Mobile interface for accessing interactive television applications associated with displayed content

• US 8,370,878 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2010
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Gharachorloo, Nader, Felt, Michelle
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US12/725,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20110231872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 725/62, 725/61, 725/28, 725/110, 725/40, 725/42, 725/43, 725/123, 725/131, 725/136, 725/139, 725/151, 715/744, 715/864, 705/14.64, 455/3.01, 455/3.02, 455/3.04, 455/3.06
• US Class Current: 725/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104

Abstract

A media client for a subscription multimedia network presents, on a display device, program content received from a backend server. The media client also receives, from a mobile device, a signal requesting access to an interactive television application, where the interactive television application is related to the program content. The media client receives, from the backend server, data for the interactive television application, and forwards, to the mobile device, the data for the interactive television application for presentation on the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a media client, the method comprising:

presenting, by the media client and on a display device, program content received from a backend server, and an interactive television application that is related to the program content;

receiving, by the media client and from a mobile device, a request to shift the interactive television application from the display device to the mobile device;

causing, by the media client and based on receiving the request, the display device to cease presenting the interactive television application;

retrieving, by the media client and from the backend server, data for the interactive television application;

based on receiving the request, forwarding, by the media client and to the mobile device, the data for the interactive television application to present on the mobile device;

receiving, by the media client and from the mobile device, user input for the interactive television application; and

forwarding, by the media client and to the backend server, the user input.

2. The method of claim 1, where the data for the interactive television application includes real time data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the media client and from another mobile device, another request for access to another interactive television application, where the other interactive television application is related to the program content;

retrieving, by the media client and from the backend server, data for the other interactive television application; and

forwarding, by the media client and to the other mobile device, the data for the other interactive television application to present on the other mobile device.

4. The method of claim 3, where the mobile device and the other mobile device synchronize with the media client using separate accounts.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

synchronizing, by the media client, the program content presented on the display device and the forwarding of the data to the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, where the mobile device comprises one or more of:

a radiotelephone,

a personal communications system (PCS) terminal,

a personal digital assistant (PDA), or

a laptop computer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving, by the media client, credentials from the mobile device,

where forwarding, to the mobile device, the data for the interactive television application is based on the retrieving the credentials.

8. A method performed by one or more devices within a subscription multimedia network, the method comprising:

sending, by one of the one or more devices and to a media client, program content for presentation on a display device;

receiving, by one of the one or more devices and from the media client, a first request for access, via the display device, to a first interactive television application, the first interactive television application relating to the program content;

sending, by one of the one or more devices and based on the first request, data, for the first interactive television application, to the media client;

receiving, by one of the one or more devices and from the media client, data from the display device pertaining to the first interactive television application;

forwarding, by one of the one or more devices, the data from the display device to a first application server associated with the first interactive television application;

receiving, by one of the one or more devices and from the media client, a second request for access, via a mobile device, to a second interactive television application, the second interactive television application relating to the program content, the second interactive television application differing from the first interactive television application;

sending, by one of the one or more devices and based on the second request, data, for the second interactive television application, to the media client;

receiving, by one of the one or more devices and from the media client, data from the mobile device pertaining to the second interactive television application; and

forwarding, by one of the one or more devices, the data from the mobile device to a second application server associated with the second interactive television application.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, by one of the one or more devices and from the media client, a third request for another mobile device to access the first interactive television application; and

sending, by one of the one or more devices and based on the third request, the data for the first interactive television application, via the media client, to the other mobile device,

the media client causing the display device to cease presenting the first interactive television application based on sending the data for the first interactive television application to the other mobile device.

10. The method of claim 8, where the mobile device and the other mobile device have separate accounts within the subscription multimedia network.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, by one of the one or more devices and from the media client, credentials of the mobile device;

authenticating the credentials of the mobile device; and

sending the data for the second interactive television application based on authenticating the credentials of the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 8, where the first application server and the second application server are external to the subscription multimedia network.

13. The method of claim 8, where the first application server and the second application server are internal to the subscription multimedia network.

14. A device, comprising:

a memory to store a plurality of instructions; and

a processor to execute instructions in the memory to;

present, on a display device, program content received from a backend server,

receive a first request for access, via the display device, to an interactive television application, the interactive television application being related to the program content,

receive, from the backend server, data for the interactive television application,

forward, to the display device, the data for the interactive television application for presentation on the display device in connection with the program content,

receive, from a mobile device, a second request for access the interactive television application,

cause, based on the second request, the display device to cease presenting the data for the interactive television application, and

forward, to the mobile device, the data for the interactive television application for presentation on the mobile device.

15. The device of claim 14, where the processor is further to execute instructions to:

receive, from the mobile device, user input for the interactive application, and

forward, to the backend server, the user input.

16. The device of claim 14, where the device is a media client located at a customer'"'"'s premises.

17. The device of claim 14, where the processor is further to execute instructions to:

establish an Internet protocol (IP) session with the mobile device, and

where the processor, when forwarding the data for the interactive television application to the mobile device, is further to;

forward, to the mobile device, the data for the interactive television application via the IP session.

18. The device of claim 14, where the processor is further to execute instructions to:

receive, from another mobile device, a third request for access to the interactive television application, and

forward, to the other mobile device and based on the third request, the data for the interactive television application for presentation on the other mobile device concurrently with the presentation of the in data for the interactive television application on the mobile device.

19. A device, comprising:

a memory to store a plurality of instructions; and

a processor to execute instructions in the memory to;

send, to a media client, program content and first data for an interactive television application for presentation on a display device, the interactive television application being related to the program content;

receive, from the media client, a request for mobile device access to the interactive television application being presented on the display device;

send, to the media client and based on the request, second data for the interactive television application for presentation on the mobile device, the second data being selected based on the mobile device;

receive, from the media client, data from the mobile device pertaining to the interactive television application; and

forward the data from the mobile device to an application server for the interactive television application.

20. The device of claim 19, where the device is a server for a subscription multimedia network.

21. The device of claim 19, where the processor is further to execute instructions to:

receive, from the media client, another request for another mobile device to access the interactive television application, and

send, to the media client and based on the other request, third data for the interactive television application, the third data differing from the second data, and the third data being selected based on the other mobile device comprising a particular type of mobile device.