Intelligent Remote Control

• US 20110273625A1
• Filed: 05/09/2011
• Published: 11/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: McMahon, Michael D, Seiden, Joshua, Batmanglidj, Jamesheed R, Dischner, Donald, Capps, James
• Granted Patent: US 9,294,800 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2115 Third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/41 Remote control of gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2407 Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41 Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4108 characterised by an identification number or address, e.g. local network address protecting specific internal or external computer components using identification number G06F21/73; network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• 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 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6334 for authorisation, e.g. by transmitting a key wireless communications network key management H04W12/04; wireless communications network access security H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/065 : Continuous authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security

Abstract

A content access device and system may allow portable remote devices to be paired with a variety of different devices, allowing remote control through a network connection. Content access devices may expose application program interfaces, allowing incoming network traffic to control operation of the device much in the same way that a local infrared remote would. Routing content commands through an external application server may also yield other benefits, such as allowing more customized selection of information and advertising content to users based on their viewing history.

Claims

1. A device control method, comprising:

receiving, at a content access device, a pairing request from a remote control device, the pairing request including a request to permit the remote control device to control the content access device;

generating, by the content access device, a passphrase and providing the passphrase to a user of the remote control device; and

transmitting, by the content access device, a pairing message to a remote application server, the pairing message including the passphrase and an identifier of the content access device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the content access device and from the remote application server, an authorization message indicating that the content access device and remote control device have been successfully paired; and

receiving, by the content access device from the remote application server, subsequent remote control content playback commands.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the subsequent remote control content playback commands include software application calls to an application program interface of the content access device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the software application calls are enhanced television binary interchange (EBIF) messages.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising playing content by the content access device, wherein the playing content comprises receiving and displaying streamed audiovisual content.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising

receiving content playback control commands via remote Internet transmission.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the content access device, an invitation to watch a program, the invitation including an identification of the program and an identification of a user who sent the invitation;

receiving, by the content access device, a local acceptance of the invitation; and

automatically switching datastreams, by the content access device, to watch the identified program in response to the acceptance.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

opening a chat window on a screen generated by the content access device; and

using the chat window to support a chat between the user who sent the invitation and a user who accepted the invitation.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an invitation to watch a program currently being displayed by the content access device for a first user; and

transmitting the invitation to a remote application server with a request to invite a second user to join the first user in watching the program.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the passphrase on a display associated with the content access device.

11. A device method, comprising:

receiving, at a first premises gateway, a wireless remote control command from a remote control device, the command being directed to control a content access device located at the first premises;

transmitting the command from the gateway to a remote application server located at a premises different from the first premises;

receiving, from the remote application server, a content access device command corresponding to the remote control command, the content access device command being directed to the content access device; and

forwarding the content access device command from the gateway to the content access device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless remote control command is received by the gateway over a wi-fi wireless connection, and wherein the content access device is a video content access device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the wireless remote control command is a channel change command.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising

receiving, at the first premises gateway, a second wireless remote control command from the remote control device, the command being directed to control a second content access device located at the first premises;

transmitting the second wireless remote control command from the gateway to a second remote application server located at a premises different from the first premises;

receiving, from the second remote application server, a second content access device command corresponding to the second remote control command, the second content access device command being directed to the second content access device; and

forwarding the second content access device command from the gateway to the second content access device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first and second remote application servers are physically different devices.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising

receiving, at the first premises gateway, a second wireless remote control command from the remote control device, the command being directed to invite a friend to view content currently being viewed by a user of a content access device;

and

transmitting the second wireless remote control command from the gateway to a second remote application server located at a premises different from the first premises.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, at the first premises gateway and from the remote application server, a content access device command to tune to a different service from a currently-tuned service.

18. A method, comprising:

displaying, by a computing device at a first premises, a user selectable option to transmit a command to a remote application server to cause the application server to transmit an electronic program guide command to a video content access device of the user located at the first premises;

receiving a user selection of the option; and

transmitting a wireless signal in response to the user selection of the option.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the electronic program guide command is a command to open an electronic program guide for viewing.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising displaying, by the computing device, a user selectable option to invite a friend, at a different premises, to view content currently being viewed by the digital video recorder, and to automatically control a content access device of that friend to begin viewing the content in response to an acceptance by the friend.