Indirect Control Of Content Consumption

• US 20160105477A1
• Filed: 10/15/2015
• Published: 04/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Holden, Danial, McMahon, Michael D., Broome, Gregory Allen, Mao, Weidong, Gilson, Ross
• Granted Patent: US 10,834,155 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to control of consumption of content in an appliance. The content can include linear programming and non-linear assets. Such control can permit (i) changing a channel in the appliance (e.g., a CPE without upstream functionality) and thus selecting a linear-programming asset, a non-linear asset, and so forth, and (ii) controlling consumption of such assets. In one aspect, a device with upstream network connectivity can control the consumption of media in the appliance. The device can leverage data management and control functionality of a service provider network to acquire information related to assets available for consumption and to transmit asset requests to the service provider network, which can transmit content and signaling to the appliance in accordance at least in part with the asset request, thus controlling media consumption in the appliance.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, data indicative of a plurality of assets available for consumption, the plurality of assets comprising at least one content asset and at least one management asset, and wherein the at least one management asset allows the computing device to control navigation by a first device of the at least one content asset;

transmitting, by the computing device, a first message comprising a command for the first device to tune to a specified downstream frequency carrier; and

transmitting, by the computing device, a second message conveying a command for consuming, via the first device, the at least one content asset, wherein the second message is transmitted to the first device on the specified downstream frequency carrier.