# US 7,609,824 B2 · Tethered digital butler consumer electronic device and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,609,824 B2 - Document ID: US7609824B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/420,723 - Filed: 2009-04-08 - Published: 2009-09-17 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2005-08-19 - Assignees: NexStep, Inc. - Inventors: Robert Stepanian - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7609824B2 ## CPC - G08C 17/02: using a radio link - G06F 1/1626: {with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]} - G06F 1/1684: {Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675} - G06F 1/1698: {the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone (details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266)} - G06F 3/0231: {Cordless keyboards} - G06F 21/10: Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material (protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16) {; Digital rights management [DRM]} - G06F 21/32: using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints - H04M 1/72415: for remote control of appliances - H04N 21/4147: PVR [Personal Video Recorder] (H04N5/76 takes precedence {; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40}) - H04N 21/422: Input-only peripherals {, i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices}, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] {(input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104)} - H04N 21/42201: {biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user (input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015)} - H04N 21/4223: Cameras (H04N23/00 takes precedence) - H04N 21/4333: {Processing operations in response to a pause request} - H04N 21/4334: {Recording operations (recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27)} - H04N 21/4405: involving video stream decryption - H04N 21/4623: Processing of entitlement messages, e.g. ECM [Entitlement Control Message] or EMM [Entitlement Management Message] {(arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14)} - H04N 21/47214: {for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market (stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224)} - H04W 12/04: Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA] - H04M 1/7246: by connection of exchangeable housing parts - H04M 2250/12: including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion - G08C: TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS (fluid pressure transmitting systems F15B; mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member into a different variable G01D5/00; mechanical control systems G05G) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract The present invention relates to a tethered digital butler consumer electronics product and method. The tethered digital butler, of a price and form factor suitable for consumer electronics markets of developed and developing countries, includes a communications and multi-media console and a wireless remote. The remote may resemble a handheld personal computer (HPC), a palm-held personal computer (PPC or PDA) or a smart phone, but has a low cost and feature set supported by the console that is novel in the consumer electronics market. In particular, this disclosure relates to combining telephone service, device control and, optionally, a fingerprint reader for easy user identification/authorization and personalization. As another option, a camera can be incorporated into the remote, thereby enabling video conferencing and other visual features. Alternatively, the remote may be packaged separately from a console and sold to interact with capabilities of a communications and console, set-top box, multi-media PC or other consumer electronics device from a different source, such as one running on a Windows, OS X or Linux platform, with or without telephone capabilities. The remote may include a media reader and remote USB port. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A master device, adapted to be controlled by a remote control device that needs only limited computing capabilities and that includes slaved control and audio I/O features, the master device including: a limited range radio; hardware resources coupled to the radio; a light weight protocol stack running on the hardware resources and exchanging packets with a remote control device; an IP protocol stack running on the hardware resources and exchanging packets with at least one signal source; control interpretation logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that processes input received from a slaved keyboard and from a slaved navigation device on the remote control and responsively controls the master device, including selection of audio and/or video for playback; call processing logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the IP protocol stack and the light weight protocol stack, that receives voice over IP (VOIP) audio signal packets from the signal source, transcodes them to a remote control device format suitable to drive at least one slaved output on the remote control device, and forwards them to the remote control device; receives control signals from the remote control device and responsively initiates or answers a telephone call; and receives audio signal packets from a slaved microphone on the remote control device, transcodes the audio signal packets into transcoded audio packets and forwards the transcoded audio packets to the signal source; and display logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that composes a first visual display and forwards the first visual display to the remote control device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The master device of claim 1, further including: an output port adapted to drive a monitor device, coupled to the hardware resources; and monitor logic running on the hardware resources that composes and forwards to the output port a second visual display, which the master device navigates responsive to the slaved navigation device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The master device of claim 1, further including: a DVD/CD player coupled to the hardware resources, to the audio and/or video playback logic and to the control interpretation logic; and audio and/or video playback logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that transcodes compressed audio and/or video into a remote control device format suitable to drive at least one slaved output on the remote control device; wherein the control interpretation logic further controls playback from the DVD/CD player. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The master device of claim 1, further including: port control logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that treats a USB adapter on the remote control as a port local to the master device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The master device of claim 1, further including: port control logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that treats a media card reader on the remote control as a device local to the master device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The master device of claim 1, further including: fingerprint data processing logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that processes raw fingerprint data received from the remote control device and uses the processed fingerprint data to authenticate a user. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The master device of claim 6, further including: personalization logic running on the hardware resources that personalizes a user's call processing based on the authentication of the user from the processed fingerprint data. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The master device of claim 1, further including: authentication data processing logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that processes raw authentication data received from the remote control device and uses the processed authentication data to authenticate a user. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The master device of claim 8, further including: personalization logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that accepts a user identification and personalizes the user's call processing based on the user identification. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The master device of claim 1, wherein the limited range radio is one of: compliant with a Bluetooth standard, complaint with an 802.11n standard, compliant with an 802.11b/g standard, or utilizes a cordless home telephone technology. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The master device of claim 1, wherein the light weight protocol stack is a Bluetooth protocol stack. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The master device of claim 11, further including: image processing logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that accepts transfer of sensor data from a camera sensor on the remote control device and translates the sensor data into an image stored in memory. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The master device of claim 11, further including: DRM key processing logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that accepts transfer of a DRM key from the remote control device and processes the DRM key to satisfy DRM requirements of the master device or of the at least one signal source. ### Claim 14 A master device, adapted to be controlled by a remote control device that needs only limited computing capabilities and that includes slaved control and audio I/O features, the master device including: a limited range radio; hardware resources coupled to the radio; an output port adapted to drive a monitor device, coupled to the hardware resources; a light weight protocol stack running on the hardware resources and exchanging packets with a remote control device; control interpretation logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that processes input received from a slaved keyboard and from a slaved navigation device on the remote control and responsively controls the master device, including selection of audio and/or video for playback; port control logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that treats a media card reader on the remote control as a device local to the master device; audio and video playback logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that transcodes compressed voice over IP (VOIP) audio and video into a remote control device format suitable to drive at least one slaved output on the remote control device; and monitor logic running on the hardware resources that composes and forwards to the output port a visual display, which the master device navigates responsive to the slaved navigation device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The master device of claim 14, further including: an output port adapted to drive a monitor device, coupled to the hardware resources; and monitor logic running on the hardware resources that composes and forwards to the output port a second visual display, which the master device navigates responsive to the slaved navigation device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The master device of claim 14, further including: a DVD/CD player coupled to the hardware resources, to the audio and/or video playback logic and to the control interpretation logic; and audio and/or video playback logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that transcodes compressed audio and/or video into a remote control device format suitable to drive at least one slaved output on the remote control device; wherein the control interpretation logic further controls playback from the DVD/CD player. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The master device of claim 14, further including: port control logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that treats a USB adapter on the remote control as a port local to the master device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The master device of claim 14, further including: fingerprint data processing logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that processes raw fingerprint data received from the remote control device and uses the processed fingerprint data to authenticate a user. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The master device of claim 14, further including: personalization logic running on the hardware resources that personalizes a user's call processing based on the authentication of the user from the processed fingerprint data. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The master device of claim 14, further including: authentication data processing logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that processes raw authentication data received from the remote control device and uses the processed authentication data to authenticate a user. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The master device of claim 14, further including: personalization logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that accepts a user identification and personalizes the user's call processing based on the user identification. ### Claim 22 (depends on 14) The master device of claim 14, wherein the limited range radio is one of: compliant with a Bluetooth standard, complaint with an 802.11n standard, compliant with an 802.11b/g standard, or utilizes a cordless home telephone technology. ### Claim 23 (depends on 14) The master device of claim 14, wherein the light weight protocol stack is a Bluetooth protocol stack. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The master device of claim 23, further including: image processing logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that accepts transfer of sensor data from a camera sensor on the remote control device and translates the sensor data into an image stored in memory. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The master device of claim 23, further including: DRM key processing logic running on the hardware resources, logically coupled to the light weight protocol stack, that accepts transfer of a DRM key from the remote control device and processes the DRM key to satisfy DRM requirements of the master device or of the at least one signal source.