Integration of remote electronic device with media local area network

• US 9,118,934 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2010
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Breau, Jeremy R., Delker, Jason R., Mangal, Manish, Oommen, Mathew
• Primary Examiner(s): Serrao, Ranodhi
• Assistant Examiner(s): RICHARDSON, THOMAS W
• Application Number:
  US12/689,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20110179184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,045 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1886 with traffic restrictions for efficiency improvement, e.g. involving subnets or subdomains
• 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 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• 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 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP

Abstract

A server is provided. The server comprises a processor, a memory, and an application stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, receives a progressively uploaded media stream from a remote electronic device. The application also converts the progressively uploaded media stream from a first format to a second format and buffers the converted media stream. The application also transmits the buffered converted media stream to a bridge into a media local area network based on a mapping of the remote electronic device to the media local area network, wherein the mapping is stored in the memory.

Claims

1. A management server, comprising:

at least one processor;

a non-transitory memory; and

an application stored in the non-transitory memory of the management server that, when executed by the at least one processor of the management server,

receives a progressively uploaded media stream from a remote mobile electronic device via a radio access network, wherein the remote mobile electronic device is not connected to, and is outside of, a media local area network that includes a plurality of terminals,

determines that the management server is allowed to forward the progressively uploaded media stream to a bridge associated with the media local area network based on consulting a table in the memory that maps the remote mobile electronic device to the bridge associated with the media local area network,

converts the progressively uploaded media stream from a first format to a second format,

buffers the converted media stream prior to forwarding the converted media stream to the bridge for multicasting to at least one of the plurality of terminals within the media local area network, and

forwards, via encapsulated packets, the buffered converted media stream to the bridge associated with the media local area network based on consulting the table in order for the at least one of the plurality of terminals to present the buffered converted media stream, wherein any media content that is sent by any of the plurality of terminals via the bridge and intended for the media local area network or the remote mobile electronic device and any media content that is sent by the remote mobile electronic device and intended for any of the plurality of terminals is received and forwarded by the management server.

2. The management server of claim 1, wherein the remote mobile electronic device is any of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a video camera, and a media player.

3. The management server of claim 1, wherein the first format is a moving picture experts group revision 4 (MPEG4) format.

4. The management server of claim 1, wherein the second format is a windows media video format.

5. The management server of claim 1, wherein the application attenuates a jitter of the progressively uploaded media stream by buffering the converted media stream.

6. The management server of claim 1, wherein the application reduces a latency of the progressively uploaded media stream by buffering the converted media stream.

7. The management server of claim 1, wherein the application further transmits a notification for delivery to the at least one of a plurality of terminals within the media local area network when the buffered converted media stream is ready for distribution.

8. A method of transmitting media between an external mobile electronic device and a media local area network, comprising:

multicasting, by an internal electronic device of a plurality of internal electronic devices, a first media content on the media local area network comprising the plurality of internal electronic devices and a bridging device;

sending, by the bridging device that is internal to the media local area network, the first media content to a management server via encapsulated packets;

determining, by the management server, that the management server is allowed to forward the first media content to the external mobile electronic device based on consulting a first table stored in a memory of the management server;

sending, by the management server, the first media content to the external mobile electronic device based on consulting the first table, wherein the external mobile electronic device is not connected to, and is outside of, the media local area network that includes the plurality of internal electronic devices;

sending, by the external mobile electronic device via wireless communication, a progressively uploaded second media content to the management server;

determining, by the management server, that the management server is allowed to forward the progressively uploaded second media content to the bridging device associated with the media local area network based on consulting a second table stored in the memory of the management server that maps the external mobile electronic device to the bridging device associated with the media local area network;

buffering, by the management server, the progressively uploaded second media content before sending the progressively uploaded second media content to the bridging device for multicasting to at least one of the plurality of internal electronic devices;

sending, by the management server via encapsulated packets, the progressively uploaded second media content to the bridging device based on consulting the second table; and

multicasting, by the bridging device, the progressively uploaded second media content to the at least one of the plurality of internal electronic devices within the media local area network, wherein any media content that is sent by any of the plurality of internal electronic devices via the bridging device and intended for the media local area network or the external mobile electronic device and any media content that is sent by the external mobile electronic device and intended for any of the plurality of internal electronic devices is received and forwarded by the management server.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

negotiating a selection of a first codec between the external mobile electronic device and the management server; and

encoding, by the external mobile electronic device, the progressively uploaded second media content based on the first codec.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

negotiating a selection of a second codec between the external mobile electronic device and the management server; and

transcoding, by the management server, the first media content based on the second codec, wherein the management server sends the transcoded first media content to the external mobile electronic device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the external mobile electronic device is any of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a media player.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the external mobile electronic device is any of a laptop computer, a notebook computer, and a tablet computer.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the buffering comprises attenuating a jitter of the progressively uploaded second media content sent by the external mobile electronic device.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein sending, by the external mobile electronic device, the progressively uploaded second media content to the management server comprises progressively uploading, by the external mobile electronic device, the second media content to the management server.

15. A management server, comprising:

at least one processor;

a non-transitory memory; and

an application stored in the non-transitory memory of the management server that, when executed by the at least one processor of the management server,

receives a media stream from a remote mobile electronic device via a radio access network, wherein the remote mobile electronic device is not connected to, and is outside of, a media local area network that includes a plurality of terminals,

determines that the management server forward the media stream to a bridge associated with the media local area network based on consulting a table in the memory that maps the remote mobile electronic device to the bridge associated with the media local area network,

transcodes the media stream,

attenuates a jitter of the media stream by buffering the transcoded media stream prior to forwarding the transcoded media stream to the bridge for multicasting to at least one of the plurality of terminals within the media local area network, and

forwards, via encapsulated packets, the buffered transcoded media stream to the bridge associated with the media local area network based on consulting the table in order for the at least one of the plurality of terminals within the medial local area network to present the buffered transcoded media stream, wherein any media content that is sent by any of the plurality of terminals via the bridge and intended for the media local area network or the remote mobile electronic device and any media content that is sent by the remote mobile electronic device and intended for any of the plurality of terminals is received and forwarded by the management server.

16. The management server of claim 15, wherein the mapping is defined via an application programming interface (API) of the application receiving inputs from a remote computer.

17. The management server of claim 15, wherein the media stream is formatted in moving picture experts group 4 (MPEG4) format before it is transcoded.

18. The management server of claim 15, wherein the remote mobile electronic device is any of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a video camera.

19. The management server of claim 15, wherein the remote mobile electronic device is any of a laptop computer, a notebook computer, and a tablet computer.

20. The management server of claim 15, wherein the application further transmits a notification for delivery to the at least one of the plurality of terminals within the media local area network responsive to the buffered transcoded media stream being ready for distribution.