Ad-hoc media delivery system

• US 20040123321A1
• Filed: 12/18/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daedalus Blue LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Striemer, Bryan Lester
• Granted Patent: US 8,180,831 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/62
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus, method, and program product for performing ad hoc media delivery. Enhanced handheld devices are used in combination with the other components to route media and control its presentation. Enhanced media presentation stations detect the presence of one or more of the handheld devices. Information regarding the presence of a handheld device is then communicated from the media presentation stations to an enhanced server. The server uses this information to maintain a record of the location of each handheld device. The recorded location information is used to route the media to the media presentation station that is closest to the location of the handheld device. Control information, such as media selection and fidelity control (when appropriate), is forwarded from the handheld device to the server, so that the server can take appropriate action relative to transmission of the media to the media presentation station at issue. If a phone call is received, an enhanced phone interacts with the server to suspend presentation of the media until the phone call has ended.

Claims

1. An apparatus for routing media, said apparatus comprising:

a handheld device, said handheld device interacting with a user to obtain media information;

a plurality of media presentation stations, said plurality of media presentation stations interacting with said handheld device to determine a first position of said handheld device; and

a server, said server interacting with said plurality of media presentation stations to obtain said first position of said handheld device, said server interacting with said handheld device to determine said media information, said server using said media information and said first position of said handheld device to route media to a first media presentation station, said first media presentation station being one of said plurality of media presentation stations.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plurality of media presentation stations interact with said handheld device to determine a second position of said handheld device, said second position of said handheld device being different from said first position of said handheld device, and wherein said server uses said second position to reroute said media to a second presentation station.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said media information is media selection information.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said media information is media control information and wherein said server uses said media control information to control presentation of said media by said first media presentation station.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said media control information is selected from the group consisting of:

volume control;

tone control;

tracking control; and

picture control.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a phone, said phone interacting with said server to suspend media presentation during said phone call and to automatically resume media presentation after said phone call has ended.

7. An apparatus for presenting media, said apparatus comprising:

a media presentation station, said plurality of media presentation stations interacting with a handheld device to determine a first position of said handheld device, said media presentation station interacting with a server to receive media to present, said media being obtained based on said first position of said handheld device.

8. An apparatus for routing media, said apparatus comprising:

a server, said server interacting with at least one media presentation station to obtain a position of a handheld device, said server interacting with said handheld device to determine media information, said server using said media information and said first position of said handheld device to route media to a first media presentation station, said first media presentation station being one of said at least one presentation stations.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said server interacts with said at least one media presentation station to determine a second position of said handheld device, said second position of said handheld device being different from said first position of said handheld device, and wherein said server uses said second position to reroute said media to a second presentation station, said second media presentation station being one of said at least one media presentation station.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said media information is media selection information.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said media information is media control information and wherein said server uses said media control information to control presentation of said media by said first media presentation station.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said media control information is selected from the group consisting of:

volume control;

tone control;

tracking control; and

picture control.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 further including a phone, said phone interacting with said server to suspend media presentation during said phone call and to automatically resume media presentation after said phone call has ended.

14. A program product for routing media, said program product comprising:

signal bearing media; and

a first program mechanism disposed on said signal bearing media, said first program mechanism interacting with a user to obtain media information;

a second program mechanism disposed on said signal bearing media, said second program mechanism interacting with a handheld device to determine a first position of said handheld device; and

a third program mechanism disposed on said signal bearing media, said third program mechanism interacting with a plurality of media presentation stations to obtain said first position of said handheld device, said third program mechanism interacting with said handheld device to determine media information, said third program mechanism using said media information and said first position of said handheld device to route media to a first media presentation station, said first media presentation station being one of said plurality of media presentation stations.

15. The program product of claim 14 wherein said second program mechanism interacts with said handheld device to determine a second position of said handheld device, said second position of said handheld device being different from said first position of said handheld device, and wherein said third program mechanism uses said second position to reroute said media to a second presentation station.

16. The program product of claim 14 wherein said media information is media selection information.

17. The program product of claim 14 wherein said media information is media control information and wherein said third program mechanism uses said media control information to control presentation of said media by said first media presentation station.

18. The program product of claim 17 wherein said media control information is selected from the group consisting of:

volume control;

tone control;

tracking control; and

picture control.

19. The program product of claim 14 further including a fourth program mechanism disposed on said signal bearing media, said fourth program mechanism interacting with said third program mechanism to suspend media presentation during said phone call and to automatically resume media presentation after said phone call has ended.

20. A program product for presenting media, said program product comprising:

signal bearing media; and

a program mechanism disposed on said signal bearing media, said program mechanism interacting with a handheld device to determine a first position of said handheld device, said program mechanism interacting with a server to receive media to present, said media being obtained based on said first position of said handheld device.

21. A program product for routing media, said program product comprising:

signal bearing media; and

a program mechanism disposed on said signal bearing media, said program mechanism interacting with at least one media presentation station to obtain a position of a handheld device, said program mechanism interacting with said handheld device to determine media information, said program mechanism using said media information and said first position of said handheld device to route media to a first media presentation station, said first media presentation station being one of said at least one presentation stations.

22. The program product of claim 21 wherein said program mechanism interacts with said at least one media presentation station to determine a second position of said handheld device, said second position of said handheld device being different from said first position of said handheld device, and wherein said program mechanism uses said second position to reroute said media to a second presentation station, said second media presentation station being one of said at least one media presentation station.

23. The program product of claim 21 wherein said media information is media selection information.

24. The program product of claim 21 wherein said media information is media control information and wherein said program mechanism uses said media control information to control presentation of said media by said first media presentation station.

25. The program product of claim 24 wherein said media control information is selected from the group consisting of:

volume control;

tone control;

tracking control; and

picture control.

26. The program product of claim 21 further including a second program mechanism disposed on said signal bearing media, said second program mechanism interacting with said first program mechanism to suspend media presentation during said phone call and to automatically resume media presentation after said phone call has ended.

27. A method for routing media, said method comprising the steps of:

interacting with a user to obtain media information;

interacting with a handheld device to determine a first position of said handheld device; and

routing media to a first media presentation station based on said first position of said handheld device.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising the steps of:

interacting with said handheld device to determine a second position of said handheld device, said second position of said handheld device being different from said first position of said handheld device, and

rerouting said media to a second presentation station based on said second position of said handheld device.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein said media information is media selection information.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein said media information is media control information and wherein said media control information is used to control presentation of said media by said first media presentation station.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein said media control information is selected from the group consisting of:

volume control;

tone control;

tracking control; and

picture control.

32. The method of claim 27 further including the steps of:

suspending media presentation during a phone call; and

automatically resuming media presentation after said phone call has ended.

33. A method for presenting media, said method comprising the steps of:

interacting with a handheld device to determine a first position of said handheld device; and

receiving media to present, said media being obtained based on said first position of said handheld device.

34. A method for routing media, said method comprising the steps of:

interacting with at least one media presentation station to obtain a position of a handheld device

interacting with said handheld device to determine media information;

routing media to a first media presentation station based on said first position of said handheld device, said first media presentation station being one of said at least one presentation station.

35. The method of claim 34 further comprising the steps of:

interacting with said at least one media presentation station to determine a second position of said handheld device, said second position of said handheld device being different from said first position of said handheld device

rerouting said media to a second presentation station based upon said second position of said handheld device, said second media presentation station being one of said at least one media presentation station.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein said media information is media selection information.

37. The method of claim 34 wherein said media information is media control information that is used to control presentation of said media by said first media presentation station.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein said media control information is selected from the group consisting of:

volume control;

tone control;

tracking control; and

picture control.

39. The method of claim 34 further comprising the steps of:

suspending media presentation during a phone call; and

automatically resuming media presentation after said phone call has ended.