ACCESSING REMOTE VIDEO DEVICES

• US 20110088070A1
• Filed: 10/12/2009
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pham, Hung John, Hoang, Bach N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,661,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/109
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21 Server components or server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23 Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23412 for generating or manipulating the scene composition of objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection

Abstract

A control server receives a local input to control a remote video device and sends an indication of the local input to the remote video device to control, access, or operate the remote video device. Video data indicative of images provided by the remote video device in response to the local input are relayed to the control server by the remote video device or associated components. A plurality of remote video devices can be simultaneously controlled, accessed, or operated. Control code sets for remote video devices are mapped to a local interface control set. Local input is translated to a remote video device command based on such mappings.

Claims

1. A computer method of controlling a remote video device, the method comprising:

receiving first video data from the remote video device, wherein the first video data is indicative of first video images provided by the remote video device;

receiving a local input to control the remote video device;

sending an indication of the local input to the remote video device; and

receiving second video data indicative of second video images provided by the remote device, wherein the second video images are provided by the remote device in response to the indication of the local input.

2. The computer method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a local video image based on the second video data.

3. The computer method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the first video data; and

storing the second video data.

4. The computer method of claim 1, wherein the local input is provided by a software routine.

5. The computer method of claim 1, further comprising:

assembling a series of local user inputs for execution as a batch file.

6. The computer method of claim 5, further comprising:

scheduling the batch file for periodic execution.

7. The computer method of claim 1, further comprising:

mapping a control code set to a local interface control set, wherein the control code set is associated with the remote video device.

8. The computer method of claim 7, further comprising:

translating the local input to a remote video device command, wherein said translating is according to the control code set.

9. The computer method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the first video images to a predetermined video pattern; and

responsive to the first video images matching the predetermined video pattern, initiating a recovery action associated with the predetermined video pattern.

10. The computer method of claim 9 wherein the predetermined video pattern represents an error screen.

11. The computer method of claim 10, wherein the recovery action includes obtaining a crash log related to the error screen.

12. The computer method of claim 1, wherein said receiving is via a multimedia content distribution network (MCDN).

13. The computer method of claim 12, wherein the MCDN comprises an Internet protocol television network.

14. A remote video device controller comprising:

a processor;

a remote video adapter; and

a storage including computer instructions, the computer instructions comprising instructions for;

receiving a local input to control a remote video device wherein the local input to emulate an infrared input;

converting the local input to a remote video device command;

sending an indication of the remote video device command to the remote video device; and

detecting a change in content or image displayed by the remote video device after said sending.

15. The remote video device controller of claim 14, the computer instructions further comprising instructions for:

comparing a video image received from the remote video device to stored video patterns to detect a video pattern event, wherein the video pattern event indicates an absence of a normal operation of the remote video device.

16. The remote video device controller of claim 15, the computer instructions further comprising instructions for:

adapting the stored video patterns during operation based on the received video image.

17. The remote video device controller of claim 16, wherein the remote video device command is for bringing the remote video device to a predetermined state.

18. A service for controlling a remote video device, the service comprising:

receiving first video data from the remote video device, wherein the first video data is indicative of a first video image processed by the remote video device;

sending an indication of a local control command to the remote video device; and

responsive to local control command, receiving second video data indicative of a second video image provided by the remote video device.

19. The service of claim 18, further comprising:

mapping a control code set to a local interface control set, wherein the control code set is for the remote video device, wherein the local interface control set includes the local control command; and

translating the local control command to a remote video device command based on said mapping.