System and method for saving and recalling state data for media and home appliances

• US 9,271,032 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Arling, Paul D., Chambers, Christopher, Scott, Wayne, Momot, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhong, Jun Fei
• Application Number:
  US13/801,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20130198785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 725/80, 725/87, 725/102, 348/114
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25858 involving client software characteristics, e.g. OS identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42225 characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• 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 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6332 directed to client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/647 Control signaling between network components and server or clients; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients, e.g. controlling the quality of the video stream, by dropping packets, protecting content from unauthorised alteration within the network, monitoring of network load, bridging between two different networks, e.g. between IP and wireless real-time session protocols H04L65/1101
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/818 OS software
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format

Abstract

A set of media playback and device settings data from each home appliance of a first set of home appliances is stored on a central server and/or sent to a remote control device upon initiation of a suspend command by a user. The stored media and devices states may be used at a later time to control the first set of home appliances, or a user may, after relocating to a second set of home appliances, initiate a resume state command whereupon media playback and device settings data from the central server and/or remote control device controls each home appliance in the second set of home appliances to bring about the same or substantially similar media and device states as in the first set of home appliances.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating a playing of a streaming media, comprising:

receiving at a first steaming media playback device a first request to pause a rendering of the streaming media wherein the streaming media is streamed to the first streaming media playback device from a source of streaming media using a first format;

causing the first streaming media playback device to record at least a portion of the streaming media that the first streaming media playback device receives from the source of streaming media subsequent to the first request;

receiving at the first streaming media playback device a second request to commence a streaming of the at least the portion of the streaming media that was caused to be recorded by the first streaming media playback device to a second streaming media playback device for rendering by the second media playback device; and

in response to the second request, causing the first streaming media playback device to commence the streaming of the at least the portion of the streaming media that was caused to be recorded by the first streaming media playback device to the second streaming media playback device wherein the first streaming media playback device streams the at least the portion of the streaming media that was caused to be recorded by the first streaming media playback device to the second streaming media playback device using an automatically selected second format that is different than the first format.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second format comprises a format automatically selected considering a playback capability of the second streaming media playback device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second format comprises a format automatically selected considering a characteristic of a display device associated with the second streaming media playback device.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second format comprises a format automatically selected considering a characteristic of a media stream processing device associated with the second streaming media playback device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the streaming media comprises an Internet based audio/video stream.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising receiving by the first streaming media playback device from the second media streaming media playback device a device identifier and using by the first streaming media playback device the device identifier to automatically select the second format.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the device identifier comprises at least a device type identifier.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the streaming media comprises one of a cable, satellite, or broadband channel being viewed via use of the first media streaming playback device.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the source of streaming media comprises a media storage device in communication with the first streaming media playback device via a local area network.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second request is received by the first streaming media playback device from the second streaming media playback device.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the second streaming media playback device comprises a smart device.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the second streaming media playback device comprises a television.