Finding devices in an entertainment system

• US 9,319,741 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2006
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rateze Remote Mgmt. L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Rateze Remote Mgmt. L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Igoe, Patrick T., Kravets, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): Jain, Ankur
• Application Number:
  US11/563,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20080066123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,431 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.06
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/16 in which transmission is by pulses
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4108 characterised by an identification number or address, e.g. local network address protecting specific internal or external computer components using identification number G06F21/73; network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• 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 21/414 Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41415 involving a public display, viewable by several users in a public space outside their home, e.g. movie theatre, information kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43076 of the same content streams on multiple devices, e.g. when family members are watching the same movie on different devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• 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 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440209 : for formatting on an optical medium, e.g. DVD
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44029 : for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4408 : involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
• 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 21/4532 : involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 : End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/00 : Indicating arrangements; Control arrangements, e.g. balance control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 : Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 : Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 : detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0267 : by controlling user interface components
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 : Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 : Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 : Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless device may receive from a source device an instruction to present program content. The wireless device may determine device types missing from an entertainment system based on supporting playback of the program content. A device type missing from the entertainment system may be registered. An instruction may be transmitted to an active source device to increment or decrement a counter. The counter may represent a total number of zones that receives data from the active source device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a wireless device from a source device, an instruction to present program content registered with the wireless device;

determining, by the wireless device, a plurality of device types missing from an entertainment system based on requirements to support playback of the program content;

registering, at the wireless device, a device type missing from the entertainment system, wherein the registering is in response to receiving a user-provided indication that the missing device type is present in the entertainment system; and

transmitting an instruction to an active source device to increment or decrement a counter based on transmitting to a first registered sink device in a first zone, wherein the counter represents a total number of zones that receives data from the active source device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the program content includes more audio channels than audio sink devices registered with the wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless device includes a transceiver, or a processor, or a memory.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the program content includes more video channels than display devices registered with the wireless device.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the determining the plurality of device types missing from the entertainment system is based on an assessment of presentation capabilities of the entertainment system using the source device; and

wherein the assessment includes obtaining one of a number of audio channels or a number of video channels contained in the program content.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the number of audio channels contained in the program content is compared with another number of audio channels supported by audio sink devices registered with the wireless device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying, by the wireless device, at least one advertisement for a sink device included in the plurality of device types missing from the entertainment system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the counter is an internal reference counter.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is a hub.

10. A wireless device comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive, from a source device, an instruction to present program content registered with the wireless device;

a processor configured to determine a plurality of device types missing from an entertainment system based on requirements to support playback of the program content;

the processor further configured to register a device type missing from the entertainment system, wherein the registering is in response to receiving a user-provided indication that the missing device type is present in the entertainment system; and

the transceiver configured to transmit an instruction to an active source device to increment or decrement a counter based on a transmission to a first registered sink device in a first zone, the counter representing a total number of zones that receives data from the active source device.

11. The wireless device of claim 10, wherein the program content includes more audio channels than audio sink devices registered with the wireless device.

12. The wireless device of claim 10, wherein the program content includes more video channels than display devices registered with the wireless device.

13. The wireless device of claim 10 further comprising:

the determining the plurality of device types missing from the entertainment system is based on an assessment of presentation capabilities of the entertainment system using the source device; and

wherein the assessment includes obtaining one of a number of audio channels or a number of video channels contained in the program content.

14. The wireless device of claim 13, wherein the number of audio channels contained in the program content is compared with another number of audio channels supported by audio sink devices registered with the wireless device.

15. The wireless device of claim 10 further comprising:

a display device configured to display at least one advertisement for a sink device included in the plurality of device types missing from the entertainment system.

16. The wireless device of claim 10, wherein the counter is an internal reference counter.

17. The wireless device of claim 10, wherein the wireless device is a hub.