Method and apparatus for on-demand content transmission and control over networks
First Claim
1. A method of providing content services to a mobile device from a content-based network, comprising:
- establishing a communication link between the mobile device and an entity of said content-based network;
transmitting a request for content from said mobile device to said entity;
establishing a communication session between said mobile device and said entity in response to said request; and
providing content from said entity to said mobile device over said communication link.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for delivering content over network infrastructure are disclosed. In one embodiment, the network comprises a content-based (e.g., cable) network coupled to a radio or other service provider network, and a portion of the infrastructure comprises that nominally used for on-demand (OD) services such as VOD. Mobile or other consumer devices (e.g., cellular telephones, PDAs, etc.) capable of accessing the service provider network are able to access the on-demand and related “trick mode” functionality of the content-based network, as well as make use of ancillary functions such as billing modules associated with the content network.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. A method of providing content services to a mobile device from a content-based network, comprising:
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establishing a communication link between the mobile device and an entity of said content-based network;
transmitting a request for content from said mobile device to said entity;
establishing a communication session between said mobile device and said entity in response to said request; and
providing content from said entity to said mobile device over said communication link. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12)
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9. Apparatus for use with a cable network and adapted for the transmission of on-demand content, comprising:
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at least one cellular base station adapted for communication with a client mobile device, wherein said cellular base station is in communication with a cellular service provider network; and
a network interface in data communication with said cellular service provider network and said cable network, wherein said cable network comprises at least one on-demand server associated therewith;
wherein said at least one base station is adapted to pass on-demand content to said client mobile device, said on-demand content located on said at least one on-demand server, said content being sent through said cellular service provider network and said interface. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A client mobile device apparatus adapted to at least receive on-demand content, comprising:
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a transceiver adapted to communicate with a network;
a processor adapted to process at least a portion of on-demand content;
a display element adapted to display at least said portion of said on-demand content;
a storage device adapted to at least transiently store at least a portion of said on-demand content; and
at least one computer program adapted to establish a multimedia session with an on-demand server. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. Network server apparatus adapted to provide on-demand content over at least a portion of a network, said network server apparatus comprising:
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a processor;
at least one computer program operable to run on said processor, said program being adapted to format on-demand content for transmission over a network; and
a storage device in data communication with said processor and adapted to hold at least a portion of said on-demand content therein, said storage;
wherein said network server is further adapted to transmit said on-demand content via at least a portion of a coaxial cable network and to a cellular service provider network for delivery to a mobile device. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for providing on-demand content to a cellular network subscriber, said method comprising:
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initiating a multimedia session with an on-demand server by said subscriber using a mobile device;
authenticating said subscriber using at least said cellular network; and
billing said subscriber for accessing said on-demand content by said mobile device. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. Consumer premises equipment (CPE), comprising:
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a radio frequency front end adapted to be in signal communication with a coaxial cable network coupled to at least one on-demand network server;
a processor;
at least one computer program operative to run on said processor, said at least one program being adapted to request and receive on-demand content from said at least one on-demand server so that it can be viewed by a subscriber on a display device;
wherein said at least one program is further operative to access, in an on-demand fashion and after proper authentication, content stored on said at least one server from a mobile device owned by a third party. - View Dependent Claims (36)
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37. A method of assuring complete delivery of data to a mobile device serviced by a mobile network, said mobile network being in data communication with a content-based network and subject to periodic unpredictable dropouts, the method comprising delivering said data from said content based network in an on-demand fashion including trick mode functionality, said on-demand and trick mode functionality cooperating to permit a user of said mobile device to selectively repeat delivery of at least portions of said data that would have otherwise not been received due to said dropouts in said mobile network.
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38. A method of doing business within both a content-based network having a first set of subscribers and a mobile network having a second set of subscribers, at least some of said first set of subscribers also comprising said second set of subscribers so as to form a set of common subscribers, the method comprising:
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providing services over said content-based network to said set of common subscribers;
providing data or content delivery services over said mobile network to said set of common subscribers; and
billing said services delivered to the same subscriber over said content-based network and said mobile network using a common billing mechanism. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
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42. A client mobile device apparatus adapted to at least receive on-demand content, comprising:
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a transceiver adapted to communicate with a network;
a processor adapted to process at least a portion of on-demand content;
a display element adapted to display at least said portion of said on-demand content;
a storage device adapted to at least transiently store at least a portion of said on-demand content; and
at least one computer program adapted to establish, at least alternately;
(i) a multimedia session with an on-demand server; and
(ii) delivery of packetized multimedia content from a server of a broadcast network. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45)
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Specification