Methods and apparatus for enabling media functionality in a content delivery network

• US 10,178,435 B1
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Patel, Vipul, Miller, Scott, Shah, Mehul, Yu, Jian
• Primary Examiner(s): Sefcheck, Gregory B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Van, Jenkey
• Application Number:
  US13/794,560
• Time in Patent Office: 2,129 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing unified access to interactive media applications and services in a network. In one embodiment, the network comprises a content-based network such as a cable television or satellite network, and the applications are disposed at the network headend. A servlet is provided to facilitate communication between the applications and client devices. The servlet acts as a proxy for applications utilizing a different content format than the client devices. The applications obtain data from e.g., an internet host server via a gateway device. The client application(s) may comprise Enhanced TV Binary Interchange Format (EBIF) pages, and are configured so as to permit use via a common interface (e.g., the user'"'"'s set top box and television display). These client applications enable a user to, for example, search the internet for data relating to displayed content, post and navigate micro-blogs, instant messaging or SMS, making telephone calls (e.g., VoIP), address/contact management, or provide the user with additional information about a product or service. An application providing internet content to the client device is also provided.

Claims

1. A proxy server apparatus comprising:

a first data interface configured to communicate with a plurality of client devices via a digital content delivery network;

a second data interface configured to communicate with a plurality of interactive media applications disposed at a headend of said network digital content delivery; and

processor apparatus in data communication with said first data interface and said data second interface, said processor apparatus configured to run at least one computer program thereon, said computer program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed by said processor apparatus, cause said proxy server apparatus to;

receive a request from one of said plurality of client devices to access one of said plurality of media applications;

based at least in part on a determination that said one of said plurality of interactive media applications utilizes a content format which is used by said one of said plurality of client devices;

generate a session-based protocol message, said session-based protocol message comprising information configured to indicate at least one mechanism by which a software process of said one of said plurality of client devices may establish a data communication session with said one of said plurality of interactive media applications;

transmit said session-based protocol message to said one of said plurality of client devices, said session-based protocol message configured to indicate to said one of said plurality of client devices that said one of said plurality of client devices may communicate directly with said one of said plurality of interactive media applications via said established data communication session;

receive data indicative of the established data communication session between said one of said plurality of client devices and said one of said plurality of interactive media applications, said established data communication session established via said at least one mechanism indicated in said session-based protocol message; and

based at least in part on receipt of said data indicative of said established data communication session, remove said proxy server apparatus from further communication between said one of said plurality client devices and said one of said plurality of interactive media applications during at least a portion of said established data communication session; and

based at least in part on a determination that said one of said plurality of media applications utilizes a content format which is not used by said one of said plurality of client devices;

receive a first communication in a first container format utilized by said one of said plurality of interactive media applications, said first communication received from said one of said plurality of media applications;

transfer said first communication to a second container format utilized by said one of said plurality of client devices to produce a repackaged first communication;

transmit said repackaged first communication to said one of said plurality of client devices;

receive a second communication in said second container format, said second communication received from said one of said plurality of client devices;

transfer said second communication to said first container format to produce a repackaged second communication; and

transmit said repackaged second communication to said one of said plurality of interactive media applications;

wherein said one of said plurality of client devices and said one of said interactive media applications each are configured to utilize said session-based protocol.

2. The proxy server apparatus of claim 1, wherein said information comprises at least one of:

(i) address information of said one of said plurality of interactive media applications and/or (ii) a data format utilized by said one of said plurality of interactive media applications.

3. The proxy server apparatus of claim 1, wherein said one of said interactive media applications comprises an application configured to enable a user to send and receive instant messages or Short Message Service (SMS) messages at said one of said plurality of client devices.

4. The proxy server apparatus of claim 1, wherein said session-based protocol comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

5. The proxy server apparatus of claim 1, wherein said one of said plurality of interactive media applications comprises an application configured to enable a user to make digital telephone calls from said one of said plurality of client devices.

6. A client device, comprising:

a network data interface configured to receive a plurality of content for display;

a display device configured to display said plurality of content; and

processor apparatus in data communication with said network interface, said processor apparatus configured to run at least one computer program thereon, said computer program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed by said processor apparatus, cause said client device to;

transmit data indicative of a request to access to at least one of a plurality of media applications via a proxy apparatus, said proxy apparatus being in data communication with said plurality of media applications;

provide, to said proxy apparatus, data related to one or more capabilities of said client device;

based at least in part on analysis of said data related to said one or more capabilities of said client device and a determination by said proxy apparatus that said at least one of said plurality of media applications utilizes a content format which is used by said client device;

receive, from said proxy apparatus, a session-based protocol message, said session-based protocol message comprising data indicative of at least one mechanism by which said at least one of said plurality of media applications may be contacted by said client device;

establish a data communication session with said at least one of said plurality of media applications via said indicated at least one mechanism; and

based at least in part on said establishment of said data communication session, terminate communication with said proxy server for at least a portion of a duration of said established data communication session with said at least one of said plurality of media applications; and

based at least in part on analysis of said data related to said one or more capabilities of said client device and a determination by said proxy apparatus that said at least one of said plurality of media applications utilizes a content format which is not used by said client device;

receive a first converted communication from said proxy apparatus, said first converted communication comprising a first communication which has been converted from a first format into a second format by said proxy apparatus, said first format utilized by said at least one of said plurality of media applications and said second format utilized by said client device;

generate a second communication in said second format, said second communication comprising data indicative of a user command with respect to said at least one of said plurality of media applications;

transmit said second communication to said proxy apparatus, said proxy apparatus configured to convert said second communication into said first format in order to generate a converted second communication for transmission from said proxy apparatus to said at least one of said plurality of media applications.

7. The client device of claim 6, wherein said client device comprises a set-top box, wherein said set-top box comprises at least one tuner, at least one demodulator, and at least one middleware;

and

wherein said network interface comprises said at least one tuner and is adapted to receive a quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM) radio frequency in-band channel.

8. The client device of claim 6, wherein said network interface comprises at least one out-of-band channel for aid transmission of said request.

9. The client device of claim 6, wherein said computer program comprises an Enhanced TV Binary Interchange Format (EBIF) user agent and said plurality of media applications comprise EBIF applications.

10. The client device of claim 6, wherein said at least one of said plurality of media applications comprises a search application configured to enable a user of said client device to find information about an entity simultaneous with a display of secondary content associated with said entity, said information comprising a nearest location and/or directions.

11. The client device of claim 6, wherein said at least one of said plurality of media applications comprises a real-time web-based micro-blogging application configured to enable a user of said client device to post, view, and navigate one or more micro-blogs from said client device simultaneously with a display of primary and/or secondary content.

12. The client device of claim 6, wherein said client device comprises a converged premises device configured to offload a more centralized processing to a more distributed processing by utilization of a gateway device within a premises while still supporting a less capable consumer premises equipment (CPE).