Data Transmission from a Set-Top Box

• US 20100146560A1
• Filed: 12/08/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Bonfrer, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,453,185 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2871 Implementation details of single intermediate entities
• 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 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/43637 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 21/440218 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 conversion of standards in analogue television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4623 Processing of entitlement messages, e.g. ECM [Entitlement Control Message] or EMM [Entitlement Management Message] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• 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 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17327 with deferred transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A method for transmitting data between two devices, such as a set-top box and a mobile device. The user of the mobile device may view the transmitted data as it is received by the mobile device. The data may be transmitted via UMTS. Additionally, the user may be allowed to view data because the user has a subscription to access the data through the set-top box. Furthermore, the set-top box may send a notification to the user to query whether the set-top box should transmit the data to the mobile device. In the case that the user responds and requests the data to be transmitted to the mobile device, the set-top box may transmit the requested data to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting data from a receiver to a mobile device, comprising:

receiving at the receiver, from a content provider, an indication associated with the data, wherein the indication signals a beginning of the data being received at the receiver;

determining, by the receiver, that the data has been pre-selected;

in response to determining that the data has been pre-selected, generating a message, the message prompting a user of the mobile device to select whether to initiate transfer of the data from the receiver to the mobile device;

transmitting the message to the mobile device;

receiving a reply from the mobile device, the reply requesting initiation of the transfer of the data from the receiver to the mobile device; and

in response to receiving the reply, transmitting the data from the receiver to the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication associated with the data comprises an indication that the data will be transmitted by the content provider within a predetermined time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication associated with the data is an initial portion of the data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is transmitted to the mobile device via at least one of a short message service or a multimedia message service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is transmitted from the receiver to a facility of the content provider, and retransmitted from the facility to the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiver is a television receiver.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a mobile telephone.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation of determining, by the receiver, that the data has been pre-selected comprises at least one of:

determining that the user has pre-selected the data for streaming to the mobile device;

determining that the content provider has pre-selected the data for streaming to the mobile device; and

determining that the user has pre-selected the data for storage.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation of determining, by the receiver, that the data has been pre-selected further comprises determining the data belongs to a user selected content category.

10. A method of transferring video content to a mobile device, comprising:

receiving input, at a television receiver, identifying a television program transmitted by a content provider;

generating a reminder message regarding the television program;

transmitting the reminder message from the television receiver to a mobile device at a time associated with the reception of the television program by the television receiver;

receiving a response to the reminder message, at the television receiver, from the mobile device, the response requesting transmission of the television program from the television receiver to the mobile device; and

transmitting the television program from the television receiver to the mobile device responsive to the response.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein transmitting the reminder message further comprises:

initiating transmission of a store-and-forward message from the television receiver to the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein transmitting the reminder message further comprises:

initiating transmission of the reminder message prior to the time associated with reception of the television program.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein transmitting the message further comprises:

determining whether the user activated a reminder feature of a television receiver during a specified time period associated with the reception time of the television program; and

transmitting the message responsive to determining that the user has activated the reminder feature.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the user input further comprises:

receiving the user input specifying a category of content; and

determining whether the television program is associated with the specified category;

wherein generating the reminder message is performed responsive to determining that the television program is associated with the specified category.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

processing the television program at the television receiver to authorize reception of the television program by the television receiver; and

associating the television program with a subscriber identity module identifier of the mobile device, wherein the mobile device utilizes the subscriber identity module identifier to authorize presentation of the content on the mobile device.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the source is a satellite provider.

16. A method of transferring video programming, comprising:

receiving a television program at a television receiver from a content source;

processing the data at the television receiver using a smart card to authorize reception of the programming by the television receiver;

associating the television program with a subscriber identity module identifier of the mobile device; and

transmitting the television program from the television receiver to the mobile device, wherein the mobile device utilizes the subscriber identity module identifier to authorize presentation of the content on the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

transmitting a reminder from the television receiver to the mobile device, wherein the reminder signals a beginning of the television program being received at the television receiver; and

receiving a response to the reminder requesting initiation of transmission of the television program from the television receiver to the mobile device;

wherein transmitting the television program is performed responsive to receiving the response.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting the television program from the television receiver to the mobile device via a universal mobile telecommunications service.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein transmitting the television program from the television program to a mobile device further comprises transmitting the data substantially as the television receiver receives the television program.