Remote management of TV viewing options in a media exchange network

• US 8,589,548 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2003
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Karaoguz, Jeyhan, Bennett, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, LIANG CHE A
• Application Number:
  US10/672,864
• Publication Number:
  US 20040117852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,707 Days
• Field of Search: 709/212, 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/226, 709/230, 725/86, 725/91, 725/98, 725/100, 725/103, 348/207.1, 348/208.1
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2408 Monitoring of the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. client requests monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• 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 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26266 for determining content or additional data repetition rate, e.g. of a file in a DVB carousel according to its importance arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• 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 21/43615 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 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• 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 21/4821 : using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 : for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6187 : involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• 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 21/6582 : Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system supporting the remote management of options related to media consumption in a media exchange network is disclosed. Such a system may comprise a set top box communicatively coupled to a television display and storage. The set top box may be used for the consumption of media via a communication network. In such an embodiment, server software may enable the remote modification, via a communication network, of options related to the consumption of media by a user of the set top box. The media consumed may be one or more of digital audio, a digital still image, digital video, and digital data. Other aspects of the present invention may be seen in a personal computer monitor and personal computer circuitry, communicatively coupled to a storage and a communication network. An embodiment of the present invention may also enable the modification of TV viewing options via a telephone voice response system.

Claims

1. A system supporting the remote management of options related to media consumption, the system comprising:

a first television device at a first location, in which the first television device includes a media management software to provide options to select consumption of media on the first television device;

a media storage, at the first location, that stores the media and coupled to provide the media to the first television device, wherein the first television device and the media storage are operable to couple to a network;

a second television device at a second location, wherein the second television device is operable to couple to the network and for a user to initiate an access of the options that select the consumption of the media on the first television device; and

server software that is accessible by the user at the second television device for the second television device to access, via the network, the options that select the consumption of the media on the first television device and to remotely select the options from the second location for the consumption of the media at the first television device, the server software includes an user identifier of the user, in which the user initiates the access of the options that select the consumption of the media on the first television device by entering the user identifier at the second location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the network comprises a cable infrastructure, a satellite network infrastructure, a digital subscriber line (DSL) infrastructure, an Internet infrastructure, an intranet infrastructure, a wired infrastructure, or a wireless infrastructure, or a combination thereof.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein Internet forms the network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the media to be consumed comprises audio, a still image, video, real-time video, or data, or a combination thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the consumption of the media by the first television device comprises playing audio, displaying a still image, displaying video, or displaying data, or a combination thereof.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the options selected for the consumption of the media comprise a media schedule, a device address, a device identifier, billing information, tracking information, channel setup information, program setup information, digital rights management information, media caching information, media storage information, media filter information, a user profile, or pay-per-view event information, or a combination thereof.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the media filter information comprises an industry rating, a program time, a language, content information, or a personal program preference, or a combination thereof.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the options selected for the consumption of the media comprise accessing the media management software.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the server software is responsive for receiving user input via a telephone network to initiate the access of the options that select the consumption of the media on the first television device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the server software is configured to be responsive to human speech or dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signals or both.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the server software is configured to deliver the media selected by the options to the first television device.

12. A system supporting the remote management of options related to media consumption, the system comprising:

a set top box at a first location configured for displaying media on a television display, in which the set top box includes a media management software to provide options to select consumption of media on the television display;

a media storage, at the first location, that stores the media and coupled to provide the media to the television display, wherein the set top box and the media storage are operable to couple to a network;

a television device at a second location, wherein the television device is operable to couple to the network and for a user to initiate an access of the options that select the consumption of the media for the set top box on the television display; and

server software that is accessible by the user at the television device at the second location for the television device to access, via the network, the options that select the consumption of the media on the television display and to remotely select the options from the second location for the consumption of the media by the television display, the server software includes an user identifier of the user, in which the user initiates the access of the options that select the consumption of the media on the television display by entering the user identifier at the second location.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the network comprises a cable infrastructure, a satellite network infrastructure, a digital subscriber line (DSL) infrastructure, an Internet infrastructure, an intranet infrastructure, a wired infrastructure, or a wireless infrastructure, or a combination thereof.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein Internet forms the network.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the media to be consumed comprises audio, a still image, video, real-time video, or data, or a combination thereof.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the consumption of the media by the television display comprises playing audio, displaying a still image, displaying video, or displaying data, or a combination thereof.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the options selected for the consumption of the media comprise a media schedule, a device address, a device identifier, billing information, tracking information, channel setup information, program setup information, digital rights management information, media caching information, media storage information, media filter information, a user profile, or pay-per-view event information, or a combination thereof.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the media filter information comprises an industry rating, a program time, a language, content information, or a personal program preference, or a combination thereof.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the options selected for the consumption of the media comprise accessing the media management software.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the server software is responsive for receiving user input via a telephone network to initiate the access of the options that select the consumption of the media on the television display.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the server software is configured to be responsive to human speech or dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signals or both.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the server software is configured to deliver the media selected by the options to the set top box.