Systems and methods for operating media devices

• US 9,288,534 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2011
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smsc Holdings Sarl
• Original Assignee: Smsc Holdings Sarl
• Inventors: Hamadani, Hooman Kashef, Subramaniam, Ramanathan, Sheridan, Gene
• Primary Examiner(s): SMALL, NAOMI J
• Application Number:
  US13/106,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20110304443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,769 Days
• Field of Search: 340/12.5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 21/41265 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 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• 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 21/440218 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 conversion of standards in analogue television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A wireless adapter enables communication between a content source and a content player for rendering of content at the content source by the content player, and a remote controller allows for control of the content delivery, and one or more features of the content source, player, or both.

Claims

1. A remote controller for communicating with a media source and a media player, the remote controller comprising:

a wireless interface configured for establishing (i) a first wireless communication link between the remote controller and the media player, and (ii) a second wireless communication link between the remote controller and the media source;

a network interface configured for;

(i) communicating with the media source via the second wireless communication link, wherein the communication with the media source comprises first information describing content available on the media source, and

(ii) communicating with the media player via the first wireless communication link, wherein the communication with the media player comprises second information describing a set of controls supported by the media player;

a processor configured for;

(i) determining compatible content available on the media source wherein the compatible content is in a format that is compatible with a feature of the media player, wherein the feature is selected from a group consisting of;

volume control, picture control, rewind, and fast forward, and

(ii) building a user interface for controlling the media player using the set of controls supported by the media player and for selecting compatible content from the media source; and

(iii) controlling the media player via the user interface by providing a media player command to the media player via the first link;

(iv) controlling the media source by providing a media source command to the media source via the second link wherein the media source command results in the transfer of selected content from the media source to the media player via a third wireless communication link.

2. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first, second, and third wireless communication link is established via a WLAN.

3. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the wireless interface is configured for receiving data from the media source via the second link, the remote controller further comprising a display unit for displaying the received data.

4. The remote controller of claim 1, further comprising a user interface for receiving a user command, wherein at least one of the player command provided to the media player and the source command provided to the media source is based on the received user command.

5. The remote controller of claim 1, further comprising a scanner for identifying at least one media device, wherein the at least one media device is one of the media player, the media source, and a wireless adapter in communication with the media player or the media source.

6. A remote controller for communicating with a media source and a media player, the remote controller comprising:

a network interface for;

(i) communicating with the media player via a first wireless communication link, wherein communicating comprises transmitting media player commands to the media player and receiving first information therefrom describing a set of controls supported by the media player; and

(ii) communicating with one or more media sources via a second wireless communication link wherein communicating comprises transmitting media source commands to the one or more media sources and receiving therefrom second information describing content items available by the one or more media sources;

a processor for;

(i) analyzing the received first information so as to identify at least one feature of the media player

(ii) determining compatible content available on the one or more media sources wherein the compatible content is in a format that is compatible with a feature of the media player, wherein the feature is selected from a group consisting of;

volume control, picture control, rewind, and fast forward, and

(iii) building a user interface for controlling the media player using the set of controls

(iv) creating a user interface for controlling the media player and for selecting compatible content from the one or more media sources, wherein the user interface is created based on the set of controls supported by the media player and built to display content from the one or more media sources determined to be compatible with the media player.

7. The remote controller of claim 6, wherein the information transmitted to the media player comprises a signal generated by the controller in response to a command received via the user interface.

8. The remote controller of claim 6, wherein the display module displays the information received from the media player.

9. The remote controller of claim 6, where in the information associated with the available content items includes at least one of:

a title of a content item;

a type of a content item; and

a performer of a content item.

10. The remote controller of claim 6, further comprising a scanner for selecting the media player and the one or more media sources by scanning a network for available media players and media sources.

11. The remote controller of claim 6, wherein:

the network interface simultaneously communicates with one or more additional media players; and

the processor (i) analyzes the received information from each of the one or more additional media players, and (ii) creates one or more additional controllers for controlling the corresponding media player of the one or more additional media players.

12. The remote controller of claim 11, wherein the processor aggregates the information received from the media player and the information received from each of the one or more additional media players, and the display module displays the aggregated information.

13. A method for remotely controlling a media source and a media player, the method comprising:

establishing a first wireless communication link between a remote controller and the media player;

establishing a second wireless communication link between the remote controller and the media source;

receiving first information from the media source wherein the first information describes content available on the media source;

receiving second information from the media player wherein the second information describes a set of controls supported by the media player;

determining, based on the first information and the second information, the content available on the media source that is compatible with a feature of the media player, wherein the feature is selected from a group consisting of;

volume control, picture control, rewind, and fast forward;

building a user interface for controlling the media player using the set of controls supported by the media player and for selecting compatible content;

transmitting a media player command to the media player via the first wireless communication link; and

transmitting a media source command to the media source via the second wireless communication link, thereby causing the media player to receive a content item, for rendering thereof, from the media source over a third wireless communication link between the media source and the media player.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the first, second, and third wireless communication links is established via a WLAN.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving, at the remote controller, data from the media source via the second wireless communication link; and

displaying the received data.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving a user command at the remote controller via a user interface, and wherein at least one of the player command and the source command is based on the received user command.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising identifying at least one media device from one or more media devices, wherein the at least one media device is one of the media player, the media source, or a wireless adapter in communication with the media player or the media source.