Remote Control for Video Media Servers

• US 20120150950A1
• Filed: 02/11/2012
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Joseph A. Zott, Robert Osann Jr, Samuel W. Beal
• Original Assignee: Joseph A. Zott, Robert Osann Jr, Samuel W. Beal
• Inventors: Osann, Robert Jr., Zott, Joseph A., Beal, Samuel W.
• Application Number:
  US13/371,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20120150950A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• 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 21/422 Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• 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 21/43615 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 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• 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 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for remote control of a media server computer from a controller device, typically a laptop computer, where remote operation of the media server, including the selection of videos and other digital media may be performed from the controller while normal TV programming (cable, satellite, or broadcast) is viewed on the TV. Other embodiments describe background operations performed on the controller device, the media server, or both, such that new videos may be located on the web or locally on the LAN while a current video is playing on the media server and viewed on the TV. Methods are also described for more reliably establishing network connections between the controller and media server, and systems and methods are described for implementing a multi-video display on the media server where videos to be played on the media server are played on and selected by a controller device.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a media server from a remote controller device via a LAN, comprising:

receiving at an access control function located on a server on the Internet and not on the LAN, the IP address of the media server and network identification information for the LAN, both having been automatically sent from said media server;

receiving at the access control function located on a server on the Internet and not on the LAN, the IP address of the remote controller device and network identification information for the LAN both having been automatically sent from said remote controller device;

determining at said access control function that the media server and the remote controller device are on the same LAN;

transmitting the IP address of the Media Server from the access control function to the remote controller device; and

wherein media is selected to be played on the media server according to media control information transmitted from the remote controller device to the media server via the LAN.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting the IP address of the remote controller device from the access control function to the Media Server.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein no IP addresses need be entered manually by a user of the remote controller device or a user of the media server in order to establish communication between the remote controller device and the media server.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the IP address of the media server is not discovered by communication between the media server and the remote controller device via the LAN.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the IP address of the remote controller device is not discovered by communication between the media server and the remote controller device via the LAN.

6. A method for operating a media server to simultaneously play multiple videos on a TV display, comprising:

receiving at the media server a first group of videos selections as selected by a remote controller device;

simultaneously playing on the TV display a plurality of videos corresponding to the first group of video selections;

wherein the first group of video selections is a subset of a second group of videos;

wherein a plurality of videos are played on the remote controller device corresponding to the second group of videos; and

wherein the number of videos simultaneously played on the remote controller device is greater than the number of videos simultaneously played on the media server.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the plurality of videos simultaneously played on the remote controller device are video feeds supplied by a TV network.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the plurality of videos simultaneously played on the remote controller device relate to the same sporting event.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

selecting a subset of the plurality of videos simultaneously played on the remote controller device to be played on the media server;

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

selecting a subset of the plurality of videos simultaneously played on the remote controller device to replace videos currently being played on the media server.

11. A method for operating a remote controller device to cause multiple videos to be simultaneously played on a TV, comprising:

transmitting to a media server a first group of videos selections as selected using the remote controller device, whereby a plurality of videos corresponding to the first group of video selections are simultaneously played on the TV display;

wherein the first group of video selections corresponds to a subset of a second group of videos;

wherein a plurality of videos are played on the remote controller device corresponding to the second group of videos; and

wherein the number of videos simultaneously played on the remote controller device is greater than the number of videos simultaneously played on the media server.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the plurality of videos played on the remote controller device are video feeds supplied by a TV network.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the plurality of videos played on the remote controller device relate to the same sporting event.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

selecting a subset of the plurality of videos played on the remote controller device to be played on the media server;

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

selecting a subset of the plurality of videos played on the remote controller device to replace videos currently being played on the media server.