WO2007036872A2

WO2007036872A2 - System, apparatus, and method for remote command forwarding from a home device to a portable media player

Info

Publication number: WO2007036872A2
Application number: PCT/IB2006/053484
Authority: WO
Inventors: Fabien Marcel Jacques Guillorit
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.; U.S. Philips Corporation
Priority date: 2005-09-27
Filing date: 2006-09-25
Publication date: 2007-04-05
Also published as: WO2007036872A3

Abstract

The present invention provides a system (100 200), apparatus (300), and method for forwarding remote control commands to an MP3 player (103) connected through at least one of an analog or digital input/output cable (101/104 106) to a home device having a remote control (105) therefor. In this way, a user can use the home device as a host home device (102) by connecting an MP3 player (103) thereto and then using the host home device's remote control (RC) (105) to access the functions of the MP3 player (103). A special connector (104) is required on the host home device and a special cable (101) must be connected between this connector and the MP3 player for analog control and information transfer between the host (102) and the MP3 player (103). No cable or connector, other than those normally available (106), is required for digital exchanges of remote commands and audio?

Description

SYSTEM, APPARATUS, AND METHOD FOR REMOTE COMMAND FORWARDING FROM A HOME DEVICE TO A PORTABLE MEDIA PLAYER

The present invention relates to a system, apparatus and method to send remote control (RC) commands and audio and video streams as analog or digital inputs of a stereo or home cinema device to portable media players. More particularly, the present invention provides remote command forwarding from any home device to a portable device, such as an MP3 player.

A typical wired home audio / visual network can include a plurality of home devices 102. i coupled via an IEEE 1394 bus, for example. It is also possible to connect these devices wirelessly, and they can work as stand-alone-devices. The plurality of home devices 102. i can include a DVD/CD player 102.1, a radio, a TV 102.4, a VCR, personal computer 102.3, speaker 101.2 and a cassette player. Each home device 102 usually has a remote control 105 for control thereof that a user manipulates with remote commands (RCs) 105 to control the home devices 102. i.

Portable MP3 players 103 are ubiquitous but their interface to home devices 102. i has remained rudimentary. It is not possible to use the home devices or their remote controls (RCs) 105 to access the functions of the MP3 players 103. In a world given to ease-of-use and user-friendliness, a real need exists for access to the basic functionality of the MP3 players from any remote control of any home device 102 to which the MP3 players 103 can be connected. The present invention provides an analog and digital interface for accessing the basic functionality of MP3 players 103 from any remote control (RC) 105 of any home device 102, acting as a host thereof whether or not it is networked.

The present invention provides a means to forward commands from remote controls (RCs) 105 of home devices acting as host home devices 102. i to which a portable MP3 player 103 can be connected. Either an analog or digital input of the host home devices 102.i can be used for this purpose. For a digital connection between the MP3 player 103 and the host home device 102, commands and audio and video streams are all available on the digital cable (e.g., USB and IEEE 1394).

For an analog connection between the MP3 player 103 and the host home device 102, a 3-in-l connection cable 101 is provided between the MP3 player 103 and the host home device 102.

FIG. 1 illustrates an analog connection between an MP3 player and a home device, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 illustrates a digital connection between an MP3 player and a host home device, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates an analog connection using a dedicated connector. FIG. 4 illustrates a plurality of host home audio/video devices modified according to the present invention to provide remote control of the functionality of an MP3 player.

Home devices, such as a home theater and stereo, typically include a remote control (RC) device that allows a user to control the operation of the home device from a location remote from the home device itself. The present invention provides a means for connecting an MP3 player 103 to such a home device as a host home device 102 thereof and then using the remote control (RC) of the connected host home device 102 to control the MP3 player 103 connected to the host home device 102.

Referring now to FIG. 1, when an MP3 player 103 is connected to the host home device 102 and an external source is selected on the host home device 102, the host home device 102 translates and forwards incoming remote control commands over the connection to the MP3 player 103 and the MP3 player 103 responds accordingly.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is the host responding to the user's manipulation of a remote control or otherwise providing RC commands to the home host device that is controlling the MP3 player, rather than the MP3 player itself responding to the user's RC commands directly. When the input source is analog, a special command output connector 104 on the home host device 103 is active and analog information and RC commands are sent over a special cable 101; otherwise this special command output connector 104 and cable 101 are not active and a normal digital connection is used for sending both digital information and RC commands. That is, when an input source is digital, the standard digital I/O connection between the MP3 playerlO2 and the host home device 103 is used to send commands.

The remote control commands include those of the host device that are applicable to the MP3 player, such as the following: play/stop play/pause previous/next volume up/down.

Essentially, any appropriate command available on the remote control (RC) of the host home device 102 can be made available to control the MP3 player 103 using the present invention.

A first preferred embodiment is characterized by a portable media player 103, e.g., an MP3 player, configured to provide audio and/or video signals to an analog interface 101 connected between the portable media player 103 and a host home device 102 and a remote control 105 being responsive to operation of a user input means thereof to effect transfer of audio and/or video signals from the portable media player 103 through the analog interface 101 to the host home device 102.

Referring now to FIG. 3, an analog interface 101 employs a specially configured cable 101 to forward remote control commands, received by the host home device 102 from a remote control 105 to effect transfer of audio and/or video signals from the portable player 103 to the host home device 102 through the analog 101 input/output means. The analog means illustrated 300 uses a dedicated connector 104 on the host home device 102 to forward commands from the host 102 to the portable media player 103 over the specially configured cable 101. For the analog connection, a special cable 101 is provided that is based on the headphone cable used for portable media players 103. However, instead of the earpieces, this special cable includes two tulip connectors connected to a left and right cable components to output the audio /video from the portable media player to the host home device 102, and a third connector for sending commands from the host home device 102 to the portable media player 103 via a dedicated connector 104 on the host home device 102. The commands are inputted via the RC 105 of the host home device 102 and forwarded thereby over the interface 101 to the portable media player 103. Referring now to FIG. 4, the present invention supports any type of host home device 102.i interfacing with a portable media player to provide the functionality of a remote control for the portable media player. While an MP3 player is illustrated, the present invention provides an interface that supports any type of device (other than an MP3 player) that can be controlled by a user manipulating a remote control (RC) 105 and allows a range of RCs, from very simple to complex (e.g., a PC 102.3), to make use of its features as well as the features of a portable media player 103 with the host home device's RC 105 or RC-like interface (e.g., the keyboard of a PC 102.3).

It is to be understood that the foregoing description and specific embodiments are merely illustrative of the best mode of practicing the invention and the principles thereof. Various modifications and additions may be made to the apparatus by those skilled in the art, such as providing the portable media player in a headset or having the RC implemented by a voice recognition system, without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, which is therefore understood to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A system (100 200) for remote control of a portable media player (103) connected to a host home device (102), comprising: a connector (101/104 106) connected between the portable media player (103) and the host home device (102); a remote control (105) that controls the portable media player (103) by remote control (RC) commands (107) sent therefrom to the host home device (102); and an RC command forwarding module (108) included in the host home device (102) that receives RC commands (107) from the remote control (RC) 105 and forwards the received RC commands (105) over the connector (101/104 106) to the portable media player (103) for control thereof when an external source is selected on the host home device (102).

2. The system (100 200) of claim 1, wherein the connector (101/104 106) is further configured as a connector selected from the group consisting of dedicated analog command output connector (300) and digital connector (106).

3. The system (100 200) of claim 2, wherein the dedicated analog command output connector (300) is based on a model of a headphone for the portable media player and comprises: a first (101.1) and second (101.2) tulip connectors that replace an earpiece thereof to output an audio signal from the portable media player (103) to the host home device (102); and a third connector (101.3) for input, of commands sent by the RC (105), to the RC command forwarding module (108) to be forwarded thereover to the portable media player (103).

4. The system (100 200) of claim 3, wherein the commands are sent by the RC comprise play/stop, play/pause, previous/next, and volume up/down.

5. The system of (100 200) claim 3, wherein the first (101.1) and second (101.2) tulip connectors receive a left and right audio output signals from the portable media player (103).

6. An apparatus (109) for remote control of a portable media player (103) by a remote control (RC) (105) of a host home device (102), comprising the following: a connector (101/104 106) connected between the portable media player (103) and the host home device (102); and an RC command forwarding module (108) included in the host home device (102) that receives RC commands (107) from the remote control (RC) (105) and forwards the received RC commands (105) over the connector (101/104 106) to the portable media player (103) for control thereof when an external source is selected on the host home device (102).

7. The apparatus (109) of claim 6, wherein the connector (101/104 106) is further configured as a connector selected from the group consisting of dedicated analog command output connector (101/104) and digital connector (106).

8. The apparatus (109) of claim 7, wherein the dedicated analog command output connection (300) is based on a model of a headphone for the portable media player and comprises the following: a first (101.1) and second (101.2) tulip connectors that replace an earpiece thereof to output an audio signal from the portable media player (103) to the host home device (102); and a third connector (101.3) for input, of commands sent by the RC (105), to the RC command forwarding module (108) to be forwarded thereover to the portable media player (103).

9. The apparatus (109) of claim 8, wherein the commands sent by the RC comprise play/stop, play/pause, previous/next, and volume up/down.

10. The apparatus (109) of claim 9, wherein the first (101.1) and second (101.2) tulip connectors receive a left and right audio output signals from the portable media player (103).

11. A method for remote control of a portable media player (103) connected to a host home device (102), comprising the following steps: providing a connector (101/104 106) to connect the portable media player (103) and the host home device (102); and when an external source is selected on the host home device (102) and the external source is a portable media player, performing the following steps:

1. sending commands by a remote control (RC) device (105) of the host home device (102) to control the portable media player (103);

2. receiving remote control (RC) commands (107) for control of the portable media player (103) by the host home device (102); and

3. forwarding to the portable media player (103) for control thereof, the received remote control commands by an RC command forwarding module (108) included in the host home device (102) over the provided connector (101/104 106).

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of providing a connector (101/104 106) further comprises the step of providing a connector selected from the group consisting of dedicated analog command output connector (300) and digital connector (106).

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of providing a dedicated analog command output connector (300) is based on a model of a headphone for the portable media player and comprises the steps of: providing a first (101.1) and second (101.2) tulip connectors that replace an earpiece thereof for output of an audio signal from the portable media player (103) to the host home device (102); and providing a third connector (101.3) for input, of commands sent by the RC (105), to the RC command forwarding module (108) to be forwarded thereby to the portable media player (103).

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the command sent by the RC comprises play/stop, play/pause, previous/next, and volume up/down.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprises the step of receiving by the first (101.1) and second (101.2) tulip connectors a left and right audio output signals from the portable media player (103).

16. An analog cable (300) for connecting a portable media player to a host home device (102) to transmit a plurality of remote control (RC) commands (107) therebetween, comprising the following: a first (101.1) and second (101.2) tulip connectors that replace an earpiece of the portable media player to output an audio signal from the MP3 player (103) to the host home device (102); and a third connector (101.3) for output of the plurality of remote control commands received by an RC command forwarding module (108) to be forwarded thereover to the portable media player (103 for control thereof.

17. The cable of claim 16, wherein the first (101.1) and second (101.2) tulip connectors receive a left and right audio output signals from the portable media player (103).