Patent ID: 8860893

Claim:
A television device, comprising: a television receiver residing substantially within a television receiver enclosure; a television processor residing within the television receiver enclosure; a television memory residing within the television receiver enclosure and in communication with the television processor; the television memory storing extended display identification (EDID) information; a television high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) coupled to the television receiver and operating under control of the television processor; a detachable HDMI switch operatively coupled to the television HDMI interface, the detachable HDMI switch having at least two user-side HDMI buses connected thereto with each having a user side connector port; the detachable HDMI switch residing in a detachable HDMI switch housing that exposes the at least two user-side HDMI connector ports; a switch processor residing substantially within the detachable HDMI switch housing; an switch memory residing substantially within the detachable HDMI switch housing and in communication with the switch processor; the switch memory storing a simulated EDID information produced by the switch processor in response to display data channel (DDC) signals from the television HDMI interface; the at least two user-side HDMI buses having a common consumer electronic control (CEC) connection with the television HDMI interface; where the switch processor oversees operation of the at least two user-side HDMI buses so as to distinguish between the at least two user side HDMI ports; where the television processor residing within the television receiver oversees operation of the television HDMI interface; and where the detachable HDMI switch housing is detachably mechanically attached to the television receiver enclosure to permit the detachable HDMI switch housing to be either mechanically attached to the television receiver enclosure for use at the television receiver enclosure, or to permit the HDMI switch housing to be mechanically separated from the television receiver enclosure to permit the HDMI switch housing to be situated remotely from the television receiver enclosure so that the HDMI connector ports are remotely accessible while being selectable and distinguishable by the television device.