Audio/Video monitoring service using set-top boxes and application servers

• US 8,875,168 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2009
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Campagna, Theresa, Chavez, David Lee Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): SALCE, JASON P
• Application Number:
  US12/512,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20110030021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• Field of Search: 725/9, 725/12, 725/14, 725/19, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153, 348/143
• US Class Current: 725/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/442 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/29; arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information H04H60/35; monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; monitoring in wireless networks H04W24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6332 directed to client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An audio/video monitoring system is disclosed, comprising a combination of one or more set-top boxes and application servers in a service provider'"'"'s network. The set-top boxes and applications services are part of a multiple services operator'"'"'s (MSO) network, such as that of a cable company. Cameras and/or microphones which are directly connected to a set-top box are the sources of media signals, which the set-top box transmits to an application server. The application server continually receives the media signals from one or more set-top boxes, and determines which subset of the received media signals to forward to a selected output device, such as a television connected to another set-top box or a cellular telephone. The application server then forwards media signals of interest to the output device, such as when motion or a loud noise is detected in a media signal received from the set-top box or boxes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a server, running an Open Cable Application Platform (“

OCAP”

) compliant application program;

i) a first identifier of an input device, the input device being situated at a first customer premises equipment location and being capable of generating a first media signal,

ii) a second identifier of an output device, the output device being capable of presenting the first media signal to a user, and

iii) a trigger condition for evaluating the first media signal, wherein the trigger condition is based upon calendrical time and the server being situated at a location that is different from the first customer premises equipment location;

receiving, at the server, the first media signal originating at the input device represented by the first identifier; and

when the trigger condition is met, the OCAP compliant application program transmitting the first media signal to;

the output device represented by the second identifier during a first predefined period of time, wherein the first predefined period of time is defined in a calendar; and

an output device represented by a third identifier during a second predefined period of time, wherein the second predefined period of time is defined in the calendar.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the input device is a camera and the output device is one of a video monitor and a television.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the input device is a camera and the output device is a cellular telephone.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising mapping the second identifier to a predetermined address, wherein transmitting the first media signal comprises routing it to the predetermined address.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the predetermined address is based upon a telephone number.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the predetermined address is based upon an Internet Protocol address.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the input device is only a microphone and the output device represented by the second identifier is a television and wherein the first media signal only preempts an audio content of the television while not preempting a video signal being displayed on the television.

8. A method comprising:

receiving, at a server, running an Open Cable Application Platform (“

OCAP”

) compliant application program;

i) a first identifier of a predetermined output device and ii) a media signal from a set-top box, the output device being situated at a different location than the customer premises equipment location of the set-top box;

determining by the OCAP compliant application program whether a trigger condition has been met, wherein the trigger condition is for evaluating the media signal and is based upon calendrical time; and

when the trigger condition has been met, the OCAP compliant application program transmitting the media signal to the output device represented by the first identifier during a first predefined period of time and to an output device represented by a second identifier during a second predefined period of time, wherein the first predefined period of time is defined in a calendar and wherein the second predefined period of time is defined in the calendar.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the output device is a cellular telephone.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the output device is one of a video monitor and a television.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the media signal conveys video content, and wherein the trigger condition relates to whether motion has been detected in the video content.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the media signal conveys audio content, and wherein the trigger condition relates to whether a predetermined characteristic of the audio content has exceeded a threshold.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the predetermined characteristic is signal level.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising selecting the output device represented by the first identifier, from a plurality of output devices that are capable of receiving the media signal, wherein the selecting is based upon calendrical time.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein the determining of whether the trigger condition has been met is performed at the set-top box.

16. The method of claim 8 wherein the determining of whether the trigger condition has been met is performed at the server.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein the output device represented by the second identifier is a television and wherein the media signal only preempts an audio content of the television while not preempting a video signal being displayed on the television.