Digital residential entertainment system

• US 20050086694A1
• Filed: 12/06/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hicks, John, Zimler, Randy
• Granted Patent: US 8,677,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/63 to plural spots in a confined site, e.g. MATV [Master Antenna Television]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/72 of terrestrial networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/78 CATV [Community Antenna Television] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/27 specially adapted for broadcast systems covered by groups H04H20/53 - H04H20/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• 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 21/43622 Interfacing an external recording device
• 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 21/44227 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 21/6168 : involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 : for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/108 : the cable being constituted by a pair of wires
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 : Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 : Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 : Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A digital residential entertainment system is disclosed recording video data of an event. The apparatuses include a processor communicating with memory. The memory stores video data of the event captured by a camera, and the video data includes a series of picture frames of the event. A loop buffer also stores video data of the event captured by the camera. A rule-based engine stored in the memory uses a set of rules to store the contents of the loop buffer in the memory. The apparatus utilizes the loop buffer to provide video data prior to occurrence of the event.

Claims

1. A system for providing digital data, the system comprising:

a data switch having a plurality of switch ports;

a mass storage device coupled to a switch port; and

a power line carrier interface coupled to the data switch to distribute the digital data via an electrical power line.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the power line carrier interface communicates with the data switch.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the power line carrier interface communicates with the data switch to distribute the digital data via an alternating current electrical power line.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a tuner to select an information channel of a plurality of information channels.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a demodulator coupled to another switch port and to the tuner.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a Web-server, the Web-server coupled to the data switch.

7. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising encryption logic coupled to the data switch, the encryption logic to receive an unencrypted information signal and output an encrypted information signal.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a broadband data port, the broadband data port coupled to yet another switch port of the data switch.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the mass storage device receives and stores digital information via the data switch.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising an analog-to-digital converter for converting at least one of i) an analog signal to a digital signal and ii) a digital signal to an analog signal.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one interface to couple the data switch to a broadband data communication link.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the data switch is an Ethernet switch.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the data switch is a router.