SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING MEDIA PRESENTATIONS

• US 20100071021A1
• Filed: 09/12/2008
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: FRIEDMAN, LEE G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,266,666 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/133
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• 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 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a remote controller that manages operations of a set-top box (STB) having a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, a user interface (UI) with one or more components, and a controller operably coupled to the RF transceiver and the UI. The controller can be adapted to cause the RF transceiver to establish a communication session with a subsystem of an interactive media communication system, cause the RF transceiver to transmit to the subsystem a request for media content, cause the UI to present media content supplied by the subsystem without interrupting operations of the STB, and cause the RF transceiver to transmit to the subsystem one or more commands directed to the STB. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A remote controller that manages operations of a set-top box (STB), comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver;

a user interface (UI) with one or more components; and

a controller operably coupled to the RF transceiver and the UI, wherein the controller is adapted to;

cause the RF transceiver to establish a communication session with a subsystem of an interactive media communication system, wherein the communication session operates according to an Internet Protocol;

cause the RF transceiver to transmit to the subsystem a request for media content;

cause the UI to present media content supplied by the subsystem without interrupting operations of the STB; and

cause the RF transceiver to transmit to the subsystem one or more commands directed to the STB, wherein the subsystem supplies the one or more commands to the STB, and wherein the STB and the remote controller operate from the interactive media communication system.

2. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the remote controller corresponds to one of a device supplied with the STB for managing operations thereof, a mobile computer, and a mobile phone, and wherein the one or more commands conforms to one of a user datagram protocol or transmission control protocol.

3. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the RF transceiver operates according to one of a plurality of wireless access protocols comprising Bluetooth, Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), GSM General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Evolution Data Optimized or Evolution Data Only (EVDO), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), WiMAX, Zigbee, and one or more Software Defined Radio (SDR) protocols.

4. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the media content supplied to the remote controller comprises at least one of an electronic programming guide, a video on demand catalog, a help menu, information associated with a digital media recorder, metadata associated with one or more media programs, and one or more media streams corresponding to one or more media programs.

5. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the STB receives by way of an infrared port of the STB a request initiated by an infrared device to manage operations of the STB, wherein the STB transmits to the subsystem a query directed to the remote controller to determine whether control is to be relinquished to the infrared device, and wherein the subsystem transmits to the remote controller a notice associated with the query.

6. The remote controller of claim 5, wherein the controller is adapted to:

present the notice with one or more selectable graphical user interface (GUI) elements to accept or reject relinquishment of control of the STB;

detect a selection of one of the GUI elements; and

transmit the selection to the subsystem.

7. The remote controller of claim 6, wherein the subsystem transmits the selection to the STB, and wherein the STB accepts or rejects the request initiated by the infrared device according to the selection supplied by the remote controller to the subsystem.

8. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the interactive media communication system corresponds to at least one of an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) communication system, an IPTV communication system, a cable TV communication system, a satellite TV communication system, or combinations thereof.

9. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the media content presented at the UI corresponds to one of audio content, still image content, moving image content or combinations thereof.

10. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the UI comprises at least one of a display, an audio system, and an STB keypad control system.

11. The remote controller of claim 1, where the display is a touch-sensitive display, and wherein the STB keypad control system is in whole or in part a touch-sensitive representation portrayed by the display.

12. A set-top box (STB), comprising a controller to receive from a subsystem of an interactive media communication system one or more commands generated by a remote controller that manages operations of the STB, wherein the remote controller is adapted to:

establish a communication session with the subsystem of the interactive media communication system;

transmit to the subsystem a request for media content;

present media content supplied by the subsystem without interrupting operations of the STB; and

transmit to the subsystem the one or more commands directed to the STB, wherein the STB and the remote controller operate from the interactive media communication system.

13. The STB of claim 12, wherein the remote controller corresponds to one of a device supplied with the STB, a mobile computer, and a mobile phone.

14. The STB of claim 12, wherein the communication session is at least in part a wireless communication session operating according to one of a plurality of wireless access protocols comprising Bluetooth, Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), GSM General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Evolution Data Optimized or Evolution Data Only (EVDO), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), WiMAX, Zigbee, and one or more Software Defined Radio (SDR) protocols.

15. The STB of claim 12, wherein the media content supplied to the remote controller comprises at least one of an electronic programming guide, a video on demand catalog, a help menu, information associated with a digital media recorder, metadata associated with one or more media programs, and one or more media streams corresponding to one or more media programs.

16. The STB of claim 12, wherein the controller of the STB is adapted to:

receive by way of an infrared port of the STB a request initiated by an infrared device to manage operations of the STB; and

transmit to the subsystem a query directed to the remote controller to determine whether control is to be relinquished to the infrared device, wherein the subsystem transmits to the remote controller a notice associated with the query.

17. The STB of claim 16, wherein the remote controller is adapted to:

present the notice with one or more selectable graphical user interface (GUI) elements to accept or reject relinquishment of control of the STB;

detect a selection of one of the GUI elements; and

transmit the selection to the subsystem.

18. The STB of claim 17, wherein the subsystem transmits the selection to the STB, and wherein the controller of the STB is adapted to accept or reject the request initiated by the infrared device according to the selection.

19. The STB of claim 12, wherein the interactive media communication system corresponds to at least one of an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) communication system, an IPTV communication system, a cable TV communication system, a satellite TV communication system, or combinations thereof.

20. The STB of claim 12, wherein the media content presented at the remote controller corresponds to one of audio content, still image content, moving image content or combinations thereof.

21. A subsystem of an interactive media communication system, comprising a controller to:

receive from a remote controller by way of the interactive media communication system one or more commands directed to a set-top box (STB); and

submit to the STB the one or more commands generated by the remote controller, wherein the remote controller is adapted to;

establish a communication session with the subsystem of the interactive media communication system;

transmit to the subsystem a request for media content;

present media content supplied by the subsystem without interrupting operations of the STB; and

transmit to the subsystem the one or more commands directed to the STB, wherein the STB and the remote controller operate from the interactive media communication system.

22. The subsystem of claim 21, wherein the remote controller corresponds to one of a device supplied with the STB, a mobile computer, and a mobile phone, and wherein the communication session is at least in part a wireless communication session operating according to one of a plurality of wireless access protocols comprising Bluetooth, Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), GSM General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Evolution Data Optimized or Evolution Data Only (EVDO), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), WiMAX, Zigbee, and one or more Software Defined Radio (SDR) protocols.

23. The subsystem of claim 21, wherein the media content presented at the remote controller corresponds to one of audio content, still image content, moving image content or combinations thereof, and wherein the interactive media communication system corresponds to at least one of an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) communication system, an IPTV communication system, a cable TV communication system, a satellite TV communication system, or combinations thereof.

24. The subsystem of claim 21, wherein the STB is adapted to:

receive by way of an infrared port of the STB a request initiated by an infrared device to manage operations of the STB; and

transmit to the subsystem a query directed to the remote controller to determine whether control is to be relinquished to the infrared device, wherein the subsystem transmits to the remote controller a notice associated with the query.

25. The subsystem of claim 21, wherein the remote controller is adapted to:

present the notice with one or more selectable graphical user interface (GUI) elements to accept or reject relinquishment of control of the STB;

detect a selection of one of the GUI elements; and

transmit the selection to the subsystem, and

wherein the controller of the subsystem is adapted to transmit the selection to the STB, and wherein the controller of the STB is adapted to accept or reject the request initiated by the infrared device according to the selection.

26. In a remote controller, a method, comprising:

establishing a communication session with a subsystem of an interactive media communication system;

transmitting to the subsystem a request for media content;

presenting media content supplied by the subsystem without interrupting operations of a set-top box (STB); and

transmitting to the subsystem one or more commands directed to the STB, wherein the subsystem supplies the one or more commands to the STB, and wherein the STB and the remote controller operate from the interactive media communication system.

27. The method of claim 26, comprising:

receiving from the subsystem a request to enable a presentation of a media program limited in presentation by an established parental control setting; and

transmit to the subsystem an acceptance or rejection to said request.