METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING A CENTRALIZED CONTENT DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM WITH A REMOTE CONTROL

• US 20170171637A1
• Filed: 02/28/2017
• Published: 06/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Phillip T., Lee, Sean S., Casavant, Scott D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,390,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• 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 21/422 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 21/42225 characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42227 the keys being reprogrammable, e.g. soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate

Abstract

A system and method includes an input device, a client device registering an input device to form an association and a server device registering the input device and registering the association with the server device. The input device broadcasts a control signal to the client device and the server device. The server device receiving the control signal directly from the input device. The server device communicates a response signal to the client device in response to the receiving the control signal.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A method of communicating between a client device and a server device comprising:

designating a first plurality of control signals for the client device;

designating a second plurality of control signals different from the first plurality of signals for the server device;

receiving a first signal of the first plurality of signals at the client device and the server device not from the client device;

in response to receiving the first signal, generating a first response signal at the client device;

receiving a second signal of the second plurality of signals at the client device and the server device; and

in response to receiving the second signal, generating a second response signal at the server device and not from the client device.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein the second plurality of signals comprise trick play commands.

14. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein the first plurality of control signals correspond to a first input device and the second plurality of control signals correspond to a second input device.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein one of the first input device and the second input device comprises a remote control.

16. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein the first input device comprises a first remote control and the second input device comprises a second remote control.

17-27. -27. (canceled)

28. A system comprising:

a client device having a first plurality of control signals designated therefor;

a server device having a second plurality of control signals different from the first plurality of signals designated therefor;

said client device and the server device receiving a first signal of the first plurality of signals;

said client device generating a first response signal at the client device in response to receiving the first signal;

said client device and said server device receiving a second signal of the second plurality of signals; and

said server device generating a second response signal and not from the client device in response to receiving the second signal.

29. The system as recited in claim 28 wherein the second plurality of signals comprise trick play commands.

30. The system as recited in claim 28 wherein the first plurality of control signals correspond to a first input device and the second plurality of control signals correspond to a second input device.

31. The system as recited in claim 30 wherein one of the first input device and the second input device comprises a remote control.

32. The system as recited in claim 30 wherein the first input device comprises a first remote control and the second input device comprises a second remote control.