupled to the programmable multimedia controller and that are received from the portable control device, via the header, into corresponding Internet Protocol (IP) messages, and convert state information in IP messages regarding implementation of said user entries by components coupled to the programmable multimedia controller and that are received from the programmable multimedia controller, via the first port, into corresponding update messages, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the IP messages corresponding to control requests, via the first Ethernet communication path, to the programmable multimedia controller, to supplement control requests sent via an unavailable or unreliable wireless connection of the portable control device, and to pass the update messages corresponding to IP messages, via the header, to the portable control device, to supplement update messages sent via the unavailable or unreliable wireless connection of the portable control device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of communicating between a programmable multimedia controller coupled to a plurality of components and a portable control device having a touch sensitive screen, comprising:
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downloading configuration data from the programmable multimedia controller to the portable control device to configure the portable control device to accept user entries via the touch sensitive screen that indicate desired changes to one or more settings of the components coupled to the programmable multimedia controller; receiving a connector of the portable control device in a docking station; detecting, by the docking station, when the connector of the portable control device is connected to the docking station, and in response thereto providing a notification; in response to the notification, converting, by the docking station, control requests received from the portable control device that embody the user entries that indicate desired changes to the one or more settings for the components coupled to the programmable multimedia controller into corresponding Internet Protocol (IP) messages, and converting, by the docking station, state information in IP messages received from the programmable multimedia controller regarding implementation of said user entries by the components coupled to the programmable multimedia controller into corresponding update messages readable by the portable control device; transmitting the IP messages corresponding to control requests, via a first Ethernet communication path, to the programmable multimedia controller, to supplement control requests sent via an unavailable or unreliable wireless connection of the portable control device; and passing the update messages corresponding to IP messages to the portable control device, to supplement update messages sent via the unavailable or unreliable wireless connection of the portable control device. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification