Network-extensible reconfigurable media appliance

• US 7,856,418 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2007
• Issued: 12/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dennis Fernandez
• Inventors: Fernandez, Dennis S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleurantin; Jean B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MYINT, DENNIS Y
• Application Number:
  US11/836,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20070276783A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 707/621, 707/620, 707/804, 707/805
• US Class Current: 707/620
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/74 Browsing; Visualisation therefor end-user interfaces for requesting or interacting with video content, e.g. video on demand interfaces or electronic program guides, H04N21/472
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• 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 21/64784 Data processing by the network data processing in packet switching systems H04L12/56; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90; provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/617 Upgrading or updating of programs or applications for camera control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/262 Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2621 Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/913 Multimedia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Extensible reconfigurable media appliance for security and entertainment captures images digitally for storage. Digital effects and filters are applied to incoming video stream on-the-fly or to video data stored in memory. Digital effects and filters are dynamically stored, modified, updated or deleted, providing extensible reconfigurable effects studio. Digital media appliance communicates wirelessly with other media appliances, computers, security systems, video storage, email, chat, cellular services or PDAs to provide seamless integration of captured video stream.

Claims

1. Media cell phone appliance comprising:

reconfigurable synthesizable intellectual-property core circuit for processing one or more audio or visual stream; and

means for rendering at least one of the streams using the synthesizable intellectual-property core circuit according to a non-linear template or script comprising at least one branching point;

wherein the stream is provided by a cell phone appliance to a distributed group of network-extensible media appliances, such stream being provided using programmable digital effects processing by the synthesizable intellectual-property core circuit via real-time signal processing to convert a communication format of the provided stream, wherein the converted stream is associated with one or more meta data tag for synchronizing stream production or rendering thereof with one or more other stream provided by one or more other appliance in the group, such synchronization automatically enabling seamless collaboration or dynamic integration by the group appliances using one or more tag to produce a media project or reconstruct a covered event, whereby such distributed group serves effectively as a mobile reconfigurable effects studio for digitally processing synchronized streams by one or more synthesizable intellectual-property core circuit in the group in a network extensible manner, whereby the cell phone appliance automatically initiates a configuration of the distributed group in a peer-to-peer serial and parallel configuration of network-extensible media appliances extensibly to allow one or more such configured appliance to join or leave the distributed group dynamically in parallel or serially with other such configured appliances.

2. Appliance of claim 1 wherein:

one or more meta-data or tag is inserted in or coupled to at least one of the streams prior to rendering.

3. Media cell phone appliance method comprising steps:

processing by reconfigurable synthesizable intellectual-property core circuit one or more audio or visual stream; and

rendering at least one of the streams using the synthesizable intellectual-property core circuit according to a non-linear template or script comprising at least one branching point;

wherein the stream is provided by a cell phone appliance to a distributed group of network-extensible media appliances, such stream being provided using programmable digital effects processing by the synthesizable intellectual-property core circuit via real-time signal processing to convert a communication format of the provided stream, wherein the converted stream is associated with one or more meta data tag for synchronizing stream production or rendering thereof with one or more other stream provided by one or more other appliance in the group, such synchronization automatically enabling seamless collaboration or dynamic integration by the group appliances using one or more tag to produce a media project or reconstruct a covered event, whereby such distributed group serves effectively as a mobile reconfigurable effects studio for digitally processing synchronized streams by one or more synthesizable intellectual-property core circuit in the group in a network extensible manner, whereby the cell phone appliance automatically initiates a configuration of the distributed group in a peer-to-peer serial and parallel configuration of network-extensible media appliances extensibly to allow one or more such configured appliance to join or leave the distributed group dynamically in parallel or serially with other such configured appliances.

4. Method of claim 3 wherein:

one or more meta-data or tag is inserted in or coupled to at least one of the streams prior to rendering.

5. Media cell phone appliance comprising:

a reconfigurable synthesizable intellectual-property core circuit for processing one or more audio or visual stream; and

a renderer that renders at least one of the streams using the synthesizable intellectual-property core circuit according to a non-linear template or script comprising at least one branching point;

wherein the stream is provided by a cell phone appliance to a distributed group of network-extensible media appliances, such stream being provided using programmable digital effects processing by the synthesizable intellectual-property core circuit via real-time signal processing to convert a communication format of the provided stream, wherein the converted stream is associated with one or more meta data tag for synchronizing stream production or rendering thereof with one or more other stream provided by one or more other appliance in the group, such synchronization automatically enabling seamless collaboration or dynamic integration by the group appliances using one or more tag to produce a media project or reconstruct a covered event, whereby such distributed group serves effectively as a mobile reconfigurable effects studio for digitally processing synchronized streams by one or more synthesizable intellectual-property core circuit in the group in a network extensible manner, whereby the cell phone appliance automatically initiates a configuration of the distributed group in a peer-to-peer serial and parallel configuration of network-extensible media appliances extensibly to allow one or more such configured appliance to join or leave the distributed group dynamically in parallel or serially with other such configured appliances.