Broadcasting channels of streaming media content in a wireless telecommunications network

• US 8,621,513 B1
• Filed: 02/01/2013
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clearwire Ip Holdings LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Clearwire Ip Holdings LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Sun, Yaojun, Gu, Jing, Bertz, Lyle, Lan, Wei-Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAIG, SAHAR A
• Application Number:
  US13/757,447
• Time in Patent Office: 333 Days
• Field of Search: 725/38, 725/39, 725/52, 725/56, 725/59, 725/73, 725/81
• US Class Current: 725/39
• 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 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006

Abstract

Systems, methods and media are provided for presenting a group of available broadcast channels utilizing a wireless network upon initiation of a channel-viewing graphical user interface (GUI). The group comprises channels that can be broadcast most efficiently to the mobile device. After initiating the channel-viewing GUI on the mobile device, requests are communicated to elements on the network to retrieve lists of currently broadcast channels in the area and currently viewed channels throughout the wireless network. A list also is retrieved of recently viewed channels on the mobile device. At least a portion of each list is then presented on the channel-viewing GUI. The lists can be sent by a first video media proxy (VMP) server and a broadcast management server (BMS).

Claims

1. One or more nontransitory computer-readable media having embodied thereon computer-useable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more computing devices to perform a method for presenting a list of available broadcast channels utilizing a wireless network on a display of a mobile device, wherein the list of available broadcast channels includes channels that can be broadcast most efficiently to the mobile device, the method comprising:

at the mobile device, obtaining a list of currently broadcast channels that are currently being broadcast within a first access service network that is providing access to the mobile device;

at the mobile device, obtaining a list of currently viewed channels that are currently being viewed within a plurality of access service networks throughout the wireless network;

at the mobile device, retrieving a list of recently viewed channels on the mobile device;

displaying on the mobile device at least a portion of the list of currently broadcast channels in the first access service network;

displaying on the mobile device at least a portion of the list of currently viewed channels that are currently being viewed within the plurality of access service networks throughout the wireless network; and

displaying on the mobile device at least a portion of the list of recently viewed channels on the mobile device;

wherein the displayed list of currently broadcast channels in the first access service network is displayed more prominently than the displayed list of currently viewed channels throughout the wireless network; and

wherein the displayed list of currently viewed channels throughout the wireless network does not include channels that are included in the list of currently broadcast channels within the first access service network.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein the displayed list of currently viewed channels throughout the wireless network is displayed more prominently than the displayed list of recently viewed channels on the mobile device.

3. The media of claim 1, wherein the displayed list of recently viewed channels on the mobile device does not include channels that are included in the list of currently viewed channels throughout the wireless network.

4. The media of claim 1, wherein each portion displayed on the mobile device displays the most-viewed channels of the portion'"'"'s respective list.

5. The media of claim 1, further displaying on the mobile device a list of least-viewed content throughout the wireless network.

6. One or more nontransitory computer-readable media having embodied thereon computer-useable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more computing devices to perform a method for providing a list of available broadcast channels utilizing a wireless network to a mobile device, wherein the list of available broadcast channels includes channels that can be broadcast most efficiently to the mobile device, the method comprising:

streaming channel-based content to a plurality of video media proxy (VMP) servers, wherein each VMP server is located on a respective one of a plurality of access service networks within the telecommunications network;

determining a list of currently broadcast channels in the access service network that is providing access to the mobile device;

communicating to the mobile device a portion of the list of currently broadcast channels in the access service network that is providing access to the mobile device;

determining a list of channels that are currently being viewed in the plurality of access service networks throughout the telecommunications network; and

communicating to the mobile device a portion of the list of channels that are currently being viewed in plurality of access service networks throughout the telecommunications network, wherein the portion of the list of currently viewed channels throughout the telecommunications network does not include channels that are included in the list of currently broadcast channels within the access service network that is providing access to the mobile device.

7. The media of claim 6, the method further comprising communicating from a VMP server to the mobile device the portion of the list of currently broadcast channels in the access service network that is providing access to the mobile device.

8. The media of claim 6, the method further comprising receiving from each of the plurality of VMP servers a list of currently broadcast channels in the access service network associated with each VMP server.

9. The media of claim 6, wherein determining the list of channels that are currently being viewed in the access service networks throughout the telecommunications network is based on the received lists of currently broadcast channels in the access service networks associated with the VMP servers.

10. The media of claim 9, wherein determining the list of channels that are currently being viewed in the access service networks throughout the telecommunications network is performed by a broadcast management server (BMS) that manages broadcast channels within the plurality of access service networks throughout the telecommunications network.