Media streaming device with gateway functionality

A method for transmitting a network stream representing audio/visual signals received from a media source to a second device using a first device that communicates via a first network and a second network and that comprises a media streaming module having a host port interface and a gateway module having an external memory interface that has a direct connection to the host port interface via an HPI-EMIF bridge, and wherein the gateway module, the method comprising:

• receiving the audio/visual signals from the media source;
• processing the audio/visual signals to create the media stream at the media streaming module of the first device, wherein the processing comprises formatting the media stream into network packets that are compatible with at least one of the first network and the second network and encapsulating the network packets into an interface format that is compatible with the HPI-EMIF bridge;
• providing the encapsulated network packets containing the media stream from the media streaming module to the gateway module of the first device via the HPI-EMIF bridge, wherein the gateway module extracts the network packets from the encapsulated network packets;
• and
• transmitting the extracted network packets containing the media stream to the second device via at least one of the first and the second networks.

A gateway device interfacing with a local area network and a wide area network that additionally provides a media stream to a remote device in response to audio/visual signals received from a media source, the gateway device comprising:

• a media interface configured to receive the audio/visual signals from the media source;
• a first network interface to the local area network;
• a second network interface to the wide area network;
• an HPI-EMIF bridge configured to provide a dedicated internal communications channel within the gateway device;
• a media streaming module having a host port interface configured to transmit and receive data via the HPI-EMIF bridge, wherein the media streaming module is configured to receive the audio/visual signals from the media interface, to process the audio/visual signals to create the media stream, to format the media stream into network packets compatible with at least one of the local area network and the wide area network, to encapsulate the network packets into encapsulated packets compatible with the HPI-EMIF bridge, and to transmit the encapsulated packets on the HPI-EMIF bridge within the gateway device;
• and
• a modem module having an external memory interface configured to transmit and receive data via the HPI-EMIF bridge, wherein the modem module is coupled to the first and second network interfaces and is configured to provide a gateway between the local area network and the wide area network, wherein the modem module is further configured to receive the encapsulated packets from the media streaming module via the HPI-EMIF bridge, to extract the network packets from the encapsulated packets, and to transmit the network packets to the remote device via the at least one of the local area network and the wide area network.