SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING COMPANION SERVICES TO CUSTOMER EQUIPMENT USING AN IP-BASED INFRASTRUCTURE

• US 20120096503A1
• Filed: 10/12/2011
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fourthwall Media Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Fourthwall Media Incorporated
• Inventors: SLOTHOUBER, Louis P., JOHNSTON, Jeffrey W., YE, Aaron
• Granted Patent: US 9,635,410 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for providing companion services to customer premises equipment (CPE) using an IP-based service infrastructure. The infrastructure allows IP-enabled devices such as tablet PCs, smart phones, PDAs, and laptop computers to provide supplementary services to target systems and devices located at customer premises. Target systems and devices (CPE) may be TVs, PCs, set-top boxes, digital video recorders, or other electronics. An embodiment is disclosed which allows a mobile device to provide companion services to a television through a link with a set-top box in a cable TV network using the Internet.

Claims

1. A method for providing companion services to customer premises equipment using an IP-enabled device, the method comprising:

communicatively coupling the IP-enabled device to the customer premises equipment, via a network running Internet Protocol, using a gateway server;

providing web services using the gateway server, wherein the web services define a set of functions accessible to applications running on the IP-enabled device that are executed on the customer premises equipment to provide companion services which supplement pre-existing functions provided by the customer premises equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer premises equipment is a set-top box, television, advanced television, digital video recorder, stereo, home security system, home appliance, utility metering device, utility control device, industrial controller, vending machine, remote-controlled vehicle, or robot.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the IP-enabled device is a tablet computer, smart phone, PDA, laptop computer, desktop computer, kiosk, or set-top box.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the communicative coupling comprises pairing the IP-enabled device with the customer premises equipment.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the pairing comprises:

displaying a pairing code at the customer premises equipment;

inputting, at the IP-enabled device, a user entry reflecting the pairing code;

transmitting to the gateway server, from the IP-enabled device and the customer premises equipment, pairing information, wherein the pairing information includes the pairing code;

determining, at the gateway server, that the pairing code received from the IP-enabled device corresponds to the pairing code received from the customer premises equipment; and

linking, at the gateway server, the customer premises equipment with the IP-enabled device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is a hybrid fiber-coax (HFC) distribution network, satellite TV network, broadcast TV network, cell phone network, the internet, or an intranet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the gateway server is configured to authenticate devices.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the gateway server is configured to authorize applications.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the gateway server is configured to manage network resources.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the gateway server is configured to facilitate a secure transmission of messages between the IP-enabled device and the customer premises equipment.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the gateway server is configured to provide enhanced television (ETV) services.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the gateway server is configured to route and relay messages to a plurality of distribution and routing servers, wherein the plurality of distribution and routing servers cooperatively provide a path through the IP network for delivering messages between paired IP-enabled devices and customer premises equipment.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the path comprises:

the gateway server positioned at a root node;

message routing and relay services at one or more intermediate nodes; and

the customer premises equipment at one or more leafs.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the companion services are enabled using a companion application client running on the customer premises equipment.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the companion application client is implemented using the enhanced TV binary interchange (EBIF) standard and supported by an EBIF user agent.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the application running on the IP-enabled device is configured to:

change a television channel on the customer premises equipment;

query a current channel, program, or state of a set-top box;

begin immediate DVR recording;

schedule future DVR recording;

display text and/or graphics over video on a TV screen;

turn a set-top box on or off;

identify EBIF applications available on a set-top box;

launch EBIF applications available on a set-top box;

or communicate with enhanced EBIF applications available on a set-top box.

17. A system for providing companion services to customer premises equipment using an IP-enabled device, the system comprising:

an IP-enabled device;

customer premises equipment;

a gateway sever, wherein the gateway server communicatively couples the IP-enabled device and the customer premises equipment via a network running Internet Protocol;

wherein the gateway server is configured to provide web services defining a set of functions accessible to the applications running on the IP-enabled device that are executed on the customer premises equipment to provide companion services which supplement pre-existing functions provided by the customer premises equipment.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the customer premises equipment is a set-top box, television, advanced television, digital video recorder, stereo, home security system, home appliance, utility metering device, utility control device, industrial controller, vending machine, remote-controlled vehicle, or robot.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the IP-enabled device is a tablet computer, smart phone, PDA, laptop computer, desktop computer, kiosk, or set-top box.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the communicative coupling comprises pairing the IP-enabled device with the customer premises equipment.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the pairing comprises:

displaying a pairing code at the customer premises equipment;

inputting, at the IP-enabled device, a user entry reflecting the pairing code;

transmitting to the gateway server, from the IP-enabled device and the customer premises equipment, pairing information, wherein the pairing information includes the pairing code;

determining, at the gateway server, that the pairing code received from the IP-enabled device corresponds to the pairing code received from the customer premises equipment; and

linking, at the gateway server, the customer premises equipment with the IP-enabled device.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the network is a hybrid fiber-coax (HFC) distribution network, satellite TV network, broadcast TV network, cell phone network, the internet, or an intranet.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the gateway server is configured to authenticate devices.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the gateway server is configured to authorize applications.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein the gateway server is configured to manage network resources.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein the gateway server is configured to facilitate a secure transmission of messages between the IP-enabled device and the customer premises equipment.

27. The system of claim 17, wherein the gateway server further provides enhanced television (ETV) services.

28. The system of claim 17, wherein the gateway server is configured to route and relay messages to a plurality of distribution and routing servers, wherein the plurality of distribution and routing servers cooperatively provide a path through the IP network for delivering messages between paired IP-enabled devices and customer premises equipment.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the path comprises:

the gateway server at a root node;

message routing and relay services at one ore more intermediate nodes; and

the customer premises equipment at one or more leafs.

30. The system of claim 17, wherein the companion services are enabled using a companion application client running on the customer premises equipment.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the companion application client is implemented using the enhanced TV binary interchange (EBIF) standard and supported by an EBIF user agent.

32. The system of claim 17, wherein the application running on the IP-enable device is configured to:

change a television channel on the customer premises equipment;

query a current channel, program, or state of a set-top box;

begin immediate DVR recording;

schedule future DVR recording;

display text and/or graphics over video on a TV screen;

turn a set-top box on or off;

identify EBIF applications available on a set-top box;

launch EBIF applications available on a set-top box;

or

communicate with enhanced EBIF applications available on a set-top box.