Method and apparatus for incorporating an appliance unit into a computer system

Abstract

The invention provides a method and apparatus for incorporating an appliance into a computer system. One embodiment of the invention has a computer with a first digital wireless transceiver, and an appliance unit with a second digital wireless transceiver for communicatively coupling to the first wireless transceiver. This appliance unit also has (1) an output device, communicatively coupled to the second wireless transceiver, for presenting an output presentation based on signals received from the computer via the wireless transceivers, and (2) an input device, communicatively coupled to the second wireless transceiver, for receiving input signals from a operator of the appliance unit.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A method for incorporating an appliance unit into a computer system, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) establishing a digital wireless communication link between an appliance unit and a computer;    (b) providing an output display presentation on a display screen of the appliance unit based on the signals transmitted from the computer via said link.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said link establishing step comprises the step of establishing a spread spectrum wireless link.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said link establishing step comprises the step of establishing a spread spectrum wireless link between the computer and an audio-visual equipment.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said link establishing step comprises the step of establishing a spread spectrum wireless link between the computer and a television.  
     
     
         5 . A method of incorporating an appliance unit into a computer system, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) establishing a digital wireless communication link between the appliance unit and the computer;    (b) receiving input commands from an input device of the appliance unit;    (c) forwarding the received input signals to the computer via the digital wireless link.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising the steps of: 
 (a) processing the input signals at the computer;  
 (b) in response to the processing of the input signals, transmitting signals from the computer to the appliance unit through the digital wireless link;  
 (c) providing an output presentation at an output device of the appliance unit based on the signals transmitted from the computer.  
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising the steps of: 
 (a) processing the input signals at the computer;  
 (b) in response to the processing of the input signals, modifying an operation performed on the computer.  
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the modifying steps comprises the step of modifying the operation of a device coupled to the computer.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the modifying steps comprises the step of modifying the operation of a peripheral device coupled to the computer.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the modifying steps comprises the step of modifying the operation of another appliance unit coupled to the computer.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the modifying steps comprises the step of modifying the operation of a second computer.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising the steps of: 
 (a) transmitting signals from the computer to the appliance through said link;  
 (b) presenting an output presentation at an output device of the appliance based on the signals transmitted from the computer.  
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said presentation step comprises the step of presenting an output display presentation on an output display screen of the appliance.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said presentation step further comprises the step of presenting an output audio presentation at an output audio device of the appliance.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said presentation step comprises the step of presenting an output audio presentation at an output audio device of the appliance.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising the step of composing graphics data prior to said transmitting step, wherein said transmitting step includes the step of transmitting graphics data.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising the step of composing audio data prior to said transmitting step, wherein said transmitting step includes the step of transmitting audio data.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising the step of composing audio-visual data prior to said transmitting step, wherein said transmitting step includes the step of transmitting audio-visual data.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising the step of compressing signals for transmission prior to the transmitting step, wherein said transmitting step includes the step of transmitting compressed signals.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising the step of digitally encoding signals prior to said transmitting step, wherein said transmitting step includes the step of transmitting digitally encoded signals.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said link establishing step includes the step of establishing a digital radio frequency (“RF”) link.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said link establishing step includes the step of establishing a spread spectrum link.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said link establishing step includes the step of establishing an isochronous link.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said link establishing step includes the step of establishing a real-time link.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said link establishing step includes the step of establishing a multi-media link.  
     
     
         26 . An apparatus for incorporating an appliance unit into a computer system, said appliance unit having a display screen, said apparatus comprising: 
 (a) a first digital transceiver for communicatively coupling to the computer;    (b) a second digital transceiver for communicatively coupling to the appliance unit, said transceivers for establishing a digital wireless link between the appliance and the computer;    (c) wherein, when a digital communication link is established, the computer transmits signals to the appliance unit and the appliance unit provides a presentation on the display screen based on the transmitted signals.    
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein said transceivers are spread spectrum transceivers.  
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein said appliance unit is an audio-visual equipment.  
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein said appliance unit is a television.  
     
     
         30 . An apparatus for incorporating an appliance unit into a computer system, said appliance unit having an input device, said apparatus comprising: 
 (a) a first digital transceiver for communicatively coupling to the computer;    (b) a second digital transceiver for communicatively coupling to the appliance unit, said transceivers for establishing a digital wireless link between the computer and the appliance;    (c) wherein, when a digital communication link is established, the appliance unit forwards input signals received at the input device to the computer via the link.    
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 30  further comprising a control unit for communicatively coupling to the second transceiver and the input device, said control unit for controlling the communications between the input device and the second transceiver.  
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein, when the control unit receives signals from the input device, it formats them for transmission.  
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein said computer processes the input signals, and in response to this processing, modifies an operation.  
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein said computer modifies an operation of a device coupled to it.  
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein said computer modifies an operation of a peripheral device coupled to it.  
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein said computer modifies an operation of another appliance coupled to it.  
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein said computer modifies an operation of a second computer.  
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein said appliance unit further has an output device, wherein said computer process the input signals, and in response to this processing, transmits signals to the appliance unit, the appliance unit providing an output presentation at its output device based on the signals transmitted from the computer.  
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein said appliance unit further has an output device, wherein said computer transmits signals to the appliance unit via the link, and the appliance unit provides an output presentation at its output device based on the transmitted signals.  
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 39  further comprising an input/output control unit for communicatively coupling to the second transceiver, the input device, and the output device, said control unit for controlling the communications between the devices and the second transceiver.  
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein, 
 when the control unit receives signals from the second transceiver, it formats them for presentation at the output device, and    when the control unit receives signals from the input device, it formats them for transmission.    
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the control unit has a decoding engine for digitally decoding the signals it receives from the second transceiver.  
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the control unit has a decompression engine for decompressing the signals it receives from the second transceiver.  
     
     
         44 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the control unit has a digital filtering engine for filtering the signals it receives from the second transceiver.  
     
     
         45 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the appliance is a television, the control unit has an encoder for encoding the signals it receives from the second transceiver into a television display format.  
     
     
         46 . The apparatus of  claim 39  further comprising a digital encoding engine communicatively coupled to the first transceiver, the digital encoding engine for digitally encoding signals prior to transmission to the appliance unit via the link.  
     
     
         47 . The apparatus of  claim 39  further comprising a compression engine communicatively coupled to the first transceiver, the compression engine for compressing signals prior to transmission to the appliance unit via the link.  
     
     
         48 . The apparatus of  claim 39  further comprising a digital filtering engine communicatively coupled to the first transceiver, the digital filtering engine for filtering signals prior to transmission to the appliance unit via the link.  
     
     
         49 . The apparatus of  claim 39  further comprising a graphics engine communicatively coupled to the first transceiver, the graphics engine for composing graphics data for transmission to the appliance unit via the link.  
     
     
         50 . The apparatus of  claim 39  further comprising audio engine communicatively coupled to the first transceiver, the audio engine for composing audio data prior for transmission to the appliance unit via the link.  
     
     
         51 . The apparatus of  claim 39  further comprising a frame synchronization engine communicatively coupled to the first transceiver, the frame synchronization engine synchronizing audio and visual data prior to transmission to the appliance unit via the link.  
     
     
         52 . The apparatus of  claim 39  further comprising a media access controller communicatively coupled to the first transceiver.  
     
     
         53 . The apparatus of  claim 52 , wherein the media access controller uses an isochronous link protocol.  
     
     
         54 . The apparatus of  claim 39 , wherein the transceivers are spread spectrum transceivers.  
     
     
         55 . A computer system comprising: 
 (a) a computer having a first digital wireless transceiver; and    (b) an appliance unit comprising: 
 (1) a second digital wireless transceiver for communicatively coupling to the first wireless transceiver,  
 (2) an output device communicatively coupled to the second transceiver, the output device for presenting an output presentation based on signals received from the computer via the transceivers,  
 (3) an input device communicatively coupled to the second transceiver, the input device for receiving input signals from a user interfacing with the appliance unit, the input signals forwarded to the computer via the transceivers, and  
 (4) an input/output control unit communicatively coupling the second transceiver to the input and output devices.  
   
     
     
         56 . For a computer system having (i) a computer with a first digital transceiver, and (ii) an appliance unit with an input device and an output device, an apparatus for wirelessly coupling the unit to the computer, the apparatus comprising: 
 (a) an input/output control unit for communicatively coupling to the input and output devices; and    (b) a second digital transceiver communicatively coupled to the input/output control unit, the second transceiver (i) for receiving signals from the first transceiver and passing the signals to the output device via the control unit, and (ii) for receiving signals from the input device via the control unit and transmitting the signals to the first transceiver,    wherein the output device provides an output presentation based on the signals received from the computer.