Selective media capture via a communication device

• US 6,907,225 B1
• Filed: 10/19/2001
• Issued: 06/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Wilkinson, Jeffrey Miles
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEST, LEWIS G
• Application Number:
  US09/982,233
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/3.01, 455/3.03, 455/3.05, 455/3.06, 455/466, 455/304, 725/61, 725/81, 725/86, 725/87, 725/99, 725/123
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

Methods and systems for selectively capturing content and delivering the captured content to mobile communications devices via wireless communications are disclosed. In some embodiments, a mobile unit sends a request for content to a nearby content server, to which the content server may respond with a list of available content items. The mobile unit may send a second, refined request for a specific content item. The content server may send the requested content item to the mobile unit, or the content server may send a pointer to the mobile unit, which indicates a network location from which a user may later retrieve the actual content item. In another embodiment, a mobile unit sends a request to a content server for presently displayed content. The content server may capture a screen image and send the captured image to the mobile unit. Alternatively, the content server may send the file in a native file format of the file from which the displayed content was generated.

Claims

1. A content distribution method, comprising steps of:

(i) a content server wirelessly receiving a request for content from a mobile unit via a transceiver of the content server, wherein the mobile unit is located within a short-range wireless operational area served by the transceiver of the content server;

(ii) the content server identifying data corresponding to a video display image displayed at a time when the request is received; and

(iii) the content server sending a response to the mobile unit via the transceiver, wherein the response comprises a data file corresponding to the identified data, wherein step (ii) is performed by capturing a screen image of the displayed video image, and wherein the data file comprises the captured screen image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data file comprises data in a native file format of a file from which the displayed video image is generated.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein communication between the content server and the mobile unit is via low power radio.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein communication between the content server and the mobile unit is via Bluetooth protocols.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein communication between the content server and the mobile unit is via infrared light.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of authenticating the mobile unit prior to transmitting the response to the mobile unit.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile unit comprises a mobile telephone.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile unit comprises a personal digital assistant.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile unit comprises a laptop computer.

10. A content server, comprising:

a processor;

a transceiver;

a video input port for receiving a video display signal;

memory for storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the content server to perform the steps of;

(i) receiving a request for content from a mobile unit within a short-range wireless operational area served by the transceiver of the content server;

(ii) identifying data corresponding to a video display image displayed at a time when the request is received; and

(iii) sending a response to the mobile unit via the transceiver, wherein the response comprises a data file corresponding to the identified data,

wherein step (ii) is performed by capturing a screen image of the displayed video image, based on the video display signal, and

wherein, in step (iii), the data file comprises the captured screen image.

11. The content server of claim 10, wherein the transceiver receives requests and sends responses using low power radio.

12. The content server of claim 11, wherein the transceiver receives requests and sends responses using Bluetooth protocols.

13. The content server of claim 10, wherein the transceiver receives requests and sends responses using infrared light.

14. The content server of claim 10, wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the content server to perform the step of authenticating the mobile unit prior to transmitting the response via the transceiver.

15. The content server of claim 10, wherein the mobile unit comprises a mobile telephone.

16. The content server of claim 10, wherein the mobile unit comprises a personal digital assistant.

17. The content server of claim 10, wherein the mobile unit comprises a laptop computer.

18. The content server of claim 10, wherein the response comprises data in a native file format of a file from which the displayed video image is generated.

19. A content server, comprising:

a processor;

a transceiver;

a video input port for receiving a video display signal;

a video output port;

memory for storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the content server to perform the steps of;

(i) receiving a request for content from a mobile unit within a short-range wireless operational area served by the transceiver of the content server;

(ii) identifying data corresponding to a video display image displayed at a time when the request is received by capturing a screen image of the displayed video image, based on the video display signal, wherein the received video display signal is retransmitted through the video output port; and

(iii) sending a response to the mobile unit via the transceiver, wherein the response comprises a data file corresponding to the identified data, said data file comprising the captured screen image.

20. A mobile unit, comprising:

a transceiver that communicates with a content server when the mobile unit is within the short-range wireless operational area served by the content server;

a processor;

memory for storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the mobile unit to perform the steps of;

(i) sending a request for content to the content server; and

(ii) receiving data from the content server via the transceiver, said data comprising a captured screen image of a video image displayed at a time when the content server received the request for video content.

21. The mobile unit of claim 20, wherein the short-range wireless operational area uses low power radio.

22. The mobile unit of claim 21, wherein the short-range wireless operational area uses Bluetooth protocols.

23. The mobile unit of claim 20, comprising a mobile telephone.

24. The mobile unit of claim 20, comprising a personal digital assistant.

25. The mobile unit of claim 20, comprising a laptop computer.

26. The mobile unit of claim 20, wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the mobile unit to send authentication information to the content server.

27. The mobile unit of claim 20, wherein the received data comprises a data file in a native file format from which the video image is generated.

28. A computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by a content server, perform a content distribution method, comprising steps of:

(i) the content server wirelessly receiving a request for content from a mobile unit via a transceiver of the content server, wherein the mobile unit is located within a short-range wireless operational area served by the transceiver of the content server;

(ii) the content server identifying data corresponding to a video display image displayed at a time when the request is received, wherein said identifying comprises capturing a screen image of the displayed video image; and

(iii) the content server sending a response to the mobile unit via the transceiver, wherein the response comprises a data file corresponding to the identified data, and wherein the data file comprises the captured screen image.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the data file is in a native file format of the video display image displayed at the time when the request is received.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the computer readable instructions further perform the step of authenticating the mobile unit prior to sending the data file to the mobile unit.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the step of wirelessly receiving the request for content from the mobile unit comprises wirelessly receiving the request for content from a mobile telephone.