Accessing content via a matrix code

• US 8,640,956 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2010
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Gomez, Mark H., Kennedy, John T., Martch, Gregg
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mikels, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US12/971,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20120153015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 235/462.01
• 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 21/41407 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 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• 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

Abstract

A system for accessing content corresponding to a matrix barcode, such as a video and/or audio content. The system may include a mobile computing device in communication with a content receiver. The mobile computing device may be configured to capture the matrix barcode, for example, via using an optical component and/or barcode scanner to record and/or scan the matrix barcode. The mobile computing device may also include a network interface component configured to transmit the matrix barcode to the content receiver. The content receiver may then receive the matrix barcode from the mobile computing device. The content receiver may include a processor to determine and/or access the content corresponding to the matrix barcode. The content receiver may then transmit the content to a display device.

Claims

1. A method for accessing content on a content receiver comprising the steps of:

receiving on the content receiver a matrix barcode;

decoding information from the matrix barcode;

determining if a content corresponding to the matrix barcode is available utilizing the information decoded from the matrix barcode;

setting a reminder on the content receiver to check if the content is available at a later time based on the content not being available; and

at the later time, accessing on the content receiver the content based on the content being available.

2. The method of accessing content of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

capturing the matrix barcode via an optical component on a mobile computing device; and

transmitting the matrix barcode to the content receiver from the mobile computing device.

3. The method of accessing content of claim 1, further comprising displaying on a display device the content after the content has been accessed.

4. The method of accessing content of claim 1, further comprising recording the content on the content receiver after the content has been accessed.

5. The method of accessing content of claim 1, wherein the content receiver is a set top box.

6. The method of accessing content of claim 1, wherein the content is a video content.

7. The method of accessing content of claim 1, further comprising the step, if the content is available, transmitting from the content receiver an option to record or display the content on the content receiver to a mobile computing device.

8. The method of accessing content of claim 1, further comprising the step of, if the content is available, transmitting the content via the content receiver to a mobile computing device.

9. The method of accessing content of claim 8, further comprising the step of, displaying the content on a display screen of the mobile computing device.

10. A method of displaying content comprising the steps of:

transmitting from a mobile computing device a matrix barcode to a content receiver, wherein the matrix barcode corresponds to a specific content;

decoding information from the matrix barcode;

determining via the content receiver, data corresponding to the specific content from the matrix barcode utilizing the information decoded from the matrix barcode;

verifying whether the specific content is available;

transmitting from the content receiver a first message to a computing device wherein the first message presents an option to set a reminder on the content receiver to access the specific content in the future based on the specific content not being available; and

transmitting from the content receiver the specific content to a display device based on the selected content being available.

11. The method of displaying content of claim 10, wherein the mobile computing device is a smart phone.

12. The method of displaying content of claim 10, wherein the content receiver transmits the specific content to a display device on the mobile computing device.

13. A system for accessing content comprising:

a mobile computing device comprising;

an optical component configured to capture a matrix barcode;

a processor in communication with the optical component; and

a network interface component in communication with the processor; and

a content receiver in communication with the mobile computing device, comprising

a content receiver network interface component; and

a content receiver processor in communication with the content receiver network interface component, wherein the content receiver

receives via the content receiver network interface component, the matrix barcode from the mobile computing device;

decodes information from the matrix barcode;

accesses via a network, a content corresponding to the matrix barcode utilizing the information decoded from the matrix barcode; and

transmits via the content receiver network interface the content

wherein the content receiver is further configured to determine whether the content is available from a content source and if the content is not available, the content receiver is configured to set a reminder to determine if the content is available in the future.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a display device in communication with content receiver, wherein the display device is configured to receive the content from the content receiver.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the mobile computing device is further configured to receive the content from content receiver.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the content receiver is a set top box.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the content is a video content.