Control of data presentation in multiple zones using a wireless home entertainment hub

• US 9,398,076 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2013
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian T
• Assistant Examiner(s): OKEKE, ONYEDIKA C
• Application Number:
  US14/044,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20140032630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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: 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 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• 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 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• 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 21/440209 for formatting on an optical medium, e.g. DVD
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/60 for the sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• 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 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0258 controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day
• 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 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• 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

Sink devices may automatically be partitioned into zones based on location in a home entertainment system. A message may be transmitted to a source device to decrement an internal reference count. The internal reference count may be associated with the source device to represent a number of zones receiving data from the source device.

Claims

1. A method to present program data in a home entertainment system, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a wireless device, registration information to establish wireless communication between a plurality of source devices and a plurality of sink devices, wherein the plurality of source devices and the plurality of sink devices are registered with a single hub;

partitioning, by a processor of the wireless device automatically based on location in the home entertainment system, the plurality of sink devices into a plurality of zones;

receiving a selection to activate a first source device in stand-by mode in a first zone to present first program data to sink devices in a second zone, wherein the sink devices in the second zone are presenting second program data from a second source device in the second zone and third program data from a third source device in a third zone; and

transmitting, by a transceiver of the wireless device based on the selection to activate, a first message to the first source device to increment an internal reference count, wherein the internal reference count represents a number of zones receiving data from the first source device and the second source device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting a second message to the first source device to transmit the first program data to the sink devices in the second zone for substantially simultaneous presentation of the first program data and the third program data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sink devices in the second zone include a video sink device and an audio sink device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the partitioning includes identifying clusters of sink devices in the home entertainment system.

5. A wireless home entertainment hub comprising:

a processor configured to obtain registration information to establish wireless communication between a plurality of source devices and a plurality of sink devices, wherein the plurality of source devices and the plurality of sink devices are only registered with the wireless home entertainment hub;

the processor configured to partition, automatically based on location in a home entertainment system, the plurality of sink devices into a plurality of zones;

a transceiver configured to receive a selection to activate a first source device in stand-by mode in a first zone to present first program data to sink devices in a second zone, wherein the sink devices in the second zone are presenting second program data from a second source device in the second zone and third program data from a third source device in a third zone; and

the transceiver configured to transmit, based on the selection to activate, a first message to the first source device to increment an internal reference count, wherein the internal reference count is represents a number of zones receiving data from the first source device and the second source device.

6. The wireless home entertainment hub of claim 5 further comprising:

the transceiver is further configured to transmit a second message to the first source device to transmit the first program data to the sink devices in the second zone for substantially simultaneous presentation of the first program data and the third program data.

7. The wireless home entertainment hub of claim 5, wherein the sink devices in the second zone include a video sink device and an audio sink device.

8. The wireless home entertainment hub of claim 5, wherein the partition includes identification of clusters of sink devices in the home entertainment system.