Apparatus and method for distributing media content to vehicles

• US 8,171,517 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2008
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Corp.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hicks, III, John Alson, Zimler, Randy
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Kieu Oanh T
• Application Number:
  US12/333,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20100154008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 725/62, 725/75, 725/80, 725/81, 725/116
• US Class Current: 725/62
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/239 Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. prioritizing client content requests hybrid fiber coaxial [HFC] networks for upstream channel allocation for video distribution H04L12/2801; flow control in data networks H04L47/10; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller to wirelessly download media content to a media device of a vehicle from a point in the media content where a gateway previously stopped downloading the media content to the vehicle media device, where the server is in a reconfigurable master-slave relationship with the gateway, where the server and the gateway are remote from each other and remote from the vehicle, and where the gateway is associated with the vehicle. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A machine-readable medium comprising computer instructions to:

determine a location of a vehicle;

reconfigure a master-slave relationship between one or more servers and a gateway based on the location, the one or more servers and the gateway being remote from the vehicle and remote from each other, the gateway being associated with the vehicle;

access stored user preferences associated with a media device of the vehicle;

obtain media content;

adjust a format of the media content based on the stored user preferences; and

download the media content to the vehicle media device from a point in the media content where the gateway previously stopped downloading the media content to the vehicle media device.

2. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the gateway is a residential gateway and comprising computer instructions to retrieve the media content from the residential gateway.

3. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions to download the media content to the vehicle media device using a first wireless communication protocol that is different from a second wireless communication protocol previously utilized for requesting the download of the media content to the vehicle media device.

4. The storage medium of claim 3, wherein the second wireless communication protocol is cellular communication.

5. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions to download a first portion of the media content to the vehicle media device and download a second portion of the media content to a mobile communication device in geographic proximity to the vehicle, the first and second portions of the media content being downloaded in temporal proximity.

6. The storage medium of claim 5, comprising computer instructions to download the first portion of the media content using a first wireless communication protocol that is different from a second wireless communication protocol utilized to download the second portion of the media content.

7. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions to apply a digital rights management policy to the download of the media content.

8. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions to adjust the format of the media content into a plurality of versions of video content, wherein a first version has more error correction data than a second version.

9. A server comprising a controller to:

wirelessly download media content to a media device of a vehicle from a point in the media content where a gateway previously stopped downloading the media content to the vehicle media device, wherein the server is in a reconfigurable master-slave relationship with the gateway, the server and the gateway being remote from each other and remote from the vehicle, wherein the controller is configured to determine a location of the vehicle and reconfigure the master-slave relationship based on the location.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to adjust a format of the media content into a plurality of versions of video content, wherein a first version has more error correction data than a second version.

11. The server of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to:

access stored user preferences associated with the vehicle media device;

obtain the media content; and

adjust a format of the media content based on the stored user preferences.

12. The server of claim 11, wherein the media content is retrieved from the gateway.

13. The server of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to download a first portion of the media content to the vehicle media device and download a second portion of the media content to a mobile communication device in geographic proximity to the vehicle, the first and second portions of the media content being downloaded in temporal proximity.

14. The server of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to download the media content to the vehicle media device using a first wireless communication protocol that is different from a second wireless communication protocol previously utilized for requesting the download of the media content to the vehicle media device.

15. A network element comprising a controller configured to:

wirelessly download media content to a media device of a vehicle from a point in the media content where a wireless access point previously stopped downloading the media content to the vehicle media device, wherein the network element is in a reconfigurable master-slave relationship with the wireless access point, the wireless access point and the network element being remote from each other and remote from the vehicle, the network element being associated with the vehicle, and wherein the controller is configured to adjust a format of the media content based on a desired format of the vehicle media device and store the adjusted media content.

16. The network element of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to receive a request for downloading of the media content from at least one of the vehicle media device and another communication device, and wherein the request is received over a first communication protocol that is different from a second communication protocol utilized for performing the wireless download of the media content to the vehicle media device.

17. A media device of a vehicle, the media device having a controller to:

wirelessly receive media content from one of a server and a gateway from a point in the media content where the other of the server and the gateway previously stopped downloading the media content to the vehicle media device, the server and the gateway being remote from each other and remote from the vehicle, the gateway being associated with the vehicle, the received media content having a format previously adjusted by at least one of the server and the gateway based on stored user information associated with the vehicle media device, and wherein the gateway and the server are in a reconfigurable master-slave relationship with each other.

18. A method, comprising:

accessing stored user preferences associated with a media device of a vehicle;

obtaining media content;

adjusting a format of the media content based on the stored user preferences;

from one of a gateway and a server downloading the media content to the vehicle media device from a point in the media content where the other of the gateway and the server previously stopped downloading the media content to the vehicle media device, the server and the gateway being remote from the vehicle and remote from each other, the gateway being associated with the vehicle

determining a location of the vehicle; and

reconfiguring a master-slave relationship between the server and the gateway based on the location.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the downloading of the media content to the vehicle media device is performed using a first wireless communication protocol that is different from a second wireless communication protocol previously utilized for requesting the downloading of the media content to the vehicle media device.

20. The method of claim 18, comprising downloading a first portion of the media content to the vehicle media device and downloading a second portion of the media content to a mobile communication device in geographic proximity to the vehicle, the first and second portions of the media content being downloaded in temporal proximity.

21. The method of claim 20, comprising downloading the first portion of the media content using a first wireless communication protocol that is different from a second wireless communication protocol utilized to download the second portion of the media content.