Facilitating placeshifting using matrix code

• US 8,443,407 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2011
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Gaede, Jason, Schaefer, Germar
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhong, Jun Fei
• Application Number:
  US13/037,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20120222071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 725 38- 40, 725/78, 725 86- 88, 725/100, 725/102, 725/109
• US Class Current: 725/88
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• 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 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/432 Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium, e.g. hard-disk details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• 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 21/43615 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 21/43622 Interfacing an external recording device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• 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 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus

Abstract

A method for providing a user of a target device with placeshifted content. The method includes detecting, utilizing the target device, a matrix code associated with an audio/visual program. Data encoded in the matrix code includes program identifying information and elapsed time information with respect to the program. The method further includes generating, utilizing the target device, a request for the program based at least in part on the encoded data. The method also includes transmitting, utilizing the target device, the program request across a network.

Claims

1. A system for transmitting placeshifted content, comprising:

a television content receiver comprising a first processor, wherein the first processor is provided with computer implemented instructions to;

receive a content stream from a service provider and transmit the content stream to a presentation device for display to a user, wherein the content stream corresponds to an audio/visual program;

generate, based at least in part on the content stream and/or data associated with the content stream, a matrix code in response to a first input from the user, wherein data encoded in the matrix code comprises the audio/visual program identifying information and elapsed time information with respect to the audio/visual program; and

transmit the matrix code to the presentation device and display the matrix code to the user;

wherein the television content receiver further comprises a recorder communicably coupled to the first processor, and wherein the first processor is provided with further computer implemented instructions to record the audio/visual program upon generation of the matrix code by utilizing the recorder;

a target device communicably coupled to a network, the target device comprising;

an optical input device configured to optically detect the matrix code, and

a second processor communicably coupled to the optical input device, wherein the second processor is provided with computer implemented instructions to;

decode the matrix code; and

generate, based at least in part on the decoded matrix code and a second user input, a request for the content stream previously transmitted from the service provider to the television content receiver;

wherein the request for the content stream previously transmitted comprises requesting a portion of the audio/visual program commencing from a point in the audio/visual program that corresponds to the point in the audio/visual program when the matrix code was displayed to the user; and

a placeshifting device communicably coupled to the network, the placeshifting device comprising a third processor, wherein the third processor is provided with computer implemented instructions to;

receive across the network the target device'"'"'s request for the content stream previously transmitted from the service provider to the television content receiver;

based at least in part on the request, retrieve from a storage device of the recorder the content stream for transmission over the network to the target device; and

display the retrieved content stream at the target device to the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the placeshifting device retrieves the content stream from the storage device that is located within the content receiver.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the placeshifting device retrieves the content stream from the storage device that is remote from the content receiver.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the content stream is a television or movie program.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the matrix code is a QR code.

6. A method for providing a user of a target device with placeshifted content, the method comprising:

receiving, at a television content receiver, a content stream from a service provider and transmit the content stream to a presentation device for display to a user, wherein the content stream corresponds to an audio/visual program;

generating, by the television content receiver, based at least in part on the content stream and/or data associated with the content stream, a matrix code in response to a first input from the user, wherein data encoded in the matrix code comprises the audio/visual program identifying information and elapsed time information with respect to the audio/visual program;

transmitting, by the television content receiver, the matrix code to the presentation device and displaying the matrix code to the user;

wherein the television content receiver further comprises a recorder communicably coupled to the television content receiver, and recording the audio/visual program upon generating the matrix code by utilizing the recorder;

detecting, utilizing the target device, the matrix code optically,

generating, by the target device, based at least in part on the matrix code and a second user input, a request for the content stream previously transmitted from the service provider to the television content receiver;

wherein the request for the content stream previously transmitted comprises requesting a portion of the audio/visual program commencing from a point in the audio/visual program that corresponds to the point in the audio/visual program when the matrix code was displayed to the user;

receiving, at a placeshifting device, across the network the target device'"'"'s request for the content stream previously transmitted from the service provider to the television content receiver;

retrieving, utilizing the placeshifting device, based at least in part on the request, from a storage device of the recorder the content stream for transmission over the network to the target device; and

displaying, at the target device, the retrieved content stream to the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the request specifies that the

placeshifting device retrieve the content stream from the storage device that is located within the television content receiver.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the matrix code is indicating a geographical location, and the content stream transmitted by the placeshifting device is retrieved by the placeshifting device from the storage device that is remote with respect to the geographical location.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the content stream is a television or movie program.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the matrix code comprises a QR code.