Media convergence platform

• US 9,277,260 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2011
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MobiTV Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Johansson, Kay, Billings, Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Schnurr, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): FOGG, CYNTHIA M
• Application Number:
  US13/227,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20120084803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,637 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• 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 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand

Abstract

Device capabilities, media rights, and content are managed using a convergence platform to allow seamless consumption of content across disparate devices. Media content can be paused on one device having a particular set of capabilities and rights and resumed on a different device having another set of capabilities and rights. A user can play media on a mobile device, continue playing the media on a desktop computer, and subsequently move to a large screen television and capabilities and rights are automatically identified to seamlessly provide the most appropriate authorized content. Personalized media content information can be provided based on maintained information for user playback stoppage events and the user can resume playback of any number of media streams.

Claims

1. A server, comprising:

an interface configured to receive a user content stoppage event from a first device, the user content stoppage event associated with playback stoppage corresponding to a first media stream;

storage configured to maintain personalized media content datastore information, including position information for the first media stream for the user, the personalized media content datastore information maintained at a streaming server and includes information regarding a user authorization level and a device authorization level, wherein the user is authorized to view the first media stream at a first quality level on the first device and authorized to view the first media stream at a second quality level on a second device but not authorized to view the first media stream at the first quality level on the second device, wherein the first quality level is higher quality than the second quality level;

a processor configured to verify the user authorization level and the device authorization level, the combination of the user authorization level and the device authorization level allowing the processor to determine whether the user is authorized to view the first media stream on the second device and whether the user can view the first media stream at a particular quality level on the second device, the second device being capable of playing content at both the first and second quality levels, wherein the user is only authorized for viewing content at the second quality level on the second device even though the second device is capable of playing content at both the first and second quality levels;

wherein personalized media content datastore information is sent to the second device, the personalized media content datastore information including a plurality of programs that can be resumed by the user on the second device, wherein the user is not authorized to resume programs on the second device that are not included in the plurality of programs.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device is a mobile device and the second device is a set top box.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device is a set top box and the second device is a mobile device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein an option to resume content at maintained position information is presented to the user.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein position information for the first media stream is maintained for a plurality of users.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first media stream is a first video stream.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the streaming server is associated with a fragment server.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein a request from the user is received upon authenticating the user at the second device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the user is authenticated at the second device by detecting the presence of the first device in close proximity to the second device.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving a user content stoppage event from a first device, the user content stoppage event associated with playback stoppage corresponding to a first media stream;

maintaining personalized media content datastore information, including position information for the first media stream for the user, the personalized media content datastore information maintained at a streaming server and includes information regarding a user authorization level and a device authorization level, wherein the user is authorized to view the first media stream at a first quality level on the first device and authorized to view the first media stream at a second quality level on a second device but not authorized to view the first media stream at the first quality level on the second device, wherein the first quality level is higher quality than the second quality level;

receiving a request from the user at the second device and verifying the user authorization level and the device authorization level, the combination of the user authorization level and the device authorization level allowing the processor to determine whether the user is authorized to view the first media stream on the second device and whether the user can view the first media stream at a particular quality level on the second device, the second device being capable of playing content at both the first and second quality levels, wherein the user is only authorized for viewing content at the second quality level on the second device even though the second device is capable of playing content at both the first and second quality levels;

sending personalized media content datastore information to the second device, the personalized media content datastore information including a plurality of programs that can be resumed by the user on the second device, wherein the user is not authorized to resume programs on the second device that are not included in the plurality of programs.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first device is a mobile device and the second device is a set top box.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first device is a set top box and the second device is a mobile device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein an option to resume content at maintained position information is presented to the user.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein position information for the first media stream is maintained for a plurality of users.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the first media stream is a first video stream.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the streaming server is associated with a fragment server.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the request from the user is received upon authenticating the user at the second device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the user is authenticated at the second device by detecting the presence of the first device in close proximity to the second device.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving a user content stoppage event from a first device, the user content stoppage event associated with playback stoppage corresponding to a first media stream;

means for maintaining personalized media content datastore information, including position information for the first media stream for the user, the personalized media content datastore information maintained at a streaming server and includes information regarding a user authorization level and a device authorization level, wherein the user is authorized to view the first media stream at a first quality level on the first device and authorized to view the first media stream at a second quality level on a second device but not authorized to view the first media stream at the first quality level on the second device, wherein the first quality level is higher quality than the second quality level;

means for receiving a request from the user at the second device and verifying the user authorization level and the device authorization level, the combination of the user authorization level and the device authorization level allowing the processor to determine whether the user is authorized to view the first media stream on the second device and whether the user can view the first media stream at a particular quality level on the second device, the second device being capable of playing content at both the first and second quality levels, wherein the user is only authorized for viewing content at the second quality level on the second device even though the second device is capable of playing content at both the first and second quality levels;

means for sending personalized media content datastore information to the second device, the personalized media content datastore information including a plurality of programs that can be resumed by the user on the second device, wherein the user is not authorized to resume programs on the second device that are not included in the plurality of programs.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first device is a mobile device and the second device is a set top box.