System and method of mapping customer premise equipment in a VOD system of a cable service provider

• US 8,646,012 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2010
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ericsson Television Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson Television Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Rouse, Alan, Dasher, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodarzi, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAHAM, PAUL J
• Application Number:
  US12/898,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20110191811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/93
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416

Abstract

A system, method, and web-based application platform enabling a television viewer to utilize an Internet device to request a Video-On-Demand (VOD) server to stream a selected video to the viewer'"'"'s Set Top Box (STB). An Internet Protocol (IP) connection is established between the Internet device and an application executing at a web site, and an Internet device identifier is passed to the application. The application communicates with the VOD server to obtain a listing of available videos, and provides the listing to the Internet device. When the viewer selects a video, the application accesses an equipment-mapping table, which associates the Internet device identifier with an STB identifier. The application then sends the STB identifier and a request for the selected video to the VOD server, which delivers the video to the STB over a television delivery system.

Claims

1. A method of enabling a television user to utilize an Internet device to request a Video-On-Demand (VOD) server in a television delivery system to stream a selected video to a Set Top Box (STB) of the television user, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing an Internet Protocol (IP) connection between the Internet device and an application external to the television delivery system executing at a web site external to the television delivery system, wherein the step of establishing the IP connection includes providing an Internet device identifier to the application;

the application communicating with the VOD server to obtain a listing of videos available in the television delivery system;

the application providing the Internet device with access to the listing of available videos through the IP connection;

receiving at the application from the Internet device, an indication of the selected video;

accessing by the application, an equipment-mapping table associating the Internet device identifier with an identifier of the STB of the user; and

sending a request for the selected video from the application to the VOD server, the request including the identifier of the STB of the user; and

wherein the Internet device is a device other than a Set Top Box (STB) that can access the Internet,

delivering the selected video to the STB of the user through the television delivery system.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the Internet device identifier is a unique Media Access Control (MAC) address that uniquely identifies the Internet device.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of provisioning the equipment-mapping table, the provisioning step including:

allocating an IP address to the Internet device based on the unique MAC address of the Internet device;

using the unique MAC address to determine an associated user customer account and to access customer information therein, the customer information including the STB identifier for the user; and

creating an entry in the equipment-mapping table associating the IP address of the Internet device with the STB identifier.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the equipment-mapping table is stored in the VOD Server.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the equipment-mapping table is stored in an application platform.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the VOD server obtains the selected video from an external database, external to the VOD server.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of the application informing the VOD server of a location of the selected video in the external database.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the STB of the user communicates with a television connection to the Internet, and the Internet device is located in the television.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the Internet device is one of a touch-tablet computer, a laptop computer, a smart phone, and a desktop computer.

9. An application platform at a web site external to a television delivery system for enabling a television user to utilize an Internet device to request a Video-On-Demand (VOD) server in the television delivery system to stream a selected video to a Set Top Box (STB) of the television user, the application platform comprising:

a processor and a memory;

an equipment-mapping table associating an identifier of the Internet device with an identifier of the STB of the user; and

an application stored in the memory, wherein when the application is executed by the processor, the application platform performs the steps of;

establishing an Internet Protocol (IP) connection with the Internet device and obtaining the Internet device identifier;

obtaining from the VOD server, a listing of videos available in the television delivery system;

providing the Internet device with access to the listing of available videos through the IP connection;

receiving at the application from the Internet device, an indication of the selected video; and

sending a request for the selected video from the application to the VOD server, the request including the identifier of the STB of the user and requesting the selected video to be delivered to the STB of the user through the television delivery system,

wherein the Internet device is a device other than a Set Top Box (STB) that can access the Internet.

10. The application platform according to claim 9, wherein the Internet device identifier is a Media Access Control (MAC) address, and the application platform is configured to allocate an IP address to the Internet device based on the MAC address of the Internet device.

11. The application platform according to claim 10, wherein the equipment-mapping table includes entries that associate the IP address of the Internet device with an identifier of the STB, wherein the identifier of the STB is obtained from a user customer account identified by the MAC address of the Internet device.

12. The application platform according to claim 11, wherein the equipment-mapping table is stored in the VOD Server.

13. The application platform according to claim 11, wherein the equipment-mapping table is stored in the application platform.

14. The application platform according to claim 9, wherein the VOD server is configured to obtain the selected video from an external database, external to the VOD server.

15. The application platform according to claim 14, wherein the application is configured to inform the VOD server of a location of the selected video in the external database.

16. The application platform according to claim 9, wherein the STB of the user is in communication with a television connection to the Internet, and the Internet device is located in the television.

18. A system for enabling a television user to request over the Internet, a selected video to be delivered over a television delivery system, the system comprising:

a Set Top Box (STB) of the user for receiving the selected video over the television delivery system;

an Internet device other than the STB connected to the Internet at the viewer'"'"'s premises, the Internet device including an Internet device identifier;

an application executing on a processor at a web site external to the television delivery system, the application in communication with the Internet device through an Internet Protocol (IP) connection;

an equipment-mapping table accessible by the application, the equipment-mapping table associating the Internet device identifier with an identifier of the STB of the user; and

a Video-On-Demand (VOD) server in the television delivery system, the VOD server being in communication with the application;

wherein the Internet device includes means for sending indications of viewer inputs to the application;

wherein when the processor executes the application, the processor is caused to;

obtain the Internet device identifier through the IP connection;

obtain from the VOD server, a listing of videos available in the television delivery system, and provide the listing to the Internet device;

receive from the Internet device, an indication of the selected video;

access the equipment-mapping table with the Internet device identifier to obtain the STB identifier; and

send the indication of the selected video and the STB identifier to the VOD server;

wherein the VOD server is configured to send the selected video to the STB over the television delivery system.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the Internet device identifier is a Media Access Control (MAC) address, and the processor is also caused to allocate an IP address to the Internet device based on the MAC address of the Internet device.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the equipment-mapping table includes entries that associate the IP address of the Internet device with the STB identifier, wherein the STB identifier is obtained from a user customer account identified by the MAC address of the Internet device.

21. The system according to claim 18, wherein the Internet device is one of a touch-tablet computer, a laptop computer, a smart phone, and a desktop computer.

22. The system according to claim 18, wherein the STB of the user communicates with a television connection to the Internet, and the Internet device is located in the television.