Smart phone as remote control device

• US 8,320,901 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2012
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2008
• 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: Klein, Adam, Britt, James Austin, Fox, Joshua J.
• Primary Examiner(s): WEST, LEWIS G
• Application Number:
  US13/405,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20120159546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 274 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/420, 725/39, 725/40, 725/43, 348/734
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805

Abstract

A communication device such as a smart phone is enabled for remotely controlling set-top boxes (STBs) over Internet protocol networks using an applet running on the communication device. Authentication from within a multimedia content distribution network may be achieved by verifying that a network identifier associated with the communication device is associated with an account that has granted access to the smart phone and that is associated with the controlled STB. A viewing pane on the communication device permits a user to remotely view content received on or available to the controlled STB.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication to a client of a multimedia content distribution network from a hand-held communication device, comprising:

receiving video data from a digital television server of the multimedia content distribution network, wherein the video data is indicative of multimedia content being provided to a client via the multimedia content distribution network;

displaying a remote control interface on a touch screen display of the hand-held communication device, wherein the remote control interface includes;

a content pane for displaying the video data;

a command virtual control corresponding to a remote control command; and

a device virtual control for selecting a set-top box associated with a client account for providing service to the client;

responsive to detecting a user input via the command virtual control, generating the remote control command; and

sending the remote control command to the digital television server for delivery, via the multimedia content distribution network, to the client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the device virtual control is a first device virtual control for selecting a first set-top box associated with the client account, and wherein the remote control interface includes:

a second device virtual control for selecting a second set-top box associated with the client account.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote control interface includes:

a history virtual control for displaying a viewing history of a selected set-top box.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote control interface includes:

a channel virtual control for changing a channel output by a selected set-top box.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

displaying multimedia content associated with the channel output by the selected set-top box.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving video data from the digital television server via a transceiver.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the multimedia content distribution network is an Internet protocol television network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the method is performed using a hypertext transfer protocol executed by a web browser.

9. A digital television server for use in a multimedia content distribution network, comprising:

a processor configured to access memory media, wherein the memory media include instructions executable by the processor to;

stream digital television content to a set-top box;

stream video data to a hand-held communication device enabled to display the video data, wherein the video data is indicative of a portion of the digital television content being provided to the set-top box;

receive a remote control command from the hand-held communication device;

depending on the remote control command, send a control command to the set-top box corresponding to the remote control command, wherein the control command causes the set-top box to modify content being output from the set-top box; and

send history data indicative of a viewing history of the set-top box to the hand-held communication device.

10. The digital television server of claim 9, wherein the history data is sent in a format that is displayable by the hand-held communication device.

11. The digital television server of claim 9, wherein the instructions executable by the processor include instructions to:

receive the remote control command from an access server communicatively coupled to the multimedia content distribution network and engaged in web-based communication with the hand-held communication device.

12. The digital television server of claim 9, wherein the instructions executable by the processor include instructions to:

establish a session for communication between the hand-held communication device and the set-top box.

13. The digital television server of claim 12, wherein the instructions to establish the session include instructions executable by the processor to:

receive an incoming telephone call from the hand-held communication device; and

place an outgoing telephone call to the hand-held communication device.

14. The digital television server of claim 9, wherein the video data is selected from the set consisting of:

electronic programming guide data;

streaming video data;

digital television content for a channel selected by the set-top box; and

digital television content for a channel not currently selected by the set-top box.

15. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media, including instructions for managing content delivered by a multimedia content distribution network, the instructions executable by a processor to:

stream multimedia content to a client via the multimedia content distribution network;

send video data to a wireless telephone device, wherein the video data is indicative of the multimedia content being streamed to the client;

receive a signal indicative of user input at the wireless telephone device, the signal representing a remote control command associated with the client;

send a control command to the client corresponding to the remote control command, wherein the control command specifies multimedia content for display at the client, wherein the client includes a first set-top box associated with a client user account for the multimedia content distribution network, and wherein the control command controls multimedia content output by the first set-top box.

16. The computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the client includes a second set-top box associated with the client user account, and wherein the control command controls multimedia content output by the second set-top box.

17. The computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

send history data indicative of a viewing history associated with the client to the wireless telephone device.

18. The computer-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the history data are sent in a format displayable by the wireless telephone device.

19. The computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the instructions to receive the signal include instructions executable by the processor to:

receive an incoming telephone call from the wireless telephone device.

20. The computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

establish a session for communication between the wireless telephone device and the client.