Patent ID: 7849239
Filing Date: 2010-12-07
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An interface for interfacing a digital device (unit) for transmitting and/or receiving a digital stream to a computer, the interface comprising: a digital stream transmitter/receiver for transmitting digitally streamed content and/or receiving digitally streamed content to/from the digital device; a computer bus interface for receiving/providing data to/from a computer bus of a computer for use by the computer and/or as provided by the computer, the computer bus interface operatively connected with the digital stream transmitter/receiver; and a data converter operatively connected to the computer bus interface and operatively connected to the digital stream transmitter/receiver, for converting data received by the digital stream receiver into data useable by the computer when provided to the computer bus and/or for converting data received by the computer bus interface into a plurality of types of digitally streamed data for transmission by the digital stream transmitter; wherein during transmitting or receiving of data, the data converter is reconfigurable by the computer to provide the plurality of types of digitally streamed data and one or more control signals according to a desired format and protocol for the digital device, without requiring a presence on the device of an individual module configured for handling each type of the plurality of types of digitally streamed data received by the digital device.