TETHERED DIGITAL BUTLER CONSUMER ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD

• US 20090233592A1
• Filed: 04/08/2009
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NexStep, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NexStep, Inc.
• Inventors: Stepanian, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,609,824 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/422 Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42201 biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4623 Processing of entitlement messages, e.g. ECM [Entitlement Control Message] or EMM [Entitlement Management Message] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]

Abstract

The present invention relates to a tethered digital butler consumer electronics product and method. The tethered digital butler, of a price and form factor suitable for consumer electronics markets of developed and developing countries, includes a communications and multi-media console and a wireless remote. The remote may resemble a handheld personal computer (HPC), a palm-held personal computer (PPC or PDA) or a smart phone, but has a low cost and feature set supported by the console that is novel in the consumer electronics market. In particular, this disclosure relates to combining telephone service, device control and, optionally, a fingerprint reader for easy user identification/authorization and personalization. As another option, a camera can be incorporated into the remote, thereby enabling video conferencing and other visual features. Alternatively, the remote may be packaged separately from a console and sold to interact with capabilities of a communications and console, set-top box, multi-media PC or other consumer electronics device from a different source, such as one running on a Windows, OS X or Linux platform, with or without telephone capabilities. The remote may include a media reader and remote USB port.

Claims

1. A master device, adapted to be controlled by a remote control device that needs only limited computing capabilities and that includes slaved control and audio I/O features, the master device including:

a limited range radio;

hardware resources coupled to the radio;

a light weight protocol stack running on the hardware resources and exchanging packets with a remote control device;

an IP protocol stack running on the hardware resources and exchanging packets with at least one signal source;

control interpretation logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that processes input received from a slaved keyboard and from a slaved navigation device on the remote control and responsively controls the master device, including selection of audio and/or video for playback;

call processing logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the IP protocol stack and the light weight protocol stack, that

receives audio signal packets from the signal source, transcodes them to a remote control device format suitable to drive at least one slaved output on the remote control device, and forwards them to the remote control device;

receives control signals from the remote control device and responsively initiates or answers a telephone call; and

receives audio signal packets from a slaved microphone on the remote control device, transcodes the audio signal packets into transcoded audio packets and forwards the transcoded audio packets to the signal source; and

display logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that composes a first visual display and forwards the first visual display to the remote control device.

2. The master device of claim 1, further including:

an output port adapted to drive a monitor device, coupled to the hardware resources; and

monitor logic running on the hardware resources that composes and forwards to the output port a second visual display, which the master device navigates responsive to the slaved navigation device

3. The master device of claim 1, further including:

a DVD/CD player coupled to the hardware resources, to the audio and/or video playback logic and to the control interpretation logic; and

audio and/or video playback logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that transcodes compressed audio and/or video into a remote control device format suitable to drive at least one slaved output on the remote control device;

wherein the control interpretation logic further controls playback from the DVD/CD player.

4. The master device of claim 1, further including:

port control logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that treats a USB adapter on the remote control as a port local to the master device.

5. The master device of claim 1, further including:

port control logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that treats a media card reader on the remote control as a device local to the master device.

6. The master device of claim 1, further including:

fingerprint data processing logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that processes raw fingerprint data received from the remote control device and uses the processed fingerprint data to authenticate a user.

7. The master device of claim 6, further including:

personalization logic running on the hardware resources that personalizes a user'"'"'s call processing based on the authentication of the user from the processed fingerprint data.

8. The master device of claim 1, further including:

authentication data processing logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that processes raw authentication data received from the remote control device and uses the processed authentication data to authenticate a user.

9. The master device of claim 8, further including:

personalization logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that accepts a user identification and personalizes the user'"'"'s call processing based on the user identification.

10. The master device of claim 1, wherein the limited range radio is one of:

compliant with a Bluetooth standard,

complaint with an 802.11n standard,

compliant with an 802.11b/g standard, or

utilizes a cordless home telephone technology.

11. The master device of claim 1, wherein the light weight protocol stack is a Bluetooth protocol stack.

12. The master device of claim 11, further including:

image processing logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that accepts transfer of sensor data from a camera sensor on the remote control device and translates the sensor data into an image stored in memory.

13. The master device of claim 11, further including:

DRM key processing logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that accepts transfer of a DRM key from the remote control device and processes the DRM key to satisfy DRM requirements of the master device or of the at least one signal source.

14. A master device, adapted to be controlled by a remote control device that needs only limited computing capabilities and that includes slaved control and audio I/O features, the master device including:

a limited range radio;

hardware resources coupled to the radio;

an output port adapted to drive a monitor device, coupled to the hardware resources;

a light weight protocol stack running on the hardware resources and exchanging packets with a remote control device;

control interpretation logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that processes input received from a slaved keyboard and from a slaved navigation device on the remote control and responsively controls the master device, including selection of audio and/or video for playback;

port control logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that treats a media card reader on the remote control as a device local to the master device;

audio and/or video playback logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that transcodes compressed audio and/or video into a remote control device format suitable to drive at least one slaved output on the remote control device; and

monitor logic running on the hardware resources that composes and forwards to the output port a visual display, which the master device navigates responsive to the slaved navigation device.

15. The master device of claim 14, further including:

an output port adapted to drive a monitor device, coupled to the hardware resources; and

monitor logic running on the hardware resources that composes and forwards to the output port a second visual display, which the master device navigates responsive to the slaved navigation device.

16. The master device of claim 14, further including:

a DVD/CD player coupled to the hardware resources, to the audio and/or video playback logic and to the control interpretation logic; and

audio and/or video playback logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that transcodes compressed audio and/or video into a remote control device format suitable to drive at least one slaved output on the remote control device;

wherein the control interpretation logic further controls playback from the DVD/CD player.

17. The master device of claim 14, further including:

port control logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that treats a USB adapter on the remote control as a port local to the master device.

18. The master device of claim 14, further including:

fingerprint data processing logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that processes raw fingerprint data received from the remote control device and uses the processed fingerprint data to authenticate a user.

19. The master device of claim 14, further including:

personalization logic running on the hardware resources that personalizes a user'"'"'s call processing based on the authentication of the user from the processed fingerprint data.

20. The master device of claim 14, further including:

authentication data processing logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that processes raw authentication data received from the remote control device and uses the processed authentication data to authenticate a user.

21. The master device of claim 14, further including:

personalization logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that accepts a user identification and personalizes the user'"'"'s call processing based on the user identification.

22. The master device of claim 14, wherein the limited range radio is one of:

compliant with a Bluetooth standard,

complaint with an 802.11n standard,

compliant with an 802.11b/g standard, or

utilizes a cordless home telephone technology.

23. The master device of claim 14, wherein the light weight protocol stack is a Bluetooth protocol stack.

24. The master device of claim 23, further including:

image processing logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that accepts transfer of sensor data from a camera sensor on the remote control device and translates the sensor data into an image stored in memory.

25. The master device of claim 23, further including:

DRM key processing logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that accepts transfer of a DRM key from the remote control device and processes the DRM key to satisfy DRM requirements of the master device or of the at least one signal source.