Abstract:
A method and system for commanding and controlling diverse home devices on a home network to perform a service is provided. According to the method, a client device that is capable of displaying a user interface is connected to a home network. A software agent is executed on the client device to cause a user interface to be displayed on the client device. First and second home devices connected to the home network are selected from the user interface, and control and command data are sent from the client device to the first and second home devices to cause these devices to communicate with each other to perform the service.
Abstract:
A set-top electronics and network interface unit arrangement is connected to an internal digital network interconnecting devices in the home. Entertainment services are introduced into the network through network interface units that are coupled to an external network and to the internal network. The network interface units perform the necessary interfacing between the external and internal networks, and make the entertainment services available to all terminals connected to the internal network. Set-top electronics that are separate from the network interface units connect to the internal network and convert the information in the digital data stream for display, by a television, for example.
Abstract:
A home network architecture has an internal digital network interconnecting devices in the home. Entertainment services are introduced into the network through network interface units that are coupled to an external network and to the internal network. The network interface units are selectively directly connected by a direct circuit crossbar to set-top electronics so that video data, for example, may be directly provided from a network interface unit to the set-top electronics without jitter. A passive hub, which does not have packet routing capability, is then used to provide signal regeneration and re-transmission of other data over the network.
Abstract:
A method and system for commanding and controlling diverse home devices. A first home device capable of displaying user interface data is connected to a home network. A second home device stores user interface data that defines a user interface for commanding and controlling the second home device, also connected to the homenetwork. The first device receives the user interface data from the second device over the network. The first device then displays the user interface as defined by the data. The user interacts with the user interface displayed on the first device by a control device. User input is accepted from the user responsive to the interaction. Control and command information is sent from the first home device to the second home device in order to control the second device according to the user input. Since the user interface can be displayed from any device, a single control device may control a plurality of different devices without requiring any change in the mode of operation of the control device.
Abstract:
A method and system for commanding and controlling diverse home devices connected to a home network is provided. According to the method, sequences of commands which are used to control a home device are stored as a macro to control the home device. A sequence of commands, used to control a plurality of home devices in tandem, is stored as a macro. The invention provides the user a capability of operating a single button to implement a sequence of control commands from within an HTML page contained on the respective home devices being controlled.
Abstract:
A home network architecture has an internal digital network interconnecting devices in the home. Entertainment services are introduced into the network through network interface units that are coupled to an external network and to the internal network. The network interface units are selectively directly connected by a direct circuit crossbar to set-top electronics so that video data, for example, may be directly provided from a network interface unit to the set-top electronics without jitter. A passive hub, which does not have packet routing capability, is then used to provide signal regeneration and re-transmission of other data over the network.
Abstract:
A method and system for generating a program guide for a home network having at least one multi-media device connected thereto is provided. According to the method, multi-media material associated with a first home device is identified. An HTML page is generated, based on the identified multi-media material associated with the first home device. The HTML. page is stored in an accessible area on the first home device. A second home device, which is browser based, may be connected to the home network to receive the HTML page and to render the HTML page, for display to a user.
Abstract:
A TV graphical user interface includes a graphical channel changer for enabling a user to select a required TV channel among about 1000 channels provided by a satellite TV system. The graphical channel changer contains a vertical channel bar composed of channel boxes that display numbers and logo s of selected TV channels. To switch the TV set to a required TV channel, the user directs the pointing device at the graphical channel box that indicates the required channel. A direct access channel bar is arranged on a screen so as to cause the channel boxes to display the number and logo of a selected T V channel when the user directs the pointing device at the point on the direct access bar that represents the selected channel. The direct access channel b ar is provided with an absolute cursor position indicator that indicates to the user the numbers of TV channels represented by various points on the direct access channel bar, when the user moves the pointing device over these point s. When TV channels in the channel changer are arranged in alphabetical order o f channel or program names, the absolute cursor position indicator indicates t he first letter in the name of a TV channel or program represented by a point o n the direct access bar, at which the pointing device is directed.
Abstract:
A TV graphical user interface (GUI) in a satellite TV system enables users to create customized lists of TV channels. Everyday, favorite and theme lists may be generated to respectively combine TV channels being watched regularly, favorite TV channels and channels relating to particular subjects. An oval list name object is arranged on a screen to indicate the name of the currently selected list of TV channels. The users may click on the list name object to make their selection among various TV channel lists available in the TV system. In a channel changer mode, the TV GUI displays a graphical channel changer composed of channel boxes that show numbers and logos of TV channels in the currently selected list. To switch the TV set to a required TV channel, the user clickss on the graphical channel box that indicates the required channe. In a program guide mode, a list of TV programs may be provided based on the channel changer. Vertical program bars that display TV programs are aligned with the channel boxes indicating TV channels that carry the corresponding TV programs. To identify various TV channel lists available in the TV system, the oval list name object, as well as the channel boxes and program bars, are displayed in a color that represents a selected TV channel list.
Abstract:
A home network architecture has an internal digital network, e.g. Ethernet, interconnecting devices in the home. Entertainment services are introduced into the network through network interface units 32 that are coupled to an external network. The network units perform the necessary interfacing between the internal and external networks and perform MPEG clock recovery from an MPEG video data stream. To prevent jitter when the MPEG video data stream is transmitted over the internal network, the recovered MPEG clock is locked by the network interface unit to an internal network clock and then transmitted over the internal network. Set-top electronics 40 recover the MPEG clock using the internal network clock thus enabling the video data to be generated and displayed on a television 12, for example.