Method and apparatus for transcrypting or transcoding content for a terminal within a vehicle

• US 20080107133A1
• Filed: 03/07/2007
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Sean S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,974,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/477
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0464 using hop-by-hop encryption, i.e. wherein an intermediate entity decrypts the information and re-encrypts it before forwarding it
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• 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 21/440218 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 conversion of standards in analogue television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

A system 10 for distributing content includes a content provider 12 that provides content through various devices including a satellite 26 or a terrestrial-based system 38. The content provider 12 provides content to a content distribution system 70 within a vehicle 60. The method associated with the system includes generating a request for a list of content from a terminal, providing a list of content to a terminal, selecting a selection from the list of content, transcrypting or transcoding the content, streaming the content corresponding to the selection to the terminal and displaying the content on the terminal.

Claims

1. A method of operating a system comprising:

generating a request for a list of content from a terminal;

providing a list of content to a terminal;

selecting a selection from the list of content;

transcrypting or transcoding the content;

streaming the content corresponding to the selection to the terminal; and

displaying the content on the terminal.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a request is performed using a packetized transport protocol.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a request is performed using an Internet Protocol.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein providing a content list is performed using a packetized transport protocol.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein providing a content list is performed using an Internet Protocol.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein streaming the content comprises packetizing the content.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein streaming a first content comprises communicating the first content using a packetized transport protocol.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein streaming a first content comprises communicating the first content using an Internet protocol.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising selecting a purchase request from the terminal;

communicating content to a portable device through the terminal;

storing the content within the portable device.

10. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein transcrypting or transcoding is performed prior to storing.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein transcrypting or transcoding is performed prior to streaming.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein transcrypting or transcoding is performed in the terminal.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprises communicating a transcrypting or transcoding request from the terminal to the server prior to transcrypting or transcoding.

14. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the terminal is disposed within a vehicle.

15. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein the vehicle comprises an airplane.

16. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein the vehicle comprises a train.

17. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein the vehicle comprises a bus.

18. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein the vehicle comprises a ship.

19. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the terminal is disposed within a seat back of a vehicle.

20. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein streaming the content is performed through an interface port.

21. A method as recited in claim 20 wherein the interface port comprises a USB port.

22. A method as recited in claim 20 wherein the interface port comprises a wireless connection.

23. A method as recited in claim 22 wherein the wireless connection comprises a Bluetooth connection.

24. A content distribution system for storing content comprising:

a storage device;

a server in communication with the storage device communicating content using a packetized transport protocol; and

a first terminal communicating with the server, said terminal generating a request for a list of content, receiving the list of content from the server and selecting a selection from the list of content,

the server or the terminal transcrypting or transcoding the content,

said server streaming the content corresponding to the selection to the terminal, said terminal displaying the content.

25. A content distribution system for storing content comprising:

a storage device;

a server in communication with the storage device communicating content using an Internet protocol; and

a first terminal communicating with the server, said terminal generating a request for a list of content, receiving the list of content from the server and selecting a selection from the list of content,

the server or the terminal transcrypting or transcoding the content,

said server streaming the content corresponding to the selection to the terminal, said terminal displaying the content.

26. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein the request is performed using a packetized transport protocol.

27. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein the request is performed using an Internet Protocol.

28. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein the content list is provided using a packetized transport protocol.

29. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein the content list is provided using an Internet Protocol.

30. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein the content is packetized.

31. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein the content is provided using Internet protocol.

32. A system as recited in claim 25 further comprising a portable user device, said terminal selecting a purchase request, said server communicating content to the portable device through the terminal.

33. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein the server or terminal transcrypts or transcodes the content prior to storing.

34. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein the server or terminal transcrypts or transcodes the content prior to streaming.

35. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein the terminal transcrypts or transcodes the content.

36. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein the server transcrypts or transcodes the content.

37. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein the terminal is disposed within a vehicle.

38. A system as recited in claim 37 wherein the vehicle comprises an airplane.

39. A system as recited in claim 37 wherein the vehicle comprises a train.

40. A system as recited in claim 37 wherein the vehicle comprises a bus.

41. A system as recited in claim 37 wherein the vehicle comprises a ship.

42. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein the terminal is disposed within a seat back of a vehicle.

43. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein the terminal comprises an interface port for communicating the transcoded or transcrypted content to a portable device.

44. A system as recited in claim 43 wherein the interface port comprises a USB port.

45. A system as recited in claim 43 wherein the interface port comprises a wireless connection.

46. A system as recited in claim 45 wherein the wireless connection comprises a Bluetooth connection.

47. A system as recited in claim 31 wherein a portable user device automatically communicates with the terminal to specify a communication format or encryption format and the terminal transcoding and transcrypting the content into communicate format or encryption format.

48. A system as recited in claim 31 wherein a portable user device automatically communicates with the server to specify a communication format or encryption format and the server transcoding and transcrypting the content into the communication format or encryption format.