Method and apparatus for content selection in a home media environment

• US 20060184972A1
• Filed: 02/11/2005
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Rafey, Richter A., Le Van Gong, Hubert A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,332,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• 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 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• 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 for media content selection. In one embodiment, a home entertainment system for accessing content includes a processor for executing instructions adapted for: (i) receiving a request from a user input for selecting a content title; (ii) displaying formats of the content title, with one format stored in a home network and another stored external to the home network; (iii) receiving a request from the user input device to select one of the formats; and (iv) presenting the selected content in the selected format. The content can be a song in a digital format, for example. Selecting the content can include consideration of user preference information and using one or more of: a content manager, a device manager, a network controller, a purchase controller, a device supporter, a content directory, a connection manager, and a digital rights management (DRM) controller. The user input device can include, for example, a remote control device for a home entertainment system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request to access a media content;

outputting a menu that shows the media content is available in a plurality of formats, wherein the media content in a first format is stored at a first source in a home network, and wherein the media content in a second format is stored at a second source external to the home network;

receiving a selection of one of the plurality of formats; and

outputting the media content in the selected format.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a touch screen is used to generate the request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a playlist is used to make a selection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the media content includes:

playing back audio information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the audio information includes a song.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the media content includes:

playing back visual information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the media content includes:

executing a software application.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second formats are at different resolutions.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a title of the media content includes a song title, wherein the plurality of formats include different audio recording formats.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

indicating that the media content can be purchased in one of a plurality of formats; and

accepting a signal from a user input device to indicate a user purchase of the media content in a selected format.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of formats of the media content is obtained from a remote source.

12. An apparatus for accessing content from a plurality of content sources, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a machine-readable medium including instructions executable by the processor for

receiving a request to access a media content;

outputting a menu that shows the media content is available in a plurality of formats, wherein the media content in a first format is stored at a first source in a home network, and wherein the media content in a second format is stored at a second source external to the home network;

receiving a selection of one of the plurality of formats; and

outputting the media content in the selected format.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the machine-readable medium further includes instructions executable by the processor for:

indicating that the media content in at least one of the formats can be purchased; and

accepting a signal from a user input device to indicate a user purchase the media content in at least one of the formats.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

obtaining the media content in at least one of the formats from a source on the Internet.

15. A machine-readable medium including instructions executable by a processor for accessing content from a plurality of content sources, the machine-readable medium comprising:

one or more instructions for receiving a request to access a media content;

one or more instructions for outputting a menu that shows the media content is available in a plurality of formats, wherein the media content in a first format is stored at a first source in a home network, and wherein the media content in a second format is stored at a second source external to the home network;

one or more instructions for receiving a selection of one of the plurality of formats; and

one or more instructions for outputting the media content in the selected format.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

one or more instructions for indicating that the media content in at least one of the formats can be purchased; and

one or more instructions for accepting a signal from a user input device to indicate a user purchase the media content in at least one of the formats.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

one or more instructions for obtaining the media content in at least one of the formats from a source on the Internet.

18. A method comprising:

receiving a request to access a media content;

identifying that the media content is not resident in a home network; and

obtaining the media content from a source external to the home network.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

using a playlist to make a selection.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein receiving a request includes using a touch-screen input device.