Remote control for video media servers

• US 20080209487A1
• Filed: 02/12/2008
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joseph A. Zott, Robert Osann, Samuel W. Beal
• Original Assignee: Joseph A. Zott, Robert Osann, Samuel W. Beal
• Inventors: Beal, Samuel W., Zott, Joseph A., Osann, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,122,475 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/109
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/422 Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• 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 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for remote control of a media server computer from a controller device, typically a laptop computer, where remote operation of the media server, including the selection of videos and other digital media may be performed from the controller while normal TV programming (cable, satellite, or broadcast) is viewed on the TV. Other embodiments describe background operations performed on the controller device, the media server, or both, such that new videos may be located on the web or locally on the LAN while a current video is playing on the media server and viewed on the TV. Methods are also described for more reliably establishing network connections between the controller and media server, and systems and methods are described for implementing a multi-video display on the media server where videos to be displayed on the media server are displayed on and selected by a controller device.

Claims

1. A system for selecting and displaying web videos on a TV set, comprising:

a media server having a video output attached to a video input of a TV set, said media server also having network connections to a LAN and the Internet;

a controller device having a keyboard and display, said controller device also having network connections to the LAN and the Internet; and

wherein an active screen image from the media server is displayed in a remote control window on the controller device while the TV set displays TV programming from an alternate source; and

wherein said active screen image is a fully functional recreation of at least a portion of the media server desktop screen, with operational control of the media server available to the controller device according to user actions within the remote control window.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the active screen image comprises the entire desktop image of the media server.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the active screen image comprises at least one active window of the media server.

4. The system of claim 1 where said web videos are streamed to said media server from a video content site on the Internet by way of an intermediate website, said intermediate website including a transcoding function such that the web videos are converted from a non-supported compression format to a format that is supported on the media server.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein information transferred between the controller device and the media server is transferred via a network connection according to the IP address of the media server, and where the IP address of the media server is made available to the controller device by an access control function located on the Internet.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the access control function receives IP addresses and environment information from the controller device and media server, and authenticates that the controller device and media server are on the same LAN and are therefore allowed to communicate.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein information transferred between the controller device and the media server is transferred via a network connection according to the IP address of the media server, and where the IP address of the media server is made available to the controller device by way of a broadcast made by the media server to all devices on the LAN.

8. A method for controlling, from a controller device on a LAN, a media server connected to the LAN and having a video output connected to a TV, comprising the steps of:

opening a first remote control window on the controller device, while the TV displays a video source other than the media server video output, said first remote control window displaying an active screen image of at least a portion of the media server desktop screen;

locating, by utilizing the functionality available within the first remote control window, a first video located on the Web or on the LAN,

changing the selected video input on the TV such that the media server video output is chosen for display on the TV; and

causing, by utilizing the functionality available within the first remote control window, the previously located first video to be played on the Media Server and displayed on the TV.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

opening a local window on the controller device;

locating, within the local window, a link to a second video, said second video being located on the Web or on the LAN;

copying, to the clipboard of the controller device, the link to the second video;

pasting the link to the second video into the address bar of a browser window within the first remote control window, whereby the link to the second video is transferred to the media server; and

causing, by utilizing the functionality available within the first remote control window, the second video to be played on the Media Server and displayed on the TV.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

opening a second remote control window on the controller device, while the TV displays the first video, the process on the media server corresponding to the second remote control window running in the background as a hidden active window on the media server and thus not being displayed on the media server video output and TV display;

locating, utilizing the functionality available within the second remote control window, a second video located on the Web or on the LAN; and

causing, the hidden active window to become visible, thereby playing the second video on the media server, said second video replacing the first video displayed on the TV display.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein prior to causing the second video to be played on the media server, at least a portion the video stream for the second video is buffered on the media server.

12. A method for controlling, from a controller device on a LAN, a media server connected to the LAN, said media server having a video output connected to a TV, comprising the steps of:

opening a remote control window on the controller device, while the TV displays a video source other than the media server video output, said remote control window displaying an active screen image of at least a portion of the media server desktop screen;

opening a local window on the controller device;

locating, within the local window, a link to a first video, said first video being located on the Web or on the LAN;

copying, to the clipboard of the controller device, the link to the first video;

pasting the link to the first video into the address bar of a browser window within the remote control window, whereby the link to the first video is transferred to the media server;

changing the selected video input on the TV such that the media server video output is chosen for display on the TV; and

causing, by utilizing the functionality available within the remote control window, the first video to be played on the Media Server and displayed on the TV.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the active screen image comprises the entire desktop image of the media server.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the active screen image comprises at least one active window of the media server.

15. The system of claim 12 where web videos are streamed to said media server from a video content site on the Internet by way of an intermediate website, said intermediate website including a transcoding function such that the web videos are converted from a non-supported compression format to a format that is supported on the media server.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein information transferred between the controller device and the media server is transferred via a network connection according to the IP address of the media server, and where the IP address of the media server is made available to the controller device by an access control function located on the Internet.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the access control function receives IP addresses and environment information from the controller device and media server, and authenticates that both are on the same LAN and are therefore allowed to communicate.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein information transferred between the controller device and the media server is transferred via a network connection according to the IP address of the media server, and where the IP address of the media server is made available to the controller device by way of a broadcast made by the media server to all devices on the LAN.

19. A method for controlling, from a controller device on a LAN, a media server connected to the LAN and having a video output connected to a TV, comprising the steps of:

opening a first activity master browser window on the controller device;

locating, by utilizing the functionality available within the first activity master browser window, a first video located on the Web or on the LAN, wherein user activity within the first activity master browser window is monitored and optionally recorded; and

replicating, in a browser window on the media server, activity that is monitored or recorded within the first activity master browser window, such that the first video is played on the media server video output and displayed on the TV.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein as a result of said replicating, the first video is played simultaneously on both the controller device and the media server such that it is simultaneously visible on both the controller device display and the TV display.

21. The method of claim 20 where the first video is streamed simultaneously to both the controller device and the media server utilizing a multicast technology for transmission over the LAN.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

opening a second activity master browser window on the controller device;

locating, by utilizing the functionality available within the second activity master browser window, a second video located on the Web or on the LAN, wherein user activity within the second activity master browser window is monitored and optionally recorded, and is replicated in a second browser window on the media server implemented as a hidden active window;

playing the second video on both the controller device and the media server, the second video replacing the first video displayed on the media server.

23. A system for selecting and simultaneously displaying multiple web videos on a TV set, comprising:

a media server having a video output attached to a video input of a TV set, said media server also having network connections to a LAN and the Internet;

a controller device having a keyboard and display, said controller device also having network connections to the LAN and the Internet; and

wherein the media server screen simultaneously displays two or more windows, each window displaying a video, and where the video in each currently displayed window has been previously selected by the controller device, each video selection being communicated from the controller device to the media server by way of the LAN.

24. The system of claim 23 where the selection of videos by the controller device for display on the media server is accomplished by way of a remote control window on said controller device, said remote control window displaying an active screen image from the media server, and

wherein said active screen image is a fully functional recreation of at least a portion of the media server desktop screen, with operational control of the media server available to the controller device according to user actions within the remote control window.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the method for selection of videos by the controller device for display on the media server is further accomplished by the steps of:

opening a local window on the controller device;

locating, within the local window, a link to a video, said video being located on the Web or on the LAN;

copying, to the clipboard of the controller device, the link to the video;

pasting the link to the video into the address bar of a browser window within the remote control window, whereby the link to the video is transferred to the media server; and

causing, by utilizing the functionality available within the remote control window, the video to be played on the Media Server and displayed on the TV.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein the method for selection of videos by the controller device for display on the media server is further accomplished by the steps of:

opening a second remote control window on the controller device, the process on the media server corresponding to the second remote control window running in the background as a hidden active window on the media server and thus not being displayed on the media server video output and TV display;

locating, utilizing the functionality available within the second remote control window, an additional video located on the Web or on the LAN; and

causing, the hidden active window to become visible, thereby replacing one of the currently displayed windows on the media server and thereby causing the additional video to be played on the media server.

27. The system of claim 23 where the selection of videos by the controller device for display on the media server is further accomplished by the steps of:

simultaneously displaying multiple views or videos on the controller device, where the number of views or videos displayed on the controller device exceeds the number of views or videos displayed on the media server; and

selecting, by the user of the controller device, one or more of said multiple views or videos displayed on the controller device to be displayed on the media server; and

causing, by way of a communication over the LAN between the controller and media server, the selected views or videos to replace specific views or videos currently displayed on the media server.

28. The system of claim 23 where videos that are simultaneously displayed on both the controller and media server are simultaneously streamed to both the controller and media server using a multicast methodology.