US 11,818,412 B2
Methods and systems for supplementing set-top box processing with additional processor resources
Manuel Novoa, III, Highlands Ranch, CO (US); Kan Man Wong, Highlands Ranch, CO (US); Vishal Neeralike, Lone Tree, CO (US); Shiqiang Chu, Highlands Ranch, CO (US); Aram Semerjyan, Aurora, CO (US); Anthony Bond, Arvada, CO (US); Michael Song, Aurora, CO (US); Anthony Kallas, Aurora, CO (US); and Derick Wong, Aurora, CO (US)
Assigned to DISH Network L.L.C., Englewood, CO (US)
Filed by DISH Network L.L.C., Englewood, CO (US)
Filed on Dec. 23, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/726,111.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/786,111, filed on Dec. 28, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2020/0213670 A1, Jul. 2, 2020
Int. Cl. H04N 21/2662 (2011.01); H04N 21/418 (2011.01); H04N 21/222 (2011.01); H04N 21/24 (2011.01); H04N 21/44 (2011.01); H04N 21/234 (2011.01); H04N 21/233 (2011.01); H04N 21/439 (2011.01); H04N 21/431 (2011.01); H04N 21/436 (2011.01); H04N 21/442 (2011.01); H04N 21/443 (2011.01); H04N 21/61 (2011.01); H04N 21/45 (2011.01)
CPC H04N 21/2662 (2013.01) [H04N 21/222 (2013.01); H04N 21/233 (2013.01); H04N 21/234 (2013.01); H04N 21/2402 (2013.01); H04N 21/431 (2013.01); H04N 21/436 (2013.01); H04N 21/439 (2013.01); H04N 21/4312 (2013.01); H04N 21/44 (2013.01); H04N 21/443 (2013.01); H04N 21/44227 (2013.01); H04N 21/44245 (2013.01); H04N 21/4516 (2013.01); H04N 21/6193 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for supplementing the processing capabilities of multimedia devices in a networked environment, the method comprising:
providing a processing offloader module configured to physically connect to a first multimedia device in the networked environment, wherein the processing offloader module is an external processing offloader module configured to connect to the first multimedia device via an external interconnect;
identifying the processing offloader module, comprising:
transmitting a first communication to the processing offloader module indicating a request to provide an identification indicator identifying the processing offloader module to the first multimedia device; and
identifying the processing offloader module based on receiving a second communication that includes the identification indicator identifying the processing offloader module;
identifying a second multimedia device in the networked environment;
determining, by a processor, that a processing bandwidth of the second multimedia device falls below a threshold bandwidth, wherein the processing bandwidth of the second multimedia device indicates available processing resources of the second multimedia device;
forwarding instructions from the second multimedia device to the processing offloader module based on determining that the processing bandwidth of the second multimedia device exceeds the threshold bandwidth, wherein the processing offloader module is configured to process the instructions and render multimedia information based on the instructions;
transmitting a third communication to the second multimedia device indicating a request to enable a proxy configured to output received rendered multimedia information;
forwarding the rendered multimedia information from the processing offloader module to the second multimedia device;
transmitting a fourth communication to the second multimedia device to disable a native UI executing on the second multimedia device based on determining that the bandwidth of a second multimedia device falls below the threshold bandwidth; and
transmitting a fifth communication to the processing offloader module to generate a second multimedia device UI at the processing offloader module, where the second multimedia device UI is associated with the second multimedia device and configured to process received instructions transmitted by the second multimedia device.