System for establishing communications with a mobile device server

• US 8,856,858 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2013
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brown, William A., Boatright, Michael C., Banner, Stephen G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAIG, SAHAR A
• Application Number:
  US14/023,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20140013371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: 725/152, 725/133, 725/153, 725/106, 725/112
• US Class Current: 725/152
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/123 where the packet-switched network is an Internet Protocol Multimedia System-type network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2265 Server identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/27 Server based end-user applications
• 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 21/42684 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 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64 Addressing network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00; support for multicast or broadcast of one-way stream services H04L65/611
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64707 for transferring content from a first network to a second network, e.g. between IP and wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a computer-readable storage medium operating in a mobile device server having computer instructions to execute a web server application in the mobile device server. The web server application can be operable to cause a media processor to invoke a software application in the mobile device server. The mobile device server can support voice communications over a cellular communication system. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

executing, by a mobile device comprising a processor, a web server application in the mobile device, wherein the web server application performs first operations comprising;

detecting, by the mobile device, a set-top box; and

transmitting, by the mobile device, responsive to the detecting of the set-top box, a message to a server by way of a gateway, wherein the gateway is in wireless communication with the mobile device and assigned to a first internet protocol address, wherein the server operates in an interactive television network remote from a location of the set-top box, and wherein the message comprises an identifier of a software application of the mobile device and a second internet protocol address associated with the software application,

wherein the message causes the server to perform second operations comprising;

identifying the set-top box and media services assigned thereto by way of the first internet protocol address of the gateway, and

directing the set-top box to invoke the software application in the mobile device by way of the second internet protocol address,

wherein the first operations further comprise;

receiving, by the mobile device, a request from the set-top box to execute the software application by way of the second internet protocol address; and

executing, by the mobile device, the software application to establish media communication services between the mobile device and the set-top box.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the web server application comprises executing a hypertext transfer protocol server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the media communication services between the mobile device and the set-top box conform in part to a markup language.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the markup language corresponds to an extensible markup language.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the message comprises transmitting, by the mobile device, a uniform resource locator with a plurality of descriptors that identify the software application and the second internet protocol address.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the message causes the gateway to insert the first internet protocol address into an hypertext transfer protocol header of the message.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising managing, by the mobile device executing web server application, operations of the set-top box responsive to establishing the media communication services between the mobile device and the set-top box.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is one of a portable telephone, a cellular telephone, a cordless telephone, a media player, a gaming console, a personal digital computer, a personal computer, a tablet computer a laptop computer, or combinations thereof, and wherein the web server application submits a request to the set-top box to receive streaming media content.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by the mobile device executing the web server application, authentication data to the set-top box to enable the media communication services between the mobile device and the set-top box.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises an identifier of the mobile device to enable the server to authorize a request submitted by the web server application to establish the media communication services between the mobile device and the set-top box.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, by a server comprising a processor, a message transmitted from a web server application operating in a mobile device, wherein the message is transmitted in response to the mobile device detecting a set-top box and by way of a gateway in wireless communication with the mobile device and communicatively coupled to the server, wherein the web server application in the mobile device detects a request to establish media communication services with a media processor and transmits the message to the server responsive to the request;

detecting, by the server, an identifier of the gateway, wherein the message comprises a request to invoke a software application in the mobile device, and wherein the software application is associated with an internet protocol address;

establishing, by the server, communications with the media processor by way of the identifier of the gateway; and

directing, by the server, the media processor to invoke the software application in the mobile device by way of the internet protocol address supplied by the web server application,

wherein invocation of the software application in the mobile device causes the mobile device to perform second operations comprising;

executing the software application by way of the internet protocol address; and

establishing media communication services with the media processor responsive to executing the software application.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the web server application of the mobile device comprises the software application, and wherein the mobile device is selected from a group consisting of a portable telephone, a cellular telephone, a cordless telephone, a media player, a gaming console, a personal digital computer, a personal computer, a tablet computer and a laptop computer.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the media communications services between the mobile device and the media processor conform to a multimedia retrieval markup language.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifier of the gateway comprises a first internet protocol address assigned to the gateway.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the web server application corresponds to a hypertext transfer protocol server application operating in the mobile device.

16. A machine-readable storage device, comprising executable instructions which, responsive to being executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a message transmitted from a web server application operating in a mobile device, wherein the message is transmitted in response to the mobile device detecting a set-top box and by way of a gateway in wireless communication with the mobile device and communicatively coupled to the server, wherein the web server application in the mobile device detects a request to establish media communication services with a media processor and transmits the message to the server responsive to the request;

detecting an identifier of the gateway, wherein the message comprises a request to invoke a software application in the mobile device, and wherein the software application is associated with an internet protocol address;

establishing communications with the media processor by way of the identifier of the gateway; and

directing the media processor to invoke the software application in the mobile device by way of the internet protocol address supplied by the web server application, wherein invocation of the software application in the mobile device causes the mobile device to perform second operations comprising;

executing the software application by way of the internet protocol address; and

establishing media communication services with the media processor responsive to executing the software application.

17. The machine-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the web server application of the mobile device comprises the software application.

18. The machine-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the media communications services between the mobile device and the media processor conform to a multimedia retrieval markup language.

19. The machine-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the web server application corresponds to a hypertext transfer protocol server application operating in the mobile device.

20. The machine-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the mobile device comprises a device selected from a group consisting of a portable telephone, a cellular telephone, a cordless telephone, a media player, a gaming console, a personal digital computer, a personal computer, a tablet computer and a laptop computer, and wherein the media processor comprises one of a set-top box, a computer, a gaming console or a media player.