US 8,797,926 B2Granted

Networked media station

AssigneeApple Inc.

InventorsPhilip F. Kearney, III, Robert Dale Newberry, Jr., Jeffrey L. Robbin, David Heller, Christopher R. Wysocki, Stephen Anderson Davis

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Abstract

Disclosed herein is a networked media station providing a variety of features including a wireless network interface, a wired network interface, a peripheral interface, and a multimedia interface. The wireless network interface(s) allows the device to communicate to serve as a wireless base station or repeater and/or a bridge between a wireless and a wired network. The peripheral interface allows the device to communicate with a variety of peripherals, and, in conjunction with the network interface(s), allows sharing of a peripheral among multiple networked computers. The multimedia interface allows the device to be used with entertainment devices for streaming of multimedia information from a network connected computer to the entertainment device. Control of various aspects of the device is preferably controlled from a network connected computer.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A method of outputting multimedia content stored on a computer to an entertainment device over a network, the method comprising:

identifying, by the computer, one or more networked media stations connected to the network, wherein at least one of the identified one or more networked media stations has at least one entertainment device connected thereto;
providing, by the computer, a listing of the identified one or more networked media stations as selectable options on a user interface of the computer;
receiving, by the computer, a user input selecting a first networked media station from among the identified one or more networked media stations, wherein the first networked media station is coupled to the entertainment device;
opening, by the computer, a communications link with the first networked media station;
and
pushing, by the computer, multimedia content stored on the computer to the first networked media station, whereby the first networked media station outputs the multimedia content to the entertainment device, wherein pushing the multimedia content to the first networked media station comprises:
decoding multimedia data from the multimedia content to generate decoded multimedia data;
re-encoding the decoded multimedia data for the multimedia content to generate re-encoded multimedia data;
and
pushing the re-encoded multimedia data to the first networked media station.

7 more elements

An electronically readable non-transitory storage medium having encoded thereon instructions executable by a computer for performing a method comprising:

identifying one or more networked media stations connected to the network, wherein at least one of the identified one or more networked media stations has at least one entertainment device connected thereto;
providing a listing of the identified one or more networked media stations as selectable options on a user interface of the computer;
receiving a user input selecting a first networked media station from among the identified one or more networked media stations, wherein the first networked media station is coupled to the entertainment device;
opening a communications link with the first networked media station;
and
pushing multimedia content stored on the computer to the first networked media station, whereby the first networked media station will output the multimedia content to the entertainment device, wherein pushing the multimedia content to the first networked media station comprises:
decoding multimedia data from the multimedia content to generate decoded multimedia data;
re-encoding the decoded multimedia data for the multimedia content to generate re-encoded multimedia data;
and
pushing the re-encoded multimedia data to the first networked media station.

7 more elements

A computer, comprising:

a processing system;
a network interface that is coupled to a network;
and
a user interface;
wherein the processing system and the network interface perform operations for:
identifying one or more networked media stations connected to the network;
providing a listing of the one or more networked media stations as selectable options on the user interface;
receiving a user input selecting a first networked media station from among the one or more networked media stations, wherein the first networked media station is coupled to an entertainment device;
opening a communications link with the first networked media station;
and
pushing multimedia content stored on the computer to the first networked media station via the communications link, whereby the first networked media station outputs the multimedia content to the entertainment device, wherein pushing the multimedia content comprises:
decoding multimedia data from the multimedia content to generate decoded multimedia data;
re-encoding the decoded multimedia data for the multimedia content to generate re-encoded multimedia data;
and
pushing the re-encoded multimedia data to the first networked media station.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/862,115Filed 4 Jun 2004
Published: US 2005/0273790 A18 Dec 2005
Granted: 5 Aug 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

H04L 12/66
Data switching networks: arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
H04L 49/604
Software-defined switches: hybrid IP/Ethernet switches
H04L 65/613
For supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio: for the control of the source by the destination
H04L 65/752
Media network packet handling: adapting media to network capabilities