Method and system for efficient communication

• US 9,942,798 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2016
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovation Sciences, LLC
• Original Assignee: Virginia Innovation Sciences, Inc. (Innovation Sciences, LLC)
• Inventors: Wang, Tiejun, Wang, Tiehong
• Primary Examiner(s): AQUINO, WYNUEL S
• Application Number:
  US15/070,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20160198363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/20 Repeater circuits; Relay circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• 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 21/43615 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 21/43635 HDMI
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• 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 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for efficiently directing communications are disclosed. On example entails receiving, from a mobile terminal, a communication directed to a cellular communication network, the communication being received in an alternative channel that differs from a channel of the cellular communication network. The communication is then converted for a relayed communication to the cellular communication network on behalf of the mobile terminal, the relayed communication being made through the cellular communication network.

Claims

1. A management system comprising:

a centralized hub system comprising an encoder, and a decoder,

the centralized hub system being associated with a unique hub identifier stored in at least one mapping table, the centralized hub system configured to;

receive, through a wireless communication network, an information content requested by a user in connection with identification of the centralized hub system based on recognition of the unique hub identifier, the information content carried by a compressed digital video signal;

perform a conversion of the compressed digital video signal, the conversion comprising decompressing, by the decoder, the compressed digital video signal to a decompressed digital video signal, further followed by encoding, by the encoder, the decompressed digital video signal to produce an encoded decompressed digital video signal for transmission through a high definition digital output interface to accommodate production of the information content on a high definition digital television; and

communicate information for managing a household item status of a household item in conjunction with a short range wireless communication regarding an updated status of the household item, the short range wireless communication comprising a wireless signal, the wireless signal comprising information corresponding to a unique identifier associated with the household item.

2. The management system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network is a wireless local area network (WLAN);

and wherein the centralized hub system is further configured to communicate the information through the WLAN for said managing the household item status.

3. The management system of claim 1, wherein the centralized hub system is further configured to receive information about a user'"'"'s request for a multimedia information content for production by a digital television;

wherein the management system is configured to perform a processing of the user'"'"'s request for the multimedia information content in association with transmission of the multimedia information content to the digital television through a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) for said production.

4. The management system of claim 3, wherein the management system is further configured to search a content server for the multimedia information content;

and wherein the management system is further configured to route the multimedia information content to accommodate said production by the digital television.

5. The management system of claim 1, wherein the short range wireless communication is triggered by a detection, by a sensor, of the updated status.

6. The management system of claim 1, wherein the short range wireless communication is a Zigbee communication.

7. The management system of claim 1, wherein the short range wireless communication is a Bluetooth communication.

8. The management system of claim 1, wherein the management system further comprises a software configured to provide a data package from a cellular phone in initiating communications with a management center system that are directed to destination devices, the software being configured for installation on the cellular phone;

and wherein the centralized hub system is one of the destination devices.

9. The management system of claim 8, wherein the data package comprises information for a network address corresponding to the centralized hub system and information for the unique hub identifier.

10. The management system of claim 9, wherein the management system is further configured to search a content server for the information content;

and wherein the management system is further configured to route the information content according to the network address.

11. The management system of claim 8, wherein a unique identifier of the cellular phone is registered in the at least one mapping table and associated with the unique hub identifier.

12. The management system of claim 8, wherein a unique identifier corresponding to each of the destination devices is registered in the at least one mapping table and associated with a network address for each of the destination devices.

13. The management system of claim 12, wherein a unique identifier corresponding to each of the destination devices is associated with an appropriate communication protocol and a signal format for communications.

14. The management system of claim 1, wherein the centralized hub system is further configured to receive a purchase request for a product or a service from a user;

and wherein the management system is configured to perform a processing of the purchase request based on authentication of the user.

15. The management system of claim 14, wherein the processing of the purchase request comprises identifying payment information for the purchase request in connection with identifying the user.

16. The management system of claim 15, wherein the processing of the purchase request further comprises sending the payment information through a payment gateway for the processing of the purchase request.

17. The management system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network is a wireless local area network.

18. The management system of claim 1, wherein the high definition digital output interface is configured to connect to a cable to transmit the encoded decompressed digital video signal.

19. The management system of claim 18, wherein the high definition digital output interface is a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI).

20. The management system of claim 18, wherein the centralized hub system is configured to receive power directly from the high definition digital television through a cable connection.

21. The management system of claim 20, wherein the high definition digital output interface is a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI).

22. The management system of claim 18, wherein the decoder and the encoder are included in a mobile terminal;

and wherein the mobile terminal is further configured to receive power via the cable through the high definition digital output interface and to transmit the encoded decompressed digital video signal through the high definition digital output interface to the cable.

23. The management system of claim 22, wherein the mobile terminal is configured to receive the power to support said encoding and said decompressing.

24. The management system of claim 22, wherein the high definition output interface comprises modification on a charger interface of the mobile terminal to facilitate receiving the power.

25. The management system of claim 1, wherein the centralized hub system is configured to receive the information content from a mobile terminal.

26. The management system of claim 25, wherein the high definition digital output interface is a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI).

27. The management system of claim 26, wherein the centralized hub system is configured to receive power directly from the high definition digital television through a cable connection.

28. The management system of claim 1, wherein the centralized hub system is configured to receive power directly from the high definition digital television to support said conversion.

29. The management system of claim 1, wherein the centralized hub system is included in a user terminal.

30. The management system of claim 29, wherein the user terminal is a cellular phone.

31. The management system of claim 1, wherein the centralized hub system is included in a set top box.

32. The management system of claim 1, wherein the management system is further configured to route data between a digital television and a cellular phone.

33. The management system of claim 1, wherein management system is configured to receive and transmit a video content from a video camera.

34. The management system of claim 33, wherein the video content is encrypted.

35. The management system of claim 1, wherein the management system is further configured to:

receive a multimedia signal;

determine, a communication protocol, a signal format, and an address of a destination;

convert the multimedia signal to produce a converted signal for production of a corresponding multimedia information content at the destination according to the determined signal format; and

route, the converted signal to the destination based on the address and the communication protocol.

36. The management system of claim 35, wherein the corresponding multimedia information content is the information content;

and wherein the destination is the centralized hub system.

37. The management system of claim 1, wherein the centralized hub system is configured to receive the short range wireless communication through a Zigbee connection.

38. The management system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network is a cellular communication network.

39. The management system of claim 1, wherein the centralized hub system comprises a Wifi router.

40. The management system of claim 1, wherein the management system comprises a content server;

wherein the content server comprises commercial incentive information; and

wherein the management system is configured to send the commercial incentive information to the user based at least in part on a relevance of the commercial incentive information with the information content requested.

41. The management system of claim 1, wherein a request for the information content is received from a cellular phone.

42. The management system of claim 1, wherein a request for the information content is received from a cellular phone;

and where a unique identifier of the cellular phone is associated with the unique hub identifier.

43. The management system of claim 1, wherein the centralized hub system is configured to collect usage information.

44. The management system of claim 43, wherein the usage information comprises utility information.

45. The management system of claim 1, wherein the centralized hub system is further configured to communicate the information for managing the household item status to a 911 center.

46. The management system of claim 1, wherein the centralized hub system is configured to receive the short range wireless communication through a Bluetooth connection.

47. The management system of claim 1, wherein the information content is a news.

48. The management system of claim 1, wherein the centralized hub system is further configured to receive the short range wireless communication.

49. The management system of claim 1, wherein the short range wireless communication is a fire alarm or a theft alarm.

50. The management system of claim 1, wherein the management system is further configured to send a notification regarding the updated status to a user terminal.

51. The management system of claim 50, wherein management system is configured to send the notification to a cellular phone.

52. The management system of claim 1, wherein the management system is configured to notify a user of the updated status according to a configuration setting;

and

wherein the configuration setting specifies when or how to notify the user of the updated status.

53. The management system of claim 1, wherein the management system is configured to notify a user of the update status according to a configuration setting;

and

wherein the configuration setting specifies when and how to notify the user of the updated status.

54. The management system of claim 1, wherein the management system is configured to perform a security process or an error correction on the information content.

55. The management system of claim 1, wherein the management system is configured to perform a virus screening on the information content.

56. The management system of claim 1, wherein the management system is configured to:

monitor a request for the information content;

store the information content that is determined to be locally applicable based upon monitoring of the request.

57. The management system of claim 56, wherein the management system is configured to refresh stored information contents based on an updated monitoring of the request.

58. The management system of claim 1, wherein the management system is configured to route the information content from a content server that is logically approximate to the user of the centralized hub system.

59. The management system of claim 58, wherein the content server is determined as being logically proximate based on at least one of the following:

a bandwidth resource for sending the content;

a home location associated with the centralized hub system;

a location of a base station through which the information content is routed;

a location of a base station associated with the centralized hub system;

a dedicated resource for transmitting the information content;

a location of a base station through which the request for the information content is transmitted;

or

comparing a location of the centralized hub system with a location identified for the information content.

60. The management system of claim 1, wherein the short range wireless communication is initiated by a detection of the updated status;

and wherein the short range wireless communication is through a Zigbee communication channel.

61. The management system of claim 1, wherein the short range wireless communications is initiated by a detection of the update status;

and wherein the short range wireless communication is through a Bluetooth communication channel.

62. The management system of claim 1, wherein the short range wireless communication is initiated by a detection of the update status.

63. The management system of claim 1, wherein the centralized hub system is configured to receive a phone call through a cellular base station, the phone call being directed to a user of the centralized hub system.

64. The management system of claim 1, wherein the centralized hub system is configured to receive an instruction of making a call to a cellular phone and communicate a data from the cellular phone to accommodate the phone call.

65. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing program code executable by a processor to accommodate information communication and management, the program code including instructions comprising:

instructions for receiving, by a central hub system, a multimedia signal through a wireless communication network, the multimedia signal comprising a compressed digital video signal;

instructions for decompressing, by the centralized hub system, the compressed digital video signal to a decompressed digital video signal;

instruction for encoding, by the centralized hub system, the decompressed digital video signal to produce an encoded decompressed digital video signal for transmission through a high definition digital output interface to accommodate production of a corresponding multimedia content on a high definition digital television;

instructions for transmitting, by the centralized hub system, the encoded decompressed digital video signal to the high definition digital television through the high definition digital output interface and through a cable, the high definition digital output interface connected to the cable;

instructions for communication, by the centralized hub system, information for managing an item status of an item based on a signal regarding an updated status of the item, the signal being triggered by a detection of the updated status, the signal comprising information corresponding to a unique identifier associated with the item.

66. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing program code of claim 65, wherein the high definition digital interface is a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI).

67. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing program code of claim 65, wherein the centralized hub system is included in a user terminal;

wherein the instructions further comprise;

instructions for receiving power by the user terminal through the cable and through the high definition digital interface; and

wherein the encoded decompressed digital video signal is transmitted, through the high definition digital output interface to the cable, for said production of the corresponding multimedia content on the high definition digital television.

68. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing program code of claim 65, wherein the instructions further comprise:

instructions for receiving a phone call through a cellular base station, the phone call being directed to a user of the centralized hub system.

69. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing program code of claim 65, wherein the multimedia signal is received through a cellular network.

70. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing program code of claim 65, wherein the multimedia signal is received from a mobile terminal.

71. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing program code of claim 65, wherein the multimedia signal is received from a wireless local area network.

72. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing program code of claim 65, wherein the instructions further comprise:

instructions for receiving power directly from the high definition digital television through a cable connection to support the decompressing and the encoding.

73. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing program code of claim 65, wherein the multimedia signal is received from a cellular phone.

74. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing program code of claim 73, wherein the high definition digital output interface is a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI).

75. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing program code of claim 65, wherein the instructions further comprise:

instructions for receiving power through a cable; and

wherein the encoded decompressed digital signal is transmitted, through the cable, for said production on the high definition digital television.

76. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing program code of claim 65, wherein the instructions further comprises instructions for receiving, by the centralized hub system, the signal regarding the updated status.

77. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing program code of claim 76,

wherein the signal is received through a short range wireless communication.

78. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing program code of claim 77, wherein the short range wireless communication is a Zigbee communication.

79. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing program code of claim 77, wherein the short range wireless communication is a Bluetooth communication.

80. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing program code of claim 76, wherein the signal is received through a wireless local area network.

81. A centralized hub system comprising:

an input interface configured to receive a multimedia signal through a wireless communication network, the multimedia signal comprising a compressed digital video signal;

at least one processing unit configured to perform a conversion of the multimedia signal, and

a high definition digital output interface configured to connect to a cable,

wherein the conversion comprises decompressing, by a decoder, the compressed digital video signal to a decompressed digital video signal, further followed by encoding, by an encoder, the decompressed digital video signal to produce an encoded decompressed digital video signal for transmission through the high definition digital output interface to accommodate production of a corresponding multimedia content on a high definition digital television;

wherein the centralized hub system is further configured to transmit the encoded decompressed digital video signal to the high definition digital television through a predetermined communication channel in conjunction with a navigational command for the predetermined communication channel, the predetermined communication channel being the high definition digital output interface connected to the cable;

wherein the navigational command is from a channel button;

wherein the centralized hub system is further configured to communicate information for managing an item status of an item based on a signal regarding an update status of the item, the signal being triggered by a detection of the updated status; and

wherein the signal regarding the updated status of the item comprises information corresponding to a unique identifier associated with the item.

82. The centralized hub system of claim 81, wherein the centralized hub system is further configured to receive power through the high definition digital output interface and through the cable.

83. The centralized hub system of claim 82, wherein the centralized hub system is further configured to communicate the information for managing the household item status to a cellular phone.

84. The centralized hub system of claim 81, wherein the centralized hub system is a user terminal.

85. The centralized hub system of claim 81, wherein the centralized hub system is included in a cellular phone.

86. The centralized hub system of claim 81, wherein the wireless communication network is a cellular communication network.

87. The centralized hub system of claim 81, wherein the multimedia signal is received from a mobile terminal.

88. The centralized hub system of claim 81, wherein the centralized hub system is further configured to receive power directly from the high definition digital television through a cable connection.

89. The centralized hub system of claim 88, wherein the high definition digital output interface is a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI).

90. The centralized hub system of claim 89, wherein the multimedia signal is received from a mobile terminal.

91. The centralized hub system of claim 81, wherein the centralized hub system is further configured to receive the signal regarding the updated status of the item through a short range wireless communication.

92. The centralized hub system of claim 91, wherein the centralized hub system is further configured to receive the signal regarding the updated status of the item through a wireless local area network.

93. The centralized hub system of claim 91, wherein the short range wireless communication is a Zigbee communication.

94. The centralized hub system of claim 91, wherein the short range wireless communication is a Bluetooth communication.

95. The centralized hub system of claim 81, wherein the centralized hub system further comprises a software configured to provide a data package from a cellular phone in initiating communications with a management center system that are directed to destination devices, the software being configured for installation on the cellular phone;

and wherein the centralized hub system is one of the destination device.

96. The centralized hub system of claim 95, wherein the data package comprises information for a network address corresponding to the centralized hub system and information for a unique identifier of the centralized hub system.

97. The centralized hub system of claim 81, wherein the centralized hub system is further configured to receive a purchase request a product or a service from a user;

and wherein the centralized hub system is configured to perform a processing of the purchase request based on authentication of the user.

98. The centralized hub system of claim 81, wherein the wireless communication network is a wireless local area network.