Multimedia arrangement

• US 9,445,146 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2014
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FM Marketing GmbH
• Original Assignee: FM Marketing GmbH
• Inventors: Maier, Ferdinand
• Primary Examiner(s): SHERWIN, RYAN W
• Application Number:
  US14/527,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20150058887A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4182 for identification purposes, e.g. storing user identification data, preferences, personal settings or data restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code in combination with an additional device, e.g. dongle or smart card G06F21/123
• 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 21/42212 Specific keyboard arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42218 for mapping a matrix of displayed objects on the screen to the numerical key-matrix of the remote control
• 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 21/43615 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 21/4415 using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time

Abstract

The invention relates to a multimedia arrangement comprising a remote control having a keypad with only six control buttons. All functions of the multimedia device can be controlled via three menu levels, an object group being selectable in the first menu level, an object being selectable in the second menu level, and an action to be performed with the object being selectable in the third. Elements of the object groups, objects, and actions are displayed in fields on the display device in a vertical column and a horizontal line, the column and the line intersecting in a focus field. The elements of the fields can be moved by the control buttons in the fixed focus field, and can be activated there by a selection button. Selection and arrangement of the elements is done by a user database in the multimedia device depending on data determined by an identification device of the remote control.

Claims

1. A multimedia arrangement comprising:

a remote control comprising an input device, a first microprocessor, at least one first memory, an identification device which contains biometric data for a person, and a first communications transceiver for data transmission;

multimedia equipment comprising a second microprocessor, a second communications transceiver for receiving data from the first communications transceiver, at least one interface, and at least one user database for storing a user profile; and

display equipment, which is connected to the multimedia equipment;

wherein the input device of the remote control is designed to call up control functions, whose functions of;

“

UP”

,

“

DOWN”

,

“

LEFT”

,

“

RIGHT”

,

“

SELECT”

, and

“

BACK”

are assigned;

wherein all of the functions of the multimedia equipment can be controlled on only three menu levels consisting of;

a first menu level for selecting a subject group,

a second menu level for selecting a subject, and

a third menu level for selecting an action to be performed with the subject;

wherein each of the menu levels comprises a matrix depicted on the display equipment and the matrix of each of the only three menu levels comprises a single vertical column comprising column fields and a single horizontal row comprising row fields;

wherein the column fields of each of the only three menu levels display elements within a single hierarchy and the row fields of each of the only three menu levels display elements within a single hierarchy different from the hierarchy of the column fields;

wherein an intersection between the vertical column and horizontal row of each of the only three menu levels defines a focus field;

wherein, for each of the only three menu levels, either

A) the elements depicted in the row fields are within the scope of a selection from the column fields displayed in the focus field and the row field elements change depending on which column field is displayed in the focus field;

or

B) the elements depicted in the column fields are within the scope of a selection from the row fields displayed in the focus field and the column field elements change depending on which row field is displayed in the focus field;

wherein the second microprocessor delivers, upon receiving control signals from the remote control, depending on the identification device and actuation of the input device, the received control signals to the display equipment, that a single element of the matrix is placed in the focus field that is arranged at the intersection of the single vertical column formed and of the single horizontal row formed;

wherein selection and arrangement of individual elements are subject to personalization;

wherein an element found in the focus field can be activated by a selection function of the input device;

wherein the elements displayed in the column fields and the row fields are configured, depending on the received control signals from the identification device,

together with the user profile stored in the at least one user database;

whereby the user navigates between one of the three menu levels and the user has the option of returning to the first menu level via the other menu levels or via a home function; and

wherein the remote control comprises a SIM (Subscriber Identification Module) card reader into which a SIM card can be inserted and wherein the remote control and the multimedia equipment only activate a communications connection between the first and the second communications transceivers if a pre-specified SIM card is inserted into the SIM-card reader of the remote control.

2. The multimedia arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the microprocessor of the multimedia equipment is configured such that received control signals from the input device are only processed if the identification device of the remote control has transmitted to the multimedia equipment predetermined received control signals which correspond to received control signals in the user database.

3. The multimedia arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the multimedia equipment comprises a SIM-card reader and the microprocessor of the multimedia equipment is so configured that activation of the communications connection only results when a SIM card is inserted into the SIM-card reader of the multimedia equipment.

4. The multimedia arrangement according to claim 1:

wherein the following data are stored on the SIM card of the SIM-card reader of the remote control;

a first pair of digital keys,

a second pair of digital keys,

a personal identification code (PIC), and

personal data for at least one user;

wherein the at least one first memory of the multimedia equipment holds the following data, based on a first initialization;

only one key of the first pair of digital keys,

only one key of the second pair of digital keys,

with only one key of which in the second pair of digital keys are encrypted biometric data and personal data, as well as the personal identification code;

wherein, upon setting up a connection between the remote control and the multimedia equipment, the identification device feeds in biometric data for the user and adds these to the personal identification code (PIC) and to the other key of the second pair of digital keys, reads out from the at least one first memory unit the encrypted biometric data, the encrypted personal data, and the encrypted personal identification code (PIC) and decrypts them using the other key of the second pair of digital keys, compares the decrypted personal identification code received with the decrypted personal identification code stored and if they agree, compares the decrypted biometric data received with the decrypted biometric data stored and only activates the multimedia equipment if they agree.

5. The multimedia arrangement according to claim 4, wherein biometric data determined are compressed by the identification device of the remote control before transmission to the multimedia equipment.

6. The multimedia arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the compression is performed in accordance with Huffman coding.

7. The multimedia arrangement according to claim 4, wherein a data record to be transmitted is block-encoded from the remote control to the multimedia equipment.

8. The multimedia arrangement according to claim 4, wherein a data record to be transmitted is provided by the remote control to the multimedia equipment with forward error correction.

9. The multimedia arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the multimedia equipment comprises a SIM-card reader, and the microprocessor of the multimedia equipment is so configured that activation of the communications connection only results when a SIM card is inserted into the SIM-card reader of the multimedia equipment.

10. The multimedia arrangement of claim 1 wherein:

television and photographs are among selections in the vertical column of the matrix of the first menu level and available television stations are selections in the horizontal row of the first menu level;

chronological selections are in the vertical column of the matrix of the second menu level and individual television programs are selections in the horizontal row of the matrix of the second menu level; and

current viewing and recording are selections in the matrix of the third menu level.

11. The multimedia arrangement of claim 1 wherein the horizontal row of the first menu level consists of a selection of television stations.

12. The multimedia arrangement of claim 1 wherein the horizontal row of the second menu level consists of individual television programs.

13. The multimedia arrangement of claim 12 wherein the horizontal row of the third menu level consists of action to be performed on a television program selected from the second menu level.

14. The multimedia arrangement of claim 1 wherein the horizontal row of the third menu level consists of action to be performed on a subject selected from the second menu level.

15. The multimedia arrangement of claim 1 wherein:

the horizontal row of the first menu level consists of a selection of television stations;

the horizontal row of the second menu level consists of individual television programs;

the horizontal row of the third menu level consists of action to be performed on a television program selected from the second menu level.

16. The multimedia arrangement of claim 1 wherein subject groups available for selection at the first menu level include both photographs and television.

17. The multimedia arrangement of claim 1 wherein selection of an item in the focus field at the first menu level causes the first menu level and its row and column fields to be replaced on the display by the second menu and its row and column fields, and selection of an item in the focus field at the second menu level causes the second menu level and its row and column fields to be replaced on the display by the third menu level and its row and column fields.