Personal multi-device nomadic media

• US 8,325,673 B1
• Filed: 10/02/2007
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2007
• 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: McQuaide, Arnold Chester Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Warner
• Application Number:
  US11/865,976
• Time in Patent Office: 1,890 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/254, 370/255, 370/310, 370/310.2, 370/328, 370/331, 370/338, 370/347, 370/395.2, 370/503
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/02 Buffering or recovering information during reselection ; Modification of the traffic flow during hand-off

Abstract

Providing personal multi-device nomadic media is described herein. In different aspects, the techniques may include providing content to a user on a first device and suspending the delivery of the content on the first device. The user may register on a second device and resume delivery of the suspended content on the second device.

Claims

1. A method for providing a multi-device media network that comprises a first media delivery device and a second media delivery device, the method comprising:

delivering content to a user from the first media delivery device responsive to selection of the content by the user using a remote, the remote transmitting information associated with the user to a master device;

suspending delivery of the content from the first media delivery device using the remote;

activating the second media delivery device using the remote, the second media delivery device transmitting the information associated with the user to the master device enabling the master device to recall previous viewing information associated with the user to the master such that delivery of the content from the first media delivery device to the user can be resumed from the second media delivery device,

wherein the master device provides content to the first media delivery device and the second media delivery device, the first and second media delivery devices being slave devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein suspending delivery of the content includes creating a log file associated with the user registration.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein resuming delivery of the suspended content further includes:

receiving a user registration at the master device;

retrieving user content associated with the user registration; and

transmitting the user content to the second media delivery device for delivery to the user.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving a user registration on the second media delivery device includes scanning a radio-frequency identification tag associated with the remote, the radio-frequency identification tag having a user identification which is associated with the log file.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the log file includes a list of users associated with a personal remote radio-frequency identification tag.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the log file is updated after a time out occurs, the time out being measured from a time the content is suspended on the first media delivery device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user registration on the first media delivery device.

8. A media delivery device, comprising:

a user identification detector configured to receive a signal from a remote that includes a user identification;

a network interface for communicating the user identification to a second media delivery device; and

a device controller operably coupled to the user identification detector and the network interface, the device controller delivering a media content to a user associated with the user identification, the controller further configured to;

suspend the media content on the media delivery device; and

transmit a packet to the second media delivery device, the packet including the user identification associated with the media content, the packet enabling the second media delivery device to resume the media content from a point of suspension on the media delivery device;

wherein the media delivery device comprises a first media delivery device, wherein a master device provides content to the first media delivery device and the second media delivery device, the first and second media delivery devices being slave devices.

9. The media delivery device of claim 8, wherein the user identification device is configured to communicate with a radio-frequency identification tag for receiving the user identification.

10. The media delivery device of claim 8, wherein the network interface is in communication with a master device, the master device providing content to the media delivery device based on the user identification associated with the media delivery device, the master device enabled to suspend the content provided to the user on the media delivery device and resume the content provided to the user on the second media delivery device.

11. The media delivery device of claim 10, wherein the media delivery device is a set top box.

12. The media delivery device of claim 10, wherein the master device is a digital video recorder.

13. The media delivery device of claim 8, wherein the media delivery device further includes:

a transceiver for transmitting suspended content information to the second media delivery device and for receiving suspended content information from the second media delivery device, the transceiver operably coupled to the media delivery device controller to enable a user to suspend the media content delivered to the user on the media delivery device and resume the content provided to the user on the second media delivery device.

14. The media delivery device of claim 13, wherein the second media delivery device is a remote enabled to receive and transmit the user identification and suspended content information.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, perform a method of providing multi-device nomadic media, comprising:

transmitting content associated with a user to a first media delivery device;

creating a log file of the content associated with the user on the first media delivery device; and

transmitting the log file and content associated with the user to a second media delivery device, the second media delivery device enabling the user to resume the content transmitted to the first media delivery device from a non-real time point in the content based on the log file, wherein the first and second media delivery devices are slave devices,

wherein creating the log file of the content associated with the user includes creating a log file on a remote, the remote enabling a user to relocate to a second location and transmit the log file to the second media delivery device; and

wherein a master device provides content to the first media delivery device and the second media delivery device, the first and second media delivery devices being slave devices.

16. The computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the content is transmitted to the first media delivery device at a first point in the content and simultaneously transmitted to the second media delivery device at a second point in the content.

17. The computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein transmitting content associated with a user further includes determining the user by passing a radio-frequency identification tag within a proximity to the first media delivery device to transmit a user identification.

18. The computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the first media delivery device and the second media delivery device are configured to facilitate sharing a user log file which contains a user identification and content associated with the user identification, the user log file enabling the second media delivery device to resume the content transmitted to the first media delivery device.