Calibration of a Home Entertainment System Using a Wireless Home Entertainment Hub

• US 20080065247A1
• Filed: 06/11/2007
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rateze Remote Mgmt. L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Technology Patents & Licensing Incorporated
• Inventors: Igoe, Patrick T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,990,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• 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 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• 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 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• 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 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• 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 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• 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 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• 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 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/602 : for digital sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 : Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN
• 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 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

A method of calibrating a home entertainment system containing a wireless home entertainment hub using a calibration device comprises obtaining a registration from at least one sink device in the home entertainment system. A first instruction is transmitted to the calibration device to begin receiving a calibration signal emitted from the at least one sink device, where the calibration device is a wireless device. A second instruction is transmitted to the at least one sink device to emit the calibration signal. A representation of the calibration signal emitted from the at least one sink device is received from the calibration device. The representation of the calibration signal is analyzed. One or more indications of adjustments to parameters of the sink device based on results from the analyzing is transmitted to each of the sink devices.

Claims

1. A method of calibrating a home entertainment system containing a wireless home entertainment hub using a calibration device, the method comprising:

(a) obtaining a registration from at least one sink device in the home entertainment system;

(b) transmitting a first instruction to the calibration device to begin receiving a calibration signal emitted from the at least one sink device, wherein the calibration device is a wireless device;

(c) transmitting a second instruction to the at least one sink device to emit the calibration signal;

(d) receiving from the calibration device a representation of the calibration signal emitted from the at least one sink device;

(e) analyzing the representation of the calibration signal from step (d); and

(f) transmitting to each of the sink devices one or more indications of adjustments to parameters of the sink device based on results from the analyzing of step (e).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein parameters in step (f) are adjusted for optimization of data presentation to a user in the home entertainment system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the calibration device is positioned at a likely viewing location for a user in the home entertainment system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the calibration signals emitted by each of the at least one sink devices are emitted at a different time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the calibration signals emitted by each of the at least one sink devices are emitted simultaneously.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the calibration signal emitted by each of the at least one sink devices is the same.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the calibration signal emitted by each of the at least one sink devices is unique in the home entertainment system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the calibration device is used to calibrate audio data presented by the at least one sink device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the calibration device is used to calibrate video data presented by the at least one sink device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sink device includes an audio sink device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sink device includes a video sink device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein an actuator in the calibration device is used to initiate the first instruction.

13. A method of calibrating a home entertainment system containing a wireless home entertainment hub using a calibration device, the method comprising:

(a) receiving an instruction from the wireless home entertainment hub to begin receiving a calibration signal from at least one sink device registered with the wireless home entertainment hub;

(b) receiving a calibration signal from the at least one sink device; and

(c) transmitting a representation of the received calibration signal to the wireless home entertainment hub.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the calibration device is located at a likely viewing location for a user in the home entertainment system.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the calibration device is an audio sensor.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the audio sensor is a microphone.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the calibration device is a video sensor.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the video sensor is a camera.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the calibration device includes an audio sensor and a video sensor.

20. A method of calibrating a home entertainment system containing a wireless home entertainment hub using a calibration device, the method comprising:

(a) obtaining a registration with the wireless home entertainment hub;

(b) receiving from the wireless home entertainment hub an instruction to emit a calibration signal; and

(c) emitting the calibration signal, wherein the calibration signal is received by the calibration device; and

(d) receiving one or more indications of adjustments to parameters of a sink device from the wireless home entertainment hub.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the parameters are adjusted based on results of analyzing by the wireless home entertainment hub the calibration signal received at the calibration device.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the parameters in step (d) are adjusted for optimization of data presentation to a user in the home entertainment system.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the parameters include frequency characteristics.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the parameters include volume.