System and method for managing and/or rendering internet multimedia content in a network

• US 20100332565A1
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: PacketVideo Corporation (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Neff, Ralph, Al-Shaykh, Osama, Schwartz, Rick, Espelien, Magdalena Leuca
• Granted Patent: US 9,195,775 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: N/A
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/281 indicating a format for calling an appliance service function in a home automation network for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• 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: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only

Abstract

A system and a method render internet multimedia content in a network using an application to render the internet multimedia content and/or locally stored multimedia content on one or more rendering devices in the network. The application may provide web browser functions, such as, for example, receiving, processing, decoding and/or rendering the internet multimedia content. The application may have an enhanced user interface which may enable a user to select the internet multimedia content and a rendering device in the network, send the internet multimedia content to the rendering device and/or control rendering of the internet multimedia content on the rendering device.

Claims

1. A method for rendering internet multimedia content in a network connected to the internet wherein a rendering device is connected to the network, the method comprising the steps of:

retrieving the internet multimedia content from the internet using the network wherein the internet multimedia content is retrieved from the internet based on user input accepted by a user interface provided by a device connected to the network and further wherein the user interface displays a first webpage;

transmitting the internet multimedia content to the rendering device; and

rendering the internet multimedia content on the rendering device wherein rendering by the rendering device is controlled by the device that provides the user interface.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

processing the internet multimedia content before transmitting the internet multimedia content to the rendering device wherein processing of the internet multimedia content is based on capabilities of the rendering device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

displaying controls based on properties of the internet multimedia content wherein the controls are displayed in the user interface and further wherein the internet multimedia content is transmitted to the rendering device in response to selection of at least one of the controls.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

displaying controls based on capabilities of the rendering device wherein the controls are displayed in the user interface and further wherein the internet multimedia content is transmitted to the rendering device in response to selection of at least one of the controls.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

transmitting a first message to the rendering device wherein the rendering device transmits a second message in response to the first message and further wherein the second message requests transmittal of the internet multimedia content to the rendering device.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

retrieving a restriction associated with the internet multimedia content before transmitting the internet multimedia content to the rendering device wherein the internet multimedia content is transmitted to the rendering device if the restriction does not prohibit transmittal to the rendering device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

displaying a list of rendering devices that indicates that the rendering device and an additional rendering device are capable of rendering the internet multimedia content and further wherein the internet multimedia content is transmitted to the rendering device in response to selection of the rendering device from the list.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

creating a playlist that has the internet multimedia content and multimedia content files stored in a server connected to the network wherein the internet multimedia content and the multimedia content files stored in the server are rendered in response to selection of the playlist.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

storing the internet multimedia content as a digital multimedia content file on a server connected to the network in response to user input accepted by the user interface.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

rendering the internet multimedia content in the user interface in substantial synchronization with rendering of the internet multimedia content by the rendering device.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

displaying a graphic representation of the rendering device wherein the internet multimedia content is transmitted to the rendering device in response to selection of the graphic representation.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

creating a bookmark for the internet multimedia content wherein a default rendering device connected to the network is associated with the bookmark and further wherein selection of the bookmark using the user interface initiates rendering of the internet multimedia content on the default rendering device.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the internet multimedia content is provided by the first webpage and further wherein the rendering device continues to render the internet multimedia content after the user interface navigates from the first webpage to a second webpage that is a different webpage than the first webpage.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

transmitting advertising content associated with the internet multimedia content to the rendering device wherein the rendering device renders the advertising content.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

storing the internet multimedia content and advertising content associated with the internet multimedia content as a digital multimedia content file on a server connected to the network in response to user input accepted by the user interface.

16. A method for rendering internet multimedia content in a network connected to the internet wherein a plurality of rendering devices are connected to the network and further wherein each of the plurality of rendering devices has rendering capabilities, the method comprising the steps of:

retrieving the internet multimedia content from the internet with a user interface provided on a device connected to the network wherein the internet multimedia content has properties and further wherein the user interface displays a webpage;

identifying at least one rendering device of the plurality of rendering devices wherein the rendering capabilities of the at least one rendering device correspond to the properties of the internet multimedia content;

displaying a first set of controls in the user interface wherein each of the at least one rendering device is associated with one of the first set of controls;

accepting user input that identifies a selected control of the first set of controls wherein the user input determines a target rendering device and further wherein the target rendering device is one of the at least one rendering device which is associated with the selected control;

transmitting the internet multimedia content to the target rendering device; and

rendering the internet multimedia content on the target rendering device.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of:

reviewing a restriction associated with the internet multimedia content wherein the at least one rendering device conforms to the restriction.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of:

displaying a restriction associated with the internet multimedia content in the user interface wherein the internet multimedia content is transmitted to the target rendering device in response to user input after display of the restriction.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of:

displaying a second set of controls that control rendering of the internet multimedia content on the target rendering device.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of:

transmitting messages from the plurality of rendering devices wherein the messages indicate the rendering capabilities and further wherein the at least one rendering device is identified using the messages.

21. A system for rendering internet multimedia content in a network connected to the internet wherein a rendering device is connected to the network, the system comprising:

a renderer control component that detects that the rendering device is connected to the network and further wherein the renderer control component determines capabilities of the rendering device; and

a user interface that presents control options for the internet multimedia content wherein the internet multimedia content is selected using a webpage associated with the internet multimedia content and further wherein the user interface is connected to the renderer control component wherein the control options are based on properties of the internet multimedia content and the capabilities of the rendering device and further wherein the user interface accepts user input selecting at least one of the control options;

a transcoder that processes the internet multimedia content to generate processed internet multimedia content in response to the user input wherein the processed internet multimedia content is based on the capabilities of the rendering device; and

a media server component that receives the processed internet multimedia content from the transcoder and transmits the processed internet multimedia content to the rendering device.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the renderer control component, the user interface, the transcoder and the media server component are provided by a plug-in application that connects to a primary application executed by a device connected to the network and further wherein the primary application provides a web browser used to retrieve the webpage.

23. The system of claim 21 further comprising:

a web browser component connected to the user interface wherein the web browser component retrieves the webpage and further wherein the web browser component, the renderer control component, the user interface, the transcoder and the media server component are provided by an application executed by a device connected to the network.

24. The system of claim 21 further comprising:

a media player attached to the user interface wherein the media player, the renderer control component, the user interface, the transcoder and the media server component are provided by an application executed by a device connected to the network and further wherein the media player renders the internet multimedia content on the device that provides the application.

25. The system of claim 21 further comprising:

a server accessible using the internet wherein the server provides a restriction for the internet multimedia content and further wherein the internet multimedia content is transmitted to the rendering device if transmittal to the rendering device complies with the restriction.

26. The system of claim 21 further comprising:

a first device connected to the network wherein the first device provides the renderer control component, the user interface, the transcoder and the media server component and further wherein the media server component indicates availability of the internet multimedia content to a second device connected to the network that is a different device than the first device.

27. The system of claim 21 further comprising:

a content management component connected to the user interface wherein the content management component creates a playlist that has the internet multimedia content and multimedia content files stored in a server connected to the network and further wherein the internet multimedia content and the multimedia content files stored in the server are rendered in response to selection of the playlist.

28. The system of claim 21 wherein the renderer control component acts as a UPnP AV Control Point.

29. The system of claim 21 wherein the transcoder generates the processed internet multimedia content to conform to a digital rights management protection associated with the internet multimedia content.

30. The system of claim 21 wherein the renderer control component transmits a first message to the first rendering device in response to the user input and further wherein the first rendering device transmits a second message to the media server component in response to the first message further wherein the second message requests transmittal of the processed internet multimedia content to the first rendering device.