Remote management of TV viewing options in a media exchange network

• US 20040117852A1
• Filed: 09/26/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, James D., Karaoguz, Jeyhan
• Granted Patent: US 8,589,548 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/134
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2408 Monitoring of the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. client requests monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26266 for determining content or additional data repetition rate, e.g. of a file in a DVB carousel according to its importance arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• 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 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• 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 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 : using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 : for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6187 : involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 : using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 : Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system supporting the remote management of options related to media consumption in a media exchange network is disclosed. Such a system may comprise a set top box communicatively coupled to a television display and storage. The set top box may be used for the consumption of media via a communication network. In such an embodiment, server software may enable the remote modification, via a communication network, of options related to the consumption of media by a user of the set top box. The media consumed may be one or more of digital audio, a digital still image, digital video, and digital data. Other aspects of the present invention may be seen in a personal computer monitor and personal computer circuitry, communicatively coupled to a storage and a communication network. An embodiment of the present invention may also enable the modification of TV viewing options via a telephone voice response system.

Claims

1. A system supporting the remote management of options related to media consumption, the system comprising:

a first television display in a first home;

the first television display having an associated first set of options governing the consumption of media;

a first storage, in the first home, that stores the media;

the first storage supporting consumption of the media by the first television display, and having an associated first network address;

a second television display in a second home;

the second television display having an associated second set of options governing the consumption of media;

a second storage, in the second home, that stores the media;

the second storage supporting consumption of the media by the second television display, and having an associated second network address; and

server software that receives, via a communication network, a request that identifies at least one of the associated first and second network addresses, a user identifier, and authorization information, and responds by identifying the other of the associated first and second network addresses, to support management of one of the associated first and second sets of options governing the consumption of media.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second network addresses are one of an Internet protocol (IP) address, a media access control (MAC) address, and an electronic serial number (ESN).

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication network comprises at least one of a cable infrastructure, a satellite network infrastructure, a digital subscriber line (DSL) infrastructure, an Internet infrastructure, an intranet infrastructure, a wired infrastructure, and a wireless infrastructure.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication network is the Internet.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the media comprises at least one of audio, a still image, video, real-time video, and data.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein consumption comprises at least one of playing audio, displaying a still image, displaying video, and displaying data.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the associated first and second sets of options governing the consumption of media comprise at least one of a media schedule, a device address, a device identifier, billing information, tracking information, channel setup information, program setup information, digital rights management information, media caching information, media storage information, media filter information, a user profile, and pay-per-view event information.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the media filtering information comprises at least one of an industry rating, a program time, a language, content information, and a personal program preference.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein management comprises at least one of observing, setting, modifying, deleting, registering, authenticating, and determining authority.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a telephone voice response system for receiving user input via a telephone network, and having an associated third network address; and

server software that receives from the telephone voice response system a request that identifies at least one of the associated first, second, and third network addresses, a user identifier, and authorization information, and responds by identifying at least one of the associated first, second, and third network addresses, to support management of one of the associated first and second sets of options governing the consumption of media.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the telephone voice response system recognizes at least one of human speech and dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signals.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the server software functions to perform at least one of the storage and delivery of media.

13. A system supporting the remote management of options related to media consumption, the system comprising:

a television display in a first home;

a first storage that stores the media, in the first home, the first storage communicatively coupled to the television display, and having an associated first set of options governing the consumption of media, and an associated first network address;

set top box circuitry, in the first home, communicatively coupled to the first storage to support consumption of media;

a personal computer monitor in a second home;

a second storage that stores the media, in the second home, the second storage communicatively coupled to the personal computer monitor, and having an associated second set of options governing the consumption of media, and an associated second network address;

personal computer circuitry, in the second home, communicatively coupled to the second storage to support consumption of media; and

server software that receives via a communication network a request that identifies at least one of the associated first and second network addresses, a user identifier, and authorization information, and responds by identifying the other of the associated first and second network addresses, to support management of one of the associated first and second sets of options governing the consumption of media.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the first and second network addresses are one of an Internet protocol (IP) address, a media access control (MAC) address, and an electronic serial number (ESN).

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the communication network comprises at least one of a cable infrastructure, a satellite network infrastructure, a digital subscriber line (DSL) infrastructure, an Internet infrastructure, an intranet infrastructure, a wired infrastructure, and a wireless infrastructure.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the communication network is the Internet.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the media comprises at least one of audio, a still image, video, real-time video, and data.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein consumption comprises at least one of playing audio, displaying a still image, displaying video, and displaying data.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein each of the associated first and second sets of options governing the consumption of media comprise at least one of a media schedule, a device address, a device identifier, billing information, tracking information, channel setup information, program setup information, digital rights management information, media caching information, media storage information, media filter information, a user profile, and pay-per-view event information.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the media filtering information comprises at least one of an industry rating, a program time, a language, content information, and a personal program preference.

21. The system of claim 13 wherein management comprises at least one of observing, setting, modifying, deleting, registering, authenticating, and determining authority.

22. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

a telephone voice response system for receiving user input via a telephone network, and having an associated third network address; and

server software that receives from the telephone voice response system a request that identifies at least one of the associated first, second, and third network addresses, a user identifier, and authorization information, and responds by identifying at least one of the associated first, second, and third network addresses, to support management of one of the associated first and second sets of options governing the consumption of media.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the telephone voice response system recognizes at least one of human speech and dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signals.

24. The system of claim 13 wherein the server software functions to perform at least one of the storage and delivery of media.

25. A system supporting the remote management of options related to media consumption, the system comprising:

a storage for storing media;

set top box circuitry supporting the consumption of media via a communication network, the set top box communicatively coupled to the storage, and having an associated set of options governing the consumption of media;

a telephone voice response system for receiving user input via a telephone network; and

server software that receives from the telephone voice response system a request, and responds by enabling the management of the associated set of options governing the consumption of media.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the communication network comprises at least one of a cable infrastructure, a satellite network infrastructure, a digital subscriber line (DSL) infrastructure, an Internet infrastructure, an intranet infrastructure, a wired infrastructure, and a wireless infrastructure.