Apparatus, systems and methods for modifying operating states based on monitored HDMI CEC communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9235257-B2
Application number	US-201213707191-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2012
Priority date	Dec 14, 2011
Publication date	Jan 12, 2016
Grant date	Jan 12, 2016

Abstract

Systems and methods provide control of operating states of an electronic device. A first exemplary electronic device detects a consumer electronic control (CEC) communication sent from a second electronic device to a third electronic device, the CEC communication communicated over high-definition multimedia (HDMI) connectors communicatively coupling the first electronic device, the second electronic device and the third electronic device; determines, based on information in the CEC communication, whether the CEC communication is one of a first kind of CEC communication or a second kind of CEC communication; in response to determining that the CEC communication is one of the first kind of CEC communication, transitions the first electronic device to a predefined operating state; and in response to determining that the CEC communication is one of the second kind of CEC communication, maintains the first electronic device in a current operating state.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
detecting, at a first electronic device, a consumer electronic control (CEC) communication sent from a second electronic device to a third electronic device,
wherein the CEC communication includes a destination address that is the same as an address of the third electronic device,
wherein the CEC communication does not include an address of the first electronic device; and
wherein the CEC communication is communicated over high-definition multimedia (HDMI) connectors communicatively coupling the first electronic device, the second electronic device and the third electronic device;

determining, at the first electronic device and based on information in the CEC communication, whether the CEC communication is one of a first kind of CEC communication or a second kind of CEC communication,
wherein the determining is made at the first electronic device when the destination address of the third electronic device is included in the CEC communication and when the address of the first electronic device is not included in the CEC communication,
wherein the first kind of CEC communication is associated with use of the second electronic device or the third electronic device of a user, and
wherein the second kind of CEC communication is not associated with use of the second electronic device or the third electronic device by the user;

in response to determining at the first electronic device that the CEC communication is one of the first kind of CEC communication, transitioning the first electronic device to a predefined operating state; and
in response to determining at the first electronic device that the CEC communication is one of the second kind of CEC communication, maintaining the first electronic device in a current operating state.

2. The method of claim 1 , where in response to determining that the CEC communication is the first kind of CEC communication, the method further comprising:
communicating information from a first processor system residing in the first electronic device to a second processor system residing in the first electronic device,
wherein the first processor is processing the detected CEC communication to determine whether the CEC communication is one of the first kind of CEC communication or the second kind of CEC communication, and
wherein the information communicated from the first processor system to the second processor system causes the second processor system to transition the first electronic device to the predefined operating state.

3. The method of claim 2 , where in response to determining that the CEC communication is the second kind of CEC communication, the method further comprising:
refraining from communicating the information from the first processor system to the second processor system,
wherein the second processor system maintains the first electronic device in the current operating state.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined operating state is a deep sleep state wherein one or more of the components of the first electronic device are not powered and are not ready for immediate operation, the transitioning to the predefined operating state comprising:
transitioning from the deep sleep state to a standby state wherein one or more of the components of the first electronic device are fully powered and ready for immediate operation, and wherein at least one other of the components of the first electronic device are not ready for immediate operation.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined operating state is a deep sleep state wherein one or more of the components of the first electronic device are not powered and are not ready for immediate operation, the transitioning to the predefined operating state comprising:
transitioning from the deep sleep state to a fully operational state wherein the first electronic device is fully operational for its intended function.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined operating state is a standby state wherein one or more of the components of the first electronic device are fully powered and ready for immediate operation, and wherein at least one other of the components of the first electronic device are not ready for immediate operation, the transitioning to the predefined operating state comprising:
transitioning from the standby state to a fully operational state wherein the first electronic device is fully operational for its intended function.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting, at the first electronic device, the CEC communication sent from the second electronic device to the third electronic device further comprises:
detecting the CEC communication on a CEC bus of a HDMI connector coupled to the first electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the CEC communication is the first kind of CEC communication or the second kind of CEC communication comprises:
determining that the detected CEC communication is associated with a routine maintenance command that controls operation of the third electronic device,
wherein the detected CEC communication is determined to be the second kind of CEC communication when the detected CEC communication is associated with the routine maintenance command.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the CEC communication is the first kind of CEC communication or the second kind of CEC communication comprises:
determining that the detected CEC communication is associated with a user command that controls operation of the third electronic device,
wherein the detected CEC communication is determined to be the first kind of CEC communication when the detected CEC communication is associated with the user command.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the CEC communication is the first kind of CEC communication or the second kind of CEC communication comprises:
determining that the detected CEC communication is an acknowledgement CEC communication communicated in response to receiving a prior CEC communication by the second electronic device from the third electronic device, and determining that the prior CEC communication is associated with a user command that controls operation of the second electronic device,
wherein the detected acknowledgement CEC communication is determined to be the first kind of CEC communication when the detected acknowledgement CEC communication is associated with the user command.

11. The method of claim 1 , where in response to determining that the CEC communication is the first kind of CEC communication, the method further comprising:
communicating information from the first electronic device to a fourth electronic device, wherein the fourth electronic device transitions to at least one of a standby state and a fully operational state in response to receiving the communicated information from the first electronic device.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the CEC communication is the first kind of CEC communication or the second kind of CEC communication comprises:
determining an identity of the second electronic device, wherein the detected CEC communication includes an originating device address identifying the second electronic device,
wherein the detected CEC communication is determined to be the first kind of CEC communication based on the identity of the second electronic device.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the CEC communication is the first kind of CEC communication or the second kind of CEC communication comprises:
determining an identity of the third electronic device, wherein the detec

Assignees

• Echostar Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Richardson Jon

Classifications

• G06F1/325 Primary

  Power saving in peripheral device · CPC title

• H04N21/442

  Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk {(arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/29; arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information H04H60/35; monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; monitoring in wireless networks H04W24/00)} · CPC title

• G06F1/3209

  Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections · CPC title

• G06F13/4068 Primary

  Electrical coupling · CPC title

• H04N21/43635

  HDMI · CPC title