Method and apparatus for providing virtual closed circuit television

• US 20080127288A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Subramaniam, Ganesh K., Begeja, Lee, Stern, Benjamin J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,284,915 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/109
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing a private broadcast channel service, e.g., a virtual closed circuit television service, on packet networks such as Service over Internet Protocol (SoIP) networks are disclosed. For example, a customer subscribes to the private broadcast channel service for a group having a plurality of confirmed members who have confirmed their desire to participate. The network service provider enables one or more of the group members to upload media content to the service provider'"'"'s network. The service provider then broadcasts the uploaded media content to all the confirmed members such that each confirmed member may view the media content by simply tuning to the appropriate channel assigned for the private broadcast channel service.

Claims

1. A method for providing a private broadcast channel service, comprising:

receiving a potential list of members for at least one group from a subscriber;

contacting said potential list of members to receive a confirmation from each of said potential list of members to join said at least one group for participating in said private broadcast channel service; and

establishing said private broadcast channel service for said potential list of members who have provided their confirmation to join said at least one group, where said private broadcast channel service provides media content on a private broadcast channel to each of said confirmed members.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing service information for accessing said private broadcast channel service to each of said confirmed members of said at least one group.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said service information comprises a channel number.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a notification to each of said confirmed members when a broadcast is scheduled to begin.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said notification comprises a message that is displayed on a display device if said display device is tuned to a different broadcast channel than said private broadcast channel.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said notification comprises a visible indication or an audible indication that is provided by a set-top box.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said media content is provided by one of said confirmed members.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said media content on said private broadcast channel is provided to a plurality of groups of confirmed members.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating a recording device for at least one of said confirmed members for recording said media content.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a conferencing service to at least a subset of said confirmed members during a broadcast of said media content.

11. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of a method for providing a private broadcast channel service, comprising:

receiving a potential list of members for at least one group from a subscriber;

contacting said potential list of members to receive a confirmation from each of said potential list of members to join said at least one group for participating in said private broadcast channel service; and

establishing said private broadcast channel service for said potential list of members who have provided their confirmation to join said at least one group, where said private broadcast channel service provides media content on a private broadcast channel to each of said confirmed members.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

providing service information for accessing said private broadcast channel service to each of said confirmed members of said at least one group.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein said service information comprises a channel number.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

providing a notification to each of said confirmed members when a broadcast is scheduled to begin.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein said notification comprises a message that is displayed on a display device if said display device is tuned to a different broadcast channel than said private broadcast channel.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein said notification comprises a visible indication or an audible indication that is provided by a set-top box.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein said media content is provided by one of said confirmed members.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

activating a recording device for at least one of said confirmed members for recording said media content.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

providing a conferencing service to at least a subset of said confirmed members during a broadcast of said media content.

20. An apparatus for providing a private broadcast channel service, comprising:

means for receiving a potential list of members for at least one group from a subscriber;

means for contacting said potential list of members to receive a confirmation from each of said potential list of members to join said at least one group for participating in said private broadcast channel service; and

means for establishing said private broadcast channel service for said potential list of members who have provided their confirmation to join said at least one group, where said private broadcast channel service provides media content on a private broadcast channel to each of said confirmed members.