Systems, methods, and apparatus for facilitating expansion of media device interface capabilities

• US 9,300,895 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2014
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar UK Holdings Ltd (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Thompson, Geoffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Harold, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rahman, Mustafizur
• Application Number:
  US14/451,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20160044273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 348/552, 348/553, 348/563, 348/569, 348/572, 348/705, 348/706, 348/720, 348/725, 348/734, 348/739, 348/14.02, 348/14.03, 348/14.05, 348/14.11, 725/37, 725/40, 725/123
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43635 HDMI
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/268 Signal distribution or switching

Abstract

System, methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities are provided. A first media device may be configured to be communicatively couplable to a second media device. A first set of one or more interface ports that are configured to interface with one or more multimedia devices may be recognized. The second media device may be recognized when the second media device is communicatively coupled to the first media device. A second set of one or more interface ports provided by the second media device may be determined. A third set of interface ports may be determined based on the first set and the second set. Configuration information may be generated and provided to facilitate indication of interface options. Content may be provided via at least one interface port of the second set of one or more interface ports provided by the second media device.

Claims

1. A system to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities, the system comprising:

a first media device configured to be communicatively couplable to a second media device, the first media device further configured to;

recognize a first set of one or more interface ports that are configured to interface with one or more multimedia devices;

recognize the second media device when the second media device is communicatively coupled to the first media device;

determine a second set of one or more interface ports provided by the second media device;

determine a third set of interface ports based at least in part on the first set and the second set;

generate configuration information based at least in part on the third set of interface ports;

provide the configuration information to a display to facilitate indication of interface options based at least in part on the third set of interface ports; and

operate to provide content to the display based at least in part on audio and/or visual data via at least one interface port of the second set of one or more interface ports provided by the second media device.

2. The system to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 1, wherein the second media device comprises one or more of a television, a television receiver, a set-top box, and/or a media player.

3. The system to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 1, further comprising:

the second media device, wherein the second media device comprises a media switch with;

a set of one or more output ports;

a set of two or more input ports that are configured to interface with one or more additional multimedia devices, the set of two or more input ports corresponding at least in part to the set of one or more interface ports.

4. The system to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 1, further comprising:

the second media device, wherein the second media device comprises one or more of a television receiver, a set-top box, and/or a media player with;

a set of one or more output ports;

a set of one or more input ports that are configured to interface with one or more additional multimedia devices, the set of one or more input ports corresponding at least in part to the set of one or more interface ports.

5. The system to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 1, wherein the determining the second set of one or more interface ports provided by the second media device comprises:

processing a first indication from the second media device that indicates information about one or more capabilities of the second media device.

6. The system to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 4, wherein the information about one or more capabilities of the second media device comprises information about a number of ports and one or more port types.

7. The system to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 1, wherein the indication of interface options based at least in part on the third set of interface ports indicates one or more port types.

8. The system to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 1, wherein the determining the second set of one or more interface ports provided by the second media device comprises:

processing a second indication from the second media device that indicates an address associated with the second media device.

9. A method to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities, the method comprising:

recognizing, by a first media device, a first set of one or more interface ports that are configured to interface with one or more multimedia devices;

recognizing, by the first media device, a second media device when the second media device is communicatively coupled to the first media device;

determining, by the first media device, a second set of one or more interface ports provided by the second media device;

determining, by the first media device, a third set of interface ports based at least in part on the first set and the second set;

generating, by the first media device, configuration information based at least in part on the third set of interface ports;

providing, by the first media device, the configuration information to a display to facilitate indication of interface options based at least in part on the third set of interface ports; and

operating, by the first media device, to provide content to the display based at least in part on audio and/or visual data via at least one interface port of the second set of one or more interface ports provided by the second media device.

10. The method to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 9, wherein the second media device comprises one or more of a television, a television receiver, a set-top box, and/or a media player.

11. The method to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 9, wherein the second media device comprises a media switch with:

a set of one or more output ports;

a set of two or more input ports that are configured to interface with one or more additional multimedia devices, the set of two or more input ports corresponding at least in part to the set of one or more interface ports.

12. The method to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 9, wherein the second media device comprises a television receiver, a set-top box, and/or a media player with:

a set of one or more output ports;

a set of one or more input ports that are configured to interface with one or more additional multimedia devices, the set of one or more input ports corresponding at least in part to the set of one or more interface ports.

13. The method to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 9, wherein the determining the second set of one or more interface ports provided by the second media device comprises:

processing a first indication from the second media device that indicates information about one or more capabilities of the second media device.

14. The method to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 13, wherein the information about one or more capabilities of the second media device comprises information about a number of ports and one or more port types.

15. The method to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 9, wherein the indication of interface options based at least in part on the third set of interface ports indicates one or more port types.

16. The method to facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities of claim 9, wherein the determining the second set of one or more interface ports provided by the second media device comprises:

processing a second indication from the second media device that indicates an address associated with the second media device.

17. One or more non-transitory, machine-readable media having machine-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by one or more processing devices, facilitate expansion of media device interface capabilities, causing the one or more processing devices to:

recognize a first set of one or more interface ports that are configured to interface with one or more multimedia devices;

recognize a second media device when the second media device is communicatively coupled to the one or more processing devices;

determine a second set of one or more interface ports provided by the second media device;

determine a third set of interface ports based at least in part on the first set and the second set;

generate configuration information based at least in part on the third set of interface ports;

cause provision of the configuration information to a display to facilitate indication of interface options based at least in part on the third set of interface ports; and

cause provision of content to the display based at least in part on audio and/or visual data via at least one interface port of the second set of one or more interface ports provided by the second media device.

18. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 17, wherein the determining the second set of one or more interface ports provided by the second media device comprises:

processing a first indication from the second media device that indicates information about one or more capabilities of the second media device.

19. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 18, wherein the information about one or more capabilities of the second media device comprises information about a number of ports and one or more port types.

20. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 17, wherein the determining the second set of one or more interface ports provided by the second media device comprises:

processing a second indication from the second media device that indicates an address associated with the second media device.