Media-on-demand flexible and adaptive architecture
First Claim
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1. A method implemented by a server coupled to a television set-top terminal via a bi-directional communication network, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining that a first television set-top terminal (“
STT”
) has a first characteristic corresponding to a first level of computational resources;
transmitting data having a first format to the first STT responsive to determining that the first STT has the first characteristic, wherein the data having the first format is translated by the first STT to data having a second format that is substantially different from the first format, and wherein the STT is configured to output the data having the second format via a television signal;
determining that a second STT has a second characteristic corresponding to a second level of computational resources that is different from the first level of computational resources; and
transmitting data having the second format to the second STT responsive to determining that the second STT has the second characteristic, the second STT being configured to output the data having the second format via a television signal.
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Abstract
The invention is a flexible and adaptive application framework and method for providing media services via an interactive media services client device coupled to a programmable media services server device. A method of the preferred embodiment of the invention includes distributing or partitioning computation, data storage, and/or data transmission between the server and client devices to flexibly adapt to and take advantage of the available computing and/or network resources.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method implemented by a server coupled to a television set-top terminal via a bi-directional communication network, the method comprising the steps of:
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determining that a first television set-top terminal (“
STT”
) has a first characteristic corresponding to a first level of computational resources;
transmitting data having a first format to the first STT responsive to determining that the first STT has the first characteristic, wherein the data having the first format is translated by the first STT to data having a second format that is substantially different from the first format, and wherein the STT is configured to output the data having the second format via a television signal;
determining that a second STT has a second characteristic corresponding to a second level of computational resources that is different from the first level of computational resources; and
transmitting data having the second format to the second STT responsive to determining that the second STT has the second characteristic, the second STT being configured to output the data having the second format via a television signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method implemented by a server via a broadcast television network, comprising:
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determining that a first television set-top terminal (“
STT”
) has a first characteristic corresponding to a first level of computational resources responsive to a first user activating a first application in the first STT;
transmitting a first software module that executes the first application to the first STT responsive to determining that the first STT has the first characteristic, wherein the first software module is encrypted prior to being transmitted to the first STT;
determining that a second STT has a second characteristic corresponding to a second level of computational resources responsive to a second user activating a second application in the second STT, wherein the second application is configured to perform substantially identical functionality as the first application;
transmitting a second software module that is different from the first software module to the second STT responsive to determining that the second STT has the second characteristic, wherein the second software module is encrypted prior to being transmitted to the second STT;
transmitting data having a first format to the first STT, wherein the data having the first format is provided as input data to the first application; and
transmitting data having a second format that is substantially different from the first format to the second STT, wherein the data having the second format is provided as input data to the second application. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method comprising the steps of:
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determining whether a television set-top terminal (“
STT”
) has a first characteristic corresponding to a first level of computational resources or a second characteristic corresponding to a second level of computational resources that is different from the first level of computational resources;
translating data from a first format to a second format at the STT responsive to determining that the STT has the first characteristic, wherein the second format is substantially different from the first format;
translating the data from the first format to the second format at a server that is coupled to the STT via a bi-directional communication network responsive to determining that the STT has the second characteristic; and
outputting the data by the STT via a television signal. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A server coupled to a television set-top terminal (“
- STT”
) via a bi-directional communication network, the server comprising;memory having program code stored therein; and
at least one processor that is programmed by the program code to enable the server to;
determine that a first STT has a first characteristic corresponding to a first level of computational resources;
transmit data having a first format to the first STT responsive to determining that the first STT has the first characteristic, wherein the data having the first format is translated by the first STT to data having a second format that is substantially different from the first format, and wherein the STT is configured to output the data having the second format via a television signal;
determine that a second STT has a second characteristic corresponding to a second level of computational resources that is different from the first level of computational resources; and
transmit data having the second format to the second STT responsive to determining that the second STT has the second characteristic, the second STT being configured to output the data having the second format via a television signal. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40)
- STT”
Specification