Mobile digital video recorders

• US 8,588,199 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2006
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Swanburg, Scott Allen, Wolfson, Gary Lance
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER, BRANDON J
• Application Number:
  US11/545,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20080092177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,596 Days
• Field of Search: 370/342, 370/338, 370/328, 725/61, 725/81, 455/466, 4554121-4122, 455/41.2, 455418-420, 455/456.3, 455/552.1
• US Class Current: 370/342
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• 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 21/4334 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 21/4788 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• 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

Abstract

With mobile devices and computers coming together and being internet-ready, there is tremendous potential for improved content-delivery mechanisms. What external Digital Video Recorders (DVR) and set-top boxes have done for traditional television industry, a similar set up is proposed to do the same for mobile devices. The fusion of a DVR and a mobile phone points to the future of mobile entertainment, with mobile users being able to watch, listen to, record, and share entertainment and informative multimedia content at any time and place.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a mobile telecommunication device having a unique session initiation protocol address, wherein the mobile telecommunication device is able to communicate via a third generation or an equivalent network and is capable of receiving and recording a multimedia data stream;

a live buffer within the mobile telecommunication device, the live buffer holding a temporary recording of the multimedia data stream, the live buffer allowing a user of the mobile telecommunication device to control playback of the multimedia data stream;

an output device within the mobile telecommunication device;

a storage unit within the mobile telecommunication device;

a subscriber identity module within the mobile telecommunication device, the subscriber identity module securely storing a unique identifier of the user of the mobile telecommunication device; and

a direct bi-directional link to an external digital video recorder;

wherein the direct bi-directional link allows the mobile telecommunication device and the external digital video recorder to exchange content via a direct connection, the direct bi-directional link allowing the mobile telecommunication device to send saved media files from the mobile telecommunication device to the external digital video recorder and receive multimedia data streams at the mobile telecommunication device from the external digital video recorder;

wherein the mobile telecommunication device receives and records the multimedia data stream by using any combination of a microprocessor unit and a software program to function as a digital video recorder unit;

wherein the unique identifier is used to unlock a copy-protected multimedia data stream;

wherein the digital video recorder unit selects and records a particular program based on a database of programs available to the user, the database of programs being dependent upon a user'"'"'s location and a content delivery system offered by a mobile operator, the content delivery system being used and updated at regular intervals; and

wherein the digital video recorder unit monitors selections from the user and makes recommendations based on the selections of the user, each recommendation including a recommendation score based on a rating of the selections from the user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile telecommunication device comprises a mobile phone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, a mobile personal computer, or a combination thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the multimedia data stream may be recorded at any time at a request of the user.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the user can select a multimedia data stream to be recorded at a specified time.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the multimedia data stream comprises audio data, video data, or a combination thereof.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the multimedia data stream comprises data encoded using a moving picture experts group format, an audio video interleaved format, a RealMedia format, a QuickTime format, a proprietary format, an open format, or any combination thereof.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output device comprises a display device, an audio speaker, a headphone, or a combination thereof.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the storage unit comprises an internal flash drive, a hard disk drive, a removable flash drive, or a combination thereof.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a mobile telecommunication device having a storage unit, a display, an audio output, a unique session initiation protocol address, and a module for communicating via a third generation or an equivalent network, the module securely storing a unique identifier of a user of the mobile device;

a digital video recorder unit within the mobile telecommunication device capable of receiving a multimedia data stream from a wireless network and recording the multimedia data stream to the storage unit;

a live buffer within the mobile telecommunication device, the live buffer holding a temporary recording of the multimedia data stream, the live buffer allowing the user to control playback of the multimedia data stream; and

a direct bi-directional link to an external digital video recorder;

wherein the direct bi-directional link allows the mobile telecommunication device and the external digital video recorder to exchange content via a direct connection, the direct bi-directional link allowing the mobile telecommunication device to send saved media files from the mobile telecommunication device to the external digital video recorder and receive multimedia data streams at the mobile telecommunication device from the external digital video recorder;

wherein the unique identifier is used to unlock a copy-protected multimedia data stream;

wherein the digital video recorder unit selects and records a particular program based on a database of programs available to the user, the database of programs dependent upon a user'"'"'s location and a content delivery system offered by a mobile operator, the content delivery system being used and updated at regular intervals; and

wherein the digital video recorder unit monitors selections of the user and makes recommendations based on the selections of the user, each recommendation including a recommendation score based on a rating of the selections from the user.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the mobile telecommunication device comprises a mobile phone, a smartphone, a PDA, a mobile personal computer, or a combination thereof.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the digital video recorder unit comprises any combination of a microprocessor unit and a software program.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the multimedia data stream may be recorded at any time at a request of the user.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the user can select a multimedia data stream to be recorded at a specified time.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the multimedia data stream comprises audio data, video data, or a combination thereof.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the multimedia data stream comprises data encoded in a moving picture experts group format, an audio video interleaved format, a RealMedia format, a QuickTime format, a proprietary format, an open format, or a combination thereof.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the storage unit comprises an internal flash drive, a hard disk drive, a removable flash drive, or a combination thereof.

17. A method comprising:

determining that a unique key securely stored on a subscriber identity module on a mobile device is a valid license to unlock a multimedia stream when

decoding the multimedia stream and recording a temporary recording of the multimedia stream to a live buffer and controlling playback of the multimedia stream, wherein the multimedia stream is requested and received by the mobile device via a mobile network based on a request from a user;

based on instructions of the user, recording the multimedia data stream to a storage unit within the mobile device, thereafter exchanging the multimedia data stream with an external digital video recorder via a direct bi-directional link, the direct bi-directional link allowing the mobile device to send the multimedia data stream from the mobile device to the external digital video recorder and receive an external multimedia data stream at the mobile device from the external digital video recorder, the exchange of the multimedia data stream followed by playing the multimedia data stream through the external digital video recorder and monitoring request and recommending content based on the request;

wherein the recording of the multimedia data stream is based on a database of programs available to the mobile user, the database of programs being dependent upon a location of the user and a content delivery system offered by a mobile operator being used and updated at regular intervals;

wherein the recording of the multimedia data stream is based on ratings of the user,

wherein content is recommended to the mobile user, each recommendation including a recommendation score based on the ratings of the user; and

wherein the mobile device has a unique session initiation protocol address and a module for communicating via a third generation or an equivalent network.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

presenting the user with a list of multimedia content available for streaming.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

presenting the user with a list of recommended multimedia content available for streaming.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

presenting the user with a list of recommended content based on requests from other users.

21. A device comprising:

a microprocessor;

a transmitter operated by the microprocessor, the transmitter to communicate with a cellular network to stream media;

a subscriber identity module card in communication with the microprocessor, the subscriber identity module card securely storing a key identifying a subscriber, the subscriber identity module card allowing the subscriber to access the cellular network, the key on the subscriber identity module card used to enforce licensing limitations on usage of the media by unlocking a copy-protected multimedia data stream;

a storage device in communication with the microprocessor, the storage device to store the media;

a live buffer in communication with the microprocessor, the live buffer holding a temporary recording of the multimedia data stream, the live buffer allowing the subscriber to control playback of the multimedia data stream;

a direct bi-directional link to an external digital video recorder, the direct bi-directional link allowing the microprocessor and the external digital video recorder to exchange content via a direct connection, the direct bi-directional link allowing the microprocessor to send saved media files from the storage device to the external digital video recorder and receive external media files at the microprocessor from the external digital video recorder; and

an output in communication with the microprocessor, the output to play the media;

wherein the device receives and records the multimedia data stream by using any combination of a microprocessor unit and a software program to function as a digital video recorder unit;

wherein the digital video recorder unit selects and records a particular program based on a database of programs available to the subscriber, the database of programs being dependent upon a subscriber'"'"'s location and a content delivery system offered by a mobile operator, the content delivery system being used and updated at regular intervals; and

wherein the digital video recorder unit monitors selections from the subscriber and makes recommendations to the subscriber based on the selections from the subscriber, each recommendation including a recommendation score based on a rating of the selections from the subscriber.