Use of near field communication (NFC) to transfer DVR timers

• US 10,298,994 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2015
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Hardy, Christofer, Yarborough, Thomas Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhao, Daquan
• Application Number:
  US14/658,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20150189361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 386291, 386297, 455 302, 455 303, 455 305, 455403, 455418, 455419
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/023 remotely controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

A mobile device running a mobile application accesses a remote content receiver to request the remote content receiver to retrieve a particular recording timer, and upon receiving the recording timer from the remote content receiver, establishes a radio communication link with a second mobile device and transfers the recording timer to the second mobile device over the established radio communication link. The radio communication link is preferably the Near Field Communication (NFC) link.

Claims

1. A first mobile device comprising:

a first transceiving module configured to transmit and receive communication over a first communication channel;

a non-volatile memory module configured to store instructions and data associated with execution of the instructions; and

a processing module configured to;

present a user interface on the first mobile device;

receive a first user input selecting a first data via the user interface, the first data being a recording timer of a particular program content, the recording timer being associated with a first remote audio/video receiver;

receive the first data;

establish a radio communication link between the first mobile device and a second mobile device;

send the first data from the first mobile device to the second mobile device via the established radio communication link, wherein the sending the first data from the first mobile device to the second mobile device causes the second mobile device to send the first data to a second remote audio/video receiver;

cause a broadcast service provider to identify a content provider capable of providing the particular program content if the particular program content is not scheduled for broadcast to the second remote audio/video receiver, and

cause the broadcast service provider, upon identifying the content provider, to inform the second remote audio/video receiver of the availability of the particular program content from the content provider, wherein the first mobile device helps a user of the second mobile device that receives the recording timer avoid having to search for content title or broadcast times of the particular program content to set up a recording timer on the second remote audio/video receiver.

2. The first mobile device of claim 1, further comprising:

a second transceiving module configured to transmit and receive a communication via a second communication channel, wherein the first communication channel is a channel in an internet protocol based computer network, and wherein the second communication channel is a channel in a cellular network.

3. The first mobile device of claim 1 wherein the first communication channel comprises a cellular network.

4. The first mobile device of claim 1 wherein the processing module is further configured to:

receive a second data from the second mobile device, the second data being information associated with a second program content from a second remote audio/video receiver;

cause the first remote audio/video receiver to store the second data in a memory location of the first remote audio/video receiver; and

cause the first remote audio/video receiver to record the second program content based on the second data when the second program content becomes available.

5. The first mobile device of claim 1, wherein the processing module is further configured to:

generate a request to the first remote audio/video receiver to receive the first data over a first communication network; and

cause the first remote audio/video receiver to retrieve the first data from a memory location in the first remote audio/video receiver.

6. The first mobile device of claim 1, wherein establishing the radio communication link includes:

pairing the first mobile device with the second mobile device via a Near Field Communication protocol; and

configuring the first mobile device and the second mobile device to send Near Field Communication Data Exchange Format messages to each other.

7. The first mobile device of claim 1, wherein the causing the second mobile device to send the first data to the second remote audio/video receiver includes causing the second mobile device to:

establish a second communication link between the second mobile device and the second remote audio/video receiver;

transmit the first data to the second remote audio/video receiver; and

cause the second remote audio/video receiver to record a program based on the first data.

8. A system comprising:

a first audio/video receiver including;

a storage module; and

a processing module configured to create a recording timer to record at least one program content in the storage module; and

a first mobile device including;

a housing;

a battery within the housing that provides power for the first mobile device permitting it to be mobile; and

a processing module within the housing and coupled to the battery, the processing module being configured to;

present a user interface on the first mobile device,

receive a first user input selecting a first data via the user interface, the first data being a first recording timer of a first program content, the first recording timer being associated with the first audio/video receiver,

receive the first data,

establish a radio communication link between the first mobile device and a second mobile device, the second mobile device being powered by a battery,

send the first recording timer to the second mobile device over the established radio communication link between the first mobile device and the second mobile device, wherein the sending the first recording timer from the first mobile device to the second mobile device causes the second mobile device to send the first recording timer to a second remote audio/video receiver;

cause a broadcast service provider to identify a content provider capable of providing the first program content if the first program content is not scheduled for broadcast to the second remote audio/video receiver, and

cause the broadcast service provider, upon identifying the content provider, to inform the second remote audio/video receiver of the availability of the particular program content from the content provider, wherein the first mobile device helps a user of the second mobile device that receives the recording timer avoid having to search for content title or broadcast times of the particular program content to set up a recording timer on the second remote audio/video receiver.

9. The system of claim 8, the first audio/video receiver further including a transmit module configured to send the first data via a first communication network.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first mobile device further includes:

a first transceiving module configured to transmit and receive data via the first communication network, and wherein

the processing module is configured to request to receive the first data from the first audio/video receiver.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a broadcast service center communicatively coupled to the first audio/video receiver, the broadcast service center including a processing module configured to send a plurality of program contents to the first audio/video receiver.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a base station communicatively coupled to the broadcast service center and to the first audio/video receiver, the base station being communicatively coupled to the first mobile device via a second communication network, wherein

the first mobile device further includes

a second transceiving module configured to establish communication via the second communication network, and wherein

the request to receive the first data is sent to the first audio/video receiver via the second communication network.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the first communication network is an internet protocol network.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein establishing the radio communication link between the first mobile device and the second mobile device includes:

pairing the first mobile device with the second mobile device via a Near Field Communication protocol; and

configuring the first mobile device and the second mobile device to send Near Field Communication Data Exchange Format messages to each other.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the second mobile device transmits the first data to the second audio/video receiver via a third communication network.