A METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SHARING DIGITAL CONTENT BETWEEN EXTERNAL STORAGE DEVICES USING A FLAT PANEL TELEVISION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of electronic devices, and more specifically to the field of sharing digital content between external storage devices using a flat panel television.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Digital content, for example music, video, or photos, is typically stored in an electronic device, for example a pen drive or a smart phone. Such digital content can be played on a personal computer. Some home televisions, for example a flat panel television, that are used for watching television programs and movies also have an extended functionality of playing the digital content from the electronic device. However, a user can only use the personal computer to share the digital content from the electronic device with other users, and to store and organize the digital content. Further, the electronic device has to be connected to the personal computer to playback the digital content whenever required which is tedious.

[0003] In the light of the foregoing discussion there is a need for an efficient method and system for sharing digital content between external storage devices using a flat panel television and to store and organize the digital content on the flat panel television.

SUMMARY
[0004] Embodiments of the present disclosure described herein provide a method and system for sharing digital content between external storage devices using a flat panel television.

[0005] An example of a method of sharing digital content between external storage devices using a flat panel television includes displaying a user interface on connection of a plurality of external storage devices on the flat panel television. The method also includes displaying a plurality of tabs on the user interface. The tabs correspond to the plurality of external storage devices and include one or more folders. The method further includes enabling a user to perform a copy operation to copy the digital content from a first external storage device to a second external storage device. The first external storage device and the second external storage device is selected by the user. Further, the method includes displaying a progress bar associated with the copy operation on the user interface.

[0006] An example of a system for sharing digital content between external storage devices using a flat panel television includes the flat panel television and a plurality of electronic devices. The flat panel television further includes a plurality of slots to hold a plurality of external storage devices and a data slot to hold an external hard disk drive. The system also includes a communication interface in electronic communication with the plurality of electronic devices. The system further includes a memory that stores instructions. Further, the system includes a processor responsive to the instructions to display a user interface on connection of the plurality of external storage devices on the flat panel television, to display a plurality of tabs on the user interface, the tabs corresponding to the plurality of external storage devices and comprising one or more folders, to enable a user to perform a copy operation to copy the digital content from a first external storage device to a second external storage device, the first external storage device and the second external storage device being selected by the user, and to display a progress bar associated with the copy operation on the user interface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

[0007] The accompanying figure, similar reference numerals may refer to identical or functionally similar elements. These reference numerals are used in the detailed description to illustrate various embodiments and to explain various aspects and advantages of the present disclosure.
[0008] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an environment, in accordance with which various embodiments can be implemented;

[0009] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a flat panel television, in accordance with one embodiment;
[0010] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of sharing digital content between external storage devices using a flat panel television, in accordance with one embodiment;
[0011] FIG. 4 is an exemplary illustration of a flat panel television, in accordance with one embodiment;
[0012] FIGS. 5A-5C are exemplary illustrations of a data slot connected to a flat panel television, in accordance with one embodiment; and
[0013] FIGS. 6A-6E are exemplary illustrations of sharing digital content between external storage devices using a flat panel television, in accordance with one embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] It should be observed the method steps and system components have been represented by conventional symbols in the figure, showing only specific details which are relevant for an understanding of the present disclosure. Further, details may be readily apparent to person ordinarily skilled in the art may not have been disclosed. In the present disclosure, relational terms such as first and second, and the like, may be

used to distinguish one entity from another entity, without necessarily implying any actual relationship or order between such entities.
[0015] Embodiments of the present disclosure described herein provide a method and system for sharing digital content between external storage devices using a flat panel television.
[0016] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an environment 100, in accordance with which various embodiments can be implemented. The environment 100 includes a flat panel television 105, one or more external storage devices, for example an external storage device 110A and an external storage device 110B, one or more electronic devices, for example an electronic device 115A and an electronic device 115B, and an external hard disk drive 120. Examples of the external storage devices include, but are not limited to, a universal serial bus (USB) device, a micro SD card, a mini SD card, a compact flash, and a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) card. The external storage devices are connected to different slots in the flat panel television 105. The external hard disk drive 120 is included in a data slot that is further connected to the flat panel television 105. The electronic devices can also be connected to the different slots in the flat panel television 105. Examples of the slots include, but are not limited to, a USB slot, a mini USB slot, a micro USB slot, and a HDMI slot. Examples of the electronic devices include, but are not limited to, a digital camera, a pen drive, a card reader, a smart phone, a mobile device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet device, and a laptop.

[0017] The electronic devices, the external storage devices, the external hard disk drive 120, and the flat panel television 105 can be controlled by a user.
[0018] The flat panel television 105 displays a user interface on connection of the external storage devices, for example the external storage device 110A and the external storage device 110B, or on connection of the electronic devices, for example the electronic device 115A and the electronic device 115B. A plurality of tabs is then displayed on the user interface. The tabs correspond to the external storage devices and include one or more folders. A user first selects a first external storage device and a second external storage device and can be then enabled to perform a copy operation to copy the digital content from the first external storage device to the second external storage device. A progress bar associated with the copy operation is further displayed on the user interface. The external hard disk drive 120 can store the digital content.
[0019] In some embodiments, a USB hub device can be connected to one of the different slots, for example a USB slot. The USB hub device can convert the USB slot to multiple USB slots thus enabling the user to connect the electronic devices that are USB enabled. The electronic devices that are connected can thereby be viewed on the flat panel television in form of tabs and folders.
[0020] The flat panel television 105 including a plurality of elements is explained in detail in conjunction with FIG. 2.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the flat panel television 105, in accordance with one embodiment.
[0022] The flat panel television 105 includes a bus 205 or other communication mechanism for communicating information, and a processor 210 coupled with the bus 205 for processing information. The flat panel television 105 also includes a memory 215, for example a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device, coupled to the bus 205 for storing information and instructions to be executed by the processor 210. The memory 215 can be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions by the processor 210. The flat panel television 105 further includes a read only memory (ROM) 220 or other static storage device coupled to the bus 205 for storing static information and instructions for the processor 210. A storage unit 225, for example a magnetic disk or optical disk, is provided and coupled to the bus 205 for storing information.
[0023] The flat panel television 105 can be coupled via the bus 205 to a display 230 for displaying a plurality of tabs and folders corresponding to a plurality of external storage devices. Examples of the flat panel television 105 include, but are not limited to, a liquid crystal display (LCD) television, a light emitting diode (LED) television, a plasma television, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) television, and a quantum dot display (QLED) television. The input device 235, including alphanumeric and other keys, is coupled to the bus 205 for communicating information and command selections to the processor 210. Another type of user input device is the cursor control 240, for example a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys for communicating direction information

and command selections to the processor 210 and for controlling cursor movement on the display 230.
[0024] Various embodiments are related to the use of the flat panel television 105 for implementing the techniques described herein. In some embodiments, the techniques are performed by the flat panel television 105 in response to the processor 210 executing instructions included in the memory 215. Such instructions can be read into the memory 215 from another machine-readable medium, for example the storage unit 225. Execution of the instructions included in the memory 215 causes the processor 210 to perform the process steps described herein.
[0025] In some embodiments, the processor 210 can include one or more processing units for performing one or more functions of the processor 210. The processing units are hardware circuitry used in place of or in combination with software instructions to perform specified functions.
[0026] The term "machine-readable medium" as used herein refers to any medium that participates in providing data that causes a machine to perform a specific function. In an embodiment implemented using the flat panel television 105, various machine-readable media are involved, for example, in providing instructions to the processor 210 for execution. The machine-readable medium can be a storage medium, either volatile or non-volatile. A volatile medium includes, for example, dynamic memory, such as the memory 215. A non-volatile medium includes, for example, optical or magnetic disks, for

example the storage unit 225. All such media must be tangible to enable the instructions carried by the media to be detected by a physical mechanism that reads the instructions into a machine.
[0027] Common forms of machine-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, or any other magnetic media, a CD-ROM, any other optical media, punchcards, papertape, any other physical media with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge.
[0028] In another embodiment, the machine-readable media can be transmission media including coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that include the bus 205. Transmission media can also take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radio-wave and infra-red data communications. Examples of machine-readable media may include, but are not limited to, a carrier wave as described hereinafter or any other media from which the flat panel television 105 can read. For example, the instructions can initially be carried on a magnetic disk of a remote computer. The remote computer can load the instructions into its dynamic memory and send the instructions over a telephone line using a modem. A modem local to the flat panel television 105 can receive the data on the telephone line and use an infra-red transmitter to convert the data to an infra-red signal. An infra-red detector can receive the data carried in the infra-red signal and appropriate circuitry can place the data on the bus 205. The bus 205 carries the data to the memory 215, from which the

processor 210 retrieves and executes the instructions. The instructions received by the memory 215 can optionally be stored on the storage unit 225 either before or after execution by the processor 210. All such media must be tangible to enable the instructions carried by the media to be detected by a physical mechanism that reads the instructions into a machine.
[0029] The flat panel television 105 also includes a communication interface 245 coupled to the bus 205. The communication interface 245 can provide a two-way data communication coupling between the flat panel television 105 and the external devices. For example, the communication interface 245 can be an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card or a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line. As another example, the communication interface 245 can be a local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a compatible LAN. In any such implementation, the communication interface 245 sends and receives electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing various types of information.
[0030] The processor 210 in the flat panel television 105 is operable to display a user interface on connection of the external storage devices or on connection of the electronic devices. A plurality of tabs can be displayed on the user interface. The tabs correspond to the external storage devices and can include one or more folders. The processor 210 enables a user to perform a copy operation to copy the digital content from a first external storage device to a second external storage device, the first

external storage device and the second external storage device being selected by the user. The processor 210 further displays a progress bar associated with the copy operation on the user interface. The external hard disk drive 120 can store the digital content.
[0031] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of sharing digital content between external storage devices using a flat panel television, for example the flat panel television 105, in accordance with one embodiment. The method starts at step 305.
[0032] A user can perform television viewing during the sharing of the digital content. Examples of the digital content include, but are not limited to, photos, music, videos, and movies.
[0033] At step 310, a user interface is displayed on connection of a plurality of external storage devices, for example the external storage device 110A and the external storage device 110B, on the flat panel television using a plurality of slots. FIG. 4 is an exemplary illustration of the flat panel television 105 including the external storage device 110A and the external storage device 110B, in accordance with one embodiment. FIG. 6A is an exemplary illustration of the user interface 605 on connection of the external storage devices, in accordance with one embodiment.
[0034] In some embodiments, a plurality of electronic devices can also be connected to the slots.

*
[0035] At step 315, a plurality of tabs is displayed on the user interface. The tabs correspond to the external storage devices and include one or more folders. FIG. 6B is an exemplary illustration of the tabs 610 displayed on the user interface along with the folders 615 corresponding to a selected tab, in accordance with one embodiment.
[0036] At step 320, a user is enabled to perform a copy operation to copy the digital content from a first external storage device to a second external storage device. An option can be provided to the user for the copy operation and the user selects the first external storage device and the second external storage device. FIG. 6C is an exemplary illustration of enabling the user to select the copy operation, in accordance with one embodiment. A drop down menu 620 is provided to the user with the option for the copy operation and the user can select the first external storage device and the second external storage device.
[0037] In some embodiments, the digital content can be played on the flat panel television from one of the first external storage device and the second external storage device.
[0038] In some embodiments, the digital content can be stored on an external hard disk drive, for example the external hard disk drive 120. The external hard disk drive can be included in a data slot connected to the flat panel television.
[0039] In other embodiments, the digital content can be stored within an internal memory, for example the memory 215.

[0040] At step 325, a progress bar associated with the copy operation is displayed on the user interface. FIG. 6D is an exemplary illustration of the progress bar 625, in accordance with one embodiment. The progress bar 625 closes once the copy operation is complete.
[0041] In some embodiments, a full screen mode of the folders 630 can be displayed on the user interface as illustrated in FIG. 6E.
[0042] In some embodiments, the flat panel television includes pre-installed applications within the internal memory, for example the memory 215, that can be updated using the external storage devices. Examples of the pre-installed applications include, but are not limited to, games, religious calendars, and screensavers.
[0043] In some embodiments, the flat panel television includes an integrated pen drive that functions as the internal memory or as a simple pen drive.
[0044] The method stops at step 330.
[0045] FIG. 5A is an exemplary illustration of a data slot 505 connected to the flat panel television 105, in accordance with one embodiment. The data slot 505 is adjustable to thickness of the external hard disk drive 120 or other electronic devices as

illustrated in FIG. 5B and FIG. 5C. In some embodiments, the data slot 505 is a flexible plastic panel present behind the flat panel television 105.
[0046] Advantageously, the embodiments specified in the present disclosure enable sharing of digital content between external storage devices using a flat panel television. A user can hence transfer digital content from one external storage device to another external storage device without help of a computer thereby saving time, allowing multitasking, and easy usage by users of different age groups. The present disclosure also provides a data slot on the flat panel television that holds an external hard disk drive or other electronic devices.

[0047] In the preceding specification, the present disclosure and its advantages have been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, it will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications and changes can be made, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded as illustrative examples of the present disclosure, rather than in restrictive sense. All such possible modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present disclosure.

I/We claim:
1. A method of sharing digital content between external storage devices using a flat panel television, the method comprising:

displaying a user interface on connection of a plurality of external storage devices on the flat panel television;

displaying a plurality of tabs on the user interface, wherein the tabs correspond to the plurality of external storage devices and comprises one or more folders;

enabling a user to perform a copy operation to copy the digital content from a first external storage device to a second external storage device, wherein the first external storage device and the second external storage device is selected by the user; and
displaying a progress bar associated with the copy operation on the user interface.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a full screen mode of the one or more folders is displayed on the user interface.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user performs television viewing during the sharing of the digital content.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the digital content is played on the flat panel television from one of the first external storage device and the second external storage device.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising:
storing the digital content on an external hard disk drive, wherein the external hard disk drive is comprised in a data slot connected to the flat panel television.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flat panel television comprises one or more of pre-installed applications within an internal memory that are updated using the plurality of external storage devices, and a plurality of applications that are installed by the user using the plurality of external storage devices.

7. A system for sharing digital content between external storage devices using a flat panel television, the system comprising:
the flat panel television comprising

a plurality of slots to hold a plurality of external storage devices; and

a data slot to hold an external hard disk drive; a plurality of electronic devices;

a communication interface in electronic communication with the plurality of electronic devices;
a memory that stores instructions; and

a processor responsive to the instructions to
display a user interface on connection of the plurality of external storage devices on the flat panel television;

display a plurality of tabs on the user interface, wherein the tabs correspond to the plurality of external storage devices and comprises one or more folders;

enable a user to perform a copy operation to copy the digital content from a first external storage device to a second external storage device, wherein the first external storage device and the second external storage device is selected by the user; and

display a progress bar associated with the copy operation on the user interface.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein a full screen mode of the one or more folders is displayed on the user interface.

9. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the user performs television viewing during the sharing of the digital content.

10. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the digital content is played on the flat panel television from one of the first external storage device and the second external storage device.

11. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein flat panel television comprises one or more of pre-installed applications within an internal memory that are updated using the

plurality of external storage devices, and a plurality of applications that are installed by the user using the plurality of external storage devices.

12. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the processor is further responsive to the instructions to
store the digital content on the external hard disk drive.