Patent Application

App. No. 15/250,933

Abstract

Claims (46)

1 . An audio/video (A/V) hub, comprising:

an antenna;

an interface circuit, coupled to the antenna, configured to communicate with a portable electronic device and an A/V display device; and

a control circuit, coupled to the interface circuit, configured to:

receive, via the interface circuit, user-interface activity information from the portable electronic device, wherein the user-interface activity information specifies user selection of a content source;

provide, via the interface circuit, a request for high-definition multimedia-interface (HDMI) content to the content source based on the user selection;

receive, via the interface circuit, the HDMI content from the content source; and

provide the HDMI content and display instructions to the A/V display device as frames with the HDMI content are received from the content source, so that the HDMI content is displayed on a display in the A/V display device, wherein the display instructions specify that the HDMI content is to be displayed in a tiled window on the display while other HDMI content from another content source is displayed on the display.

2 . The A/V hub of claim 1 , wherein the A/V hub includes a port that can couple to the A/V display device;

wherein the port is compatible with an HDMI standard; and

wherein the interface circuit is coupled to the port.

3 . The A/V hub of claim 1 , wherein the user selection involves activation of a virtual command icon; and

4 . wherein the request from the A/V hub in response to the activation of the virtual command icon includes one or more commands or instructions for the content source based, at least in part, on device-state information about the content source, including selectively turning on the content source and specifying the HDMI content. The A/V hub of claim 3 , wherein the control circuit is configured to:

generate user-interface information that specifies a user interface that includes one or more virtual command icons, including the virtual command icon, which are associated with content sources; and

provide the user-interface information to the portable electronic device for display on a touch-sensitive display in the portable electronic device.

5 . The A/V hub of claim 1 , wherein the user selection involves activation of a physical button; and

wherein the request from the A/V hub in response to the activation of the physical button includes one or more commands or instructions for the content source based, at least in part, on device-state information about the content source, including selectively turning on the content source and specifying the HDMI content,

6 . The A/V hub of claim 1 , wherein the portable electronic devices is one of: a remote control for the A/V hub; and a cellular telephone.

7 . The A/V hub of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to determine the display instructions based on a format of the display.

8 . The A/V hub of claim 1 , wherein providing the HDMI content and the display instructions involves transcoding the HDMI content based on a format of the display.

9 . The A/V hub of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to:

receive, via the interface circuit, the other HDMI content from the other content source; and

provide, via the interface circuit, the other HDMI content to the A/V display device, so that the other HDMI content is displayed on the display.

10 . The A/V hub of claim 9 , wherein the control circuit is configured to provide second display instructions that specify how the other HDMI content is to be displayed on the display.

11 . The A/V hub of claim 10 , wherein the control circuit is configured to determine the second display instructions based on a format of the display.

12 . The A/V hub of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit comprises:

memory configured to store a program module; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, configured to execute the program module, wherein the program module includes instructions for at least some operations performed by the control circuit.

13 . A non-transitory computer-program product for use in conjunction with an audio/video (A/V) hub, the computer-program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium that stores a computer-program mechanism that, when executed by the A/V hub, causes the A/V hub to provide high-definition multimedia-interface (HDMI) content, the computer-program mechanism including:

instructions for receiving, via an interface circuit in the A/V hub, user-interface activity information from a portable electronic device, wherein the user-interface activity information specifies user selection of a content source;

instructions for providing, via the interface circuit, a request for high-definition multimedia-interface (HDMI) content to the content source based on the user selection;

instructions for receiving, via the interface circuit, the HDMI content from the content source; and

instructions for providing, via the interface circuit, the HDMI content and display instructions to an A/V display device as frames with the HDMI content are received from the content source, so that the HDMI content is displayed on a display in the A/V display device, wherein the display instructions specify that the HDMI content is to be displayed in a tiled window on the display while other HDMI content from another content source is displayed on the display.

14 . The computer-program product of claim 13 , wherein the user selection involves activation of one of: a virtual command icon; and a physical button; and wherein the request from the A/V hub in response to the activation of the virtual command icon includes one or more commands or instructions for the content source based, at least in part, on device-state information about the content source, including selectively turning on the content source and specifying the HDMI content.

15 . The computer-program product of claim 13 , wherein the portable electronic devices is one of: a remote control for the A/V hub; and a cellular telephone.

16 . The computer-program product of claim 13 , wherein the computer-program mechanism includes instructions for determining the display instructions based on a format of the display.

17 . The computer-program product of claim 13 , wherein the computer-program mechanism includes:

instructions for receiving, via the interface circuit, the other HDMI content from the other content source; and

instructions for providing, via the interface circuit, the other HDMI content to the A/V display device, so that the other HDMI content is displayed on the display.

18 . The computer-program product of claim 17 , wherein the computer-program mechanism includes instructions for providing second display instructions that specify how the other HDMI content is to be displayed on the display.

19 . The computer-program product of claim 18 , wherein the computer-program mechanism includes instructions for determining the second display instructions based on a format of the display.

20 . An A/V hub-implemented method for providing high-definition multimedia-interface (HDMI) content, wherein the method comprises:

receiving, via an interface circuit in the A/V hub, user-interface activity information from a portable electronic device, wherein the user-interface activity information specifies user selection of a content source;

providing, via the interface circuit, a request for high-definition multimedia-interface (HDMI) content to the content source based on the user selection;

receiving, via the interface circuit, the HDMI content from the content source; and

providing, via the interface circuit, the HDMI content and display instructions to an A/V display device as frames with the HDMI content are received from the content source, so that the HDMI content is displayed on a display in the A/V display device, wherein the display instructions specify that the HDMI content is to be displayed in a tiled window on the display while other HDMI content from another content source is displayed on the display.

Assignments (14)