Smart television system having methods or means for accessing paid or subscribed digital content from the internet

• US 8,711,408 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2011
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Flexiworld Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Flexiworld Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, William Ho, Liu, Christina Ying
• Primary Examiner(s): Cammack, David S
• Application Number:
  US13/108,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20110279829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/1.13, 358/407, 358/1.2, 235/380, 235/462.01, 340/12.22, 340/7.23, 341/173, 345/474, 348/207.99, 348/211.2, 348/465, 380/233, 380/282, 386/353, 705/35, 705/51, 705/54, 705/64, 705/80, 709/200, 709/204, 709/206, 709/217, 709/219, 709/228, 709/229, 710/8, 713/153, 713/163, 713/193, 715/717, 725/112, 725/119, 725/37, 725/91, 725/87, 726/3
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1247 by conversion to printer ready format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 : by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 : specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 : Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 : Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 : Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 : Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 : dummy group

Abstract

Smart television systems and methods for rendering digital content accessed from over the Internet is disclosed. The smart television system is a device that may include an operating system, and one or more applications installed or installable for accessing digital content over the Internet. The method may include providing security or authentication information to one or more servers over the Internet, providing payment or subscription information to the one or more servers, selecting a reference from a list of references to digital content, and providing, to the one or more servers, a content object that includes the selected reference to digital content. Subsequently, the smart television system may receive, from the one or more servers over the Internet, the digital content corresponding to the selected reference to digital content for rendering. The smart television system may further include a touch sensitive screen.

Claims

1. An output system device that includes a television for rendering digital content received from one or more servers over the Internet, the output system device including:

an information apparatus for accessing the Internet,

an output device that includes a television for rendering the digital content, the information apparatus being structurally wired and being directly connected to the output device, the television including;

a display screen,

a user interface displayed on the display screen for providing user interface components or functionalities,

a wireless communication unit for enabling wireless connection to wireless local area networks, the wireless communication unit being compatible, at least partly, with at least part of a protocol within IEEE 802.11 standards,

an output controller, included in the output device, for decoding and for image processing of at least part of the digital content, the image processing includes one or more of a color management operation and a scaling operation on at least part of the digital content,

a rendering engine included in the output device for rendering at least part of the image processed digital content onto the display screen of the television,

a memory or storage component for storing at least part of the digital content, and for storing at least part of one or more content objects as encapsulations or references to the digital content,

the output system device being operable for;

providing, security or authentication information restricted to a user, from the output system device to the one or more servers over the Internet, the security or authentication information being restricted to said user for enabling said user access of the digital content;

providing, at the output system device, at least one of payment or subscription information of said user to the one or more servers over the Internet, the payment or subscription information of said user related to enabling said user access of the digital content;

obtaining, at the output system device from the one or more servers over the Internet and in dependence of having provided the security or authentication information restricted to said user, a list of pointers or references to one or more digital content;

selecting, at the output system device, a pointer or a reference to the digital content from the list of pointers or references to the one of more digital content stored at the one or more servers over the Internet;

providing, from the output system device to the one or more servers over the Internet, one or more content objects, the one or more content objects including at least the pointer or the reference to the selected digital content, and the one or more content objects being in accordance to an object or software component model suitable for sending to the one or more servers over the Internet;

receiving, via the wireless communication unit of the output system device, digital content from the one or more servers over the Internet, the received digital content corresponding to the pointer or the reference to the selected digital content included in the one or more content objects sent from the output system device to the one or more servers over the Internet, and the receiving of the digital content from the one or more servers over the Internet being dependent on the security or the authentication information restricted to said user provided from the output system device to the one or more servers over the Internet, and the receiving of the digital content being dependent on the payment or the subscription information provided by said user from the output system device to the one or more servers over the Internet;

processing at least part of the received digital content at the output controller, which includes a decoding operation and an image processing operation, the image processing operation including a color management operation and a scaling operation on at least part of the received digital content; and

delivering at least part of the processed digital content from the output controller to the rendering engine for rendering of at least part of the processed digital content by the rendering engine at the display screen of the television.

2. The output system device of claim 1 in which the output system device further includes a touch sensitive screen for interacting with a user.

3. The output system device of claim 1 further comprising means for providing, from the output system device to the one or more servers over the Internet, at least one of quality of service information, priority information, identification information, and preference information.

4. The output system device of claim 1 wherein the television further comprises:

an operating system, and

one or more software applications installed or installable at the output system device and managed, at least partly, by the operating system, the one or more software applications for facilitating, at least in part, access of at least part of the digital content from the one or more servers over the Internet.

5. The output system device of claim 1 in which the security or authentication information related to the user includes biometric information of said user.

6. The output system device of claim 1 in which the decoding operation on at least part of the received digital content further includes a decrypting operation on at least part of the digital content.

7. The output system device of claim 1 in which the output system device further includes at least one of an audio output device, a projection device, and a display device, individually or in any combination.

8. A digital content rendering method associated with an output system device that includes a television for rendering digital content, the output system device including:

an information apparatus with access to one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet,

an output device that includes a television for rendering the digital content, the information apparatus being structurally and directly wired and connected to the output device, the television including;

a display screen,

a user interface displayed on the display screen for providing user interface components or functionalities,

a wireless communication unit for enabling wireless connections to wireless local area networks, the wireless communication unit being compatible, at least partly, with at least part of a protocol within IEEE 802.11 standards,

a rendering engine, included in the output device, that outputs at least part of the digital content onto the display screen in accordance with an output data received at the rendering engine, and

a memory or storage unit that stores data for rendering, the output system device implemented method comprising;

providing, from the output system device, security or authentication information restricted to a user to the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet, the security or authentication information including at least one of a password, an ID number, a signature, or biometric information, individually or in any combination, that is restricted to said user;

obtaining, at the output system device from the one or more servers over the Internet and subsequent to having provided the security or authentication information restricted to said user, a pointer or a reference to digital content stored at the one or more servers over the Internet;

providing, from the output system device, a content object to the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet, the content object includes at least the reference or the pointer to the digital content, and the content object being in accordance to an object or software component model suitable for sending to the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet;

providing, from the output system device, information related to payment or subscription information of said user to the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet, the payment or the subscription information of said user being related to accessing the digital content by said user;

receiving, via the wireless communication unit of the output system device, at least part of the digital content from the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet, the digital content corresponding to the pointer or the reference to digital content included in the content object sent from the output system device to the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet, and the receiving of the digital content being in dependence, at least in part, to having provided the payment or the subscription information of said user sent by said user from the output system device to the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet;

storing, queuing, or spooling at least part of the received digital content at the output system device for rendering;

and

rendering, by the rendering engine at the output system device, at least part of the digital content at the display screen of the television.

9. The method of claim 8 in which the display screen included in the television further includes a touch sensitive screen for interacting with a user.

10. The method of claim 8 in which the output system device further includes:

an operating system; and

one or more software applications installed or installable at the output system device and managed at least partly by the operating system, the one or more software applications facilitating, at least in part, access of at least part of the digital content from the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising sending or receiving, at the output system device, status information or confirmation information to or from the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet.

12. The method of claim 8 in which the output system device includes at least one of an audio output device, a projection device, and a display device, individually or in any combination.

13. The method of claim 8 in which the output controller further includes performing, at least partially, image processing operations on at least part of the digital content that includes at least one of color processing, image enhancement, scaling, segmentation, and decryption, individually or in any combination.

14. A digital content service method associated with an output system device that includes a television for rendering digital content received from one or more servers over the Internet, the output system device including,

an information apparatus with access to a network that includes the Internet,

an operating system,

one or more software applications that is installed or installable at the output system and managed at least partly by the operating system, the one or more software applications device for facilitating, at least in part, access of at least part of the digital content from the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet,

an output device that includes a television for rendering the digital content, the information apparatus being structurally and directly wired and connected to the output device, the television including:

a display screen,

a user interface displayed on the display screen for providing user interface components or functionalities,

a wireless communication unit for enabling wireless connections to wireless local area networks, the wireless communication unit being compatible at least partly with at least part of a protocol within IEEE 802.11 standards,

an output controller, included in the output device, for image processing at least part of the digital content for rendering, the image processing including color management operations on at least part of the digital content,

a rendering engine, included in the output device, for rendering at least part of the image processed digital content,

the data output method comprising;

opening, at the output system device and with the one or more software applications, a communication channel with the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet;

providing, with the one or more software applications and from the output system device to the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet, security or authentication information restricted to said user, the security or authentication information restricted to said user related to accessing the digital content by said user;

providing, with the one or more software applications and from the output system device to the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet, information associated with payment or subscription information of said user for accessing the digital content by said user;

selecting, with the one or more software applications at the output system device and with the user interface displayed on the display screen provided by the television, a pointer or a reference to the digital content from among a list of one or more pointers or references to one of more digital content stored at the one or more servers over the Internet;

providing, from the output system device, a content object to the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet, the content object including at least the selected reference or pointer to the digital content;

receiving, via the wireless communication unit of the output device and in dependence of having provided information associated with payment or subscription information of said user for accessing the digital content by said user, at least part of the digital content from the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet, the at least part of the digital content corresponding to the selected pointer or reference to the digital content included in the content object sent from the output system device to the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet, and the receiving of the at least part of the digital content from the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet being dependent on the security or the authentication information restricted to said user provided from the output system device to the one or more servers over the Internet;

processing, with the output controller, at least part of the digital content for rendering by the rendering engine, the processing includes color management operations on at least part of the digital content; and

rendering, by the rendering engine at the output system device, the at least part of the processed digital content onto the display screen of the television.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising providing, by the one or more software applications and from the output system device to the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet, at least identification information associated with at least one part of the output system device.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising implementing, at the output system device, job management functionalities with data output job queuing for rendering at least part of the digital content received by the output system device.

17. The method of claim 14 in which the wireless communication unit includes a radio frequency link controller which implements real-time physical layer protocol processing, and the radio frequency link controller is compatible at least partly with at least part of a protocol within IEEE 802.11 standards.

18. The method of claim 14 in which the output system device further includes an interface with a touch sensitive display screen for interacting with a user.

19. The method of claim 14 in which the output system device further includes at least one of an audio output device and a projection device, individually or in any combination.

20. The method of claim 14 in which the data output method further comprises opening a wireless communication channel via the wireless communication unit for accessing the digital content.

21. An output system device that includes a television for rendering digital content received from one or more servers over the Internet, the output system device including,

an information apparatus with access to a network that includes the Internet,

an operating system,

one or more software applications that is installed or installable at the output system and managed at least partly by the operating system, the one or more software applications device for facilitating, at least in part, access of at least part of the digital content from the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet,

an output device that includes a television for rendering the digital content, the information apparatus being structurally and directly wired and connected to the output device, the television including:

a display screen,

a user interface displayed on the display screen for providing user interface components or functionalities,

a wireless communication unit for enabling wireless connections to wireless local area networks, the wireless communication unit being compatible, at least partly, with at least part of a protocol within IEEE 802.11 standards,

an output controller, included in the output device, for processing at least part of the digital content that includes scaling operations;

a rendering engine, included in the output device, for rendering at least part of the processed digital content,

wherein, the output system device is operable to;

provide, with the one or more software applications and from the output system device to the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet, security or authentication information restricted to said user, the security or authentication information restricted to said user related to accessing the digital content by said user; and

provide, with the one or more software applications and from the output system device to the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet, information associated with payment or subscription information of said user for accessing the digital content by said user; and

wherein, subsequent to having provided the payment or subscription information of said user for accessing the digital content by said user, the output system device is further operable to;

select, with the one or more software applications at the output system device and with the user interface displayed on the display screen provided by the television, a pointer or a reference to the digital content from among a list of one or more pointers or references to one of more digital content stored at the one or more servers over the Internet;

provide, from the output system device, a content object to the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet, the content object including at least the selected reference or pointer to the digital content;

receive, via the wireless communication unit of the output system device and from the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet, at least part of the digital content, the at least part of the digital content corresponding to the selected pointer or reference to the digital content included in the content object sent from the output system device to the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet

process, with the output controller, the at least part of the digital content for rendering by the rendering engine, the processing includes scaling operations on at least part of the digital content; and

render, by the rendering engine at the output system device, the at least part of the processed digital content onto the display screen of the television.