Methods and apparatus for integrating media across a wide area network

• US 20070147351A1
• Filed: 12/27/2005
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Solutions Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Solutions Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Putterman, Daniel, Dietrich, Brad, Peters, Gregory, Bullwinkle, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 9,467,322 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2335 involving reformatting operations of audio signals, e.g. by converting from one coding standard to another details of audio signal transcoding G10L19/173
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/278 Content descriptor database or directory service for end-user access details of content or meta data based information retrieval of video data in video databases G06F16/739
• 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 21/43615 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• 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

Abstract

A system for distributing media includes a wide area network (WAN), a media player coupled to the WAN at a first home, and a media server coupled to the WAN at a second home for providing media. A service is coupled to the WAN for receiving a request for media from the media player and for establishing a connection between the first and second homes over the WAN. Media is streamed across the WAN from the second home to the first home. The system may include a storage device coupled to the media player where media is transferred across the WAN for storage at the storage device. A media device may be coupled to the media player for playing the streamed/transferred media where the media player and the media device may comprise a television, stereo, or computer and the media item may comprise video, photographs, or audio.

Claims

1. A media system comprising:

wide area network;

digital media player, coupled to said wide area network, located at a first home;

digital media server, coupled to said wide area network and located at a second home, for providing at least one media item to said wide area network;

wide area network media service, coupled to said wide area network, for receiving a request for media from said digital media player and for establishing a connection between said first home and said second home over said wide area network; and

wherein, said media is streamed across said wide area network from said second home to said first home.

2. The media system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a media device, coupled to said digital media player, for playing said streaming media.

3. The media system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said digital media player and said media device comprise a television and said media item comprises video or digital photographs.

4. The media system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said digital media player and said media device comprise a stereo and said media item comprises audio.

5. The media system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said digital media player and said media device comprise a computer.

6. The media system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a second digital media server, coupled to said wide area network and located at a third home, for providing at least one media item to said wide area network;

said wide area network media service further for receiving a request for media from said digital media player and for establishing a connection between said first home and said third home over said wide area network; and

wherein, said media from said third home is streamed across said wide area network to said first home.

7. The media system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second home comprises a local area network for coupling at least one additional digital media server to said digital media server.

8. The media system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said wide area network media service further comprises storage for storing group information, wherein said group information identifies at least two digital media servers, located at disparate locations from one another, that present at least one media item.

9. The media system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said wide area network media service further for generating an aggregated list of media items available from said digital media server at said second home and for presenting said list of media items to said digital media player at said first home.

10. The media system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said digital media player further for generating an aggregated list of media items available from said digital media server at said second home and for presenting said list of media items to said digital media player at said first home.

11. The media system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said digital media server is further for transcoding said media item from a first digital format to a second digital format based on capabilities of said digital media player.

12. A media system comprising:

wide area network;

digital media player, coupled to said wide area network, located at a first home;

storage device, coupled to said digital media player, for storing digital media files;

digital media server, coupled to said wide area network and located at a second home, for providing at least one media item to said wide area network;

wide area network media service, coupled to said wide area network, for receiving a request for at least one digital media file from said digital media player and for establishing a connection between said first home and said second home over said wide area network; and

wherein, said digital media file is transferred across said wide area network from said second home to said first home for storage at said storage device.

13. The media system as set forth in claim 12, further comprising a media device, coupled to said digital media player, for playing said digital media file.

14. The media system as set forth in claim 13, wherein said digital media player and said media device comprise a television and said digital media file comprises a digital video file or a digital photograph file.

15. The media system as set forth in claim 13, wherein said digital media player and said media device comprise a stereo and said digital media file comprises a digital audio file.

16. The media system as set forth in claim 13, wherein said digital media player and said media device comprise a computer.

17. The media system as set forth in claim 12, further comprising:

a second digital media server, coupled to said wide area network and located at a third home, for providing at least one media item to said wide area network;

said wide area network media service further for receiving a request for media from said digital media player and for establishing a connection between said first home and said third home over said wide area network; and

wherein, said digital media file is transferred across said wide area network from said third home to said first home for storage at said storage device.

18. The media system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said second home comprises a local area network for coupling at least one additional digital media server to said digital media server.

19. The media system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said wide area network media service further comprises storage for storing group information, wherein said group information identifies at least two digital media servers, located at disparate locations from one another, that present at least one media item.

20. The media system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said wide area network media service further for generating an aggregated list of media items available from said digital media server at said second home and for presenting said list of media items to said digital media player at said first home.

21. The media system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said digital media player further for generating an aggregated list of media items available from said digital media server at said second home and for presenting said list of media items to said digital media player at said first home.

22. The media system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said digital media server is further for transcoding said digital media file from a first digital format to a second digital format based on capabilities of said digital media player.