Methods, systems, and computer program products for transmitting streaming media to a mobile terminal using the bandwidth associated with a wireless network

• US 7,650,111 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2003
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Slemmer, John Blake, Schaub, Ryan Lee, Perrella, Ron, Hope, Timothy, Dennisson, Joseph Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US10/732,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20050130636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,232 Days
• Field of Search: 4554141-4143, 455/452.2, 4554121-4122, 4554261- 2, 455 301- 306, 455/41.2, 455/410, 370/395.41, 370352-356, 725/123, 725/63, 725/81, 725/25, 725/30, 725/54, 725/118, 725/91, 725/95, 725/98, 709/231
• US Class Current: 455/3.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/02 Arrangements for relaying broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85

Abstract

A communication network is operated by providing a wireless communication network that has bandwidth associated therewith to facilitate communication between one or more mobile terminals and another communication device. Streaming media is transmitted to the one or more mobile terminals using the bandwidth associated with the wireless network.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communication network, comprising:

providing a wireless communication network that has bandwidth associated therewith to facilitate bi-directional communication between at least one mobile terminal and another mobile terminal;

obtaining authorization from a media broadcaster that provides streaming media to rebroadcast the streaming media over the wireless network, the streaming media comprising audio and/or video content;

obtaining a subscription at the wireless network from the at least one mobile terminal for the streaming media;

then

transmitting the streaming media to the at least one mobile terminal using the bandwidth associated with the wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the streaming media comprises:

transmitting the streaming media to the at least one mobile terminal using the bandwidth associated with the wireless network and using third generation (3G) wireless communication technology.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting the streaming media comprises:

transmitting the streaming media to the at least one mobile terminal using the bandwidth associated with the wireless network and using wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) technology, universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) technology, and/or enhanced data GSM (global system for mobile communications) environment technology.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network comprises a Wi-Fi communication network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein transmitting the streaming media comprises:

transmitting the streaming media to the at least one mobile terminal using the bandwidth associated with the wireless network and using IEEE 802.11b technology.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the streaming media further comprises text.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the streaming media comprises content from a television broadcast, an amplitude modulation (AM) radio broadcast and/or a frequency modulation (FM) radio broadcast.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the streaming media comprises content from a video conference and/or a gaming application.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the streaming media comprises:

transmitting the streaming media to the at least one mobile terminal using the bandwidth associated with the wireless network while moving the at least one mobile terminal between cells associated with the wireless network.

10. A communication system, comprising:

means for providing a wireless communication network that has bandwidth associated therewith to facilitate communication between at least one mobile terminal and another mobile terminal;

means for obtaining authorization from a media broadcaster that provides streaming media to rebroadcast the streaming media over the wireless network, the streaming media comprising audio and/or video content;

means for obtaining a subscription at the wireless network from the at least one mobile terminal for the streaming media; and

means for transmitting the streaming media to the at least one mobile terminal using the bandwidth associated with the wireless network.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for transmitting the streaming media comprises:

means for transmitting the streaming media to the at least one mobile terminal using the bandwidth associated with the wireless network and using third generation (3G) wireless communication technology.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for transmitting the streaming media comprises:

means for transmitting the streaming media to the at least one mobile terminal using the bandwidth associated with the wireless network and using wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) technology, universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) technology, and/or enhanced data GSM (global system for mobile communications) environment technology.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the wireless communication network comprises a Wi-Fi communication network.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the means for transmitting the streaming media comprises:

means for transmitting the streaming media to the at least one mobile terminal using the bandwidth associated with the wireless network and using IEEE 802.11b technology.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the streaming media further comprises text.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the streaming media comprises content from a television broadcast, an amplitude modulation (AM) radio broadcast and/or a frequency modulation (FM) radio broadcast.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the streaming media comprises content from a video conference and/or a gaming application.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for transmitting the streaming media comprises:

means for transmitting the streaming media to the at least one mobile terminal using the bandwidth associated with the wireless network while moving the at least one mobile terminal between cells associated with the wireless network.

19. An article of manufacture for operating a communication network, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to provide a wireless communication network that has bandwidth associated therewith to facilitate bi-directional communication between at least one mobile terminal and another mobile terminal;

computer readable program code configured to obtain authorization from a media broadcaster that provides streaming media to rebroadcast the streaming media over the wireless network, the streaming media comprising audio and/or video content;

computer readable program code configured to obtain a subscription at the wireless network from the at least one mobile terminal for the streaming media; and

computer readable program code configured to transmit the streaming media to the at least one mobile terminal using the bandwidth associated with the wireless network.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the computer readable program code configured to transmit the streaming media comprises:

computer readable program code configured to transmit the streaming media to the at least one mobile terminal using the bandwidth associated with the wireless network and using third generation (3G) wireless communication technology.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 20, wherein the computer readable program code configured to transmit the streaming media comprises:

computer readable program code configured to transmit the streaming media to the at least one mobile terminal using the bandwidth associated with the wireless network and using wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) technology, universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) technology, and/or enhanced data GSM (global system for mobile communications) environment technology.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the wireless communication network comprises a Wi-Fi communication network.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 22, wherein the computer readable program code configured to transmit the streaming media comprises:

computer readable program code configured to transmit the streaming media to the at least one mobile terminal using the bandwidth associated with the wireless network and using IEEE 802.11b technology.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the streaming media further comprises text.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the streaming media comprises content from a television broadcast, an amplitude modulation (AM) radio broadcast and/or a frequency modulation (FM) radio broadcast.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the streaming media comprises content from a video conference and/or a gaming application.

27. The computer program product article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the computer readable program code configured to transmit the streaming media comprises:

computer readable program code configured to transmit the streaming media to the at least one mobile terminal using the bandwidth associated with the wireless network while moving the at least one mobile terminal between cells associated with the wireless network.