System, Method and Computer Software Product for Providing Interactive Data Using a Mobile Device

• US 20110055874A1
• Filed: 09/02/2010
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interactive Wireless Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Aldo G. Cugnini, Carlo Basile, Louis H. Libin
• Inventors: Libin, Louis H., Cugnini, Aldo G., Basile, Carlo
• Granted Patent: US 9,674,636 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/62
• 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 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4351 involving reassembling additional data, e.g. rebuilding an executable program from recovered modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

A method of providing interactive services to a mobile device, comprising: transmitting programming over-the-air to a mobile device by a first facility in communication with a service provider; and receiving by a second facility comprising a wireless access point in communication with the service provider first information based on the programming from the mobile device is provided. A method of providing interactive services to a mobile device, comprising: receiving programming over-the-air by a mobile device from a first facility in communication with a service provider; and transmitting by the mobile device to a second facility comprising a wireless access point in communication with the service provider first information based on the programming is provided.

Claims

1. A method of providing interactive services to a mobile device, comprising:

transmitting programming over-the-air to a mobile device by a first facility in communication with a service provider; and

receiving by a second facility comprising a wireless access point in communication with the service provider first information based on the programming from the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving is enabled when the wireless access point is able to connect to the mobile device after being unable to connect to the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving is responsive to a request transmitted to the mobile device by a facility selected from the group comprising the first facility and the second facility.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising aggregating programming viewing statistics by a processing node selected from the group comprising the mobile device, the wireless access point, the second facility, a gateway manager and the service provider.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information comprises programming usage information compiled automatically by the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information is selected from the group comprising interactive response information, program usage information, the mobile device user'"'"'s viewing preferences, the mobile device user'"'"'s device operational preferences, and the mobile device user'"'"'s demographic information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the usage information is generated from second information that documents the viewing of the programming.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information is processed by a gateway manager to remove information identifying the user of the mobile device and the processed information is communicated to the service provider.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting by the second facility third information to the wireless access point, wherein the third information comprises information to be processed by the wireless access point and relayed from the wireless access point to the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting fourth information comprising at least one update to the software of the mobile device by a facility selected from the group comprising transmitting the fourth information by the first facility and transmitting the fourth information by the second facility; and

wherein the at least one update is based on the pre-update software complement and pre-update usage information of the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving from the mobile device the usage information and software complement information prior to transmitting the update.

12. A system for providing interactive services to a mobile device, comprising:

means for transmitting programming over-the-air to a mobile device by a first facility in communication with a service provider; and

means for receiving by a second facility comprising a wireless access point in communication with the service provider first information based on the programming from the mobile device using a first wireless connection.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first information comprises information generated by the mobile device based on the viewing of the programming.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the first information is generated from second information documenting the viewing of the programming.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the first facility and second facility are co-located.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the first facility comprises at least two non-co-located transmission sites.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the mobile device comprises a TV receiver.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the mobile device is affixable to a vehicle.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the mobile device is transportable by a pedestrian user.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the wireless connection comprises a short-range wireless connection.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the short-range wireless connection comprises an IEEE 802.11 connection.

22. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for transmitting second information by the second facility to the mobile device using a second wireless connection.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the second wireless connection comprises a short-range wireless connection.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the short-range wireless connection comprises an IEEE 802.11 connection.

25. A computer software product, comprising coded instructions for executing a computer process in a digital processor, which computer process manages providing interactive services to a mobile device, the computer process comprising:

managing transmitting programming over-the-air to a mobile device by a first facility in communication with a service provider; and

managing receiving by a second facility comprising a wireless access point in communication with the service provider information based on the programming from the mobile device.

26. A method of providing interactive services to a mobile device, comprising:

receiving programming over-the-air by a mobile device from a first facility in communication with a service provider; and

transmitting by the mobile device to a second facility comprising a wireless access point in communication with the service provider first information based on the programming.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the transmitting is enabled when the mobile device is able to connect to the wireless access point after being unable to connect to the wireless access point.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the mobile device is regularly returned by the user to within connection range of the wireless access point after regularly being outside connection range.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the user of the mobile device maintains the wireless access point.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the transmitting is responsive to a request received by the mobile device from a facility selected from the group comprising the first facility and the second facility.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the mobile device is transported from place to place by a vehicle.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein the user is a pedestrian user who transports the mobile device from place to place.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein the wireless access point supports a short-range wireless connection.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein the short-range wireless connection supports an IEEE 802.11 connection.