Location based user aware video on demand sessions

• US 8,528,014 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2011
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IDTP Holdings Incorporated (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Reynolds, Jennifer, Dasher, Charles, Canter, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): CHUNG, JASON
• Application Number:
  US13/092,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20120272261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/52 of users
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• 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 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• 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 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• 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 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A cable backend and a method are described herein for enabling a user with a location-aware mobile device to have at least partial control of a closest cable device (e.g., set top box, cable application) associated with a closest television. The closest cable device does not need to be associated with the user'"'"'s home television but instead can be any cable device that is associated with a television located for instance at a stranger'"'"'s house, an airport, a bar, or wherever.

Claims

1. A cable backend for enabling a user with a location-aware mobile device to have at least partial control of a closest cable device associated with a closest television, the cable backend comprising:

a login server;

a location system configured to store fixed locations of a plurality of cable devices; and

an accounting system configured to maintain account details of the user,

the login server configured to receive a login command from the location-aware mobile device, the login command includes at least account information associated with the user and a current location of the user;

the login server configured to send the current location of the user to the location system;

the location system configured to store the current location of the user;

the login server configured to send a query to the location system to determine which one of the plurality of cable devices is located closest to the current location of the user;

the location system configured to determine which one of the plurality of cable devices is located closest to the current location of the user;

the location system configured to send information identifying the closest cable device to the login server;

the login server configured to send the information identifying the closest cable device to the location-aware mobile device;

the login server configured to send a request to the accounting system for at least a portion of the account details of the user stored therein;

the accounting system configured to send the at least a portion of the account details of the user to the login server;

the login server configured to send the at least a portion of the account details of the user to the closest cable device;

the login server configured to send a login confirmation to the location-aware mobile device to indicate to the user that they now have at least partial control of the closest cable device to control content displayed on the closest television;

the login server logs-out the user from the closest cable device if the user utilizes the location-aware mobile device to actively close the at least partial control of the closest cable device or the user moves the location-aware mobile device a predetermined distance away from the closest cable device;

the login service sends a logout message to the accounting system which then stops billing the user for content displayed on the closest television and starts billing an original subscriber-user of the closest cable device for the content displayed on the closest television;

the plurality of cable devices includes one or more cable devices associated with one or more televisions located in a home of the user and multiple cable devices associated with multiple televisions located outside of the home of the user; and

the closest cable device is located outside of the home of the user but functions in an identical manner as the one or more cable devices located in the home of the user after the login server sends the at least a portion of the account details of the user to the closest cable device.

2. The cable backend of claim 1, further comprising an advertising system configured to interact with the location system to track demographics of at least the user and configured to send target advertising to at least the user based on the tracked demographics.

3. The cable backend of claim 1, wherein the accounting system is further configured to process more than one user-billing account for the closest cable device if the user has complete control of the closest cable device to control content displayed on the closest television.

4. The cable backend of claim 1, wherein the login server sends the at least a portion of the account details of the user to the closest cable device which logs-in the user to the closest cable device where the user has complete control of the closest cable device using the location-aware mobile device or a traditional cable device remote control so the user can at least navigate video on demand catalogs, watch premium content, and rent movies that will be processed through their billing account.

5. The cable backend of claim 1, wherein the login server sends the at least a portion of the account details of the user to the closest cable device which checks-in the user to the closest cable device where the user has limited control of the closest cable device using a traditional cable device remote control so the user can at least access their personal content, free content, or any content they have previously purchased.

6. The cable backend of claim 1, wherein the login server sends the at least a portion of the account details of the user to the closest cable device which checks-in the user to the closest cable device which also happens to have other users checked-in so the user has limited control of the closest cable device using a traditional cable device remote control where the user can at least access their personal content, their free content, or any content they have previously purchased in addition to accessing the other users personal content, free content, or any content they have previously purchased.

7. The cable backend of claim 6, further comprising an advertising system configured to interact with the location system to track demographics of the user and other users checked-in to have limited control of the closest cable device and further configured to send target advertising to the user and other users based on an aggregate of the tracked demographics of the user and the other users checked-in to have limited control of the closest cable device.

8. The cable backend of claim 1, wherein the login server sends the login confirmation to the location-aware mobile device to indicate to the user that they now have at least partial control of the closest cable device where the user has control of the closest cable device and plays content but has to leave the closest cable device and uses the location-aware mobile device to send a request to the login server to save information about the content such that the user can access and continue playing the content at a later time at the closest cable device or any other cable device.

9. The cable backend of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cable devices includes at least one of set top boxes and cable applications.

10. A method for enabling a user with a location-aware mobile device to have at least partial control of a closest cable device associated with a closest television, the method implemented by a cable backend comprising a login server, a location system, and an accounting system, the method comprising the steps of:

storing, at the location system, fixed locations of a plurality of cable devices;

maintaining, at the accounting system, account details of the user,

receiving, at the login server, a login command from the location-aware mobile device, the login command includes at least account information associated with the user and a current location of the user;

sending, from the login server, the current location of the user to the location system;

storing, at the location system, the current location of the user;

sending, from the login server, a query to the location system to determine which one of the plurality of cable devices is located closest to the current location of the user;

determining, at the location system, which one of the plurality of cable devices is located closest to the current location of the user;

sending, from the location system, information identifying the closest cable device to the login server;

sending, from the login server, the information identifying the closest cable device to the location-aware mobile device;

sending, from the login server, a request to the accounting system for at least a portion of the account details of the user stored therein;

sending, from the accounting system, the at least a portion of the account details of the user to the login server;

sending, from the login server, the at least a portion of the account details of the user to the closest cable device;

sending, from the login server, a login confirmation to the location-aware mobile device to indicate to the user that they now have at least partial control of the closest cable device to control content displayed on the closest television;

logging-out, at the login server, the user from the closest cable device if the user uses the location-aware mobile device to actively close the at least partial control of the closest cable device or the user moves the location-aware mobile device a predetermined distance away from the closest cable device;

sending, from the login server, a logout message to the accounting system;

stopping, at the accounting system, billing of the user for content displayed on the closest television and starting billing an original subscriber-user of the closest cable device for content displayed on the closest television;

wherein the plurality of cable devices includes one or more cable devices associated with one or more televisions located in a home of the user and multiple cable devices associated with multiple televisions located outside of the home of the user; and

wherein the closest cable device is located outside of the home of the user but functions in an identical manner as the one or more cable devices located in the home of the user after the login server sends the at least a portion of the account details of the user to the closest cable device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the cable backend further comprising an advertising system and the method further comprising the steps of:

tracking, at the advertising system, demographics of at least the user; and

sending, from the advertising system, target advertising to at least the user based on the tracked demographics.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of processing, at the accounting system, more than one user-billing account for the closest cable device if the user has complete control of the closest cable device to control content displayed on the closest television.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the login server sends the at least a portion of the account details of the user to the closest cable device which logs-in the user to the closest cable device where the user has complete control of the closest cable device using the location-aware mobile device or a traditional cable device remote control so the user can at least navigate video on demand catalogs, watch premium content, and rent movies that will be processed through their billing account.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the login server sends the at least a portion of the account details of the user to the closest cable device which checks-in the user to the closest cable device where the user has limited control of the closest cable device using a traditional cable device remote control so the user can at least access their personal content, free content, or any content they have previously purchased.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the login server sends the at least a portion of the account details of the user to the closest cable device which checks-in the user to the closest cable device which also happens to have other users checked-in so the user has limited control of the closest cable device using a traditional cable device remote control where the user can at least access their personal content, their free content, or any content they have previously purchased in addition to accessing the other users personal content, free content, or any content they have previously purchased.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

tracking, at the advertising system demographics of the user and other users checked-in to have limited control of the closest cable device; and

sending, from the advertising system, target advertising to the user and other users based on an aggregate of the tracked demographics of the user and the other users checked-in to have limited control of the closest cable device.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the login server sends the login confirmation to the location-aware mobile device to indicate to the user that they now have at least partial control of the closest cable device where the user has control of the closest cable device and plays content but has to leave the closest cable device and uses the location-aware mobile device to send a request to the login server to save information about the content such that the user can access and continue playing the content at a later time at the closest cable device or any other cable device.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of cable devices includes at least one of set top boxes and cable applications.