METHOD, COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT, AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING COMMUNICATIONS WITH AT LEAST ONE MEDIA PROVIDER

• US 20080139193A1
• Filed: 12/08/2006
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Data Services LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Hao, Jianxiu, Ortiz, Guillermo, Rozensztejn, Diego S., Yin, Fenglin
• Granted Patent: US 8,978,066 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• 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 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Methods, computer program products, and apparatuses are provided for allowing a user to communicate with a set top box and a media content server through a mobile communication device, such as a cellular phone. The user may be able to request and receive a customer specific interactive programming guide through the mobile communication device. The interactive programming guide may allow the user to search and record media programs, including sending recording commands to a set top box to record a particular media program. The interactive programming guide may also allow the user to order and receive media programs to the mobile communication device. Embodiments may provide a personal video recorder proxy server as an interface between the mobile communication device and the set top box and the media content server.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

requesting an interactive programming guide from at least one media content server;

receiving the interactive programming guide from the at least one media content server; and

sending the interactive programming guide to a mobile communication device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a request for an interactive programming guide from a mobile communication device operating within a telecommunication environment;

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising receiving a request for recording a media program from the mobile communication device;

and sending the request for recording the media program to a set top box.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising receiving, from the set top box, a confirmation regarding the request for recording the media program.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising sending, to the mobile communication device, a confirmation regarding the request for recording the media program.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising receiving a request for a media program from the mobile communication device.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising sending the request for the media program to the at least one media content server.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising receiving the media program from the at least one media content server.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising sending the media program to the mobile communication device.

10. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion for requesting an interactive programming guide from at least one media content server;

a second executable portion for receiving the interactive programming guide from the at least one media content server; and

a third executable portion for sending the interactive programming guide to the mobile device.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 further comprising a fourth executable portion for receiving a request for an interactive programming guide from a mobile communication device operating within a telecommunication environment;

12. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising a fifth executable portion for receiving a request for recording a media program from the mobile communication device;

and a sixth executable portion for sending the request for the recording of the media program to a set top box.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising a seventh executable portion for receiving a confirmation regarding the request for the recording of the media program from the set top box.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising an eighth executable portion for sending a confirmation regarding the request for the recording of the media program to the mobile communication device.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising a fifth executable portion for receiving a request for a media program from a mobile communication device.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising a sixth executable portion for sending the request for the media program to the at least one media content server.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising a seventh executable portion for receiving the media program from the at least one media content server.

18. The computer program product of a claim 17 further comprising an eighth executable portion for sending the media program to the mobile communication device.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to request an interactive programming guide from at least one media content server, receive the interactive programming guide from the at least one media content server, and send the interactive programming guide to a mobile communication device.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a request for an interactive programming guide from a mobile communication device.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a request for recording a media program from the mobile communication device and to send the request for the recording of the media program to a set top box.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a confirmation regarding the request for the recording of the media program from the set top box and to send a confirmation regarding the request for the recording of the media program to the mobile communication device.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a request for a media program from the mobile communication device;

to send the request for the media program to the at least one media content server;

to receive the media program from the at least one media content server; and

to send the media program to the mobile communication device.

24. A method comprising:

receiving a command to activate a recording process of a camera device; and

sending the command to a set top box.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising receiving one or more imaging signals from the camera device through the set top box;

and sending the imaging signals to the mobile communication device.