Patents Portfolio
U.S. Patent: 9,841,935
Patent Title
Wireless television or controller wire connectable to a television for receiving and rendering digital content
Meta Information
Issued Date: Dec. 12, 2017
Inventor: William Ho Chang et al
External Links: UPSTO, Google Patents
Technical Fields
Abstract
A controller for transmitting digital content to a television is herein disclosed and enabled. The controller may be included in a television or externally connectable to a television. The controller may be wirelessly managed via a Bluetooth-enabled device or by using a smart phone. To setup the controller, the controller may wirelessly obtain setup information (e.g., ID, security, or authentication information) from either the Bluetooth-enabled device or from the smart phone via wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth or IEEE 802.11), then the controller uses the wirelessly obtained information to access a wireless local area network (LAN) for establishing services. The controller includes chips or chipsets that is compatible with at least one protocol within IEEE 802.11 standards for accessing the Wireless LAN. After connecting to the Wireless LAN, the controller may further wirelessly receive digital content from a mobile device for playing or outputting the digital content at the television.
Sample Claim
1. A controller that is connectable externally to a television for transmitting digital content to the television, the controller is managed, at least in part, by a smart phone, and the smart phone being a distinct device from the television and the controller, the controller including: wireless communication circuitry for wireless communication; one or more processors; memory for storing data; software stored at the memory of the controller for implementing functionalities associated with the controller; and a communication interface that is externally connectable to the television; and wherein execution of at least part of the software by the one or more processors causes the controller to:
(1) use the wireless communication circuitry of the controller to establish a direct wireless communication between the controller and the smart phone, the direct wireless communication is a short range radio communication;
(2) receive, at the controller and over the established direct wireless communication in (1), security information or authentication information from the smart phone, the security information or the authentication information includes one or more of a name, a password, an ID number, or a security key, individually or in any combination;
(3) couple the controller, using the wireless communication circuitry of the controller, to a wireless local area network for establishing a wireless local area network communication, the coupling to the wireless local area network being based, at least in part, on having successfully received from the smart phone the security information or the authentication information in (2);
(4) establish, using the wireless communication circuitry of the controller, a wireless local area network communication link between the controller and the smart phone, the wireless local area network communication link is within the wireless local area network in (3), and the establishing of the wireless communication link is subsequent to having coupled the controller to the wireless local area network in (3);
(5) receive output data from the smart phone, via the wireless communication circuitry of the controller and from over the established wireless local area network communication link in (4), the received output data is related, at least in part, to the digital content that includes audio digital content or video digital content for rendering at the television; and
(6) deliver at least part of the digital content, via the communication interface, from the controller to the television for rendering the at least part of the digital content, the at least part of the digital content is related, at least in part, to the output data received from the smart phone in (5) and over the wireless local area network communication link established in (4).