System and Method for Transmitting a Services List to a Playback Device

• US 20130067527A1
• Filed: 09/12/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Prestenback, Kyle, Ashbrook, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 9,071,854 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/116
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/237 Communication with additional data server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42646 for reading from or writing on a non-volatile solid state storage medium, e.g. DVD, CD-ROM
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4431 characterized by the use of Application Program Interface [API] libraries
• 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 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot

Abstract

There is provided a system and method for dynamically transmitting a services list to a playback device. The system comprises a display device, a playback device, and a mediator server with a mediator application. The mediator application is configured to receive, from the playback device, a service request for a services list, to send a services list for presenting on a display device in response to receiving the service request, to receive an activation request for at a third-party service listed in the services list, and to activate the third-party service in response to receiving the activation request. By programming a digital video disc such as a Blu-ray disc according to an API and using such a mediator server, a dynamically adjustable list of third-party services may be supported and used by the playback device without changing the disc application code.

Claims

1. A mediator server for transmitting a services list to a playback device, the mediator server comprising:

a memory, including a mediator application; and

a processor configured to execute the mediator application, the mediator application configured to;

receive, from the playback device, a service request for the services list;

send the services list for presenting on a display device in response to receiving the service request;

receive an activation request for a third-party service listed in the services list; and

activate the third-party service in response to receiving the activation request.

2. The mediator server of claim 1, wherein the mediator application is further configured to implement a user induced interaction for the third-party service.

3. The mediator server of claim 1, wherein the service request comprises a specific service request and the services list comprises contents associated with the specific service request.

4. The mediator server of claim 1, wherein prior to the sending, the mediator application is further configured to dynamically update the services list to reflect a present availability of third-party services.

5. The mediator server of claim 1, wherein the activating comprises using the activation request to log into a plurality of user accounts of the third-party service.

6. The mediator server of claim 1, wherein the mediator server and the playback device communicate through a common application programming interface.

7. The mediator server of claim 1, wherein the sending comprises delivering a metadata file associated with the services list, wherein the metadata file comprises information categorizing contents within the services list.

8. The mediator server of claim 1, wherein the service request comprises a BD-Live access request from the playback device.

9. A playback device for presenting a services list for a digital video disc, the playback device comprising:

a device processor configured to execute a disc application of the digital video disc to;

send a service request for the services list;

present the services list on a display device in response to receiving the services list;

transmit an activation request for a third-party service listed in the services list; and

update the display device with a login success interface in response to a receiving a successful verification of the activation request.

10. The playback device of claim 9, wherein the presenting comprises displaying the services list through a built-in menu of the digital video disc.

11. The playback device of claim 9, wherein the updating comprises storing an account login information of the activation request into a credential file.

12. The playback device of claim 9, wherein the transmitting comprises accessing a credential file in order to obtain an account login information.

13. A method for transmitting a services list to a playback device, the method comprising:

receiving, from the playback device, a service request for the services list;

sending the services list for presenting on a display device in response to receiving the service request;

receiving an activation request for a third-party service listed in the services list; and

activating the third-party service in response to receiving the activation request.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the mediator application is further configured to implement a user induced interaction for the third-party service.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the service request comprises a specific functionality, and the services list comprises contents associated with the specific functionality.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein prior to the sending, the mediator application is further configured to dynamically update the services list to reflect a present availability of third-party services.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the activating comprises using the activation request to log into a plurality of user accounts of the third-party service.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the mediator server and the playback device communicate through a common application programming interface.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the sending comprises delivering a metadata file associated with the services list, wherein the metadata file comprises information categorizing contents within the services list.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the service request comprises a BD-Live access request from the playback device.