Home automation system and method including remote media access

• US 20080117922A1
• Filed: 11/16/2006
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Raphael, Alison, Webster, Thomas S., Wollmershauser, Steven Michael, Wilson, Brian, Cockrell, Roger A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,230,466 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1023 Media gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

In a particular illustrative embodiment, a portable personal media player includes a first interface, a second interface, a display, an audio output, a keypad and a processor. The first interface communicates via a network with a residential gateway that is communicatively coupled to a plurality of electronic devices. The second interface may communicate wireless commands directly to at least one of the plurality of electronic devices. The display is adapted to display alphanumeric data and video content. The processor is responsive to a selection received via the keypad to transmit a request for selected media content to the residential gateway via the first interface. The processor receives media content related to the request via the first interface, processes the media content and provides video data to the display and audio data to the audio output. The keypad may include a plurality of dedicated controls, where at least one key is associated with a control function of one of the plurality of electronic devices.

Claims

1. A portable personal media player, comprising:

a first interface to communicate via a network with a residential gateway that is communicatively coupled to a plurality of electronic devices;

a second interface to communicate wireless commands directly to at least one of the plurality of electronic devices;

a display to display alphanumeric data and video content;

an audio output;

a keypad to receive user input; and

a processor coupled to the first interface, the second interface, the display, the audio output, and the keypad, the processor responsive to a selection received via the keypad to transmit a request for selected media content to the residential gateway via the first interface, the processor to receive media content related to the request, to process the media content and to provide video data to the display and audio data to the audio output;

wherein the keypad comprises a plurality of dedicated controls, wherein at least one key of the plurality of dedicated controls is associated with a control function of one of the plurality of electronic devices.

2. The portable personal media player of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of dedicated controls comprises a play key.

3. The portable personal media player of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of dedicated controls comprises a volume control key.

4. The portable personal media player of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of dedicated controls comprises a channel control key.

5. The portable personal media player of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of dedicated controls comprises an input source select key.

6. The portable personal media player of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of dedicated controls comprises a pause key.

7. The portable personal media player of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of dedicated controls comprises a fast forward key.

8. The portable personal media player of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of dedicated controls comprises a record key.

9. The portable personal media player of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of dedicated controls comprises a rewind key.

10. The portable personal media player of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of dedicated controls comprises a next selection key.

11. The portable personal media player of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of dedicated controls comprises a previous selection key.

12. The portable personal media player of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to selectively transmit a command associated with the control function via the first interface or the second interface to control one of the plurality of electronic devices in response to selection of at least one of the plurality of dedicated controls.

13. The portable personal media player of claim 1, wherein the audio output comprises at least one integrated speaker.

14. The portable personal media player of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to provide a user interface to the display, the user interface including one or more selectable indicators, the processor to receive a selection related to at least one of the one or more selectable indicators via the keypad and to transmit a command via one of the first interface and the second interface to control an electronic device based on the selection.

15. The portable personal media player of claim 1, wherein the first interface comprises a wireless Ethernet interface and wherein,the second interface comprises an infrared interface.

16. The portable personal media player of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of electronic devices is selected from a group consisting of a video cassette recorder (VCR), a digital video disk (DVD) player, a set-top box (STB), and a television.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising retrieving at least a first portion of the identified media content from a first memory of a compressed digital audio playback device and at least a second portion of the identified media content from a second memory of a computer.

17. A method comprising:

receiving a command from a remote control device having dedicated control keys at a home automation system, the home automation system coupled to an electrical device and to a processing device having a memory;

determining one or more memory locations of the media content based on the selection when the command includes a selection of media content;

retrieving the identified media content from the one or more memory locations; and

streaming the identified media content to a destination device based on the command;

identifying a device associated with the control instruction when the command includes a control instruction associated with one of the dedicated control keys;

determining a communication protocol associated with the identified with the identified device; and

transmitting the command to the identified device based on the communication protocol.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the destination device comprises the remote control and wherein streaming the identified media content comprises streaming audio data and video data to the destination device.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining a network address associated with the remote control device, wherein the destination comprises the network address.

21. A method of accessing a home automation system, the method comprising:

accessing, using a remote control device having a plurality of dedicated controls, a user interface associated with a home automation system via a network without disrupting a display of an electrical device, the user interface including a list of selectable media content;

receiving a selection related to at least one item from the list;

transmitting the selection to the home automation system via the network to retrieve media content stored at one or more electrical devices;

receiving media content related to the selection from the home automation system; and

generating an audio signal related to the received media content via an audio output of the remote control device.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising displaying video data on a display of the remote control device based on the received media content.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving a control instruction associated with one of the plurality of dedicated controls; and

selectively transmitting the control instruction to the home automation system via the network or to an electrical device to be controlled.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein at least one of the plurality of dedicated controls comprises a channel selection key.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein at least one of the plurality of dedicated controls comprises a volume control key.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein at least one of the plurality of dedicated controls comprises an input source selection key.

27. A processor-readable medium including processor-readable instructions executable by a processor to receive and perform a command responsive to a remote control device at a home automation system that is communicatively coupled to an electrical device and to a processing device having a memory, the processor-readable medium including instructions to receive a command from a remote control device having dedicated control keys, wherein when the command includes a control instruction associated with one of the dedicated control keys, the processor-readable medium includes instructions to identify a device associated with the control instruction, to determine a communication protocol associated with the identified device, and to transmit the command to the identified device based on the communication protocol.

28. The processor readable medium of claim 27, wherein the dedicated control keys comprise a play button, a stop button, a pause button, a next button, a previous button, a record button, an input select button, and a volume control button.