CN112995701B - Method and apparatus for cross-layer optimization in multimedia communication with different user terminals - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a method and a device for cross-layer optimization in multimedia communication with different user terminals. A method for bi-directionally converting and routing content to different devices comprising: receiving first multimedia content originating from a first device located outside the home location and destined for a second device located at the home location; converting the first multimedia content so that it can be played by the second device and routing the converted first multimedia content to the second device; receiving second multimedia content originating from a third device located at the home location and destined for a fourth device located outside the home location; and converting the second multimedia content so that it can be played by the fourth device, and routing the converted second multimedia content to the fourth device. Various optimizations for the delivery of multimedia content on different channels are provided to multiple user terminals simultaneously.

Description

Method and device for cross-layer optimization in multimedia communication with different user terminals

References to related applications

This application is a divisional application of invention patent application 1 with application number 201910440533.4, which is a divisional application of invention patent application 2 with application number 201810005772.2, and this invention patent application 2 is a divisional application of invention patent application 3 with application number 201410175959.9 A divisional application, the invention patent application 3 is a divisional application of the invention patent application 4 with the application number 200810008996.5, the filing dates of the invention patent application 1, invention patent application 2, invention patent application 3 and invention patent application 4 are On February 2, 2008, the titles of the inventions are both "method and device for cross-layer optimization in multimedia communication with different user terminals".

technical field

The present invention relates generally to providing multimedia content, and more particularly to providing multimedia content to and from various devices.

Background technique

Cross References to Related Applications

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Application Serial No. 11/501,747, entitled "System and Method for providing Locally Applicable Internet Content with Secure Action Requests and ItemCondition Alerts," filed August 10, 2006, claiming March 31, 2006 Priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/787,510, entitled "An Intelligent Kiosk for Mobile Payment," filed on 12 August 2005, and also claiming priority to "A Novel Structure of Cellular System for Internet Access," filed 12 August 2005 Benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/707,561. The entire contents of these applications are hereby incorporated by reference.

This application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. Application Serial No. 11/165,341, entitled "Methods, Systems, and Apparatus for Displaying the Multimedia Information from Wireless Communication Networks," filed June 24, 2005, claiming July 16, 2004 Priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/588,358 filed entitled "A Method and System for Displaying the Multimedia Information from Wireless Communications or Portable IT." The entire contents of these applications are hereby incorporated by reference.

This application is also a U.S. continuation-in-part application serial number 11/540,637 entitled "A Method and System for Improving Client Server Transmission over Fading Channel with Wireless Location and Authentication Technology via Electromagnetic Radiation," filed October 2, 2006, which claims 2005 Priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial Nos. 60/722,444, filed October 3, 2006, 60/787,510, filed March 31, 2006, and 60/832,962, filed July 25, 2006. The entire contents of these applications are hereby incorporated by reference.

Description of related technologies

Driven by next-generation wireless technologies, cellular networks are able to provide users with access to information from the Internet, such as video-on-demand, video conferencing, databases, and the like. The use of cellular telephones is thus no longer limited to voice transmissions.

However, some problems remain with the delivery of Internet content via cellular telephones. For example, even with advanced cellular systems providing high bandwidth connections, there are still bottlenecks between the Internet and the cellular network (CN), as well as delays caused by the Internet itself. This situation hinders the ability of cellular telephone users to take full advantage of the capabilities of advanced CNs. Because smooth and efficient data flow is important to users, this bottleneck prevents Internet access using cellular phones.

Generating payment requests is another area of need. While an increasing number of individuals have become accustomed to purchasing goods and services online, a refined and consistent mechanism for securely generating requests for such payments still does not exist.

Yet another area of need concerns alerting. Locations, including homes, offices, and other environments often include computing devices and at least some form of network connectivity. Despite such connectivity, there are certain situations where appropriate alerts are not yet available. For example, billions of children wear diapers, and about a quarter of them may suffer from a wet diaper at any given time because caregivers (e.g., parents, babysitters, etc.) are not informed in real time about the child diaper status.

Therefore, there also exists a need for a system and corresponding devices and processes that obviate the disadvantages of existing networks for delivering Internet content through the use of CNs. A need also exists for systems and corresponding techniques for generating payment requests. There is also a need for systems and corresponding techniques for delivering alerts to individuals such as caregivers caring for children in diapers.

The execution platforms and functions of handheld mobile terminals (eg, cellular phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs)) are rapidly evolving. We believe that most of the functions provided by personal computers (such as desktops or notebooks) will eventually be realized by handheld mobile terminals, which will enable users to transmit and use multimedia information anytime and anywhere.

For example, one of the most requested benefits brought by next-generation and more advanced wireless communication systems (ie, 3G, 4G, etc.) is the ability to support high-speed multimedia data services in addition to conventional voice services. In conventional cellular systems, mobile terminals communicate wirelessly with base stations. Multimedia information is sent by different service providers and received to be displayed on the screen of the mobile terminal, such multimedia information includes but not limited to television signals, 3D images, online games, and videophones. The net result of such a system is that rich multimedia information can be presented on a small screen such as a cell phone (etc.). In these and similar systems, the mobile terminal is used as a multimedia terminal to display multimedia information (including high-definition graphics and high-quality real-time audio/video information) transmitted from a high data rate wireless communication network. However, the limited size (for example, 2*3 inches) and functions of the mobile terminal screen may cause inconvenience for users to enjoy such high-rate data stream applications, and sometimes even make them unusable. The consequence of this deficiency is likely to be the contraction of the potential market size of the handheld mobile terminal. In fact, it was even pointed out that the development of high data rate systems such as 3G systems might not make sense at all because of the limitations of small screens.

Some mobile units can provide remote control functionality for external display systems. However, these mobile units do not solve the above-mentioned problem of small screens. That is, they also cannot make visual content and other multimedia information suitable for playing on large external display screens achieve similar effects on mobile terminal display screens. For example, adding an application interface of program guide information on a mobile terminal can turn it into a remote control of a TV. This is useful to allow local viewing of the program guide while the current program is being displayed on a large screen, but does not solve the small screen problem described above. Another problem is the variety of different devices that users have to use in communication, and the variety of different carriers for enjoying the content that users now own. Typically, users no longer just watch television. Alternatively, users can use their home computers, televisions, MP3s, PDAs, cell phones, or various hybrid devices to enjoy the content. Furthermore the content is obtained from a variety of sources, not just broadcast television as in the past. While having more options is desirable, some consumers may feel overwhelmed trying to manage everything.

What is needed is to address the problem of reduced user enjoyment of the various devices and corresponding content that the user can enjoy due to the complexity of trying to manage content and interfacing with a variety of different devices that are not necessarily compatible.

Contents of the invention

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for multimedia communication with different user terminals to achieve simultaneous, dynamic and efficient delivery of multimedia information to multiple user terminals.

According to one aspect, directing a television display from a mobile terminal, such as a cellular telephone, is provided. This may require receiving video content originating from the mobile terminal over a cellular communication channel, confirming that the video content has the television as a display destination, configuring the video content for display on the television, and once confirming that the received video content originated from the mobile terminal and Using the TV as the display destination instructs the TV to display the video content on a predetermined adjustable channel. In addition, the communication between the mobile terminal and the TV can be bi-directional.

According to another aspect, there is provided a device that converts content and routes it to a different communication protocol. This may include: receiving multimedia content from outside the home location and destined for a destination device located at the home location, determining the communication protocol, signal format and address for the destination device, converting the signal format used by the destination according to the determined signal format The device renders the first multimedia content, and routes the converted multimedia content to the destination device using the determined address and communication protocol. According to one embodiment of the present invention, multiple user terminals can be served simultaneously.

According to another aspect, bi-directional conversion and routing of content to different devices is provided. This enables receiving first multimedia content originating from a first device located outside the home location and destined for a second device located at the home location, converting the first multimedia content for rendering by the second device , and routing the converted first multimedia content to a second device receiving second multimedia content originating from a third device located within the home location and destined for a fourth device located outside the home location , and converting the second multimedia content for rendering by the fourth device, and routing the converted second multimedia content to the fourth device. The third device may also be the second device, and the fourth device may also be the first device.

According to another aspect, remote receiving and fulfillment of multimedia content requests to multiple content sources is provided. This may suffice by receiving a request for access to the first multimedia content and the second multimedia content, wherein the request is received via cellular communication in the case of a request made by a user using a mobile terminal, identifying the A first source corresponding to a multimedia content and a second source corresponding to a second multimedia content, wherein the first source and the second source implement different communication protocols, and use different communication protocols to initiate communication with the first source respectively. Communication of a source and a second source to satisfy a request for access to the first multimedia content and the second multimedia content, the first multimedia content and the second multimedia content are received from the first source and the second source media content; and converting the first multimedia content and the second multimedia content for rendering by the destination device, and routing the converted multimedia content to the destination device. According to another aspect, there is provided a method for optimizing the delivery of content commonly requested by a plurality of users at a particular location. This may satisfy: monitoring web content requested by users corresponding to a particular location, receiving a request for content from a given user at a particular location, where the content is typically served from a location other than the particular location, determining that the content is local Applicable (where content is also requested by and transformed for other users at a particular location) and simultaneously serves content to a given user at a particular location as well as other users at a particular location using a server that is logically close to the user at a particular location , instead of serving content separately to a given user and to other users from locations other than the specified location.

The invention can be implemented in various forms, including a business process, a computer-implemented method, a computer program product, a computer system and network, a user interface, an application programming interface, and the like.

Description of drawings

These and other detailed and specific features of the present invention will be more fully disclosed as follows with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system for optimizing the delivery of Internet content to users. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a process for determining locally applicable content for optimized content delivery. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a system for facilitating secure receipt and fulfillment of action requests, such as billing deliveries.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an action request process. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a system for providing item status updates. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a system for receiving and delivering status updates for a plurality of items. Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating a process for providing diaper status updates.

8 is a block and event diagram illustrating the provision of locally adapted Internet content related to status updates to users, and the secure receipt and fulfillment of action requests related to status updates.

Figure 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a system in which mobile terminal signal transitions may reside.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a mobile terminal signal conversion module. FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating another example of a mobile terminal signal conversion module. Figure 12 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a process involving mobile terminal signal conversion.

Figure 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a system in which mobile terminal signal transitions may reside.

14 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a system in which mobile terminal signal transitions may reside.

Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a mobile terminal signal conversion application.

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram illustrating a control system for multimedia communication of different user terminals. 17 is a flowchart illustrating an example of instructing a television to display content using a signal received from a remote location over a cellular communication network. Figure 18 is a flowchart illustrating an example of converting and routing multimedia content to different terminals. 19 is a flow diagram illustrating an example of bidirectional operations involved in delivering and routing multimedia content into and out of a residence. 20 is a flowchart illustrating an example of receiving and implementing fulfillment of multimedia content requests corresponding to different sources.

Detailed ways

In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous details are set forth, such as flowcharts and system configurations, in order to provide an understanding of one or more embodiments of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that these specific details are not required to practice the invention.

According to one aspect of the invention, a cellular user associated with a determined location requests and accesses Internet content. The delivery of Internet content is customized according to location and provided in a series of locally customized networks. A given local network includes servers configured to include content appropriate to its location. The delivery of the content is effected through the local base station, from the particular local network configured as such, to the user's cell phone. For example, when a cellular user is detected approaching the Hollywood area, information about Hollywood may be accessed via one or more cellular network base stations in the Hollywood area. These base stations deliver Internet content relevant to the region, such as websites about movies and movie stars. The Internet content is stored on servers that are readily accessible by base stations covering the area to provide faster and more efficient delivery to cellular users in the service area. By optimizing the location of Internet content for wireless network users, the present invention enables optimal data flow for cellular users to access a wide variety of rich information and data from the Internet.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system 100 configured to provide Internet content delivery in accordance with the present invention. The basic elements of system 100 are user equipment (UE) 110 , radio access network (RAN) 120 , core cellular network (CCN) 130 , external network (EN) 140 and local custom network (LCN) 150 .

UE 110 is a cellular telephone configured to communicate with one or more base stations of RAN 120. While UE 110 is preferably a cellular telephone, it should be understood that various devices may be equipped with the same communication capabilities. Other examples of UE 110 include a personal digital assistant (PDA), set-top box, kiosk, or any personal computing device configured with wireless communication capabilities.

RAN 120 and CCN 130 preferably implement conventional elements of a cellular network and are further described below. RAN 120 includes base stations and Radio Network Controller (RNC) elements. The base station provides resource management and provides an interface for switching data flows between the UE 110 and the RNC. The RNC controls the radio resources of the base stations to which it is connected and also manages the connection to the UE 110 .

CCN 130 is connected to EN 140. The most important examples of EN 140 can be divided into two types: Circuit Switched (CS) 142 networks and Packet Switched (PS) 144 networks. The CS 142 network provides circuit-switched connections for circuit-switched services, such as telephony and ISDN. The PS 144 network provides connections for packet data services. The Internet is a very important and well-known application of the PS network.

CCN 130 contains MSC/VLR, GMSC, HLR, SGSN and GGSN elements. HLR (Home Location Register) is a database storing information such as subscriber business profiles. A business profile includes information including allowed services, roaming areas, forwarding numbers, and the like. The HLR stores UE 110 location in order to route calls and other information to UE 110.

MSC/VLR (Mobile Services Switching Center and Visitor Location Register) respectively provide switching operations and databases for circuit switched (CS) traffic to the UE at the current location. The VLR stores the user's business profile and more precise information about the UE's location in the service system. The CS connection is through a GMSC (Gateway MSC), which is a switch located at the point of connection to the external CS network.

SGSN (Serving GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Support Node) function is similar to that of MSC/VLR, but is often used for Packet Switched (PS) services. The PS connects via GGSN (Gateway GPRS Support Node).

LCN 150 includes one or more computing devices configured to include memory, processing capabilities, and interfaces to provide the functionality described herein. LCN 150 includes a local server configured to provide customized Internet content. LCN 150 is also configured to include a content access monitoring module that monitors Internet access and determines content applicable to specified locations of LCN 150.

The LCN 150 thus performs monitoring and caching associated with locally applicable content. As far as monitoring functions are concerned, monitoring includes local access, which determines what content is accessed by users at that location. As far as the caching function is concerned, the LCN 150 maintains a cache of locally applicable Internet content, which includes refreshing to add new content and remove stale content as determined by information derived from monitoring functions.

One technique for determining whether content is locally appropriate is to measure access frequency. If many users at that location decide to access a particular Internet content, that particular Internet content is determined to be locally applicable and included in the cache during the next update.

In addition to monitoring and caching locally applicable content, the LCN 150 is configured to be logically close to the base station(s) of the cellular network located in a particular location. In one example, logical proximity is achieved by having LCN 150 in physical proximity to one or more base stations of interest (eg, base stations in the same geographic area). For example, the LCN 150 may be located in a metropolitan area or within an area of defined zip code(s) covering a metropolitan area. Alternatively, logical proximity may be achieved without physical proximity. For example, this can be accomplished by providing dedicated resources including high bandwidth connections between the LCN 150 and local users. In this example, the LCN 150 is configured to deliver locally applicable content more efficiently and quickly due to dedicated resources without the need for physical proximity. According to another aspect, for further efficiency, locally applicable content for a given LCN is organized in a hierarchical structure. The content of the first layer is considered to have the highest local applicability. Additional layers are also provided based on the first layer, with successive layers covering progressively larger geographical areas (ie, gradually covering larger numbers of base stations). According to one aspect, the layering involves communication with neighboring LCNs covering the increased area to determine local content applicable to the additional level. So, for example, the first tier corresponds to locally applicable content at the first level of granularity (e.g., as monitored/determined only for LCNs or small groups of local LCNs), and the second tier corresponds to locally applicable content at the second level of granularity. Content (eg, a logical sum or intersection of frequently accessed content within a larger area determined by monitoring access to several LCNs in a defined larger area) corresponds, and so on.

The operation of the system for updating the LCN will therefore be described with reference to both the flowcharts of FIGS. 1 and 2 . The process begins with monitoring 202 the Internet content accessed by the user at the current location. This is accomplished by monitoring the connected gateways between the CCN 140 and PS 144 networks in order to track Internet content accessed by cellular users. It should be noted that monitored content can serve two beneficial purposes. One is to regulate the delivery of locally applicable content, which can be determined by the frequency of visits to a given location. Another is to allow providers of content (such as merchants or other business entities) to receive indications that that content is locally applicable. This allows the provider of the content to help or further participate in determining what is locally applicable. For example, a merchant who is provided with an indication of the local applicability of certain content may wish to make advertisements, coupons, etc. available to that range of users.

Along with this monitoring 202, a determination(s) 204 is made of the base station(s) requesting the Internet content. This can be performed by checking the VLR and HLR to discover the base station through which the request for Internet content is being sent. It should be noted that base station discovery is only one way in which physical location can be determined. Other examples include, but are not limited to, the use of GPS, zip code, phone number, and IP address information to make the determination.

The next step includes determining 206 locally applicable content based on monitoring 202 and determining 204 the base station(s)(s). Determination of local suitability is performed by determining the frequency of visits. Alternatively, local applicability may be determined by comparing the location of the requesting user (the base station) with locations identified as being associated with the requested content.

Then, for the current (eg, first) tier, the content is loaded 208 in servers that are logically close to the user at the given location. This can be accomplished by arranging the current (e.g. first) tier server(s) loaded with Internet content and/or other information/data to optimize access for cellular subscribers to data stored in said servers via base stations And faster data transfer. For example, the servers can be placed logically close to the base stations through which cellular subscribers access data stored in one or more servers.

This process is repeated through as many layers as required. If it is determined 210 that additional tiers are to be updated, then steps 202-208 are performed to load the next 212 (eg, second) tier server(s) with locally applicable content. As described, this preferably requires a wider geographic area as layers increase. The process continues until it is determined 210 that no more layers need to be determined and loaded. The number of layers in a given system will vary according to the application and as required. Layering often involves a trade-off between maximizing locally available content and the processing resources required to generate and manage layers for increasingly wider areas.

Content stored in one or more base stations may be refreshed 214 according to any desired schedule or trigger. For refresh operations, the process described above repeats, starting again with the first layer. Stale content or content otherwise determined to be no longer locally applicable can be removed and, of course, new content can be added during a refresh cycle. Additional servers can be added vertically and/or horizontally as required. Vertically means that servers can be added to cover the first, second, third, etc. tier at a given physical location. Horizontal refers to adding different groups of servers corresponding to different locations (ie, one group for the first tier, a second group for the second tier, etc.).

A regular schedule or a certain amount of activity can be used to trigger a tiered refresh. The Internet content in the LCN 150 server is modified according to the found content that should be updated by the request for Internet content sent from the base station. Internet content stored in the server is refreshed at appropriate times, for example when the server is not overwhelmed with users accessing the content. The server is thus loaded with information for broadcast and/or multicast and/or any data to be accessed by cellular users to enable optimal transmission to users in the service area. Locally applicable content can be sent and delivered to users on demand. Examples of communication paths for sending locally applicable Internet content include a relatively direct path through RAN 120, a path through CCN 130 followed by RAN 120, or others. Various techniques may be used to implement locally applicable content cached by the LCN 150 in conjunction with a UE 110 (or other device) user's request for Internet content. In one example, a UE 110 request for Internet content prompts an initial check for content in locally applicable content, followed by a regular Internet access if the content proves to be missing from the currently cached locally applicable content the content of words. Additionally, according to the layered approach described above, a first attempt to satisfy a request may be made from a first layer, followed by a second layer, and so on. The number of layers searched in response to a particular request may vary as required. When the number of layers specified for the current request to be searched is exhausted, conventional Internet access is used to retrieve content relevant to the request.

Various cache management and network optimization techniques can be used to manage locally applicable content. For example, fully associative (FA), direct mapped (DM) and set associative (SA) mechanisms are examples of techniques that can be used to determine where specific content can be stored on the server. Additionally, techniques for ensuring block validity and for managing cache hits and misses can also be used. Random, LRU (least recently used) and FIFO (first in first out) block replacement schemes are those that can be used to manage blocks in the cache.

According to another aspect, the present invention facilitates a system solution for mobile payments (or other transfer of information and receipt of information such as alerts). Preferably, this aspect of the invention implements cellular network, wireless personal area network (WPAN) and wireless identification technologies. Various technologies can be used for these components, including but not limited to 3G technology for cellular networks; Zigbee, Bluetooth or UWB technology for WPAN; and RFID (eg NFC) for wireless identification technology.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a system 300 implementing this aspect of the invention. System 300 includes user equipment (such as cellular phone, PDA, etc.) 310 and wireless HUB 320, which is connected to server 330 through network 340 (such as Internet). Wireless HUB (WHUB) 320 may be located in a public or private location. For a public location, the WHUB 320 is preferably placed in a kiosk. A kiosk may be located on a street, or at an airport, a shopping mall, or anywhere that is conveniently perceived and may include user traffic. For a private location, the WHUB 320 is preferably configured for use in a location such as a residence or hotel room. In these environments, WHUB 320 may be provided in a smaller device, such as part of a set-top box (STB).

Handset 310 is equipped with a tag that provides a unique identifier that can be wirelessly communicated to WHUB 320. A preferred tag is a Near Field Communication (NFC) tag 312 . NFC provides short-range wireless connectivity that uses magnetic field sensing to enable communication between devices. It has a short distance of a few centimeters, which is considered to be advantageous for this aspect of the invention. While NFC is preferred, RFID or other alternatives could also be provided. Handset 310 also includes a WPAN transceiver 314 that allows for an additional communication channel between the handset and WHUB 320 .

Similarly, wireless WHUB 320 is equipped with NFC reader 322, WPAN transceiver 324 and network adapter 326. NFC technology provides secure and automatic authentication and data exchange between NFC tags and NFC readers. According to this aspect of the invention, the NFC is uniquely associated with other information that allows the appropriate action (payment, alert, etc.) to take place. For example, where the system is used to provide mobile payments, an RFID tag is associated with a user's bank account. Additionally, a second secure communication channel with more capabilities is established between handset 310 and WHUB 320 once the device has been authenticated via the unique identifier. This allows action requests and related communications to be reliably communicated between the two devices. Thus, once the NFC-based authentication is complete, a secure wireless connection between handset 310 and WHUB 320 is established. This communication enables WPAN transceivers, which have higher data rates and longer operating ranges than NFC. Secure communication allows for the exchange of additional information related to actions to be sent between handset 310 and WHUB 320, such as price and credit card information for purchase requests and corresponding payment schemes. Secure communication can be achieved by hardware (such as a dedicated hardware chipset) and software (such as a data encryption algorithm).

WHUB 320 is also capable of exchanging data with other WPAN devices 350 . This may be beneficial for WHUB 320 to communicate with these devices 350 to exchange motion related information. For example, WHUB 320 may collect water consumption information from water meters equipped with WPAN device 350 functionality. This data may be stored locally by WHUB 320, or may be transmitted over network connection 340 to an appropriate server 330. The collection of data by WHUB 320 does not necessarily need to occur simultaneously with the action requested by the user. For example, the acquisition and transmission of water consumption information can occur on a regular basis, separate from user requests to make corresponding payments.

It should also be noted that WHUB 320 can optionally be configured with wireless communication capabilities, such as those provided in cellular telephones. WHUB 320 may thus be configured to work with the system for delivering locally adapted Internet content as described above in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2 .

FIG. 4 further illustrates and provides an example of a payment process 400 in accordance with this aspect of the invention. Process 400 begins with an authentication 402 process that provides identification and identification of the handset via the NFC tag via the wireless WHUB. Communication over a separate secure communication channel (eg WPAN) is then established. The WPAN functionality is used to communicate between the handset and the WHUB so that content related to the requested action can be securely exchanged. In this example, the requested action is a purchase request 404 .

It should be noted that verification 402 may or may not be followed by an action. For example, a cell phone may be configured to include browsing capabilities that allow the cell phone's interface to be used to view items prior to making a purchase request.

Various purchase types can be implemented using purchase requests. Examples may include tangible items that are shipped individually to an address, content that can be immediately downloaded to (possibly) a cell phone, services, and the like.

Internet content can be accessed by a cellular phone joint action request. One example of content provided to a cellular phone may be locally adapted Internet content as described above in connection with FIGS. 1-2. Also, cellular phones can access Internet content through channels other than through WHUB.

Note also that a purchase request is only one form of action that can be performed. Actions include, but are not limited to, billing deliveries, filling accounts with funds, online shopping transactions, and the like.

The authentication process can be based on tag ID and password. The tag ID and password are sent 406 to the verification server, which then returns a notification 408 confirming the verification. Preferably, the verification indicates whether the individual is who he or she claims to be, but challenges the individual's access rights. Authentication servers can reside inside or outside WHUB.

Additional information associated with the requested action may also be required, as desired. For example, external servers may require account identification information or passwords to access online accounts. In these cases, the external server sends a request to WHUB to request this information. WHUB may store such information and respond to such requests. Alternatively, the WHUB may further exchange information with the user (via the handset) in order to obtain additional information requested by an external server.

Along with the purchase request 404, a payment request 410 is issued over a network connection between the WHUB and an external server. Payment request 410 allows the user to complete the transaction associated with purchase request 404 . To effectuate the successful completion of the payment request, the server communicates with the payment gateway, followed by a decision 412 indicating whether the payment request succeeded or failed.

When a successful payment request is indicated, the WHUB receives 414 a receipt or confirmation number related to the requested action from the external server and communicates 416 and/or related information to the handset to confirm completion of the action. This could be a receipt, confirmation number, coupon code, etc.

According to yet another aspect, the present invention provides wireless management of task-responsive alerts. One such task is diaper management, which will be described in detail below.

This aspect of the invention provides task management based on wireless delivery of alerts to overcome the problem of estimating when anything needs to be done. These alert-based tasks include, but are not limited to, diaper management. For example, residential security monitoring may also be provided.

Figure 5 illustrates an example of a diaper management system 500 according to the present invention. The diaper management system 500 includes a diaper condition sensing module 510 and a central receiver/controller (CRC) 520 . The CRC 520 operates on a conventional processing platform and is configured to communicate wirelessly with the diaper condition sensing module 510. CRC 520 also includes a network interface. Wireless and/or network interfaces enable transmission of appropriate alerts to caregivers.

The diaper condition sensing module 510 includes a sensor 512 and a transmitter 514 . The sensor 512 is configured to monitor one or more of the following conditions, the result of which indicates whether the diaper is wet or not:

1. Diaper weight - urine or feces makes the diaper heavier than a dry, clean diaper;

2. Conductance of urine;

3. Urine chemistry - volatile gases including volatile acids or ammonia, pH, amylase, ketone bodies, and/or urobilinogen can be detected and analyzed to determine the presence or absence of urine;

4. Feces: solid waste; bilirubin in feces, or coprobilinogen; specific food decomposition substances including starch, fat, plant fiber, muscle fiber, etc.; and/or

5. Any other elements, features, characteristics and reflections which are not desirable on baby diapers. Sensor 512 causes transmitter 514 to establish a wireless communication channel between itself and CRC 520. Transmitter 514 sends a signal to inform CRC 520: the diaper is wet. The wireless communication channel preferably uses a wireless technology such as UWB, Bluetooth, RFID, spread spectrum communication, or other conventional wireless communication technology.

Each sensor 512 preferably has a unique ID. Multiple access mechanisms such as TDMA, CDMA, FDMA or other conventional methods can also be applied to allow a central receiver to communicate with multiple sensors located at the same source. Given the competing demands of operating range, data rate, and cost, it is believed that Zigbee/Bluetooth could be beneficial for many applications.

After the CRC 520 receives the signal, the receiver triggers sound, light, text and/or other indications of the diaper status. These indications can be variously displayed, broadcast, mirrored, etc. through speakers, telephones, pagers, alarms, computers, etc. to inform the caregiver(s) so that they can improve the condition. The diaper condition sensing module 510 may be provided in different ways. One example uses a probe attached to the diaper that measures against the desired standard as described above and shown in FIG. 5 .

Another example provides a diaper condition sensing module 510 within a diaper. In this example, the sensor 512 also includes an interface (probe) for measuring the desired standard within the range of the diaper. Transmitter 514 may use various communication techniques as described above. For the RFID embodiment, when the diaper condition (e.g. wet) is detected by the sensor, the functionality can be provided by changing the loop of the RFID tag from an open loop to a closed loop, which automatically causes the ID tag to be CRC tag reader sensing.

Furthermore, in this example the diaper condition sensing module 510 can be placed inside the diaper and can be reused. The diaper may be configured with a pouch or the like to allow placement of the diaper condition sensing module 510 . In another option, the diaper condition sensing module 510 is manufactured and sold as an integral part of every diaper so that the caregiver does not have to be concerned with the placement of the module 510 every time the diaper is changed.

In addition to assisting caregivers with individual children's diapers, a diaper management system may be configured to manage the diapers of a group of children, such as a preschool or daycare facility where many children may be wearing diapers. An example of such a system 600 is shown in FIG. 6 . The CRC 620 is configured to differentiate between children who need new diapers and those who do not, and send messages to the appropriate caregivers, respectively. To accomplish this functionality, the CRC 620 is equipped with a database that associates a unique identifier corresponding to each diaper condition sensing module 610a-g with at least one contact party. Alternative communication paths (voice, email, etc.), multiple contacts (caregiver#_1, caregiver#_2), and various other information can be associated to a given diaper condition sensing module 610a-i in the database.

In addition to providing status alerts regarding the condition of the diaper, the CRC 620 determines the location of the diaper by using wireless location techniques including, but not limited to, angle of arrival, time of arrival, and received signal strength indications. This also enables the provision of information to the designated caregiver about the location of the child whose diaper is soiled.

7 is a flowchart illustrating a process 700 for sending caregiver alerts based on diaper condition in accordance with the present invention. The process 700 begins with the DCSM sensor monitoring 702 the condition of the diaper. When the diaper condition changes, eg when it is wet, the DCSM sensor detects the updated diaper condition. When this occurs, the DCSM transmitter sends 704 a diaper condition update to the CRC. The CRC receives 706 updates and corresponding indications. Many conditions can be updated, so the DCSM and CRC are configured to communicate these conditions. Once provided with updates, the CRC proceeds to estimate the position of the (eg wet) diaper. The DCSM sends the ID corresponding to the update, which identifies the diaper/child. The CRC queries its database and accordingly matches 708 the ID corresponding to the update to trim the Caregiver Alert(s). As such, these alerts are then sent 710 to the caregiver(s).

In the case of multiple children/diapers being monitored, the alert provided by the CRC can be passed to a PC with a display screen with a map of one or more rooms and the estimated location of the wet diaper. Other CRC-provided alerts may only notify one or more auxiliary caregivers about the diaper status, not the location, so that one or more auxiliary caregivers may be informed of the status. The CRC can also poll the DCSM after a given period of time to ensure that the diaper status has been updated. CRCs can be configured using configuration settings that allow caregivers to specify when and how they should be updated. For example, if a caregiver is a babysitter looking after a child, when the child's parents are out, the parent can configure the CRC to not send them an alert when a diaper is initially detected as wet until a certain period of time has elapsed. In contrast, nanny alerts can be provided instantly. If a certain period of time has passed and the diaper is still wet, the CRC can thus notify the parents of the diaper condition, so that the parents will realize that the diaper has not been changed. FIG. 8 is a block and event diagram illustrating an example of a system 800 that implements aspects of the invention as described above. System 800 includes UE 802, WHUB 804, Authorization Server 806, Base Station(s) 808, LCN Server(s), 810, and DCSM 812, which respectively provide the Function.

Local merchant server(s) 814 are also shown. As described in connection with the provision of locally applicable Internet content, merchants are notified of the local applicability of the content, as determined, for example, by the frequency of visits by users of a particular location corresponding to a given base station(s). WHUB 804, in addition to being configured to facilitate secure receipt and execution of actions (purchase requests and corresponding payment requests), also includes CRC functionality that allows responses to diaper status updates provided by DCSM 712 (diapers only is an example of an item that could be offered an update).

Using the system 800 so configured, delivery of locally applicable Internet content may be provided along with diaper updates. Likewise, local merchants (and corresponding servers) 814 selling diapers can provide coupons or other incentives to users along with the determination that "diapers are wet" made by the DCSM. Additionally, the WHUB 804 can maintain a database of household needs and inventory, in addition to the ability to alert caregivers about this. For example, WHUB 804 may monitor the number of detected diapers in use. When the number of used diapers approaches a known previously purchased quantity, an additional alert can be provided to the user to make them aware that they need diapers and if they purchased the brand x based on information provided by the local merchant If so, they can get a discount. A process for providing such functionality may be as follows. Along with system 800, local merchant information is cached 852 in the associated LCN server(s) based on historical activity related to access to locally applicable Internet content, and whatever merchant engagement is expected to be. A wet diaper is detected 854 by the DCSM 812 and this information is transmitted to the WHUB 804. The WHUB 804, which manages the family's diaper inventory, determines that the diaper inventory is low and therefore sends 856 a purchase alert via the base station 808 to request information related to current demand. In response to this, the LCN server(s) 810 determine that the local merchant information is relevant to the current need, so retrieve 858 and send 860 the cached local merchant information to the WHUB 804.

Along with the information exchange described above, alerts of both diaper condition and low diaper inventory can be provided and retained for viewing by the user. This can be provided by the WHUB 804 when the user is ready to make a purchase. Purchase requests can be done by interfacing directly with the WHUB 804, or by using the UE 802 in the manner described above. The latter option is shown. There, the UE 802 sends 862 its Tag ID and purchase request to the WHUB 804. Of course, this can be done after some browsing activity prior to the purchase request in order to review possible purchase options. Authentication can be performed based on the tag ID and password as described above. The tag ID and password are sent 864 to the verification server, which returns a notification 868 confirming the verification.

Once authorized, the payment is sent 868 to the local merchant server 814 to complete the transaction, and receipts, confirmations and other information related to the transaction can be fed back to the WHUB 804. For actual products such as diapers, the WHUB will already provide (or the local merchant already has) a shipping address. Additionally, if the local merchant is the provider of several items (eg a supermarket), the items can be accumulated prior to completing the purchase and/or shipping and/or making the product available to the user. The WHUB is preferably configured using a shopping list that allows organizations to accumulate purchases periodically to provide this functionality.

9 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a system 900 with mobile emphasis signal conversion.

Through the conversion of the mobile terminal signal, the display device can be used to display the high-speed data stream multimedia information in the wireless communication environment. This feature allows us to truly realize and enjoy the entertainment and benefits that multimedia brings us.

For example, through the use of so-called next-generation cellular technologies (3G and 4G), multimedia information can be provided to wireless mobile terminals. This technology can be used to transmit multimedia information (such as rich images, real-time audio and video). But because of the relatively too small screen and the insufficient quality of earphones, in many applications, those high-quality multimedia information that could have brought sufficient clarity and satisfaction with the next-generation communication technology cannot be fully reproduced by the mobile terminal. According to the embodiment of the present invention, by converting the signal received by the mobile terminal, replaceable multimedia display terminals, including but not limited to monitors, televisions, projectors, or LCD displays, can be used to achieve these purposes. These display devices generally have a significantly better ability to reproduce video and audio than mobile terminals. Moreover, they use a power supply separate from the mobile terminal.

Referring to the system 900 illustrated in FIG. 9, the multimedia information can be provided by any number of service providers (numbered 902a-b in the figure), and can be transmitted to the base station 906 through the network 904, and then transmitted to the cellular phone 908 after relevant processing . The system 900 is only an example, and it should be understood that any conventional and developing technology capable of transmitting voice and/or data to a mobile terminal may be applicable to the present invention. These wireless communication systems include, but are not limited to, cellular communication systems and wireless local area networks.

Also, although we have illustrated a typical external display system 914, it can have many variations and different forms. It can be digital or analog. Examples of digital systems include HDTV, LCD and plasma display devices. Analog systems include televisions (implementation standards are NTSC, PAL, SECAM) and analog computer monitors (SVGA, VGA). The external display system 914 may not be limited by the size of the display screen like the mobile terminal 908, and preferably can be independently powered.

In the description of a specific embodiment, the mobile terminal signal conversion unit (MTSCM) 912 is configured as an independent device 910 outside the mobile terminal 908 .

For a more in-depth discussion of the utility of MTSCM 912, see existing notes on Fig. 9 and flowchart 12.

The MTSCM 912 processes the signal so that it can be reproduced by an external device. As previously described (step 402), the multimedia signal is transmitted to the cellular telephone 908 via the wireless communication network. The multimedia signal may include visual information rendered through the display screen of the mobile terminal 908 . For the convenience of explanation, the processing of the video signal is described here, it should be understood that the present invention converts any multimedia information or some part thereof.

Cellular telephone 908 is connected to MTSCM 910. It may be a cable connection connecting the cell phone 908 to the MTSCM 912 device 910. Through this connection, the MTSCM 912 receives video signals from the cell phone 908 (step 1204). Such received video signals may be suitably processed for display on the cell phone 908 screen. The cable connection described above is an example of connecting the cellular phone 908 to the MTSCM 912. Another example of a wired connection is that instead of a cable, the two are connected by a socket. A wireless connection is also possible, although it is not as feasible as a wired connection because it does not accommodate the potential for high data flow transfers. Wireless connections may be implemented with existing communication technologies, including but not limited to Bluetooth connections.

MTSCM 912 processes the video signal to provide a converted video signal having a display format and/or signal strength suitable for display terminal 914 replaceable with cellular telephone 908 (step 1206). The display format and/or signal strength of such a display terminal 914 may be different from that of the cell phone 908, but they may also have embodiments of the same format. But even if the format is the same, the signal conversion of the display terminal (code number 914 in the figure) still needs to be adjusted to achieve the strength that can drive the display terminal and reduce the throughput requirement as much as possible. This signal conversion is further explained in the description of FIG. 11 below. Referring to Fig. 9 and Fig. 13 again, after signal conversion, MTSCM 912 provides the converted visual signal to external display terminal 914, so as to adapt to displaying this visual information by the screen of display terminal 914 (step 1208). This can be realized by connecting the MTSCM 912 device 910 and the external display terminal 914 as shown in the figure.

Here, mobile terminals include typical handheld mobile devices, including cellular phones and personal digital assistants. Although these devices include an execution platform capable of performing input and display functions, they are distinguished from desktop and desktop personal computers that are not designed for portability.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating the modules of the MTSCM 1000 according to the present invention. The MTSCM 1000 can be provided in software, firmware, hardware, and any combination thereof.

When the MTSCM 1000 is provided in software, it operates in the execution platform environment. That is, the MTSCM 1000 includes instructions stored in memory for execution by a processor. Any conventional or future implementation platform can be used. Here we will not explain more about processors, memory and related devices, such as power supply devices, which are well-known concepts. In addition, Figure 10 depicts the elements of the MTSCM 1000 decomposed step by step. We should know that the practicability and function of the decomposition units of MTSCM 1000 in this figure can vary, and their nomenclature can be larger, smaller or have different names.

In addition, although the units listed in the figure are all in a common area, they can be completed by different parts of the system in practice. The system includes mobile terminals, display devices, and built-in MTSCMs and intermediate settings connecting mobile terminals and display devices. In addition, it can be said that the overall functions of the MTSCM can be separated, and the overall functions can be realized separately or independently by the mobile terminal, a separate intermediate device and/or display device.

MTSCM 1000 can also be provided in the form of a chip, which can be placed in a mobile terminal, or can be used as a separate dedicated signal conversion device, or placed in a display terminal to provide the above-mentioned mobile terminal signal conversion function.

MTSCM 1000 includes a mobile terminal interface unit 1002, a signal conversion unit 1004, and an external device interface 1006.

The mobile terminal interface unit 1002 is capable of directly receiving multimedia information from a mobile terminal or a wireless communication network. A traditional physical interface provides the connection between the MTSCM 1000 and the mobile terminal, allowing the signal to flow to the MTSCM 1000. The mobile terminal interface unit 1002 identifies and stores multimedia information, which is then processed by the remaining units. Buffering and similar operations can be used to perform the storage and signal processing described below.

The signal conversion unit 1004 communicates with the mobile terminal interface unit 1002, thereby accessing and processing the received multimedia information. The signal conversion unit 1004 recognizes the format of the multimedia signal and processes it into a converted signal. The converted signal can have a different format and signal power strength than that used by the mobile terminal and can accommodate one or more external devices connected to the MTSCM 1000. Various types of external devices connected to the MTSCM 1000 are illustrated below in conjunction with FIG. 11 .

The external device interface 1006 communicates with the signal conversion unit 1004, thereby obtaining the converted signal. The external device interface 1006 can also be connected with an external device (such as a display device). The external device interface 1006 can not only provide the converted signal to the external device, but also drive the external device. Alternatively, the external device interface 1006 may only provide the converted signal to the external device, and the external device has a built-in drive unit that can drive a device for reproducing (eg displaying) the signal.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating another example of the MTSCM 1100. MTSCM 1100 includes more details on signal conversion and describes examples of different kinds of external display devices that are supplied with converted signals by MTSCM 1100. These descriptions and corresponding explanations are illustrated by examples. Although a large number of connection methods have been described, the present invention may include all of these connection methods in practice, or only one or more of them; .

MTSCM 1100 includes an interface/buffer unit 1102 similar to the mobile terminal interface unit described above. In order to meet the user's demand for multimedia signal output (such as providing real-time audio/video with sufficient buffering and processing rate), the remaining components are used to configure buffering and receiving functions to meet the needs of signal transmission. The mobile terminal video compression format can have many changes, but the most commonly used one is MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 at present. Buffering and throughput can also be implemented according to the designer's ideas. Although buffers of 1300Mb or higher are achievable, 1000Mb is currently accepted as a more appropriate buffer specification. In addition, the throughput rate of about 10Gb/s is more suitable for the current system, but it can be increased according to the needs or technical requirements involved. video compression translation

The encoder 1104a is used for receiving multimedia signals. Multimedia information is usually compressed to meet the demands of increased signal transmission rates. One of the MPEG standards (eg MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4) provides an example of such a compression system. The video compression codec 1104a is configured to include appropriate compression and decompression (CODEC) units to decompress the received multimedia signal. For example, when the compression scheme adopts MPEG, the video compression decoder 1104a uses MPEG CODEC to process such multimedia signals.

As an alternative to providing the video compression decoder 1104a in the MTSCM 1100, the above functions may also be provided in a cell phone or other mobile terminal. The difficulty with this solution, however, is the high bandwidth required to transmit the decompressed information between the cell phone and the MTSCM 1100, which in turn requires larger buffering capabilities.

The video compression decoder 1104a outputs the decompressed digital multimedia signal to a digital/analog video encoder (DAVE) 1104b and/or a digital/digital video encoder DDVE1104c. The digital/analog video encoder DAVE1104b provides signals to the analog display terminal 1120; the digital/digital video encoder DDVE1104c provides signals to the digital external display terminal 1122. Digital/analog video encoder DAVE1104b and digital/digital video encoder DDVE1104c respectively receive decompressed multimedia signals, and convert these signals into the format and signal power strength required by the receiving terminal interfaced with them. Examples of formats used by the analog display terminal 1120 include S-Video, RGBHV, RGBS, and EIA770.3 listed. Likewise, the Digital/Digital Video Encoder DDVE1104c provides outputs using standards such as DVI, DVI-D, HDMI and IEEE1394. Information provided by digital/analog video encoder DAVE 1104b and digital/digital video encoder DDVE 1104c, respectively, is output to the terminal via interfaces 306a-b. The digital/analog video encoder DAVE) 1104b can actually be implemented as a correspondingly configured video card. Such video cards can be configured to perform the above functions, including but not limited to Diamond Stealth S60, ASUS V9400-X, or RADEON7000.

Ultimately, these signals are displayed on external display terminals according to the specific display type required. For example, a video data stream could be a digital RGB signal, representing the intensity of red, green, and blue light at different locations. This signal is converted into an analog signal by a D/A converter. This converted analog signal conforms to the voltage and format required by the standard, such as the input of a cathode ray tube CRT monitor. This standardized video signal drives an array of electron guns that generate controlled streams of electrons to display red, green, and blue light on a CRT screen. This is just an example, in fact the present invention is not limited to a certain external display technology (such as CRT). As mentioned above, in one embodiment, the MTSCM can be completely separated from the mobile terminal and the external display terminal, and respectively have connections with other facilities to complete the whole system including three parts of hardware (mobile terminal, conversion box, external display terminal) configuration. This configuration provides good flexibility, allowing any standard mobile terminal and/or display terminal to coordinate with the MTSCM to the greatest extent without restricting the manufacturers of the mobile terminal and external display terminal. A possible disadvantage of this configuration is that the system requires additional hardware.

Instead of this three-component system, the MTSCM can be set both in the mobile terminal and in the display terminal. FIG. 13 depicts an embodiment of a system 1300 in which the conversion of MTSCM mobile terminal signals is located in the mobile terminal 1308 . The units and functions of the service provider 1302a, b network 1304 and the base station for transmitting multimedia signals to the mobile terminal 1308 are the same as the analog units in FIG. 1 , and will not be repeated here. Likewise, the external display terminal 1314 can be any one of the above-mentioned multiple forms.

MTSCM 1312 provides the same functions as above. However, the MTSCM 1312 is an integral part of the mobile terminal 1308, rather than being separated into other devices. In addition, a potential benefit of this system 1300 is that any standard device can be used as the external display terminal 1314 without limiting the display device manufacturer. In addition, connecting an external display device with the mobile terminal 1308 requires only a simple wired or wireless interface. This means, for example, that users don't need to carry a bulky conversion unit in addition to their cell phone.

A potential disadvantage of this system 1300 is that the execution platform of the mobile terminal 1308 may only be designed to accommodate legacy functions, so adding MTSCM functionality to an existing execution platform may be challenging for some systems. In addition, MTSCM will consume a lot of limited energy that the battery of the mobile terminal (code number 1308 in the figure) can provide. Therefore, the embodiment of connecting with the external display terminal 1314 through a cable and providing energy to the mobile terminal 1308 is very practical. Again, this would require some modification to the mobile terminal 1308, as its existing power supply ports may not be adequate for this function.

FIG. 14 is a system diagram illustrating another example of a system 1400 in which an MTSCM 1412 is placed in an external display terminal 1414. Same as in FIG. 13, the components and practicability of the service provider 1402a, b network 1404 and the base station 1406 for transmitting multimedia information to the mobile terminal 1408 are the same as those of the analog unit in FIG. 9; details will not be repeated here.

Here, the mobile terminal 1408 only needs to be directly connected to the external display terminal 1414 . However, an alternative to disposing the functionality of the MTSCM 1412 in the mobile terminal 1408 is to make it a part of the display terminal 1414. This system 1400 solves the power supply and execution platform issues involved in placing the MTSCM 1414 in a mobile terminal; moreover, any mobile terminal 1408, other than providing a transmission interface, can communicate with any external display equipped with an MTSCM without further modification The device is connected. The potential disadvantage of this configuration is that additional components are added on the basis of the standard external display terminal, and the corresponding cost is also increased.

FIG. 15 is an example illustrating a signal conversion application 1500 for a mobile terminal according to the present invention. By illustrating these application programs 1500 with examples, readers can understand some possible situations where the embodiments of the present invention can be applied. The invention is not limited to the listed applications; nor is all possible applications limited to the described embodiments.

The infrastructure providing wireless communication signals and corresponding multimedia signals includes the service providers 1502a, b, network 1504, base stations 1506, and mobile terminals 1508 described above. The MTSCM 1510 may be in the mobile terminal 1508 or in the display terminal 1512, or may be separate therefrom. Examples of applications 1514 that require larger screens and higher-end audio include video conferencing, HDTV, gaming, GPS, and video on demand. In addition, the embodiment of the present invention provides a place 1516 for full multimedia function enjoyment, which may include motor vehicles, airplanes, hotels, vacation places and the like. For example, the present invention thus provides for use in motor vehicles, airplanes and any means of transportation, allowing passengers to browse the Internet, watch TV, play games, participate in video conferences or make video calls, and apply software of all kinds Full functionality and practicality. Fig. 16 is a schematic diagram showing a control system for multimedia communication between different user terminals.

According to an aspect of the present embodiment, conversion servers that are variously located in the network environment provide routing functions and connection functions, and bidirectionally provide the functions. Thus, this aspect provides for the transmission and reception of content and converts such content in both directions depending on the connected devices and the corresponding protocols used by such devices.

According to another aspect of this embodiment, cellular television functionality is provided. Here, the television also includes, in form and functionality, cellular communication features as well as the switching functionality described above. Preferably, one or more "channels" corresponding to cellular applications are provided in the cellular television so that a user can access and view content received in this manner in a manner similar to that used to access traditional television channels.

According to yet another aspect, one or more embodiments of the invention provide efficient integration for Internet, wireless network, cable, DSL, satellite and TV communications to enable communications between potentially different user terminals. User terminals include home and office appliances (eg TV, computer) and wireless terminals (eg mobile phone, PDA). In a system configured according to the present aspect, a management center (MC) receives, selects, converts, compresses, decompresses and routes data to user terminals. Various examples are shown and will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art once taught in light of the aspects. As an example, signals such as those from a fire sensor or a theft sensor are sent through the MC system to the user's cell phone and/or a 911 center. Some processing functions may be performed by the MC system in conjunction with user terminals and other MC systems. In a further example, the user's phone calls (wireless or wired) are routed to a phone, mobile terminal, computer and/or TV specified by the user.

MC system functionality includes receiving, converting and transmitting content in both directions. It also includes facilities for mapping and routing content to various connected devices and data storage for storing content for use by local or remote devices.

Reception, conversion and transmission of multimedia content can be performed using the MC system in both directions. For example, this may include receiving and transmitting signals from cellular networks, the Internet, PSTN, other management centers, and receiving and transmitting signals from user terminals including televisions, monitors, diaper monitoring, video cameras, fire alarms, theft sensors etc.

Regarding conversion, the MC system includes a converter module with routines for selecting, extracting, compressing, decompressing, adjusting data and converting data format and/or power leverage and/or data packet size/format.

The MC system also includes mapping tables and routing modules. The mapping tables are described further below. It matches phone numbers, cable ports, DSL ports, IP addresses, etc. The routing module is used to route the data to the destination through the specified channel. The routing module allows routing of received data inbound from various sources including, but not limited to, cable, broadcast television, and the Internet. It also allows routing to various interfaces built on the receiving terminal including but not limited to RS232, USB2.0 and video cable ports. The routing module receives relevant information about the route from the result of looking at the same route in the mapping table, and implements the route accordingly.

Finally, the MC system includes a data storage such as a hard disk. This allows the MC system to store content to facilitate faster and more efficient data reception and transmission to user terminals. The MC system can also conveniently retain transformed (eg, compressed, encoded, encrypted, decompressed) content for subsequent additional access. This converted content can be provided internally or transmitted externally from the MC system.

It should also be noted that the MC system also includes software and/or hardware for filtering and handling viruses, such as viruses involving cellular networks and corresponding cellular communications. For example, the MC system may periodically or continuously check for virus signatures as content is being transmitted and received by the MC system. Thus virus screen procedures can be applied to multimedia content and their conversion, and in the same place (the domain of the MC system). This is useful because virus masking can be applied to multimedia content before and/or after it is converted. Processing may include blocking or quarantining detected viruses, deleting virus data or files, and communicating the possible presence of an attack to other MC systems or external systems.

When a communication is inbound to the MC system, it may include a data packet identifying the destination device. This may be in the form of a unique device identifier associated with each device managed by the MC system. Ask the mapping table for the existence of a unique identifier. Once this is successfully performed, the corresponding information about the communication process can be automatically collected from the mapping table.

Additionally, or alternatively, the MC system (and/or CHS) can obtain formatting, addressing, and other information by referring to portions of received data packets according to predefined protocols. For example, the information in a received data packet may indicate the format for transmission (such as a TCP packet in the Internet) and the format for reception (such as a data packet defined by WCDMA in 3G), and the format corresponding to the converted data format destination address. Overhead information in received data packets can inform the MC/CHS about the next transport protocol and matching format. That is, the data packets received by the MC/CHS include some specified extra data besides the expected content data. This information informs the MC/CHS about the inbound data format transfer protocol, and also the outbound data format and transfer protocol corresponding to that data format.

For example, if the data packet contains the identifier DI1, it is determined that the communication is destined for the main television in the home. In a similar example, all communications to a given device may be required to be in the same format and to the same address. For example, a conventional video output may be directly connected via a cable (eg, via coaxial cable, component cable, HDMI cable) between the video output from the MC system and the main TV's video input. For this example, the MC system includes a regular output for connection to a TV.

There are also network-based connections, eg to a personal computer (eg a home LAN router) or directly to a television equipped with a network interface card and related functionality. In these instances, the address information (and the corresponding entry in the mapping table) may include the network address of the particular device. The MC system is equipped with its own network interface card and corresponding outputs to participate in these communications. Again as indicated by the mapping table, these and other communications (eg, communications using a cell phone number or direct local wireless communication to the cell phone) can be made.

There may also be situations where multiple different procedures and corresponding translations and addressing need to be applied for a given device. For example, a TV set can be connected to both the network connection and the video output of the MC system. As another example, note that a cellular telephone may have alternate communication capabilities. In these circumstances, the mapping table may also include a number of different entries for specifying addresses, signal formats, and the like.

Therefore, the information in the mapping table may also be associated with some processing category codes for a given device. For example, a processing category code #1 for a television may indicate that inbound communications should be addressed, translated (if applicable), and routed to the television through the video output. This might just feed a regular TV signal to the TV. On the other hand, processing category code #2 for televisions may indicate that inbound communications should be addressed, translated, and routed through the network connection. Additionally, some specific content requires additional or different processing (eg conversion, decryption, etc.) than other content. An additional handling category code (like a device identifier) can be a number included in the data packet. Data packets may also be provided differently to the MC system. In one embodiment, the data packets may be included in a header region of packet data sent by the source to the MC system. Additionally, sometimes the data packets may themselves contain information for translating and/or addressing the appropriate device. For example, the data packet itself may contain the network address of the destination device instead of looking up the same in a mapping table. As another example, all or part of the key information for decrypting the content may also be provided in the data packet. As another example, data packets may contain flags to track an indication of whether the virus masking process has been successfully completed.

Devices intended to work with the MC system may be equipped with software and/or hardware that allow them to insert and deliver appropriate information in communication with the MC system. For example, a cellular telephone may be equipped with software for providing appropriately configured data packets in initial communications with the MC system directed to a destination device.

The MC system processes data differently depending on the respective device and the destination for the data. For example, data received from a cellular network is selected and then converted for display on home or office appliances with different types of display screens. Similarly, some content can be displayed more appropriately through the mobile phone display. Additionally, some data is also compressed and reorganized in the MC system so that they have a specific data packet size and format for matching the requirements of the associated transport network. For example, signals sent from wet diaper, fire alarm and/or theft sensors may be transmitted to the user's phone or 911 center. This information can be compressed prior to transmission over the wireless network, which allows for increased efficiency when using wireless communication channels. In addition, security and encryption protocols (such as SSL) and error prevention protocols and coding mechanisms (such as Huffman, Solomon or Turbo LDPC coding) can be applied to ensure that the transmitted information remains secure and error-free.

As an example, this aspect of the invention may be applied to household appliances. Household appliances (such as TVs, PCs, telephone handsets, printers, PALMs, cameras, headphones, game controllers, refrigerators, etc.) can also be operated through the central HUB system (CHS). Such a HUB system has been described in detail above. The CHS system communicates with the MC system and/or the Internet and/or other networks. CHS can also be built into cable modems, TV set-top boxes, or other devices. Signals eg from wet diapers, fire and/or theft sensors can also be sent from the CHS. Finally, note that the CHS can perform the functions described for the MC system.

Commonly applied wireless connections centralized by wireless access points are based on WLAN technology, which is an IP-oriented technology. Because IP addresses may be exhausted over time, configuring every consumer electronics device (eg, headset, game controller, etc.) with an IP address is expensive and does not serve the needs of users well. In this regard, one or more embodiments of the invention provide two aspects. First, an intelligent management system surrounded by traditional connected devices (such as TV set-top boxes, cable modems, DSL modems, etc.) combines, manages and optimizes the functions of consumer electronics. Non-IP based wireless connections are also provided between these consumer electronic devices.

As shown in Figure 16, the CHS communicates via ADSL or cable Internet and communicates with the cellular base station via a wireless connection. Consumer electronic devices communicate with the CHS through wireless channels (eg, Bluetooth, UWB, NFC) or wired-line connections. The CHS is the center of the wireless communication system.

A telephone handset (eg, a cellular telephone) can receive Internet data through the CHS and/or MS rather than communicating with a cellular base station. This communication channel is more reliable, more economical and provides improved bandwidth compared to conventional connections between base stations and cellular telephones.

There may be a corresponding connection between the CHS and the cellular network. This can be accomplished using conventional wireless communication protocols for communication between the CHS and the cellular base station. Another possibility is to connect the CHS to leased or wireless lines of the core cellular network. The CHS preferably includes WiFi router functionality and the ability to route addresses between IP and cellular phone numbers. It is also possible to report the location of a particular user to the cellular network, thus enabling information specific to the particular user to be directed to the CHS (eg calls, content, etc. customized by the particular user through the cell phone). It may also include any necessary conversion functions. In addition to reporting the user's location to the cellular network, the MC system (or CHS) can also report roaming information to other MC systems (or CHS). This enables subsequent communications between users without involving the cellular network. That is, a first user may be located in an area covered by a first MC system, and a second user may be located in an area covered by a second MC system. While this situation holds, the communication between the first and second users via their mobile terminals may involve a wireless connection from the MC system (and a connection between the MC systems, which is eg an IP connection). Also, according to another aspect of the present invention, the information sent to the cell phone can be sent to the TV for better display. Additionally, communication and corresponding conditions between the CHS and the oven with sensors can be triggered differently, for example by detecting boiling water or the temperature of food in the oven. Signals to call the attention of anyone who is cooking food or boiling water are transmitted to TVs, audio systems, cell phones, computers, beepers, mobile terminals, PDAs and the like.

Another example of application of the present invention is that the wireless transceiver can be installed in a child's diaper. Communication between the diaper and the CHS is triggered when the diaper is wet. The corresponding signals are delivered to TVs, cellular, daycare centers, etc. Internet content is one source of data transmitted to user terminals through the MC system. As shown in Figure 16, one aspect of the present invention is the structural location of the MC system and/or content server.

As described in more detail above, the cache of locally applicable content caches specific Internet content that is determined to be locally applicable based on monitoring of Internet content accessed by users from specific locations. The content may be content that has also been transformed as described herein. Certain Internet content is preferably cached in a local content store located at a local management center. Alternatively, certain Internet content is cached at a content server that is logically placed close to two or more management centers that share Internet content. Logical proximity is performed differently, such as by physical proximity or by providing dedicated bandwidth and resources. Requests for Internet content for a particular location can thus be served from a cache containing the requested content to optimize delivery.

Additionally, a cache of locally applicable Internet content may be maintained on a layered basis, such that a first layer of local applications corresponds to Internet content requested by users in a first geographic area in which a particular location exists, And at least one succeeding layer of the local application corresponds to Internet content requested by users in at least one successive geographic area that encloses and is larger than the first geographic area.

Merchants or other commercial entities may also provide some form of access to information related to locally applicable Internet content on which commercial incentives (such as coupons or advertisements) are delivered to users based on the information.

Logical proximity based on physical proximity or provision of resources and dedicated bandwidth may also be applied to the location of the content server and/or MC system. MC systems and/or content servers are placed according to local business requirements, dedicated bandwidth and other resources, geography and demographics, cost, and the like. MC systems can also be structured and placed in layers as described in Layered Structure of Content Servers. The relative positioning of the MC system and content servers is determined based on business requirements, resources, costs and monetary incentives. Importantly, the management center and Internet content servers are structured for efficient transfer of data and to avoid bottleneck problems.

Note that the present invention is not limited to Internet content. MC systems and content servers can store content from various sources.

Various data transfer protocols can be used to transfer multimedia content to the MC system, including from cellular networks (eg 3G), the Internet, service providers, and from other MC systems.

A set of transmitters and/or receivers for connection with external resources is equipped in the MC system. Connection channels for data transmission may include wireline connections (eg, DSL, fiber optic, cable, DSL, leased lines, etc.) between the MC system and external networks (eg, cellular networks, Internet, service provider networks). In addition, wireless connections such as WiMax, satellite communications (such as VSAT systems), traditional communications with cellular base stations, point-to-point or point-to-multipoint wireless connections can provide connectivity between the MC system and external networks. MC systems can also connect, communicate, route and relay content with each other and with each other. Connections between MC systems are structured by efficient data transfer, service requirements, cost, bandwidth and other resource availability, and relationships with Internet content servers, cellular networks, local service providers, and other MC systems.

Various communications can also be used for communication channels between the MC system and various local user terminals. On the user terminal side, users use TVs, computers, DSL modems, cable modems, WLAN access points, mobile terminals, and various sensors that communicate with the MC system.

A set of transmitters and/or receivers is equipped for data transmission between the MC system and user terminals. Communication channels between the MC system and user terminals include the following: (1) direct connections using available transmission ports/standards (e.g., USB, RS232, TV cable, Ethernet, telephone lines, etc.); (2) ZigBee, Such as UWB, Bluetooth, WLAN, etc.; (3) long-distance wireless connections, such as WiMax, satellite, such as VSAT, TV broadcasting, etc.; (4) wired line connections, such as DSL, cable, Ethernet, etc.

The data transmission between the MC system and the user terminal can be one-way or two-way. One-way data transmission includes data sent from the MC system to the user terminal and data sent from the user terminal to the MC system. For example, the MC system sends data to user terminals (such as advertising broadcasts to TVs, computers, mobile terminals, etc.). Similarly, the user terminal sends data to the MC system (for example a signal from a fire alarm to the MC system). Data transmitted between the MC system and the user terminal is preferably bi-directional. In this case, transmitters and receivers are equipped on both sides.

Operations for data processing and transmission at the MC system can be shared with multiple user terminals and/or other MC systems. In some cases, some functions of the above-mentioned MC system can be implemented by the user terminal, so the MC system is omitted. One aspect of the invention is a TV or other display equipped to receive RF signals transmitted from a cellular base station. Cellular TVs demodulate, and/or compress/decompress the data, and/or convert the signal to the appropriate format before displaying the image/video. Conversion and transmission to television can also be bi-directional. Cellular TVs with cameras/microphones are also capable of recording and extracting multimedia information that can be sent to other user's terminals via the cellular network or the Internet. Cellular televisions are equipped to extract and/or convert, and/or compress and modulate multimedia information before sending the information to the cellular base station. The cellular television also preferably has a separate channel for displaying multimedia information from the cellular network or other networks besides traditional TV programming. Users can also use the TV remote controller to dial phone numbers like a dial pad.

7 is a flow diagram illustrating a process 1700 for instructing a television to display content using a signal received from a remote location over a cellular communication network. In one embodiment, the process is implemented in a television set equipped to receive signals wirelessly from a cellular base station and provide corresponding transitions and instructions to display content on a given channel. To this end, the television's housing includes conventional cellular telephone technology for at least receiving (and possibly sending, if necessary) calls over a connection to the cellular network. As detailed above with respect to MTSCM, television sets are also equipped with the processing capabilities required to perform signal conversion.

In an alternative embodiment, the set-top box is configured to receive the wireless signal and to output the signal appropriately formatted for the television. In yet another embodiment, the MC system is equipped to receive wireless signals and to perform conversion and routing to a television set. In any of these cases, the set-top box or MC system is similarly equipped to provide the mentioned cellular communication capabilities and MTSCM functionality. Also note that there are embodiments where functionality is divided between the set-top box, television set, MC system and/or CHS in various ways involving at least two and sometimes all three devices .

The process begins 1702 when video content is received over a cellular communication channel. For example, the communication may be received at the onset of a cell phone user wishing to send content. For example, a regular cell phone call to a designated number corresponding to the television may be used to establish the connection. At this point, the content sent from the remote cell phone to the TV will be formatted by the cellular network as needed. The MTSCM functionality converts such signals and associated formats from the cellular network to the format used by television (eg SD or HD standards).

When the video content is confirmed to have the TV as a display destination 1704, the video content is then configured for display 1706 according to the requirements of the TV, eg, as described with respect to the functionality of the MTSCM. When a dedicated number or known signal route to the television is provided at a given interface, knowledge can be inferred 1704 that the content is destined for the television.

Finally, the television is instructed to display the converted content 1708 on the predetermined channel. The predetermined channel may, for example, be an adjustable channel that is otherwise not used for other forms of content. In order to watch video content in this way, the user simply operates to an appropriate channel using channel buttons or the like, and then the converted content is displayed on the display screen of the television. In an alternative to a set top box being used to provide the mentioned functionality, the tuning may be provided by controlling the set top box remotely. A given channel on the set-top box may correspond to content received in this manner. The output of the set-top box provides the converted content to the television via a conventional connection such as HDMI, component cable, S-video or other connection.

Turning now to some other aspects of the invention, Figures 18-20 illustrate examples in which the MC system converts and routes content to specific devices.

According to a first aspect, the MC system is configured to convert and route multimedia content to various (eg home) devices, which require addressing and include not only different communication protocols but also different formats. FIG. 18 is a flowchart of a process 1800 for converting and routing multimedia content to different terminals.

Process 1800 begins when multimedia content 1802 is received from a source outside the local location to be directed to a destination device within the local location. Destination devices may include different devices that have different formats and receive signals through different communication protocols.

The MC system then determines 1804 the communication protocol, signal format and address for the destination device. This may be performed by referring to data packet information, mapping table information, or a combination thereof as described above.

The inbound multimedia content is then converted for rendering 1806 according to the determined signal format for the device. Finally, the converted multimedia content is routed to the destination device 1808 using the determined address and communication protocol corresponding to the destination device.

According to another aspect, the MC system provides bi-directional conversion, where content can not only be inbound to a variety of different devices, but can also be delivered to a variety of remote devices. This function can be similarly performed using the various connections available to the MC system and corresponding information in the mapping tables and data packets.

19 is a flowchart illustrating an example of bidirectional operation involving a first device transmitting inbound content to a second device in a home managed by the MC system, and a fourth device transmitting outbound content outside the home the third device.

Process 1900 follows receiving first multimedia content 1902 originating from a first device located outside of a home location and destined for a second device in the home location. The first multimedia content is then converted for rendering and routed to the second device 1904 . Similarly, second multimedia content is received from a third device at a home location and is destined for a fourth device 1906 outside the home. The second multimedia content is converted for rendering by the fourth device and the converted multimedia content is routed to the fourth device 1908 . According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the MC system allows a user to remotely use a cell phone to customize content, where the content can come from a variety of different sources. Figure 20 illustrates a process 2000 for receiving and providing fulfillment of multimedia content requests corresponding to different sources.

Process 2000 begins with receiving a request 2002 from a cell phone user to access first and second multimedia content. Examples of requests may include individual content purchases, previous content selections, selections of content that do not need to be purchased, and others. For example, a cell phone can be used to directly contact the MC system. Another way to do this is by using a cellular phone to communicate with the MC system, with intervening communications taking place with the cellular base station. That is, referring to FIG. 16,

A cellular phone can be used to communicate with a cellular base station, and the cellular base station then communicates with the MC system using the various communication channel options shown. The first and second multimedia content may of course be customized on separate occasions and may correspond to fully available content from different sources.

The MC system identifies a first source corresponding to the first multimedia content and a second source 2004 corresponding to the second multimedia content. These sources may use any number of different communication protocols to perform delivery of the content to the home.

The MC system then initiates communications with the first and second sources, respectively, using different communication protocols to fulfill requests 2006 for access to the first and second multimedia content. The first and second multimedia content may then be received by the MC system and converted for rendering by the destination device and routed accordingly (2010).

According to this embodiment, various devices and various content sources can be applied. For example, an initial step may involve the user communicating with the MC/CHS using his cellular phone (eg, directly or through a plug-in cellular base station). The user can then issue various types of requests to the MC/CHS. For example, the MC/CHS may be instructed to initiate a call to another user's cell phone. Alternatively, the user may instruct the MC/CHS to obtain information corresponding to the request, such as current news stories (eg, news about the President's veto of a law) based on previously or currently submitted keywords. The corresponding format or addressing information is then provided to the MC/CHS. For example, the MC/CHS may be indicated to the MC/CHS that the IP address of the user's PC is the destination address for the requested news, and that the cable port address of the user's TV may be the destination address for the requested news. Finally, MC/CHS performs appropriate transformation and routing accordingly to output the requested content. For example, the MC may communicate with the cellular network to find other users expected for a cellular phone call, and convert received data packets defined as the cellular network into TCP packets, assuming the user's PC IP address is the destination address. A network protocol can then be used to transmit the converted data to the user's PC (eg, via the Internet (TCP/IP) or via a direct network connection). Regarding the provision of news corresponding to a search query, the MC/CHS can use the MC content hierarchy to find the best source and route for the requested content. For example, it may look for news at a local Internet content server (the local Internet content server may be the MC system itself, since the MC system is configured to store content provided differently as described herein). The MC system converts the respective content into TV format and transmits it to the TV eg via a direct wired connection or wirelessly (eg via UWB between TV and CHS).

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for optimizing the delivery of content that is requested by a plurality of users at a particular location. This entails monitoring web content being requested by users corresponding to a particular location, receiving requests for content from a given user at a particular location where the content is typically served from locations other than the particular location, determining that other users at the particular location also Requesting content and serving content to the given user and other users simultaneously using a server logically close to the user located in a particular location, instead of separately serving content to the given user and other users from locations other than the particular location. In one embodiment, the aforementioned layered approach is used to make a determination of whether content is locally applicable. At that location, requested content can be monitored and a determination made whether content is commonly requested in a particular location.

Embodiments of the present invention therefore propose and provide multimedia communication between different terminals. Although the invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to specific embodiments thereof, the invention may be variously embodied without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are not to be limited in any way to the description of the embodiments contained herein.

Claims (47)

1. A wireless management device for communication initialization of a destination device, comprising:

a wireless network interface configured to communicate over a network communication channel of a wireless network; wherein the wireless network is a wireless local area network;

initial communication configuration software of a destination device, which provides initial communication configuration data required for initial communication in a configuration of communication initialization of the destination device;

wherein the wireless management device is configured to initiate a call with a mobile terminal over the network communication channel;

wherein the initial communication configuration data is transmitted from the cellular telephone and used to initiate an initial communication directed to a destination device;

wherein the destination device is the wireless management device.

2. The wireless management device of claim 1, wherein the initial communication configuration software is configured to be installed on the cellular telephone.

3. The wireless management device of claim 1, wherein the call is a video call.

4. The wireless management device of claim 1, wherein the initial communication configuration data includes information on a network address of the wireless network and information on a device identifier of the wireless management device.

5. The wireless management device according to claim 3, wherein the initial communication configuration data includes information on a network address of the wireless network and information on a device identifier of the wireless management device.

6. The wireless management device of claim 1, wherein the wireless management device is further configured to receive multimedia information from a camera through the wireless network interface.

7. The wireless management device of claim 1, wherein the wireless management device is further configured to the wireless network interface to send multimedia information from a camera.

8. The wireless management device of claim 1, wherein the wireless management device is configured to transmit information related to the updated status of the item to a user cellular telephone; and

wherein the unique identification information of the item is associated with a unique phone identifier of the user's cell phone.

9. The wireless management device of claim 8, wherein the address information for the wireless network is associated with the unique phone identifier.

10. The wireless management device of claim 8, the user cellular telephone receiving internet data via the wireless network.

11. The wireless management device of claim 9, wherein the user cellular telephone receives internet data via the wireless network.

12. The wireless management device according to claim 8, wherein the wireless management device further comprises a wireless signal conversion unit of a decoder;

wherein the wireless management device is configured to receive wireless signals through the wireless network interface;

wherein the wireless signal conversion unit is configured to perform a conversion of the wireless signal to accommodate playback of its corresponding information content, the wireless signal comprising a compressed signal, the conversion comprising decompressing the compressed signal;

wherein the decoder is configured to decompress the compressed signal; and

wherein the information content comprises a video call with the mobile terminal.

13. The wireless management device of claim 1, wherein the wireless management device is a television.

14. The wireless management device of claim 1, wherein the wireless management device is a refrigerator.

15. The wireless management device of claim 1, wherein the wireless management device comprises a decoder; wherein the decoder is configured to decompress a compressed signal, which is a compressed high definition digital video signal, into a decompressed signal; wherein the wireless management device further comprises an encoder configured to encode the decompressed signal into an encoded signal, the encoded signal being an encoded decompressed high definition digital video signal;

wherein the wireless management device further comprises a high definition digital output interface configured to connect a cable to transmit the encoded signal.

16. The wireless management device of claim 13, wherein the call comprises a video call.

17. The wireless management device of claim 15, wherein the call comprises a video call.

18. The wireless management device of claim 7, wherein the call comprises a video call.

19. The wireless management device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless management device further comprises a wireless signal conversion unit of a decoder;

wherein the wireless management device is configured to receive wireless signals through the wireless network interface;

wherein the wireless signal conversion unit is configured to perform a conversion of the wireless signal to accommodate playback of its corresponding information content, the wireless signal comprising a compressed signal, the conversion comprising decompressing the compressed signal;

wherein the decoder is configured to decompress the compressed signal; and

wherein the information content comprises a video call.

20. The wireless management device of claim 1, wherein the wireless management device is further configured to receive and transmit multimedia information from a camera.

21. The wireless management device of claim 1, the wireless management device configured to receive or transmit information related to an update status of an item based on wireless communication regarding the update status; wherein the wireless communication is a short-range wireless communication over a short-range wireless communication channel;

wherein the short-range wireless communication channel comprises a non-IP-based wireless connection.

22. The wireless management device of claim 21, wherein the wireless communication is over a ZIGBEE communication channel.

23. The wireless management device of claim 15, wherein the wireless management device is configured to transmit the encoded signal to a high definition digital television via an HDMI cable.

24. The wireless management device of claim 21, wherein the call comprises a video call.

25. The wireless management device of claim 19, wherein the wireless management device is configured to transmit information related to the updated status of the item to a user cellular telephone; and

wherein the unique identifying information of the item is associated with a unique phone identifier of the user's cellular phone.

26. The wireless management device of claim 25, wherein the wireless management device is further configured to transmit information regarding an update status according to a configuration setting; and

wherein the configuration settings specify when or how to notify a user of the update status.

27. The wireless management device of claim 15, wherein the wireless management device is configured to transmit information related to the updated status of the item to a user cellular telephone; and

wherein the unique identification information of the item is associated with a unique phone identifier of the user's cell phone.

28. The wireless management device of claim 22, wherein the wireless management device is configured to transmit information related to the updated status to a user cellular phone; and

wherein the unique identification information of the item is associated with a unique phone identifier of the user's cell phone.

29. The wireless management device of claim 21, wherein the wireless management device is configured to transmit information related to the updated status to a user cellular phone; and

wherein the unique identifying information of the item is associated with a unique phone identifier of the user's cellular phone.

30. The wireless management device of claim 7, wherein the wireless management device is configured to transmit information related to the updated status of the item to a user cellular telephone; and

wherein the unique identification information of the item is associated with a unique phone identifier of the user's cell phone.

31. The wireless management device of claim 1, wherein the wireless management device is configured to receive or transmit information related to an update status of an item based on wireless communication regarding the update status; wherein the wireless communication comprises a signal; and wherein the signal includes identification information associated with the item.

32. The wireless management device of claim 1, wherein the wireless management device is configured to receive or transmit information related to an update status of an item based on wireless communication regarding the update status; wherein the wireless communication comprises a signal from a wireless sensor regarding the update status; and wherein the signal comprises unique identification information of the sensor.

33. The wireless management device of claim 1, wherein the wireless management device is configured to transmit the update status related information based on wireless communication regarding the update status of an item; wherein the wireless communication comprises a signal; wherein the signal comprises unique identification information of the item.

34. A destination device communication initialized wireless management device, comprising:

a wireless network interface configured to communicate over a network communication channel of a wireless network; wherein the wireless network is a wireless local area network;

initial communication configuration software of a destination device, which provides initial communication configuration data required for initial communication in a configuration of communication initialization of the destination device;

wherein the wireless management device is configured to transmit information related to an update status over the network communication channel based on a signal related to the update status; wherein the updated status relates to status management or security monitoring of the item; wherein the signal is transmitted over a short-range wireless communication channel; wherein the short-range wireless communication channel comprises a non-IP based wireless connection;

wherein the initial communication configuration data is communicated from a cellular telephone and used to initiate an initial communication directed to the destination device; and

wherein the destination device is the wireless management device.

35. A method of destination device communication initialization, comprising:

providing initial communication configuration data required for initial communication of a destination device;

transmitting, by a destination device, relevant information of an update status based on a signal regarding the update status; wherein the information related to the update status is transmitted over a wireless local area network; wherein the updated status relates to status management or security monitoring of the item; wherein the signal is over a non-IP connection;

wherein the initial communication configuration data is communicated from a cellular telephone and used to initiate an initial communication directed to the destination device; and wherein the initial communication configuration data comprises information relating to a network address of the wireless local area network.

36. A method of destination device communication initialization, comprising:

providing initial communication configuration data required for initial communication of a destination device;

initiating a call between the destination device and the mobile terminal; the call is through a wireless local area network;

wherein the initial communication configuration data is transmitted from a cellular telephone and used to initiate an initial communication directed to the destination device; and wherein the initial communication configuration data comprises information relating to a network address of the wireless local area network.

37. A wireless management device, comprising:

at least one wireless signal processing unit comprising a decoder;

a wireless network interface configured to provide communications over a wireless network communication channel of a wireless local area network;

the wireless management device is configured to provide initial communication configuration data required for initial communication in communication initialization; wherein the initial communication configuration data comprises information related to a network address of a wireless local area network;

wherein the initial communication configuration data is used to initiate an initial communication directed to a destination device; wherein the information related to the network address of the wireless local area network matches the unique device identifier of the destination device;

wherein the destination device is the wireless management device;

wherein the wireless management device is configured to receive wireless signals over the wireless local area network;

wherein the at least one wireless signal processing unit is configured to perform conversion of the wireless signals to accommodate corresponding information content playback;

wherein the wireless signal comprises a compressed signal;

wherein the converting comprises decompressing the compressed signal into a decompressed signal; and

wherein the decoder is configured to decompress the compressed signal.

38. The wireless management device of claim 37, wherein the wireless management device is configured to transmit the update status related information through the wireless network interface based on the update status related signal; wherein the updated status relates to status management or security monitoring of the item; wherein the signal is transmitted over a short-range wireless communication channel; and wherein the short-range wireless communication channel is separate from a wireless network communication channel of the wireless local area network.

39. The wireless management device of claim 37, wherein the wireless management device is configured to initiate a call with a mobile terminal over the network communication channel.

40. A method of destination device communication initialization, comprising:

providing initial communication configuration data required for initial communication in destination device communication initialization; wherein the initial communication configuration data comprises information related to a network address of a wireless local area network;

wherein the initial communication configuration data is used to initiate an initial communication directed to the destination device; wherein the information related to the network address of the wireless local area network matches the unique device identifier of the destination device;

receiving a wireless signal through the wireless local area network;

performing conversion of the wireless signal to adapt to playing of information content corresponding to the wireless signal;

wherein the wireless signal comprises a compressed signal; and

wherein the converting comprises decompressing the compressed signal into a decompressed signal.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising transmitting information related to the update status over the wireless local area network based on the signal related to the update status; wherein the updated status relates to status management or security monitoring of the item; wherein the signal is transmitted over a short-range wireless communication channel; and wherein the short-range wireless communication channel is separate from the wireless local area network.

42. The method of claim 40, further comprising initiating a call with a mobile terminal; and wherein the call is over the wireless local area network.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the call is a video call.

44. The method of claim 41, further comprising initiating a call with a mobile terminal; and wherein the call is over the wireless local area network.

45. The method of claim 41, wherein the short-range wireless communication channel is a ZIGBEE communication channel.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the short-range wireless communication channel is a ZIGBEE communication channel.

47. The method of claim 44, wherein the call is a video call.

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