METHOD FOR REESTABLISHING PRESENTATION OF A PAUSED MEDIA PROGRAM

• US 20150304722A1
• Filed: 06/29/2015
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cordoba, Juan
• Granted Patent: US 9,756,391 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• 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 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A method for reestablishing presentation of a paused media program is disclosed. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a Set-Top Box (STB) located in a building can have a controller element that presents a media program to a media device operable only in the building, pauses presentation of the media program responsive to a pause request, generates a departure mark that identifies a presentation point in the media program associated with the pause request, receives a request to resume presentation of the media program from the departure mark at a portable communication device capable of maintaining communications with the STB outside the building, and transmits to the portable communication device a presentation of the media program from the departure mark. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A media processor device, comprising:

a memory to store executable instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the executable instructions, performs operations comprising;

receiving a media program from a communication network;

presenting the media program at a display device;

detecting a departure mark during a presenting of the media program;

directing recording of the media program via a communication network responsive to the detecting of the departure mark to generate a recorded media program;

receiving from a portable communication device a request to present the media program at the portable communication device from the departure mark responsive to selection of a function of a media controller emulator executed by the portable communication device; and

directing transmission of the recorded media program by way of the communication network to the portable communication device for enabling presentation of the recorded media program at the portable communication device from the departure mark.

2. The media processor device of claim 1, wherein the recorded media program is presented at the portable communication device from its beginning.

3. The media processor device of claim 1, wherein the emulator is one of a plurality of emulators.

4. The media processor device of claim 1, wherein the portable communication device comprises one of a cell phone, a personal digital assistant, a tablet, a computer, a telemetry system of an automobile, or any combination thereof.

5. The media processor device of claim 1, wherein the portable communication device communicates wirelessly with the media processor device by way of the communication network that is coupled to the media processor device and the portable communication device.

6. The media processor device of claim 1, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

identifying a device descriptor associated with the portable communication device; and

modifying the recorded media program according to the device descriptor.

7. The media processor device of claim 6, wherein the modifying of the recorded media program comprises one of image modification, audio modification, or a combination thereof.

8. The media processor device of claim 6, wherein the recorded media program that is transmitted to the portable communication device comprises one of an image presentation, an audio presentation, or a combination thereof.

9. The media processor device of claim 6, wherein the recorded media program is transmitted as a compressed streamed media program.

10. The media processor device of claim 1, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising continuing presentation of an uninterrupted media program at the display device as the recorded media program is transmitted.

11. The media processor device of claim 1, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising receiving user-generated input from a media controller to identify the departure mark.

12. The media processor device of claim 1, wherein the processor further perform operations comprising receiving user-generated input from the portable communication device to identify the departure mark.

13. The media processor device of claim 1, wherein the media controller emulator is selected according to a device descriptor associated with the portable communication device.

14. The media processor device of claim 13, wherein the device descriptor comprises one of a display feature, an audio feature, a communication feature, or a combination thereof.

15. The media processor device of claim 1, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising terminating presentation of the media program at the display device.

16. A computer-readable storage device, comprising executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor of a portable communication device, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a media controller emulator for controlling operations of a media processor;

presenting the media controller emulator by way of a user interface of the portable communication device;

receiving a recorded media program for presentation at the user interface under control of the media controller emulator, wherein the media program is recorded responsive to identifying a departure mark during a presentation of the media program by the media processor, wherein the recorded media program is adapted for the presentation at the user interface , and wherein the recorded media program is received by way of a communication network that is coupled to the portable communication device and the media processor; and

presenting the recorded media program at the user interface from the departure mark.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the recorded media program is adapted for the presentation at the user interface as directed by one of the media processor or the portable communication device.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the portable communication device comprises one of a cell phone, a personal digital assistant, a tablet, a computer, or a telemetry system of an automobile, and wherein the recorded media program is received by the portable communication device as originally recorded without modification.

19. A method, comprising:

presenting, by a system comprising a processor, a media program at a display device;

detecting, by the system, a departure mark during the presenting of the media program;

receiving, by the system, a request to present the media program at a communication device according to the departure mark; and

directing transmission, by the system, of a recording of the media program to the communication device via a communication network responsive to the request to present the media program at the communication device for enabling presentation of the recording of the media program according to the departure mark at the communication device according to a media control emulator executed by the communication device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising directing recording of the media program via the communication network responsive to the detecting of the departure mark to generate a recorded media program.