HDMI CEC Control Interface for Unified Consumer Device Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is no standard interface for controlling consumer electronic devices from a software application running on a personal computing device connected to an HDMI network, requiring separate interfaces for each device and lacking unified control capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A software or hardware agent on a personal computing device uses the CEC channel to standardize controls, enumerating consumer electronic devices as USB HID devices, allowing unified control over an HDMI network by translating control commands and enabling direct interaction with multiple devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If separate interfaces are used for each consumer electronic device, then device control capability is maintained, but system complexity and user operation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal control interface that can control multiple types of consumer electronic devices through a single standardized API. The system enumerates devices on the HDMI network and provides a unified method for software applications to send control commands, eliminating the need for separate interfaces for each device type.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer (the control interface system) that sits between the software application and the diverse consumer electronic devices. This intermediary handles device enumeration, capability detection, and command translation, allowing applications to interact with all devices through a single standardized interface without needing to know device-specific details.
2Productivity
If multiple separate remote controllers are used for different devices, then each device can be controlled independently, but loss of time and operational efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple device control functions into a single unified interface. Instead of requiring separate remote controllers for each device, the system combines control capabilities for all HDMI-connected devices into one interface, allowing users to control multiple devices sequentially or simultaneously through a single application.
Solution Approach 2:
The universal control interface provides multi-functional capabilities to control various types of consumer electronic devices (set-top boxes, receivers, DVD players, etc.) through a single system, eliminating the need to switch between multiple dedicated remote controllers and significantly improving control efficiency.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a standardized control interface is implemented, then ease of operation and productivity improve, but device complexity increases due to enumeration and translation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer that handles the complexity of device enumeration, capability detection, and command translation. This intermediary absorbs the architectural complexity, presenting a simple standardized interface to users while managing the intricate details of communicating with diverse consumer electronic devices through the HDMI CEC channel.
Data Source
AI summary
A software or hardware agent running on a personal computing device provides allows application programs to interact with consumer electronic devices using standardized controls. The consumer electronic devices appear to be directly connected to the personal computing device rather than being connected over a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) network. This enables a user to control the consumer electronic devices using a single interface rather than a separate interface for each consumer electronic device. The agent enumerates a universal serial bus (USB) human interface device (HID) for each consumer electronic device reported on the HDMI network. The USB HIDs represent the specific capabilities of the each one of the consumer electronic devices.