System and method for providing mobile traffic information in an internet protocol system

• US 8,151,314 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: McCarthy, Mary, Coldwell, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US12/164,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20090328116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• Field of Search: 725/131, 725/93, 725/91, 725/62, 725/100, 725/109, 701/117, 701/118, 701/119, 701/202, 709/231, 455/3.06
• US Class Current: 725/131
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system comprises a server operable to deliver an Internet Protocol Television stream to a set-top box, and operable to retrieve an image from a first traffic camera. Upon receipt of a request from the set-top box, the image is sent to a wireless device.

Claims

1. A server comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the memory comprises computer instructions, which when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

deliver an Internet Protocol Television stream to a set-top box in an Internet Protocol Televisions system;

retrieve a first image from a first traffic camera associated with a route profile stored in the Internet Protocol Television system and linked to a wireless device;

retrieve one or more additional images corresponding to traffic images specified by the route profile;

compile the first image and the one or more additional images into a mosaic of traffic images; and

send the mosaic of traffic images to the set top box.

2. The server of claim 1 wherein the processor is further operable to:

receive a first request from the set top box to send the first image to the wireless device having a locator service;

responsive to receiving the first request, send the first image from the first traffic camera to the wireless device via the Internet protocol television system;

receive a second request from the set-top box to retrieve a second image from a second traffic camera associated with the route profile stored in the Internet Protocol Television system;

retrieve the second image from the second traffic camera;

receive a second request from the wireless device to send the second image to the wireless device; and

send the second image to the wireless device.

3. The server of claim 2 wherein the processor is further operable to:

create the route profile that associates the first traffic camera with the second traffic camera.

4. The server of claim 2 wherein the second request is based upon the location of the wireless device.

5. The server of claim 2 wherein the processor is further operable to:

combine the first image and the second image into a third image; and

send the third image to the wireless device.

6. A method comprising:

delivering an Internet protocol television stream to a set-top box in an Internet protocol television system;

retrieving a first image from a first traffic camera associated with a route profile stored in the Internet Protocol Television system;

retrieving one or more additional images corresponding to traffic images specified by the route profile;

receiving a first request from the set-top box to send the first image and the one or more additional images to a wireless device via a wireless network; and

responsive to receiving the first request, sending the first image and the one or more additional images to the wireless device as a mosaic of traffic images via the wireless network.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

receiving a second request from the set-top box to retrieve a second image from a second traffic camera associated with the route profile stored in the Internet Protocol Television system;

retrieving the second image from the second traffic camera;

receiving a second request from the wireless device to send the second image to the wireless device; and

sending the second image to the wireless device.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

creating the route profile that associates the first traffic camera with the second traffic camera.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the second request is based upon the location of the wireless device.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

combining the first image and the second image into a third image; and

sending the third image to the wireless device.

11. A non-transitory machine-executable code embedded within a tangible medium, and including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

deliver an Internet Protocol Television stream to a set-top box in an Internet Protocol Television system;

retrieve a first image from a first traffic camera associated with a route profile stored in the Internet Protocol Television system;

retrieve one or more additional images corresponding to traffic images specified by the route profile;

receive a first request from the set-top box to send the first image to a wireless device;

responsive to receiving the first request, send the first image to the wireless device;

compile the first image and the one or more additional images into a mosaic of traffic images; and

sending the mosaic of traffic images to the set top box.

12. The non-transitory machine-executable code of claim 11 further comprising instructions that cause the one or more processors to:

receive a second request from the set-top box to retrieve a second image from a second traffic camera associated with the route profile stored in the Internet Protocol Television system;

retrieve the second image from the second traffic camera;

receive a second request from the wireless device to send the second image to the wireless device; and

send the second image to the wireless device.

13. The non-transitory machine-executable code of claim 12 further comprising instructions that cause the one or more processors to:

create the route profile that associates the first traffic camera with the second traffic camera.

14. The non-transitory machine-executable code of claim 12 wherein the second request is based upon the location of the wireless device.

15. The non-transitory machine-executable code of claim 12 further comprising instructions that cause the one or more processors to:

combine the first image and the second image into a third image; and

send the third image to the wireless device.

16. A set-top box for communicating with a server and with a wireless device, the set-top box comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory having computer instructions stored therein causing the processor to;

receive an Internet Protocol television stream in an Internet Protocol Television system;

retrieve a first image from a first traffic camera associated with a route profile stored in the Internet Protocol Television system;

retrieve one or more additional images from corresponding additional traffic cameras;

compile at the set top box the first image and the one or more additional images into a mosaic of traffic images; and

send the mosaic of traffic images to the wireless device in response to a first request entered in a graphical user interface of the set top box.

17. The set-top box of claim 16 wherein the processor is further adapted to:

receive a second request to retrieve a second image from a second traffic camera associated with the route profile stored in the Internet Protocol Television system;

retrieve the second image from the second traffic camera;

send the mosaic of traffic images comprising the first and second images to the wireless device.

18. The set-top box of claim 17 wherein the processor is further adapted to:

create the route profile that associates the first traffic camera with the second traffic camera.

19. The set-top box of claim 17 wherein the third request is based upon the location of the wireless device.

20. The set-top box of claim 17 wherein the processor is further adapted to:

combine the first image and the second image into a third image; and

send the third image to the wireless device.