Mobile Set Top Box

• US 20100169935A1
• Filed: 10/09/2009
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MV3 Partners LLC
• Original Assignee: MV3 Partners LLC
• Inventors: Abbruzzese, Jared E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,863,223 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/62
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/584 for track following on tapes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• 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 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

A system is provided in which IP or media content residing on or being streamed to a mobile phone is forwarded to a display. The media content supports a native resolution of the mobile phone that is significantly smaller than a native resolution of said display. The system has media content processing circuitry, which up-scales the media content to the display native resolution. The system forwards the up-scaled media content to the display, whereby the display provides the up-scaled media content to a viewer.

Claims

1. A system in which media content is streamed in real time to a mobile computing device from plural communications networks and forwarded to a display;

said plural communications networks include at least two of;

mobile data networks, direct broadband satellite networks, broadcast networks, satellite data networks, and IP networks;

the media content supporting a native resolution of said mobile computing device that is significantly smaller than a native resolution of said display;

the system comprising;

media content processing circuitry, said processing circuitry including;

(a) up-scaling means for up-scaling said media content in real time to said display native resolution; and

(b) forwarding means for forwarding said up-scaled media content in real time to said display, whereby said display provides said up-scaled media content in real time to a viewer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said mobile computing device is a mobile phone.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said mobile phone is a Smartphone.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said media content is provided to said mobile computing device in first file format, and said processing circuitry includes encoding means for converting said media content to a second file format.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein said display is a TV or projector.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said TV is an HDTV.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein said first file format is 3GP and the second file format is MPEG-4.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein said IP networks include WiFi networks and WiMAX networks.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said cellular phone is capable of receiving any of MediaFLO signals, DVB-H signals, DVB-SH signals, and HSPA signals.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said processing circuitry is adapted for processing video-on-demand and/or data protected by digital rights management.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said media content from said communications networks represents any of TV programming, live events, movie downloads, and content from video sharing websites.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said processing circuitry includes content managing software for organizing said received media content for downstream viewing on the display by the user.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said content managing software provides one or more of an electronic program guide representing programming on any of said networks, a remote control functionality whereby a user surfs channels disposed on any of said networks, and content filtering for filtering content on any of said networks.

14. The system of claim 4, wherein said encoding means comprises software.

15. The system of claim 2, wherein said up-scaling means comprises hardware.

16. The system of claim 2, wherein said forwarding means comprises a video controller.

17. The system of claim 2, wherein said processing circuitry is disposed within said mobile phone, said mobile phone adapted for communicating with said TV.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said mobile phone communicates with said display via wireless or wired technology.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said mobile phone is capable of placing and receiving phone calls while said processing circuitry up-scales and forwards media content to said display.

20. The system of claim 2, wherein said processing circuitry is provided in a set top box adapted for communicating with both said mobile phone and said TV.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said mobile phone has a battery, said mobile phone is adapted for connecting with said set top box whereby said mobile phone battery is charged and/or recharged.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein said mobile phone communicates with said set top box via wireless or wired technology and said display communicates with said set top box via wireless or wired technology.

23. The system of claim 2, adapted for authenticating said user before up-scaling and forwarding said media content.

24. The system of claim 4, wherein said processing circuitry identifies the model of said cellular phone and the model of said display for identifying encoding and up-scaling requirements.

25. The system of claim 20 wherein said set top box includes connectivity ports for wired communications with said display.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said connectivity ports include any of DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort and S-Video.