AUTO-DISCOVERY OF HOME AND OUT-OF-FRANCHISE NETWORKS

• US 20120166668A1
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Published: 06/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Mathews, Robin M., Saxena, Tushar
• Granted Patent: US 8,782,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• 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 21/43615 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 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• 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: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

A mobile device includes a mobile network module to present media content using a public network and a home network module to present media content from a home network. The mobile device uses the mobile network module to receive a media streaming session via a broadband cellular connection and detects a local wireless connection to a device in a home network. The mobile device uses the home network module to initiate, via the local wireless connection, a home media session with the device in the home network and matches content of the home media session with content of the media streaming session. The mobile device presents, to a user and using the home network module, the matched content of the home media session and disables the media streaming session.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a mobile device including a mobile network module to present media content using a public network and a home network module to present media content from a home network, the method comprising:

receiving, by the mobile device and using the mobile network module, a media streaming session via a broadband cellular connection;

detecting, by the mobile device, a local wireless connection to a device in a home network;

establishing, by the mobile device and using the home network module, a home media session, with the device in the home network, via the local wireless connection;

matching, by the mobile device, content of the home media session with content of the media streaming session;

presenting, by the mobile device and to a user, the matched content of the home media session using the home network module; and

disabling, by the mobile device, the media streaming session using the mobile network module via the broadband cellular connection.

2. The method of claim 1, where the local wireless connection includes one of:

a Wi-Fi connection, or

a Bluetooth connection.

3. The method of claim 1, where the device in the home network includes one of:

a digital video recorder, or

a media client.

4. The method of claim 1, where matching content of the home media session with content of the media streaming session comprises:

sending state information of the media streaming session to the device in the home network,

receiving, from the device in the home network, transition information, based on the state information, and

requesting the device in the home network to provide particular content based on the transition information.

5. The method of claim 4, where the state information includes a uniform resource locator (URL) for a particular media stream and where the transition information includes a channel number, corresponding to the URL, for the device in the home network.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

detecting that the local wireless connection to the home network is lost;

establishing, using the mobile network module, another media streaming session via the broadband cellular connection; and

disabling the home media session using the home network module via the local wireless connection.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

matching content of the other media streaming session with content of the home media session; and

presenting, by the mobile device and to a user, the matched content of the other media streaming session.

8. The method of claim 1, where the home network is connected to a service provider via an access network that terminates at the home network via one of:

an optical communication link,

a coaxial cable, or

a satellite connection.

9. A mobile device, comprising:

a memory to store a mobile network module to present media content using a public network, a home network module to present media content from a home network, and a plurality of instructions; and

a processor to execute instructions in the memory to;

conduct, using the mobile network module, a media streaming session via a broadband cellular connection;

detect a local wireless connection to a device in a home network;

establish, using the home network module via the local wireless connection and based on the detecting, a home media session with the device in the home network;

present, to a user and using the home network module, content of the home media session that corresponds to content of the media streaming session; and

disable the mobile network module conducting the media streaming session.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, where the processor is further to execute instructions in the memory to:

send state information of the media streaming session to the device in the home network,

receive, based on the state information, transition information from the device in the home network, and

send a request to the device in the home network to provide particular content based on the transition information.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, where the state information includes a uniform resource locator (URL) for a particular media stream associated with the media streaming session and where the transition information includes a channel number, corresponding to the URL, for the device in the home network.

12. The mobile device of claim 9, the local wireless connection includes one of:

a Wi-Fi connection, or

a Bluetooth connection.

13. The device of claim 9, where mobile device includes one or more of:

a mobile telephone,

a smart phone,

an electronic notepad,

a personal digital assistant (PDA),

a tablet computer,

a laptop computer, or

a portable gaming device.

14. The mobile device of claim 9, where the home network module includes a RVU-compliant media player to present the content of the home media session.

15. The mobile device of claim 9, where the processor is further to execute instructions in the memory to:

detect that the local wireless connection to the device in the home network is lost;

establish, using the mobile network module, another media streaming session via the broadband cellular connection; and

disable the home network module conducting the home media session.

16. A method performed by a device in a home network, comprising:

establishing, by the device and with a mobile device, a local wireless connection;

receiving, by the device and from the mobile device, state information of a media streaming session with a server that is different than the device;

converting, by the device, the state information into corresponding formatted information for the device;

sending, by the device, the formatted information to the mobile device;

receiving, by the device and from the mobile device, a request for content based on the formatted information; and

providing, by the device and via the local wireless network, the requested content to the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 16, where the local wireless network includes a Wi-Fi network, and where the request for content includes a particular channel number designating particular high-definition (HD) video content.

18. The method of claim 16, where the state information includes a content identifier associated with the media streaming session and where the formatted information includes a channel number, accessible by the home network device, for content corresponding to the content identifier.

19. A device, comprising:

a memory to store a plurality of instructions; and

a processor to execute instructions in the memory to;

establish, with a mobile device, a local wireless connection;

receive, from the mobile device, state information of a video streaming session with a server that is different than the device, where the state information includes a content identifier;

provide, to the mobile device and based on the state information, a channel identifier, for the device, where the channel identifier corresponds to the content identifier;

receive, from the mobile device, a request for content with the channel identifier; and

provide, to the mobile device and via the local wireless network, the requested content.

20. The device of claim 19, where the device is a digital video recorder within a home network.