Multiplex communications – Communication techniques for information carried in plural... – Combining or distributing information via time channels
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-15
2003-08-26
Hsu, Alpus H. (Department: 2665)
Multiplex communications
Communication techniques for information carried in plural...
Combining or distributing information via time channels
C370S465000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06611537
ABSTRACT:
I. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to networks of consumer electronics devices, and in particular to synchronous networks optimized for digital media streams.
B. Nature of the Problem—Interconnecting Consumer Electronics Devices for Distribution of Audio, Video and other Media/Data, as well as Control Information, Throughout a Home or other Environment
The holy grail of the “smart home” has long been sought after, but networking of consumer electronics devices has yet to rise from hobbyist status. One of the fundamental obstacles to widespread acceptance of such networks is the difficulty and expense of interconnecting various types of consumer electronics and other devices within a single room, much less throughout an entire home or other environment, such as a hotel or apartment building, or a car, boat or recreational vehicle.
Moreover, even when such devices are interconnected, there remain problems of distributing control information, as well as audio, video and other types of media/data, in a sufficiently flexible manner to permit users to switch sources, record programs, schedule events and perform other advanced tasks without sacrificing the ease of use provided by a simple television and remote control.
Today's home theater systems, for example, quickly become unwieldy as devices are added (even apart from the “spaghetti” of cables interconnecting devices), in part because such devices typically do not all “speak the same language.” Users are faced with fix unenviable task of having to “program” or configure their system to perform even relatively simple tasks, such as turning the system on and off. Anyone who has tried to explain to a spouse, friend or babysitter how to use the “universal” remote control (e.g., to watch or record a television program or videotape, laserdisc or satellite broadcast) understands the nature and complexity of this problem.
With the advent of digital media and services (e.g., audio CDs, DSS or DVB digital satellite broadcasts and DVD movies) comes an opportunity to address this problem from a more general-purpose system or network perspective. Such a network perspective can be contrasted with existing home theater and home automation systems which interconnect devices with dedicated media-specific cables (audio and video cables, speaker wire, etc.,), and provide a separate control topology (infrared remote controls, X10 control networks, etc.).
In a digital domain, all information (from audio, video and other digital media streams to custom commands and other control information, and even asynchronous network protocols) can be distributed, processed and controlled using the “same language”—i.e., the binary language spoken by virtually all of today's computer hardware and software, from dedicated hardware state machines to “smarter” controllers and general purpose CPU-based devices.
The opportunities provided by a network of devices distributing digital media and control information are enormous. It is far more difficult and expensive, for example, to distribute/route analog audio and video streams to devices throughout a home or other environment, much less process (e.g. record, mix and otherwise modify) particular information along the way, than it is to distribute such information in a digital environment. Moreover, by providing software control over individual “samples” of digital media, significant new functionality can be added to a system that simply was not feasible in an analog domain.
For example, users could decide to record a movie after watching the first 15 minutes, or record a song after hearing it in its entirety. Playing and recording digital media streams can be as simple as reading and writing a disk drive, as will be explained below. Moreover, with a software interface, users easily could select a variety of programs to be recorded (e.g., over the course of a week) without having to worry about switching tapes in the VCR. Additional telephone lines, or even complex PBX functionality, could be integrated into the system, all under software control for even greater flexibility. As will become apparent, the possibilities are virtually endless. The sheer flexibility afforded by digital media cannot be underestimated.
As discussed below, current systems for interconnecting consumer electronics and other devices suffer from a variety of problems, not the least of which is a lack of foresight with respect to the imminent digital revolution or “convergence.” These problems include difficult and expensive cabling schemes, limited network topologies, complex and expensive devices, inadequate media synchronization and a general lack of integration between the means for distributing audio, video and other media, and the means for processing and controlling the information being distributed.
C. Description of Related Art
1. Home Entertainment Systems and Home Automation Networks
Current home entertainment systems and home automation networks illustrate many of the fundamental problems discussed above. Home theater systems, for example, effectively are limited to a single room in a house, primarily due to the difficulty and expense of interconnecting devices.
Each source device, such as a satellite receiver, VCR, laserdisc or DVD player, typically is connected, by relatively expensive audio and video cables, to a “central” preamplifier or other form of switching device, which is also connected to a main television/monitor as well as to one or more power amplifiers, which are in turn connected to various speakers throughout the room by dedicated (and also expensive) speaker cables.
Such a cabling scheme is both expensive and difficult to maintain. Removing a defective VCR from a rack of equipment, for example, often requires reconnecting cables in a new configuration just to enable the rest of the system to function while the VCR is being repaired. Moreover, flexibility is limited, even with relatively high-end preamplifiers. Only a limited number of source devices can be accommodated by any dedicated device interconnection scheme. It often is prohibitively expensive to replace a high-end preamplifier merely because it will not accommodate the latest source device added to the system. Users therefore still may suffer the inconvenience of connecting and disconnecting cables manually to switch sources.
Moreover, even when all devices can be accommodated, the functionality of such home theater systems still remains limited. Recording programs with a VCR, as noted above, remains a mysteriously unattainable objective. As more source devices are added to a home theater system, the desire to record programs becomes greater, as does the difficulty of successfully recording a desired program.
Users frequently must change tapes, as well as figure out how to “program” a remote control to make the preamplifier, source device and VCR work together to record a program, particularly if someone is watching another program at the same time. Few systems even permit more than one program to be recorded simultaneously.
The difficulty of controlling consumer electronics devices and systems stems from the fact that most devices are not designed to interoperate with one another. User interfaces on universal remote controls are very limited. LCD screens, for example, rarely are used for more than listing a menu of commands. They rarely indicate any dynamic status information (such as which device is selected, which program is being recorded, etc.).
Moreover, universal remote control devices are extremely difficult to operate, and require extensive “programming” to perform even simple functions, such as turning the system on and off, which may require a “program” to send multiple commands—i.e., one to each device. Even switching from one source to another may require a multiple-command program—e.g., to switch video input sources on the television as well as switch the preamplifier source.
The result is an expensive system that is complex to set up, use and maintain, even in a single room. Multi-
Edens Glenn T.
Hoover Donald Robert
Meike Roger Charles
Ryan Timothy Andrew
Centillium Communications Inc.
Fenwick & West LLP
Hsu Alpus H.
Nguyen Toan
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