SHARING OF AUDIO/VISUAL CONTENT WITH A SELECTED USER

• US 20100268779A1
• Filed: 04/15/2009
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sling Media LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sling Media Incorporated (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Rao, Padmanabha
• Granted Patent: US 8,060,571 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities

Abstract

A method of sharing audio/visual content is presented. In the method, the audio/visual content is received from an audio/visual content source at an audio/visual content receiver by way of a content channel selection resource of the receiver, and stored therein. A message is transmitted from the receiver to a communication node, wherein the message indicates that the audio/visual content is available for viewing by a selected user. The communication node notifies the selected user of the message by way of a communication device associated with the selected user. In response to receiving a request for the audio/visual content from the communication device, the communication node facilitates a communication connection between the receiver and the communication device. The audio/visual content is transmitted from the receiver to the communication device over the communication connection. At the communication device, the audio/visual content is then presented to the selected user.

Claims

1. A method of sharing audio/visual content, the method comprising:

at an audio/visual content receiver, receiving the audio/visual content from an audio/visual content source by way of a content channel selection resource of the audio/visual content receiver;

at the audio/visual content receiver, storing the audio/visual content;

transmitting a message from the audio/visual content receiver to a communication node, wherein the message indicates that the audio/visual content is available for viewing by a selected user;

at the communication node, notifying the selected user of the message by way of a communication device associated with the selected user;

at the communication node, in response to receiving a request for the audio/visual content from the communication device, facilitating a communication connection between the audio/visual content receiver and the communication device;

transmitting the audio/visual content from the audio/visual content receiver to the communication device over the communication connection; and

at the communication device, presenting the audio/visual content to the selected user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein notifying the selected user of the message comprises:

at the communication node, sending an indication that the audio/visual content is available for viewing to the communication device associated with the selected user in response to the selected user accessing an online account by way of the communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein notifying the selected user of the message comprises:

at the communication node, sending an indication that the audio/visual content is available for viewing to the communication device associated with the selected user in response to the communication node receiving the message from the audio/visual content receiver.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting an identifier of the selected user from the audio/visual content receiver to the communication node; and

at the communication node, associating an identifier of the audio/visual content receiver with an account of the selected user located at the communication node;

wherein facilitating the communication connection is based upon the identifier of the audio/visual content receiver.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

transmitting the audio/visual content from the audio/visual content receiver to the communication device occurs such that the audio/visual content is transmitted through the communication node.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

transmitting the audio/visual content from the audio/visual content receiver to the communication device occurs by way of a peer-to-peer connection between the audio/visual content receiver and the communication device, wherein the peer-to-peer connection does not include the communication node.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the communication node, filtering the request according to access control information associated with an account of the selected user located at the communication node.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting an indication of a restriction regarding viewing of the audio/visual content from the audio/visual content receiver to the communication node;

wherein facilitating the communication connection conforms to the restriction.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the message comprises the indication of the restriction.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting the indication of the restriction from the communication node to the communication device.

11. An audio/visual content receiver, comprising:

an audio/visual content interface comprising at least one content channel selection resource configured to receive audio/visual content from an audio/visual content source;

data storage configured to store the audio/visual content;

a communication interface configured to engage in communication with a communication node and a communication device; and

control circuitry configured to;

transmit a message to the communication node by way of the communication interface, wherein the message indicates that the audio/visual content is available for viewing by a selected user, wherein the selected user is associated with the communication device;

receive by way of the communication interface a request to transmit the audio/visual content to the communication device; and

transmit the audio/visual content by way of the communication interface to the communication device in response to the request.

12. The audio/visual content receiver of claim 11, further comprising:

a user interface configured to receive a command from a user of the audio/visual content receiver selecting the selected user with which to share the audio/visual content.

13. The audio/visual content receiver of claim 11, wherein:

the audio/visual content interface is configured to receive the audio/visual content by way of a satellite antenna.

14. The audio/visual content receiver of claim 11, wherein:

the audio/visual content interface is configured to receive the audio/visual content by way of a terrestrial antenna.

15. The audio/visual content receiver of claim 11, wherein:

the audio/visual content interface is configured to receive the audio/visual content by way of a coaxial cable.

16. A communication node, comprising:

a communication interface configured to engage in communication with an audio/visual content receiver and a communication device; and

control circuitry configured to;

receive a message from the audio/visual content receiver by way of the communication interface, wherein the message indicates that audio/visual content received from a content source by a content channel selection resource of the audio/visual content receiver and stored in the audio/visual content receiver is available for viewing by a selected user, and wherein the selected user is associated with the communication device;

notify the selected user of the message by way of the communication interface and the communication device;

receive by way of the communication interface a request from the communication device to view the audio/visual content; and

in response to the request, by way of the communication interface, facilitate transmission of the audio/visual content from the audio/visual content receiver to the communication device.

17. The communication node of claim 16, further comprising:

data storage configured to store an account associated with the selected user;

wherein the control circuitry is configured to notify the selected user of the message by sending an indication that the audio/visual content is available for viewing to the communication device by way of the communication interface in response to the selected user accessing the account by way of the communication interface.

18. The communication node of claim 16, wherein:

the control circuitry is configured to notify the selected user of the message by sending an indication that the audio/visual content is available for viewing to the communication device by way of the communication interface in response to receiving the message from the audio/visual content receiver.

19. A communication device, comprising:

a communication interface configured to engage in communication with an audio/visual content receiver and a communication node;

a user interface configured to receive input from a user;

an output interface for presenting audio/visual content to the user; and

control circuitry configured to;

receive an indication by way of the communication interface that audio/visual content received from a content source by a content channel selection resource of the audio/visual content receiver and stored on the audio/visual content receiver is available for viewing;

present the indication to the user by way of the output interface;

transmit a request for the audio/visual content by way of the communication interface to the communication node in response to receiving a command from the user by way of the user interface;

receive the audio/visual content from the audio/visual content receiver by way of the communication interface; and

present the audio/visual content to the user by way of the output interface.

20. The communication device of claim 19, further comprising:

an audio/visual content interface configured to receive second audio/visual content;

wherein the control circuitry is configured to present the second audio/visual content to the user by way of the output interface.