Use of near field communication (NFC) to transfer DVR timers

• US 9,002,179 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Hardy, Christofer, Yarborough, Thomas Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhao, Daquan
• Application Number:
  US13/828,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20140270716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 386/291, 386/297, 455/3.02, 455/3.03, 455/3.05, 455/403, 455/418, 455/419
• US Class Current: 386/291
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/023 remotely controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• 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 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

A mobile device running a mobile application accesses a remote content receiver to request the remote content receiver to retrieve a particular recording timer, and upon receiving the recording timer from the remote content receiver, establishes a radio communication link with a second mobile device and transfers the recording timer to the second mobile device over the established radio communication link. The radio communication link is preferably the Near Field Communication (NFC) link.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

presenting a user interface on a display of a first mobile device;

receiving a selection of a first data via the user interface, the first data being a recording timer of a particular program content at a first remote audio/video receiver;

retrieving the first data;

establishing a Near Field Communication protocol link between the first mobile device and a second mobile device;

sending the first data from the first mobile device to the second mobile device via the established Near Field protocol link; and

sending the first data from the second mobile device to a second remote audio/video receiver via a first communication network.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein retrieving the first data further comprises:

transmitting a request to receive the first data via a second communication network to the first remote audio/video receiver;

retrieving the first data from a memory location in the first remote audio/video receiver;

transmitting the first data from the first remote audio/video receiver to the first mobile device via the second communication network; and

receiving the first data at the first mobile device.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein transmitting the request comprises transmitting the request to a broadcast service center configured to forward the request to the first remote audio/video receiver.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the second communication network is one of a cellular network and an Internet Protocol based computer network.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein retrieving the first data further comprises:

identifying the first data in a list of recording timers stored in a storage location of the first mobile device; and

retrieving the first data from the storage location.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 further comprising

downloading the list of recording timers from the first remote audio/video receiver;

and

storing the list of recording timers in the storage location of the first mobile device.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein establishing the Near Field Communication protocol link comprises:

pairing the first mobile device with the second mobile device via a Near Field Communication protocol; and

configuring the first mobile device and the second device to send Near Field Communication Data Exchange Format messages to each other.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the first data from the second mobile device to a second audio/video receiver comprises:

establishing a second communication link between the second mobile device and the second audio/video receiver;

transmitting the first data to the second audio/video receiver; and

causing the second audio/video receiver to record a program based on the first data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second communication link is one of a cellular network and an Internet Protocol network.

10. A first mobile device comprising:

a first transceiving module configured to transmit and receive communication over a first communication channel;

a non-volatile memory module configured to store instructions and data associated with execution of the instructions;

a processing module configured to,

present a user interface on the first device;

receive a first user input selecting a first data via the user interface, the first data being a recording timer of a particular program content, the recording timer being associated with a first remote audio/video receiver;

generate a request to receive the first data over a first communication network, the request being for transmission via the first communication channel to the first remote audio/video receiver;

cause the first remote audio/video receiver to retrieve the first data from a memory location in the first remote audio/video receiver;

receive the first data from the first remote audio/video receiver via the first communication channel;

establish a radio communication link between the first mobile device and a second mobile device; and

send the first data from the first mobile device to the second mobile device via the established radio communication link.

11. The first mobile device as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

a second transceiving module configured to transmit and receive a communication via a second communication channel, wherein the first communication channel is a channel in an internet protocol based computer network, and wherein the second communication channel is a channel in a cellular network.

12. The first mobile device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the first communication channel comprises a cellular network.

13. The first mobile device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the processing module is further configured to:

receive a second data from the second mobile device, the second data being information associated with a second program content from a second remote audio/video receiver,

create a request to store the second data in the first remote audio/video receiver, the request for transmission via the first communication network,

causes the first remote audio/video receiver to store the second data in the memory location, and

causes the first remote audio/video receiver to record the second program content based on the second data when the second program content becomes available.

14. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the second mobile device transmits the first data to a second audio/video receiver via a second communication network.

15. A method, comprising:

presenting a user interface on a first mobile device

receiving a first user input selecting a first data via the user interface, the first data being a recording timer of a particular program content, the recording timer being associated with a first remote receiver;

generating a request to receive the first data over a first communication network, the request being for transmission via the first communication channel to the first remote audio/video receiver;

causing the first audio/video receiver to retrieve the first data from a memory location in the first audio-video receiver;

receiving the first data from the first remote audio/video receiver via he first communication channel;

establishing a radio communication link between the first obi device and a second mobile device;

sending the first data from the first device to the second mobile device via the established radio communication link;

transmitting the first data from the second mobile to a second remote audio/video receiver;

causing a broadcast service provider to identify a content provider capable of providing the particular program content if the particular program content is not scheduled for broadcast to the second remote audio/video receiver, and

causing the broadcast service provider, upon identifying the content provider, to inform the second remote audio/video receiver of the availability of the particular program content from the content provider.

16. A system comprising:

a first audio/video receiver including;

a receiving module configured to receive a plurality of program contents via a first communication network,

a storage module,

a processing module configured to

create a recording timer to record at least one program content in the storage module, and

upon receiving a request for the recording timer, retrieve the recording timer,

a transmit module configured to send the recording timer via a second communication network;

a broadcast service center communicatively coupled to the first audio/video receiver via the first communication network and via the second communication network, the broadcast service center including a processing module configured to send the plurality of program contents to the first audio/video receiver; and

a first mobile device including;

a housing;

a battery within the housing that provides power for the first mobile device permitting it to be mobile;

a processing module within the housing and coupled to the battery, the processing module being configured to;

present a user interface on the first mobile device,

receive a first user input selecting a first data via the user interface, the first data being a recording timer of a particular program content, the recording timer being associated with the first audio/video receiver,

generate a request to receive the first data from the first audio/video receiver,

receive the requested first data from the first audio/video receiver,

establish a radio communication link between the first mobile device and a second mobile device, the second mobile device being powered by a battery, and

send the first data to the second mobile device, the second mobile device being configured to transmit the first data to a second audio/video receiver.

17. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the first mobile device further includes:

a first transceiving module configured to transmit and receive data via the second communication network, wherein

the request to receive the first data is sent via the second communication network to the first audio/video receiver.

18. The system as claimed in claim 16, further comprising:

a base station communicatively coupled to the broadcast service center and to the first audio/video receiver via the second communication network, the base station being communicatively coupled to the first mobile device via a third communication network, wherein

the first mobile device further includes

a second transceiving module configured to establish communication via the third communication network, and wherein

the request to receive the first data is sent to the first audio/video receiver via the third communication network.

19. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the first communication network is a broadcast satellite communication network, and wherein the second communication network is an interne protocol network.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the second mobile device transmits the first data to the second audio/video receiver via a third communication network.