Providing automatic format conversion via an access gateway in a home
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a wireless communication interface to communicate with wireless devices including an access device in a coverage area;
a modem to communicate data with a broadband network; and
a gateway in data communication with the wireless communication interface and the modem, the gateway being operable to receive information identifying multimedia formats that the access device is able to process and further being operable to receive quality of service criteria specified for use by the access device to maintain a specified level of quality of consumption of multimedia information by the access device, the gateway further being operable to receive from the access device a request for delivery of data defining an audio or a video clip to the access device, the gateway further operable to compare the information identifying multimedia formats that the access device is able to process with information about format of the requested data defining an audio or video clip and to automatically convert the data defining the audio or a video clip to a multimedia format that the access device is able to process in satisfaction of the received quality of service criteria specified for the access device.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method supporting the automatic conversion of multimedia information from a first format to a second format in a broadband access gateway and/or network-based server are disclosed. The broadband access gateway and/or network-based server may convert multimedia information that is in a format that an access device is not capable of processing. The gateway and/or server may automatically detect the format incompatibility, and may automatically convert or arrange for conversion of the multimedia information to a format that is compatible with the access device, based upon compatibility information associated with the access device. The conversion may be based upon a set of user-defined quality of service criteria, and may be subject to the control of digital rights management parameters associated with the requested multimedia information. The user of the access device may be prompted when the conversion is expected to impact the quality of the multimedia information being played, and the user may be offered options that permit the user to minimize the impact upon the user.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a wireless communication interface to communicate with wireless devices including an access device in a coverage area; a modem to communicate data with a broadband network; and a gateway in data communication with the wireless communication interface and the modem, the gateway being operable to receive information identifying multimedia formats that the access device is able to process and further being operable to receive quality of service criteria specified for use by the access device to maintain a specified level of quality of consumption of multimedia information by the access device, the gateway further being operable to receive from the access device a request for delivery of data defining an audio or a video clip to the access device, the gateway further operable to compare the information identifying multimedia formats that the access device is able to process with information about format of the requested data defining an audio or video clip and to automatically convert the data defining the audio or a video clip to a multimedia format that the access device is able to process in satisfaction of the received quality of service criteria specified for the access device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method comprising:
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at a gateway, communicating data between a wireless communication interface which serves wireless devices in a coverage area and a modem which is in data communication with a broadband network; at the gateway, receiving from an access device communicating in the coverage area with the wireless device, a request for an audio clip or a video clip; determining format information for the requested audio clip or video clip; determining audio or video processing capabilities of the access device; comparing the format information for the requested audio clip or video clip with the audio or video processing capabilities of the access device; if the access device cannot process the requested audio clip or video clip, determining quality of service criteria specified for the access device or a user of the access device, the quality of service criteria indicating relative importance or priority of aspects of multimedia consumption for the access device or the user of the access device; and retrieving data defining the requested audio clip or video clip and converting the retrieved data to a format which can be processed by the access device, the conversion being made in accordance with the specified quality of service criteria. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method comprising:
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at a gateway, initiating data communication with a wireless communication interface and a broadband modem, the wireless communication interface configured for communication with wireless devices in a coverage area of the wireless communication device and the broadband modem configured for communication with a broadband network, the gateway being operable to communicate data between the broadband modem and the wireless communication interface; at the gateway, initiating communication with an access device in the coverage area of the wireless communication interface; communicating data to the access device to prompt a user of the access device to specify a set of quality of service criteria for use in selecting conversion of multimedia information in the access device, the quality of service criteria indicating relative importance or priority of aspects of consumption of audio or video information for the access device or the user of the access device; receiving and storing the user-specified quality of service criteria; receiving from the access device a request for an audio clip or a video clip; determining format information for the requested audio clip or video clip; determining audio or video processing capabilities of the access device; comparing the format information for the requested audio clip or video clip with the audio or video processing capabilities of the access device; if the access device cannot process the requested audio clip or video clip, using the user-specified quality of service criteria, converting the data for the audio clip or the video clip to a format which can be processed by the access device. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification