GRAND CENTRAL ARCHITECTURE
A grand central architecture for an all-in-one consumer electronics (CE) media device may include a single IR/RF/Microphone handheld remote control for controlling and/or displaying information for all CE devices of a user(s) in concert with the all-in-one CE media device (e.g., a media player) operative for playback of one or more media formats including but not limited to optical discs, audio and/or video, images, music, files, streaming media content, stored media content, and other content. The all-in-one CE media device does not include internal and/or dedicated power amplifiers to drive speakers or other types of transducers. The all-in-one CE media device may wirelessly communicate RF signals to one or more speakers/transducers that either include their own dedicated internal power amplifiers or are connected with an external power amplifier. The all-in-one CE media device may wirelessly communicate with one or more microphones and/or speakers and apply algorithms for optimizing audio quality.
1 . A method for determining content and optimizing output, comprising:
inserting an optical disc (OD) in an optical drive of an all-in-one consumer electronics (CE) media player;
analyzing content on the OD;
determining if the content is audio content and if the content is audio content, then
determining capabilities of audio devices connected with the all-in-one CE media player, and
optimizing audio output for a selected connected audio device;
determining if the content is video content and if the content is video content, then
determining capabilities of video devices connected with the all-in-one CE media player, and
optimizing video output for a selected connected video device; and
determining if the content is other content and if the content is other content, then
determining capabilities of other devices connected with the all-in-one CE media player, and
optimizing output for a selected connected other device.
2 . The method of claim 1 and further comprising:
rejecting the OD if the content is not audio content, video content, or other content.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the content at least includes the audio content and amplification of the audio content occurs using amplifiers that are external to the all-in-one CE media player.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the content at least includes the audio content and the optimizing the audio output for the selected connected audio device comprises wirelessly transmitting using RF the audio content to one or more wireless speakers, each speaker including an internal amplifier.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the content at least includes the video content and the optimizing the video output for the selected connected video device comprises outputting the video content on a HDMI output of the all-in-one CE media player that is connected with the selected connected video device.
6 . The method of claim 1 and further comprising:
issuing, from a remote control, one or more commands to wirelessly remotely control a CE device, a legacy device or both, the remote control including a uni-directional IR link and a bi-directional RF link with the all-in-one CE media player, the issuing occurring over the RF link in communication with another RF link in the all-in-one CE media player;
determining if the all-in-one CE media player has IR codes for the one or more commands;
wirelessly sending the IR codes for the one or more commands using the another RF link to the RF link in the remote control if the all-in-one CE media player has the IR codes;
obtaining the IR codes using a wired link or the another RF link, if the all-in-one CE media player does not have the IR codes, and then performing the wirelessly sending the IR codes; and
transmitting the IR codes for the one or more commands over the IR link to the CE device, the legacy device or both.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the remote control does not store or retain the IR codes.
8 . The method of claim 6 and further comprising:
issuing one or more commands for another CE device, another legacy device or both, after the transmitting.
9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the obtaining comprises using the wired link or the another RF link to obtain the IR codes from a source external to the all-in-one CE media player.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the external source is selected from the group consisting of the Cloud, the Internet, NAS, a server, and a website.
11 . A content driven media device system, comprising:
an all-in-one consumer electronics (CE) media player without internal amplifiers for amplifying audio content and including a first RF link for wirelessly communicating and controlling other RF enabled CE devices;
a universal remote control including an IR link, a second RF link, and an integrated microphone;
at least one wireless speaker including a third RF link and internal amplifiers for amplifying audio content; and
a universal optical disc (OD) drive included in the all-in-one CE media player and operative to read and serve content on an OD inserted in the OD drive,
wherein the first, second, and third RF links are in wireless communication with one another, and
wherein the universal remote controls the all-in-one CE media player and the at least one wireless speaker using the second RF link, and controls CE devices connected with the all-in-one CE media player with the IR link.
12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the integrated microphone is operative in conjunction with algorithms and circuitry internal to the all-in-one CE media player to optimize audio output from the at least one wireless speaker to match room acoustics based on audio content processed by the all-in-one CE media player.
13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the audio content processed by the all-in-one CE media player is from the OD inserted in the OD drive.
14 . A content driven auto-run media device system, comprising:
an all-in-one consumer electronics (CE) media player without internal amplifiers for amplifying audio content and including a first RF link for wirelessly communicating and controlling other RF enabled CE devices;
a universal remote control including an IR link, a second RF link, and an integrated microphone;
at least one wireless speaker including a third RF link and internal amplifiers for amplifying audio content; and
a universal optical disc (OD) drive included in the all-in-one CE media player and operative to read and serve content on an OD inserted in the OD drive,
wherein the first, second, and third RF links are in wireless communication with one another, and
wherein the all-in-one CE media player, based on content on the OD that is inserted into the OD drive, automatically selects and controls wired and/or wirelessly connected media devices that are best suited for optimal playback of the content and serves the content to selected wired and/or wirelessly connected media devices.
15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one wireless speaker is selected for audio content on the OD.
16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein a HDMI sink device is selected for high resolution video content on the OD.
17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the OD comprises a Blu-Ray disc.
18 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the content on the OD comprises a surround sound track and the all-in-one CE media player wirelessly serves an audio portion of the content to at least three of the wireless speakers using the first RF link.
19 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the content on the OD comprises a stereo sound track and the all-in-one CE media player wirelessly serves an audio portion of the content to exactly two of the wireless speakers using the first RF link.
20 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the universal remote is positioned at a location of a user of the system and the integrated microphone is operative in conjunction with algorithms and circuitry internal to the all-in-one CE media player to optimize audio output from the at least one wireless speaker to match room acoustics based on the location of the user.