TWI407726B - Audio/video component networking system and method - Google Patents

Description

Audio/Video Component Network Connection System and Method (5) Field of invention

Patent Application No. 10/808,136, filed on March 24, 2004, entitled "Audio/Video Component Network System and Method" Patent Application No. 10/808,037 entitled "Audio/Video Component Network System and Patent Application for the Method, Patent Application No. 10/808,015 entitled "Audio/Video Component Network System and Method", Patent Application No. 10/808,012 entitled "Audio/Video Component Network System and Method" related.

Background of the invention

Various types of audio and video components are widely available in the home and commercial fields. For example, most households have at least one television (TV), one video recorder (VCR), and/or a digital video disc (DVD) player. In addition, many homes have stereo systems. The stereo system can be as small as a single component of a clock radio, as well as a multi-component system including a receiver, one or more amplifiers, a cassette player, a CD player, and/or other components.

These systems are generally controlled independently. For example, a cable or satellite frequency modulator/demodulator can connect a cable or satellite system to a television, and a DVD player can be connected to the same TV or TV in another room. Typically, a user utilizes an individual remote control to control components such as a DVD player and a cable or satellite frequency modulator. To facilitate the control of these two components, a unified, programmable remote control technology allows the user to control with a single remote control DVD player and cable assembly. As technology becomes more complex, audio and video components can be connected to a single larger system that can be placed in different rooms throughout the home. Unfortunately, control of these systems becomes complicated and difficult.

One solution is to combine these technologies into a single multi-integration system that can be driven, for example, a single TV. As another example, the multi-in-one system can package a DVD player, a personal video recording (PVR) disc, and a cable tuner. Unfortunately, this solution typically requires external composite electronics and/or logic circuitry. In addition, since consumers generally want a multi-functional system with different characteristics and designs, for some consumers, the needs of other consumers are not applicable. In addition, if a consumer buys a multi-function system and then wants a new feature, such systems generally cannot add additional features. Finally, a multi-function system has a bit of a mistake, the entire system cannot be repaired and/or it can't be repaired.

Summary of invention

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, an audio/video (A/V) component network system includes a source component, a rendering device, and a collection component. The collection component is adapted to control A/V program material presentation received from the source component on the rendering device. The collection component is also adapted to transmit a command to the source component to control the presentation of the A/V menu data stream on the rendering device.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, an audio/video (A/V) component network method includes controlling A/V program material presentation received from the source component via a collection component. This method also includes posting to the collection via the collection component. The command of the source component controls the presentation of the A/V menu data stream on the rendering device.

Simple illustration

To better understand the present invention, its objects and advantages, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings,

1 is a diagram showing an audio/video component network system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of an audio/video component network system according to FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates another component embodiment of the audio/video component network system according to FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates another component embodiment of the audio/video component network system according to FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 illustrates another component embodiment of the audio/video component network system according to FIG. 1.

Figure 6 is a flow chart showing an audio/video component network method in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing another audio/video component network method according to the present invention.

The flowchart of FIG. 8 illustrates yet another audio/video component network method in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing still another audio/video component network method according to the present invention.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiment

The preferred embodiments of the present invention and the advantages of the present invention will be best understood by referring to the appended claims.

1 is a diagram of an audio/visual component network system 10 in accordance with the present invention. Briefly, system 10 provides a decentralized network of A/V components to a home, hotel, or other structure, allowing one user in one room to access and retrieve many different types of A from many different sources located in other rooms. /V program material and play A/V program material on a desired presentation device, such as a television or sound system. In addition, embodiments of the present invention enable a user to access and control menu parameters associated with a remote A/V program material source to perform a menu related to a desired A/V program material source, such as Not limited to viewing the available A/V program database, moving forward or back to a page or mobile in a particular A/V program profile, changing the broadcast channel or selecting a desired A/V program profile or program stream, and Play the menu options available in the corresponding A/V program data source.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, system 10 includes at least one collection component 12 communicatively coupled to at least one presentation device 14. The collection component 12 is thus communicatively coupled to the at least one source component 16 via a communication network 18. The presentation device 14 can include any device for presenting A/V program material to a user, such as a speaker, computer, monitor, stereo system, or a combination thereof, for rendering, playing, or presenting A/V program material. To the user. The A/V program material described herein includes audio information, visual information, or a combination thereof, and may be in multiple formats and may be an instant data stream and/or data file. For example, the A/V program material may contain still images such as, but not limited to, scanned photos. Video or digital video files; video content such as, but not limited to, movie or video content, television broadcasts, or streaming video content; and/or audio content such as, but not limited to, audio broadcasts or digital sound files.

In FIG. 1, each of the collection components 12 is shown as a separate and discrete component from a communication-coupled presentation device; however, it is to be understood that the collection component 12 can also be assembled as part of the corresponding presentation device 14, such that The functionality of the collection component 12 is placed in a corresponding presentation device 14. The source component 16 includes any A/V program material device or source such as, but not limited to, a multi-function digital disc (DVD) player, a satellite frequency modulator/receiver/demodulation transformer, a stereo receiver, A cable tuner, a human video recorder or digital video recorder (PVR/DVR), a computer, a hard drive, or any other type for receiving, storing, and/or transmitting analog and/or digital A/V Device of program material. As shown in FIG. 1, the source component 16 can also be communicatively coupled to at least one rendering device 14. The source component 16 can also be assembled as part of the presentation device 14.

Briefly, in operation, each collection component 12 includes data that can be adapted to communicate with at least one source component 16 via a communication network 18 to identify and obtain A/V programming material from a source component 16 and to deliver or transmit the identified data. The A/V program material is presented to a presentation device 14. Each collection component 12 is also adapted to communicate with at least one source component 16 via a communication network 18 to enable a user to access and control menu functions and/or parameters associated with the source component 16. For example, in operation of some embodiments of the present invention, the source component is adapted to transmit a string of A/V menu data to the aggregation component 12 to enable the user to remotely access the interface of the corresponding source component 16 for identification and access. And/or control menu functions and/or parameters of source component 16. Here a string of A/V menu data contains a source group An instant presentation of the related information of the menu associated with the item 16, such as, but not limited to, a menu function to identify one of the many menu functions available to the source component 16, a program library and/or list available to the source component 16, for The source component 16 identifies and/or selects one of a particular A/V program material to demodulate playback, functions associated with transmitting selected A/V program material from the source component 16, and the menu associated with the particular A/V program material. Information (for example, frame selection for chapter selection of A/V program material related to DVD). A string of A/V menu data may include a continuous or periodic data stream, scheduled or unscheduled, such that the A/V menu stream may contain a series of frames filled with content, periodically filled with content frames. Interleaved with a zero frame and/or a non-fixed frame rate, wherein the new data frame is transmitted in response to a change or update of the data, thereby enabling automatic update to be provided to the user via the collection component 12. A/V menu information. Thus, in some embodiments, the format of the A/V menu material includes graphical drawing commands (such as drawing boxes and/or drawing files) or low-order compression algorithms.

Thus, in operation, each collection component 12 includes an interface accessible by the user such that the user can remotely access the interface of the corresponding source component 16 to identify, access, and/or control and source. The menu related functions associated with component 16, and/or the A/V program material associated with source component 16. Thus, for example, in operation, the aggregation component 12 identifies, accesses, and/or controls A/V program material, menu related functions associated with the source component 16, in accordance with user requests to issue or transmit commands to the source component, And/or presentation of A/V program material associated with source component 16. Thus, system 10 can be assembled as a decentralized architecture such that collection component 12 and source component 16 are placed against each other At a remote location, such as but not limited to, a home or businessally different room, the A/V program material at the at least one remotely located source component 16 can be easily identified and transmitted to a desired presentation device 14, Enables the user to access and control the menu functions associated with the source component and/or the A/V program material associated with the source component

In the embodiment of Figure 1, a centralized A/V data storage system 19 is also communicatively coupled to the network 18 such that many different types of A/V program material are available from a single source. For example, in the embodiment of Figure 1, the centralized A/V data storage system 19 includes a server 20; however, it must be understood that other types of centralized storage systems can be used. In the embodiment depicted in Figure 1, there are a number of different types of source components 16 in the server 20 such that different types of A/V program material can be obtained from a single source. Thus, in some embodiments, server 20 includes a source component 16, such as a satellite receiver, a DVD device, a CD device, or any other source component 16. In addition, any of a plurality of source components 16 may be provided in the server 20. Operationally, the collection component 12 is also configured to enable a user to access and control menu functions associated with the source component 16 provided in each server 20. Thus, based on a user selecting or requesting a particular A/V program material and/or menu related functionality associated with the A/V program material, and/or a particular source component 16 disposed on system 19, the collection component 12 is released A command, request, or other communication signal is sent to system 19 for the user to control, access, or interact with a particular source component 16 located on system 19.

In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, at least one source component is assembled with a flexible A/V program material storage system, so that A/V program data can be quickly It is effectively transmitted to a corresponding collection component 12. For example, in short, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, at least one source component includes a memory 30 and a file storage system 34 for storing A/V program material. As will be explained in greater detail below, memory 30 can include random access memory, local cache memory, or other memory to enable easier and efficient access to stored A/V program material 32, such that The stored A/V program material 30 can be instantly transferred to a corresponding collection component more quickly. The file storage system 34 can include any type of storage backup or extension device for storing A/V program material 32. As will be explained in more detail below, the A/V program material 32 can be automatically transferred from the memory to the file storage system 34 after a predetermined time interval has elapsed, the memory 30 is expected to arrive at a predetermined storage capacity, or other The desired storage parameters. In addition, in response to transmitting the A/V program material 32 to a particular collection component 12 or a particular A/V program profile presented on a corresponding presentation device 14, the associated A/V program material located in the file storage system 34 can be automatically Transfer to memory 30, thereby providing an advancement of the transmission of a subsequent associated A/V program material, such as a television program.

Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment of a collection assembly 12 in accordance with the present invention. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, the aggregation component 12 includes a processor 40, a user interface 42, a network interface 44, a source component interface 46, and a memory 48. The user interface 42 causes a user to enter information into and/or receive information from the collection component 12. For example, an input device 50, such as, but not limited to, a keyboard, a touch screen, a remote control unit, or other type of device, may also be a user inputting information to the collection component 12 via the interface 42 to make a corresponding command or The request is posted or transmitted to the corresponding source component 16. Output device 52 can be used to receive information from the aggregation component via interface 42 such as, but not limited to, a physical monitor, display or speaker. In Fig. 2, output device 50 and output device 52 are depicted as separate components; however, it is to be understood that a single device can have input and output functions, such as a handheld remote control unit such that information can be communicated to collection assembly 12 via a single device. As depicted in FIG. 2, a presentation device 14 can also be used as input device 50 and/or output device 52 to communicate between a user and collection assembly 12. For example, a display screen or other mechanism is available via a particular presentation device 14, such that the collection device 12 can output information to the user via a particular presentation device 14, such as but not limited to a television screen or computer screen, or a collection. Component 12 can receive information from a user via a particular rendering device 14, such as, but not limited to, receiving menu item selections displayed on a television screen or monitor.

The network interface 44 enables communication between a plurality of different available communication networks 16 and aggregation components 12. For example, network 18 can include a wired or wireless network that can be selected according to a particular application, such as a particular collection or source component 12 and 16, respectively, or from a particular source component 16 to a particular collection component 12. A/V program material type 32. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, the network interface 44 includes a network manager 54 and at least one network adapter 56. Network manager 54 and network adapter 56 may comprise a combination of hardware, software, or hardware and software. The network manager 54 is configured to select a particular type of communication network 18 to communicate between the source component 16 and the aggregation component 12. For example, the network manager 54 can assemble criteria related to the source component type, the A/V program material 32 that is desired to be obtained from the particular source component 16, or other information related to communication between the source component 16 and the aggregation component 12, A particular type of communication network 18 is selected. in In some embodiments, the network manager 54 is also adapted to monitor conditions on the available or selected network 18 and change the network in response to predetermined criteria. Thus, in some embodiments, the network manager 54 is configured to automatically change the type of network 18 used to communicate information between the aggregation component 12 and the source components, based on interference, power consumption, loss of signal, and/or Or the content of the newsletter changes. Network adapter 56 provides a variety of communication networks 18 for providing communication between aggregation component 12 and source component 16. For example, in the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, the network switch 56 includes a wireless transceiver adapter 57 and an Ethernet adapter 58. It should be understood, however, that other types of network adapters 56 or interface software and/or hardware can be used in response to many existing or conventional communication networks 18.

Source component interface 46 enables communication and access to interfaces associated with a particular source component 16 such that collection component 12 can access and present A/V program material 32, and/or a particular source component 16 is available. /V menu information to a user. For example, source component interface 46 cooperates and interfaces with source component 16 to enable a user to access and control menu functions associated with the source component, such as, but not limited to, displaying and utilizing menus of corresponding source components 16 for listing, identifying, Other operations associated with the A/V program material 32 available from the corresponding source component 16 are selected, controlled, downloaded, and/or executed. Thus, in operation, the source component interface 46 causes a user to remotely perform a number of operations associated with the A/V program material 21 of the desired source component 16 via the collection component 12.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the aggregation component 12 also includes a decoder 60, an aggregator 62, and a login module 64, both of which are shown as being stored in a memory 48 so that they can be stored by the processor 40. take. However, decoder 60, aggregator 62, and login module 64 may also be stored remotely and may be accessed and executed by processor 40. Row.

The decoder 60 decodes the A/V program material 32 received from a particular source component 16 and/or performs other data manipulation or formatting operations. For example, decoder 60 can be configured to decode a variety of A/V program material 32 for presentation on a particular presentation device 14. Thus, decoder 60 can be used to decrypt and/or decompress satellite program material received from a satellite source component 16, receive digital A/V program material 32 received from a DVD player source component 16, or otherwise receive from other types. A/V program material 32 of source component 16. The decoder 60 can also perform formatting operations or other data manipulation controls to present the A/V program material on a desired rendering device 14.

The aggregator 62 aggregates the A/V program material 32 available from the source component 16 such that a user can identify and select a particular A/V program material 32 via the aggregation component 12 without identifying or selecting a particular source component 16. For example, the aggregator 62 identifies a plurality of A/V program material 32 available from a single source component 16 and presents the user with the different types of available A/V program material 32 via the user interface 42. In addition, if the multi-source component 16 is communicatively coupled to the aggregation component 12, the aggregator 62 aggregates the A/V program material 32 available from each source component 16 so that the user can identify and select a particular aggregator 62 to aggregate from the source component. The A/V program material 32 is obtained 16 without the need to identify and select the corresponding source component 16. Thus, in operation, the user must position the A/V program material 32 or identify the corresponding source component 16 because the aggregator 62 automatically acquires the A/V program material 32 that is available from the various source components. Information, and a list of available A/V program materials 32 is presented to the user via user interface 32.

The login module 64 causes the login of the various information and/or components of the system 10 by the aggregation component 12. For example, in the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, the login module 64 includes a source component registrar 70, a program profile logger 72, a network logger 74, and a presentation device logger 76. The source component registrar 70 performs a login operation to identify and log in to the communication coupling collection component and to access each source component 16 and/or storage system 19 of the A/V program material 32. The program material register 72 is configured to identify a plurality of A/V program materials available from each source component 16. For example, the program material register 72 is configured to identify the type of A/V program material 32 available to each source component 16 to cause and/or vary the corresponding application of the data decoding of the decoder 60, decompression, and/or Formatting operation. The information obtained by the program material register 72 can also be used by the aggregator 62 to aggregate the available A/V program material 32, based on the particular presentation device 14 selected or identified for presenting the A/V program material 32. The type of A/V program material 32 that can be displayed or presented via the particular presentation device 14 is displayed to the user via the user interface 42.

The network logger 74 logs into a plurality of communication networks 18 that are available and/or coupled to the aggregation component 12 to access the source component 16 and to communicate A/V program material 32 and/or A/V menu data from the source component 16 to The device 14 is presented. For example, network register 74 begins and performs a temporary operation to identify a plurality of available communication networks 18 such that a desired or predetermined type of communication network 18 can be used to access source component 16 or to transmit A/ from source component 16. V program material 32 and / or A / V menu information. The presentation device registrar 76 identifies and logs into the presentation device 14 of the communication coupling collection component 12 to present the A/V program material 32 and/or A/V menu material to the user. For example, the presentation device register 76 starts and executes a boarding Recording and operations are performed to identify and log in to each of the available rendering devices coupled to the collection component 12 to present A/V program material 32 and/or A/V menu material. The information obtained by the presentation device logger 76 can be used to present a list of available presentation devices 14 to the user such that the user can select the desired presentation device 14 to display or present the desired A/V program material 32 and/or A. /V menu information.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the aggregation component 12 also includes a database 80 having A/V program material 82, A/V menu material 83, and login data 84. The A/V program material 82 contains information associated with the A/V program material 32 obtained from the source component 16. The A/V menu material 83 contains information related to menu information associated with the source component 16, and/or A/V program material 32 obtained from the source component 16. In Figure 2, A/V program material 32 and A/V menu data from a particular source component 16 or associated particular source component 16 are depicted as A/V program material 82 and A/, respectively, stored in database 80. V menu information 83 to accommodate data formatting, decompression, or other data manipulation. However, it must be understood that A/V program material 32 and A/V menu material 83 may be provided to presentation device 14 in some embodiments, either instantaneously or rapidly, such that A/V program material 32 from source component 16 need not be stored. And / or A / V menu information 83.

The login profile 84 contains information associated with the login operation performed by the login module 64. For example, in FIG. 2, the login profile 84 includes presentation device material 90, network material 92, source component 94, and formatted material 96. The presentation device material 90 includes information obtained by the presentation device register 76, such as, but not limited to, the identification and type of the presentation device 14 that couples each of the available collection components 12. The network material 92 includes information obtained by the network logger 74, such as, but not limited to, a communication network 18 that communicates with a plurality of coupled aggregation components and source components. Associated information. Source component material 94 contains information obtained by source component registrar 70, such as, but not limited to, the identity and type of source component 16 that is coupled to a particular collection component 12. The formatted material 96 includes a plurality of A/V program material 32 that are available from the source component 16. For example, format material 96 may include information identifying a plurality of components available from a particular source component 16, decoding algorithms for various available A/V program material 32, decompression methods, and other means for providing A/V program material 32-to-one. Presentation device 14 is a data control operation in a format that can be presented.

In operation, the user can access the collection component 12 via the user interface 42 to identify and request the presentation of the A/V program material 32 and/or A/V menu material on the device 14 to be presented. The A/V program material 32 and/or A/V menu material may be located in any of the source components 16 or may be retrieved/transmitted from any of the source components 16 such that the A/V program material 32 and/or A/V menu data Keep it visible to the user. For example, in the foregoing, the aggregation component 12 utilizes the source component interface 46 to communicate and access the corresponding interface of each logged-in source component 16, and utilizes an aggregator 62 to identify and present to the user a cumulative set of available A/V program material. 32 list. The user can select the desired A/V program material 32 via the user interface 42. The collection component 12 receives the desired A/V program material 32 selection and communicates with the corresponding source component 16 having the desired A/V program material 32 to facilitate the presentation of the selected A/V program material 32 on the presentation device 14.

In addition, the user may not need to know the particular type and location of the source of the material program to access and control the menu features associated with the desired A/V program material 32 and/or the source of the desired A/V program material 32. operating. For example, in some embodiments, the collection component 12 is configured to receive A/V menu material from a single source component 16. In another embodiment, the collection component 12 is grouped with a majority The different source components 16 receive the A/V menu data and present the A/V menu data received from each source component 16 depending on the source or aggregation type. The collection component 12 is also configured to transmit control commands to a corresponding source component 16 to control the transfer of A/V program material and/or A/V menu data to the aggregation component 12. Accordingly, the aggregation component is adapted to receive A/V program material 32 and/or A/V menu material from a plurality of different source components 16 and interface with various source components to control A/V program material 32 and/or A/V menus. The presentation of the data to the user. The collection component 12 also enables the user to access and control the menu features of the corresponding source component 16 (eg, channel selection, channel selection, playback, pause, selection, previous page, next page, chapter selection, fast forward, return, stop) ), which may affect or correlate the presentation of A/V program stream content, A/V program material 32 available from a particular source component 16, and/or a particular A/V program material 32.

As previously described, network manager 54 can communicate with source component 16 from a selection of a variety of different types of available or logged-in communication networks 18. For example, a source component can be communicatively coupled to a particular collection component via a wired communication network 18, while another source component 16 can be coupled to the collection component 12 via a wireless communication network 18. Thus, network manager 54 controls and manages communications via communication network 18 of the type corresponding to communication network 18 coupled to a particular source component 16. In addition, network manager 54 can also be configured to select a particular type of communication network 18 depending on the type of source component 16 and/or the type of A/V program material selected. For example, for presentation quality, transmission efficiency, or other factors, network manager 54 may select a corresponding type of available communication network 18 in accordance with predetermined and/or user selected settings or criteria.

The selected A/V program material 32 is assembled from component 12 from the corresponding source component 16 Access, and the collection component 12 begins to transfer the selected A/V program material 32 from the source component 16 via a selected communication network 18 to the collection component. The data logger 72 identifies the type or format of the selected A/V program material 32 and accesses the format data 96 to obtain a corresponding decryption, decompression, or other manipulation algorithm to process the selected A/V program material 32. The decoder 60 decodes the ordered A/V program material 32 and transmits the decoded A/V program material to a desired rendering device 14. Additionally, as previously described, decoder 60 may also apply a data manipulation algorithm corresponding to the type of decompression, formatting, or other corresponding rendering device 14.

Figure 3 illustrates an embodiment of a source assembly 16 in accordance with the present invention. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, the source component 16 includes a processor 100, a user interface 102, a network interface 104, and a collection component 106. As noted above, source component 16 can include any type of device that receives and/or stores A/V program material 32, such as, but not limited to, a DVD player or player, a satellite frequency modulator/receiver/demodulator, a stereo. Receiver, and / or computer. The user interface 102, the network interface 104, and the collection component interface 106 can comprise hardware, software, or a combination of soft and hard. The user interface 102 causes information to be input to the source component 16 via the user or output to the user from the source component. For example, in operation, input device 108, such as a keyboard, touch screen, remote unit, or other type of device, can be used to input information to source component 16. An output device 109, such as, but not limited to, a monitor, screen, or other device for presenting information to a user may be used as the source component 16. As depicted in FIG. 3, input device 108 and/or output device 109 may also include presentation device 14. For example, a monitor, screen, or other type of device associated with a particular presentation device 14 can be used by the source component to present information to or from the user. Receive information.

The network interface 104 causes communication with the collection component via the communication network 18. For example, the network interface 104 can be configured to communicate with the aggregation component 12 via a plurality of different types of wired or wireless communication networks 18. The collection component interface 106 allows the user to access and/or control at least one operational parameter of the source component 16 via the collection component 12. For example, the collection component interface 106 is adapted to cause a user to list, identify, select, download, manipulate, and/or perform other operations associated with A/V program material available from the source component 16. The collection component interface 106 also enables the user to interact with or control the menu functions and operations associated with the source component 16 and/or the A/V program material obtained from the source component 16 via the collection component 12. Accordingly, the collection component interface 106 provides a physical interface to the user interface 102 of the source component 16 such that a user can perform all or a portion of the functionality available through the user interface 102 using the collection component 12 via the collection component. Thus, for example, in the case of a multi-disc DVD player utilizing one of the collection components 12, the user can change the DVD selection, view the menu associated with the selected DVD, and begin to transfer the DVD content via the collection component 12 in a particular Presented on presentation device 14.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the aggregation component 16 includes a menu interface 110 for another user to access, control, and utilize menu functions and/or operations associated with the source component 16 via the aggregation component 112. For example, a user may view and track a menu associated with the source component 16 via the collection component 12 to identify, select, or execute associated with the source component and/or the A/V program material available from the corresponding source component 16. Operational function. Therefore, the user can recognize through the collection component and the collection component interface 106 of the corresponding source component 16 Others, renames, selects, initiates a transfer, changes a demodulation channel, or performs other functions associated with source component 16, and/or A/V program material 32 obtainable from source component 16. It is to be understood that the source component 16 can be configured without the need for input and output devices 108 and 109, such that the functionality typically associated with the user interface 102 is only available via the collection component interface 106, which simplifies manufacturing associated with the source component. Cost and complexity.

In FIG. 3, source component 16 also includes a memory 116 having a database 118. To illustrate, A/V program material 32 and A/V menu material 119 are stored in database 118 to make processor 100 accessible. However, it should also be understood that the A/V program material storage and/or A/V menu material 119 may be unneeded or temporary during operation. For example, source component 16 can be configured to provide A/V program material 32 and/or A/V menu material 119 to a particular collection component 12, either immediately or in a flash, such that A/V program material 32 is stored and/or A /V menu information 119 is not required.

In some embodiments, to reduce manufacturing overhead and complexity, the source component 16 is configured to receive, store, and/or provide an "unprocessed" form of A/V program material 32 such that the collection component 15 performs decoding, Decryption, decompression, formatting, or other data control operations are performed to cause A/V program material 32 to be rendered or played on a corresponding presentation device 14. For example, in some embodiments, a DVD player type of source component 16 can be configured to extract A/V program material from a DVD and transmit the A/V program material 32 in a form corresponding to its storage on the DVD. A collection component 12 is such that the corresponding collection component 12 manipulates the digital A/V program material 32 via the presentation device 14 into content that can be presented to the user. However, it is also understood that the source component 16 can be configured to perform data control operations. The A/V program material 32 is displayed or presented on a presentation device 14.

Figure 4 illustrates an embodiment of a centralized A/V program material storage system 19 having a server 20 in accordance with the present invention. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 4, the server 20 includes a processor 120, an interface 122, a memory 124, and a source manager 126. Interface 122 and source component 126 can comprise a combination of software, hardware, or a combination of soft and hard. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, source component 126 is shown stored in memory 124 and is accessible and executable by the processor. However, it must be understood that the source manager 126 can even be stored remotely so that it can be accessed and executed by the processor.

Interface 122 enables communication between server 20 and collection component 12 via communication network 18. For example, interface 122 is configured to cause communication between server 20 and collection component 12 via a plurality of different types of wired or wireless communication networks 18. The source manager 126 causes access to various types of A/V program material 32 and corresponding A/V menu material 119 from a single source or location via the aggregation component 12. For example, in the embodiment depicted in FIG. 4, server 20 includes source component 16 to provide a variety of A/V program material 32 and corresponding A/V menu material 119 to a user via collection component 12. In FIG. 4, source component 16 disposed at server 20 includes a satellite receiver source component 130, a cable source component 132, a DVD source component 134, and a CD source component 136. Thus, as depicted in FIG. 4, the various A/V program material 32 and corresponding A/V menu material 119 may be obtained by the user via the collection component 12 depending on the type of source component 16 provided on the server 20. For example, satellite receiver source component 130 can be configured to access and provide A/V program material 32 via a satellite communication network. Cable source component 132 can be configured to provide communication over a cable provider network Obtained A/V program material 32. The DVD source component 134 is configured to provide A/V program material 32 from a DVD. CD source component 136 is configured to provide A/V program material 32 from a CD or other optical medium. It must be understood that other types of source components 16 may also be provided in the server 20.

Thus, in operation, server 20 enables a user to access a plurality of A/V program material 32 and associated A/V menu material 119 from a single location. The source manager 126 is configured to manage and control a plurality of A/V program materials and associated A/V menu materials 119 available from the plurality of source components 16 provided at the server 20. For example, the source component 126 interfaces with the collection component 12 to access a plurality of source components disposed on the server 20 via the interface 122. Thus, as previously described, the source manager 126 causes the interface corresponding to each of the available source components 16 in the server 20 to enable a user to identify, select, initiate a transfer, rename, change the demodulation channel, or Other operations are generally performed via a user interface associated with each source component 16. Preferably, the source component 16 disposed on the server 20 is configured as a card or other type of electronic circuit assembly, and can be easily inserted into the interface area of the slot or other type of server 20 to cause the server 20 to be on the server 20. Simple exchangeability or interchangeability of source components 16.

Figure 5 illustrates an embodiment of another source component 16 in accordance with the present invention. In addition to all or part of the components depicted in FIG. 3, in the embodiment depicted in FIG. 5, the source component 16 includes a processor 100, a network interface 104, a collection component interface 106, a memory 30, and a data manager 156. The data manager 156 can comprise software, hardware, or a combination of soft and hard. In FIG. 5, the data manager 156 is shown stored in the memory 30 to be accessed and executed by the processor 150. Row. However, it must be understood that the data manager 156 can even be stored remotely so that it can be accessed and executed by the processor 150.

The data manager 156 controls access and storage of A/V program material 32 available from the source component 16. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, source component 16 includes a repository 160 stored in memory 30 and archive storage system 34. As described above, the memory 30 may include random access memory, area cache memory, or other type of memory to efficiently access the stored A/V program material 32 so that the A/V program stored in the memory 30 is stored. The data 32 can be quickly transferred to the corresponding collection component 12 in an immediate environment. In short, the data manager 156 manages the storage and transfer of A/V program material 32 between the repository 160 and the archive storage system 34, and between the source component 16 and the collection component 12. As will be described later, the data manager can be configured to automatically assign a user based on the storage capacity of a memory, a series of A/V program material presentations to the user, or other preset criteria types or criteria selected or determined by the user. The A/V program material 32 is transmitted between the memory 30 and the file storage system 34.

As shown in FIG. 5, the file storage system 34 includes an optical media storage system 170. It should be understood, however, that other types of optical or non-optical data storage media and system types may be used as the file storage system 34. In FIG. 5, optical media storage system 170 includes an optical media read/write module 172 and an optical media carousel 174. A variety of optical media can be located on an optical media carousel 174 or can be accessed by an optical media carousel 174, which can be, but is not limited to, a CD or a DVD. Briefly, optical media read/write module 172 controls writing, reading, and other information operations on optical media 176 stored on optical media carousel 174.

As shown in FIG. 5, the database 160 of the memory 30 includes the A/V program material 32 and the management material 180. The management profile 180 contains information associated with the transfer and management of the A/V program material 32 between the memory 30, the archive storage system 34, and the collection component 12. For example, in the embodiment depicted in FIG. 5, the management profile 180 includes header data 182, recording time 184, extraction time 186, and presentation time 188. Header data 182 contains information associated with A/V program material 32, title or other class identifying information related to A/V program material 32, and/or, in the case of a television album, with A/V programs Information related to the number of subsequent collections of data. Recording time 184 contains information associated with the time of receipt and/or the recording time of the A/V program material. For example, the recording time 184 can include information relating to the time at which a particular A/V program material 32 was received or obtained from an external source such as a satellite communication network. The extraction time 186 contains information related to the time at which the particular A/V program material 32 was extracted from the archive storage system 34. Presentation time 188 includes information related to presenting A/V program material 32 to a user via presentation device 14.

In operation, data manager 156 controls the movement and transfer of A/V program material 32 between memory 30 and the file storage system. As depicted in FIG. 5, the data manager 156 includes a data writer 190 and a data extractor 192. The data writer 90 controls and interfaces the optical media read/write module 172 to transfer A/V program material 32 from the memory 30 to the file management system 34. The data extractor 192 controls and interfaces the optical media read/write module 172 to extract A/V program material 32 from the archive storage system 34.

In some embodiments, the data manager 156 is configured to automatically transfer the A/V program material 32 file storage system 34 disposed in the memory 30, when the memory 30 The storage capacity reaches a predetermined limit. Thus, in operation, the data manager 156 controls the transfer and storage of the A/V program material 32 from the memory 30 to the optical media 176 of the file storage system 34 via the data writer 190, as shown in Figure 5A/ The V program material 200 is when the storage capacity of one of the memories 30 reaches a predetermined limit. Additionally, the data manager 156 can be configured to automatically transfer the A/V program material 200 from the archive storage system 34 to the memory 30 when the storage capacity of one of the memories 30 falls below a predetermined threshold.

In response to a request for a particular A/V program material 32 and/or 200, the data manager 156 controls the transfer of the selected A/V program material 32 and/or 200 via the network 18 to the aggregation component 12. For example, the data manager 156 provides a means for the collection component 12 to identify, select, and/or perform other operations associated with the A/V program material 32 and/or 200 available from the source component 16. If the selected material includes the A/V program material 200 stored on the file storage system 34, the data manager 156 controls and manages the extraction of the selected A/V program material 200 from the file storage system 34 via the data extractor 192 and transmits the selection. The A/V program material 200 is sent to the corresponding collection component 12.

The data manager 156 can also be configured to automatically transfer the A/V program material 32 from the memory 30 to the file storage system 34 in accordance with the relationship between the received A/V program material 32. For example, the data manager 156 can be configured to automatically identify the relevant A/V program material 32 based on the header data 182, or the recording time. As previously described, the header data 182 includes information identifying the source, subsequent, identifying, or other class that can be used by the data manager 156 to identify and correct the particular A/V program material 32. The data manager 156 can also utilize the recording time 184 to identify the relationship between the received A/V program material 32. For example, in the case of a TV album The recording time 184 may indicate that the specific A/V program material 32 is received corresponding to a predetermined or predetermined interval such that the associated A/V program material 32 can be identified. in accordance with. Depending on the relationship between the received A/V program material 32, the particular A/V program material 32 can be transferred from the memory 30 to the file storage system 34 and stored on the optical media 176, such as the associated A/V program material 202. . For example, in the case of a television album, the A/V program material 32 corresponding to the later received or stored in the album may be stored in the file storage system 34, corresponding to the A/V program material received or stored earlier in the album. 32 can be stored in memory 30 such that faster or earlier accesses of A/V program material 32 received or stored earlier are presented to the user. Accordingly, the associated A/V program material 202 stored in the file storage system 34 can be retrieved from the file storage system to accommodate the presentation of the associated A/V program material 202 corresponding to the subsequently broadcasted album.

Additionally, the data manager 156 can be configured to automatically extract relevant A/V program material 202 from the file storage system 34 and store the associated A/V program material 202 based on the selected A/V program material 32 presented to the user. In the memory 30. For example, the data manager 156 can be configured to monitor the transmission of the A/V program material 32 via the aggregation component 12 to the presentation device 14, or alternatively, the aggregation component 12 can be configured to transmit a signal to the source component 16 indicating the selected A/ Transfer of V program material 32. The presentation time of the selected A/V program material 32 to the user via the presentation device 14 can be stored in the database 160 as the presentation time 188. Thus, operationally, the data manager 156 monitors the presentation of the A/V program material 32 and, in response to the presentation of the A/V program material 32 via the presentation device 14, the data management automatically extracts the relevant information from the file storage system 34. The A/V program material 202 enables the associated A/V program material 202 to be easily and efficiently accessed for the user. Presented.

Thus, for example, in the case of a television album, the earlier subsequent albums are stored in memory 30 as A/V program material 32, while the later subsequent albums are stored in file storage system 34 as associated A/V program material. 202. The data manager 156 monitors a particular subsequent presentation for subsequent and effective subsequent albums, and the data manager 156 automatically extracts the next subsequent and stored from the archive storage system 34 once the particular subsequent presentation to the user. It is returned to the memory 30. As previously described, header data 182, recording time 184, or other types of information can be used by data manager 156 to identify and associated data 32 and 202. Thus, based on the broadcast sequence of the A/V program material 32, the data manager 156 can effectively and continuously present the A/V program material corresponding to the broadcast sequence.

The data manager 156 can also be configured to automatically transfer the A/V program material 32 from the memory 30 to the file storage system 34 when the A/V data presentation time exceeds a predetermined time. For example, the extraction time 186 and/or the presentation time 188 can include receiving the A/V data from the external source or file storage system 34 to the user via the presentation device 14 to present the A/V data to the user. Relevant during the time. Thus, if the past time period exceeds the predetermined period, the data manager 156 can be configured to automatically transfer the A/V data to the archive storage system 34.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a network method of an A/V component according to the present invention. The method begins at block 300 where the collection component 12 receives a request from one of the users to access the A/V program material 32. At block 302, the aggregation component 12 performs a login operation to determine and identify the available types of the communication network 18 to communicate with the source component 16 News. At block 304, the aggregation component 12 utilizes the network logger 74 to identify each of the available communication network types 18 to communicate with the source component 16.

As described in block 306, a determination is made as to whether a plurality of communication networks 18 are available to communicate with the source component 16. If the communication network 18 is unable to communicate with the source component 16, the method proceeds to block 310. If communication network 18 is available to communicate with source component 16, the method proceeds to block 308 where at least one of a plurality of communication networks 18 that can be used to communicate with source component 16 is selected. As mentioned above, different types of communication networks 18 can be used to communicate with different source components 16 such that the network interface 44 of the aggregation component 12 manages communication via different communication networks 18 to each corresponding source component 16. The selection of a particular type of communication network may depend on the type and identification of the particular source component 16 , the type of A/V program material 32 transmitted from the corresponding source component, or other predetermined or user selected criteria.

At block 310, the source component registrar 70 of the collection component 12 performs a login operation to identify the accessible and/or available source component 16. In decision block 312, a determination is made as to whether the user has selected a particular source component 16. For example, the collection component 12 can be configured to present a list of available source components for accessing the available A/V program material 32 to the user, allowing the user to select a particular source component 16. If the user does not identify a particular source component 16, the method proceeds to block 314 where the collection component 12 identifies the A/V program material 32 from each of the available and temporarily stored source components such that a list of available A/V program material 32 is available. Presented to the user, and the identification of the corresponding source component 16 can be kept clear to the user.

In decision block 312, if the user selects a particular source component 16, the method proceeds to block 318 where the collection component 12 accesses the selected source. Component 16. In block 320, the collection component 12 identifies the available A/V program material 32 from the selected source component.

In decision block 322, a determination is made as to whether a list of available A/V program profiles 32 can be displayed to the user. As previously described, the user can input device 50 and/or output device 52 to communicate with collection assembly 12. If the user can use the display device 50 and/or the output device 52 to communicate with the collection component, the method proceeds to 324 where the available aggregated A/V program material 32 is displayed on the corresponding input and/or output device 50, 52 to the user. If the user is unable to communicate with the collection component 12 for display on the input and/or output devices 50, 52, the method proceeds to 326 where the collection component transmits a list or viewable presentation of the aggregated A/V program material 32. The user is presented via an associated presentation device 14. For example, if the corresponding presentation device 14 includes a television, monitor, or other type of visual display device, a list of available A/V program profiles 32 can be presented to the user using the associated presentation device 14.

In block 328, the collection component 12 receives the user's selection of a particular A/V program material 32. In block 330, the collection component 12 accesses the corresponding source component 16 to the selected A/V program material 32. In block 332, the collection component 12 accesses the selected A/V program material 32 from the corresponding source component 16. In block 334, the collection component 12 identifies the format of the selected A/V program material 32. In block 336, the presentation device logger 76 performs a login operation to identify the available and/or accessible presentation devices 14 to present the selected A/V program material 32 to the user. As previously described, a list of available presentation devices 14 can be selected by the user, or if multiple presentation devices 14 are not available for the collection component 12, a predetermined presentation device 14 can be automatically selected. Block 338, the collection component 12 receives the particular presentation device 14 The selection is made to present the selected A/V program material 32 to the user.

In block 340, the collection component 12 obtains the selected A/V program material 32 from the corresponding source component. At block 342, the decoder 60 of the aggregation component 12 decodes the selected A/V program material 32 for display on the selected rendering device 14. For example, in the foregoing, decoder 60 may access formatted material 96 and/or rendering device 90 to determine the need to decompress, decrypt, format, and otherwise render selected A/V program material 32 on a particular rendering device 14. Data control operations. In block 344, the collection component 12 transmits the decoded A/V program material 32 to the selected rendering device 14 for presentation to the user.

The flowchart of FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment of the A/V component network method. The method begins at block 400 where source component 16 receives a request from a collection component 12 for a particular A/V program material 32. In block 402, the data manager 156 of the source component 16 identifies the requested or selected A/V program material 32. In block 404, the data manager identifies the requested A/V program material 32 for transmission via the communication network 18 to a particular collection component 12.

At block 406, the data manager 156 accesses the archive storage system 34. In decision block 408, a determination is made as to whether the associated A/V program material 202 is located in the file storage system 34. If the associated A/V program material 202 is located in the file storage system 34, the method proceeds to decision block 410 which determines the requested A/ Whether the V program material 32 has been presented to the user. If the requested A/V program material 32 has not been presented to the user via a rendering device 14, the method proceeds from block 410 to block 412 where the data manager 156 monitors the presentation of the requested A/V program material 32 to the user. As previously described, system 10 can be configured such that source component 16 monitors and communicates with aggregation component 12 to determine if the requested A/V program material 32 has been presented. Present to the user. Additionally, once the requested A/V program material 32 is presented to the user via the rendering device, the aggregation component 12 can be configured to transmit a signal to the source component 16 indicating the presentation of the requested A/V program material 32. If the requested A/V program material 32 has been presented to the user, the method proceeds to block 414 where the data manager 156 retrieves the associated A/V program material 202 from the file storage system 34 and stores the associated A/V program material. 202 is in the memory 30.

Figure 8 is a flow chart showing an embodiment of another A/V component network method in accordance with the present invention. The method begins at block 500 where source component 16 receives A/V program material 32. As noted above, the received A/V program material 32 can be obtained from a number of different sources, such as a satellite communication network, a DVD, the Internet, or a wireless broadcast. At block 502, the data manager 156 identifies the received A/V program material 32. For example, as described above, the data manager 156 can utilize the header data 182 or other type of information to identify the received A/V program material 32.

As described in block 504, it is determined whether the recently received A/V program material 32 is related to the A/V program material set in the memory 30. If the recently received A/V program material is unrelated to the A/V program material in memory 30, the method proceeds to block 514 where the data manager 156 stores the A/V program material in the most recently received memory 30 in memory 30. in. If the A/V program material 32 in the memory 30 is associated with the most recently received A/V program material 32, the method proceeds to block 506 where the data manager 156 determines the most recently received A/V program material 32 and stores it in a A sequence relationship of A/V program material in memory 30. For example, as described above for video album information and other continuous or subsequent content, the data manager 156 can access the header data 182, record time 184, or other information to determine The order of the content.

The decision block 508 determines whether the recently received A/V program material 32 is sequentially later than the A/V program material 32 stored in the memory 30. If the recently received A/V program material 32 is sequentially later than the A/V program material 32 stored in the memory 30, the method proceeds to block 510 where the data manager 156 stores the most recently received A/V program material 32 in the file. The associated system A/V program material 202 is stored in the storage system 34. If the recently received A/V program material 32 is in sequence earlier than the A/V program material 32 stored in the memory 30, the method proceeds to block 512 where the data manager 156 transmits the A/V data stored in the memory 30 to File storage system 34. The method proceeds to block 514 where the data manager 156 stores the most recently received A/V data into the memory 30.

Figure 9 is a flow chart showing an embodiment of another A/V component network method in accordance with the present invention. The method begins at block 600 where the collection component 12 receives a request from the user to access the A/V program material 32. At block 602, the source component registrar 70 of the collection component 12 performs a login operation to identify the available source components 16 that couple the collection component 12. At block 604, the data logger 72 of the collection component 12 performs a login operation to identify the A/V program material 32 available from each of the logged source components.

At block 606, the aggregator 60 of the collection component 12 aggregates the A/V program material 32 available from each of the logged source components. At block 608, the aggregator 60 accesses the formatted material 96 to determine if the decoder 60 is adapted to decode, decrypt, decompress, format, or otherwise operate the A/V program material 32 for presentation on the rendering device 14. For example, as previously described, the formatted material 96 may include a number of algorithms for decoding, or other manipulations of a particular type of A/V program material 32, such as A/V program material 32 obtained from a DVD, A/V program material 32 obtained via a satellite signal, animation expert group (MPEG) content, or audio broadcast content. At block 610, the aggregator 60 filters the available A/V program material 32 in accordance with the format data 96 such that only the A/V program material 32 that can be rendered or displayed by the decoder 60 is presented to the user.

At block 612, the aggregator 60 accesses the presentation device profile 90 of the presentation device registrar 76 to identify the type of presentation available to the presentation device 14, or another presentation device 14 selected by the user, to present the available A/V program material 32. In block 614, the aggregator 60 filters the available A/V program material 32 in accordance with the rendering device 90 such that only A/V program material 32 that is renderable or displayable on the corresponding presentation device 14 is presented to the user. At block 616, the aggregator 60 of the collection component 12 displays or presents to the user a list of available A/V program profiles 32 that are filtered.

Thus, embodiments of the present invention enable a user to identify, select, listen, and/or view A/V program material available from any remotely or regionally distributed source component via a collection component and desired presentation device 14. 32. For example, in some embodiments, the collection component 12 can be coupled to one of the television presentation devices 14 in a room. With the collection component, the user can identify and/or select A/V data, which can be obtained from a satellite receiver source component, such as another room, and a computer source component 16 located in yet another room. The user can access and interface with one of the menus or other types of A/V program material 32 control parameters associated with each source component.

Additionally, in some embodiments, the collection component 12 can be configured to present a list of aggregated A/V programming materials 32 available from source components of each remote or regional distribution, thereby enabling the user to identify from each Source component 16 The A/V data is obtained, and the identification of the source components remains clear to the user. Moreover, the collection component 12 can be configured to filter aggregated A/V programs in accordance with an A/V program material 32 format, a presentation device type used to present the A/V program material 32 to the user, or other filtering factors. List of information 32. The aggregated list of A/V program material 32 can be displayed to the user using a particular presentation device 14 or an input or output device 50, 52 coupled to the collection component 12.

Embodiments of the present invention may also be combined to provide a flexible A/V program material 32 storage system such that A/V program material 32 is based on the storage capacity of a memory 30 and the relationship between received A/V program material 32. Or other factors are transmitted to a file storage system 34. Thus, for example, A/V program material 32 associated with certain levels, such as subsequent television broadcasts, may be automatically stored in or retrieved from the file storage system 34 to accommodate a sequence of correlations A/. Presentation of V program material 32.

Embodiments of the present invention may also be combined to provide a source of central A/V program material 32 such that many types of A/V program material 32 are available from a single source, thereby centralizing processing and other data control operations. For example, in some embodiments, server 20 or other type of centralized data storage mechanism may be utilized to centrally store a number of different source components 16 to provide a user with many different types of A/V program material 32 via a collection component 12.

It will be appreciated that in the methods described in Figures 6-9, certain functions may be eliminated, combined, or implemented in a slightly different manner than shown in Figures 6-9. It is also to be understood that other features or layers other than those described in the specification may be included in the methods described in Figures 6-9.

10‧‧‧System

19‧‧‧Centralized A/V Data Storage System

12‧‧‧Collection of components

20‧‧‧Server

14‧‧‧ Presentation device

30‧‧‧Source components

16‧‧‧Source components

32‧‧‧A/V programme materials

18‧‧‧Network

34‧‧‧Archive storage system

40‧‧‧ processor

94‧‧‧Source component data

42‧‧‧User interface

96‧‧‧ format information

44‧‧‧Network interface

100‧‧‧ processor

46‧‧‧Source component interface

102‧‧‧User interface

48‧‧‧ memory

104‧‧‧Network interface

50‧‧‧ input device

106‧‧‧Collection component interface

52‧‧‧ Output device

109‧‧‧ Output device

54‧‧‧Network Administrator

110‧‧‧Menu interface

56‧‧‧Network Adapter

116‧‧‧ memory

57‧‧‧Wireless Transceiver

118‧‧‧Database

58‧‧‧Ethernet adapter

119‧‧‧A/V menu information

60‧‧‧Decoder

120‧‧‧ processor

62‧‧‧Aggregator

122‧‧‧ interface

64‧‧‧ Login Module

124‧‧‧ memory

70‧‧‧Source component logger

126‧‧‧Source Manager

72‧‧‧Program data logger

130‧‧‧Satellite Receiver Assembly

74‧‧‧Network Logger

132‧‧‧ Cable source components

76‧‧‧ Presentation device logger

134‧‧‧DAD source components

80‧‧‧Database

136‧‧‧CD source components

82‧‧‧A/V programme materials

156‧‧‧Data Manager

83‧‧‧A/V menu information

160‧‧‧Database

84‧‧‧ Login information

600-616‧‧‧Steps

90‧‧‧ Presentation device data

170‧‧‧ Optical Media

92‧‧‧Network Information

172‧‧‧Optical media read/write module

174‧‧‧Optical media turntable

190‧‧‧Data writer

176‧‧‧Optical media

192‧‧‧Data Extractor

180‧‧‧Management materials

200‧‧‧A/V programme materials

182‧‧‧ Header data

202‧‧‧Related A/V program materials

184‧‧‧ Recording time

300-344‧‧‧Steps

186‧‧‧ extraction time

400-414‧‧‧Steps

188‧‧‧ Presentation time

500-514‧‧‧Steps

1 is a diagram showing an audio/video component network system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of an audio/video component network system according to FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates another component embodiment of the audio/video component network system according to FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates another component embodiment of the audio/video component network system according to FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 illustrates another component embodiment of the audio/video component network system according to FIG. 1.

Figure 6 is a flow chart showing an audio/video component network method in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing another audio/video component network method according to the present invention.

The flowchart of FIG. 8 illustrates yet another audio/video component network method in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing still another audio/video component network method according to the present invention.

10‧‧‧System

12‧‧‧Collection of components

14‧‧‧ Presentation device

16‧‧‧Source components

18‧‧‧Network

19‧‧‧Centralized A/V Data Storage System

20‧‧‧Server

30‧‧‧Source components

32‧‧‧A/V programme materials

34‧‧‧Archive storage system

Claims (9)

An audio/video (A/V) component network connection system includes: a plurality of source components, each of the source components including A/V program material, wherein the A/V program material includes an audio file, an image file, a video file, or any combination thereof; a first rendering device and a second rendering device; and a collection component configured to be remote from at least one of the plurality of source components, the collection component being adapted to present from the An aggregated list of the A/V program material obtained by each of the plurality of source components is displayed in the first rendering device, the collection component being adapted to control the desired A/V program material selected from the list And receiving the desired A/V program material from the corresponding source component is presented on the second rendering device. The system of claim 1, wherein the collection component is adapted to enable a user to access an A/V menu interface associated with the source component corresponding to the desired A/V program material. The system of claim 1, wherein the collection component is adapted to perform a login operation to cause the collection component to register the source component corresponding to the desired A/V program material. The system of claim 1, wherein the collection component is adapted to transmit the A/V program material via a plurality of different types of communication networks. The system of claim 1, wherein the collection component is adapted to perform a login operation to cause the collection component to register a format of the A/V program material obtainable from the plurality of source components. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of source components comprise a satellite receiver, a digital versatile disc (DVD) drive or player, a cable tuner, a human video recorder or digital video recorder (PVR/DVR), a compact disc (CD) drive or player, Or any combination thereof. The system of claim 1, wherein the collection component is adapted to perform a login execution operation to cause the collection component to register the first presentation device and the second presentation device. The system of claim 1, wherein the collection component is adapted to filter the A/V program material obtained from the plurality of source components in accordance with a format of the A/V program material. The system of claim 1, wherein the collection component is adapted to filter the A/V program material obtained from the plurality of source components in accordance with a type of the second rendering device coupled to the collection component.