The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 18, 2000
Filed:
Jan. 06, 1998
Rodger J Lea, San Jose, CA (US);
Sony Corporation of Japan, Tokyo, JP;
Sony Electronics, Inc., Park Ridge, NJ (US);
Abstract
A method and system for ensuring future upgradability and expandabiliy of devices in a home audio video network. The system of the present invention generates a default control module for a first device coupled to the network by using a second device coupled to the network. The the default control module is configured to ensure at least a minimum degree of interoperability between the first device and the second device. The second device access the first device via the default control module, wherein the default control module enables the first device to respond to a default set of commands from the second device. When an updated control module for the first device is received, the default control module is replaced with the updated control module by unlinking the default control module and linking the updated control module using a registry. The updated control module can be received from a wide variety of sources (e.g., the internet, satellite broadcast, cable TV provider, disk from the manufacture, etc.). The second device subsequently accesses the first device via the updated control module, wherein the updated control module enables the first device to respond to an updated set of commands from the second device.