Methods and systems for content-consumption device monitoring and control

• US 8,001,236 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2008
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Barton, David C., Shivaji-Rao, Vishnu-Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang; Jungwon
• Application Number:
  US12/047,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20090234939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 725/118, 725/61, 725/114, 725/93, 725/55, 455/412.1, 455/403, 345/211, 348/563, 386/83, 386/291, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention relate to systems and methods for remote monitoring and control of a content-consumption device.

Claims

1. A method for remote monitoring and control of a content-consumption device, said method comprising:

a) establishing a content-consumption-device connection between a first content-consumption device and a server system, wherein said first content-consumption device is a device on which a user may consume content and wherein said first content-consumption device is in a powered-on state;

b) establishing a monitoring-device connection between a first monitoring device and said server system;

c) receiving a first content-capture request at said server system from said first monitoring device, wherein said first content-capture request comprises a request to capture a content-shot indicative of a content being consumed on said first content-consumption device;

d) sending, from said server system to said first content-consumption device, a second content-capture request in response to said first content-capture request;

e) receiving a first captured content at said server system from said first content-consumption device, wherein said first captured content is indicative of a first content being consumed at said first content-consumption device; and

f) sending a second captured content from said server system to said first monitoring device, said second captured content related to said first captured content.

2. A method according to claim 1, said method further comprising:

a) determining a first power status of said first content-consumption device; and

b) sending a first power-status indicator associated with said first power status to said first monitoring device from said server system.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said second captured content is said first captured content.

4. A method according to claim 1, said method further comprising:

a) receiving a first action request at said server system from said first monitoring device; and

b) sending, from said server system to said first content-consumption device, a second action request in response to said first action request.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said second action request is a request selected from the group consisting of a power-off request and a channel-change request.

6. A method according to claim 1, said method further comprising processing, at said server system, said first captured content to form said second captured content, wherein said second captured content is matched to a characteristic of said monitoring device.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein said characteristic is a display characteristic of a display associated with said monitoring device.

8. A method according to claim 1, said method further comprising:

a) receiving a first display message at said server system from said first monitoring device; and

b) sending said first display message from said server system to said first content-consumption device for display on said first content-consumption device.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first content-consumption device is a television.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first monitoring device is a device selected from the group consisting of a cellular telephone, a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant, a gaming device, a laptop computer, a computing device, a handheld device and a tablet device.

11. A method for remote monitoring and control of a content-consumption device, said method comprising:

a) establishing a content-consumption-device connection between a content-consumption device and a server system;

b) receiving a content-capture request at said content-consumption device from said server system, wherein said content-capture request comprises a request to capture a content-shot indicative of a content being consumed on said content-consumption device, wherein said content-consumption device is a device on which a user may consume content and wherein said content-consumption device is in a powered-on state;

c) capturing a first captured content at said first content-consumption device, wherein said first captured content is indicative of a first content being consumed at said content-consumption device; and

d) sending a second captured content from said first content-consumption device to said server system, said second captured content related to said first captured content.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein said second captured content is said first captured content.

13. A method according to claim 11, said method further comprising:

a) receiving a first characteristic at said content-consumption device; and

b) processing, at said content-consumption device, said first captured content to form said second captured content, wherein said second captured content is matched to said first characteristic.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein said first characteristic is received from said server system.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein said first characteristic is received from a user-preference profile.

16. A method according to claim 11, said method further comprising:

a) receiving a first action request at said content-consumption device from said server system; and

b) performing a first action at said content-consumption device, wherein said first action is related to said first action request.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein said first action request is a request selected from the group consisting of a power-off request and a channel-change request.

18. A method according to claim 11, wherein said content-consumption device is a television.

19. A method for remote monitoring and control of a content-consumption device, said method comprising:

a) establishing a monitoring-device connection between a monitoring device and a server system;

b) sending a content-capture request from said monitoring device to said server system, wherein said content-capture request comprises a request to capture a content-shot indicative of a content being consumed on a first content-consumption device, wherein said first content-consumption device is a device on which a user may consume content and wherein said first content-consumption device is in a powered-on state; and

c) receiving a first captured content from said server system at said monitoring device, wherein said first captured content corresponds to content being consumed at said first content-consumption device.

20. A method according to claim 19, said method further comprising:

a) receiving, at said monitoring device from said server system, a list of available content-consumption devices; and

b) sending a content-consumption-device selection to said server system, said content-consumption-device selection corresponding to said first content-consumption device.