METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING CALLBACKS FROM A USER DEVICE USING AN IP NETWORK

• US 20090028317A1
• Filed: 07/26/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: James, Thomas H., LING, SUI-KY RINGO
• Application Number:
  US11/828,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20090028317A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/210.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

A system and method for providing callbacks includes a content processing system or head end and a user device generating a callback signal and communicating the callback signal to a head end or content processing system using an Internet protocol.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a callback signal in a user device;

communicating the callback signal to a head end or content processing system using an Internet protocol.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the callback signal comprises a conditional access signal.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the callback signal comprises an audience measurement signal.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the callback signal comprises a video guard signal.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein prior to communicating forming a tunnel using a tunneling protocol.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein the tunneling protocol comprises Layer 2 Tunneling protocol.

7. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein after forming a tunnel, communicating the callback signal using a point-to-point protocol through the tunnel.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein prior to communicating the callback signal using a point-to-point protocol through the tunnel, forming a point-to-point protocol session and authenticating the point-to-point protocol session.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein authenticating the point-to-point session comprises authenticating the point-to-point session using a challenge handshake authentication protocol.

10. A method comprising:

generating a callback signal in a user device;

attempting to communicate the callback signal to a head end or content processing system using an Internet protocol;

when a communicating using an Internet Protocol fails, communicating the call back signal through a modem.

11. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein the callback signal comprises a conditional access signal.

12. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein the callback signal comprises an audience measurement signal.

13. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein the callback signal comprises a video guard signal.

14. A system comprising:

a content processing system or head end;

a user device generating a callback signal and communicating the callback signal to a head end or content processing system using an Internet protocol.

15. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the callback signal comprises a conditional access signal.

16. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the callback signal comprises an audience measurement signal.

17. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the callback signal comprises a video guard signal.

18. A system as recited in claim 14 further comprising a tunnel between the content processing system and the user device using a tunneling protocol.

19. A system as recited in claim 18 wherein the tunneling protocol comprises Layer 2 Tunneling protocol.

20. A method as recited in claim 18 wherein the user device communicates the callback signal using a point-to-point protocol through the tunnel.