Method and client module for use in a multimedia system

• US 9,485,539 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2014
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pixelworks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: VIXS Systems Incorporated (Pixelworks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Laksono, Indra
• Primary Examiner(s): Parra, Omar S
• Application Number:
  US14/514,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20150089531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21 Server components or server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23 Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234 Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234363 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for clients with a lower screen resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• 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 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• 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 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4363 Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44 Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to encoded video stream scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 : for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 : using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6168 : involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 : involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 : involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 : IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 : Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only

Abstract

A multimedia server receives a plurality of programs of a multimedia source. The multimedia server includes a tuning module to receive the plurality of programs and to select a set of programs from the plurality of programs based on a set of program select commands that is derived from select requests. A program mixer mixes the set of programs into a stream of program data. One or more transceiving modules transmit the stream of program data on to corresponding communication paths and receive the select requests. A client module produces the select requests for one or more clients. The client module includes a selection module to produce at least one of the select requests. A network interface controller transmits at least one of select requests to the multimedia server and receives the stream of program data via the communication path or paths in response.

Claims

1. A client module comprising:

an interface for coupling to a television;

a network interface for communicating with a multimedia server via an Internet protocol, wherein the network interface includes a wireless transceiver; and

a processing module that executes at least one access application, the processing module operable to;

generate authentication data associated with the client module, wherein the multimedia server authenticates the client module based on the authentication data;

generate a first video request, the first video request identifying a video on demand selection; and

command the network interface to send the first video request to the multimedia server, wherein the multimedia server sends a first video stream that includes the video on demand selection to the client module in accordance with pause, fast forward and rewind commands received from a user, and wherein the multimedia server adapts a video quality of the first video stream based on an alternative video resolution selected by the client module;

wherein the network interface receives the first video stream from the multimedia server for decoding by the client module and display by the television.

2. The client module of claim 1 wherein the processing module is operable to:

generate a second video request, the second video request identifying a video program recorded by a digital video recorder and digitally stored in a memory of the digital video recorder, wherein the digital video recorder is separate from the multimedia server; and

command the network interface to send the second video request to the digital video recorder, wherein the network interface receives, from the digital video recorder, a second video stream that includes the video program;

wherein the client module is further operable to decode the video program for display by the television.

3. The client module of claim 1 wherein the multimedia server provides connections to a plurality of video sources.

4. The client module of claim 3 wherein the plurality of video sources include at least one source of high definition digital video.

5. The client module of claim 3 wherein the plurality of video sources include at least one source of stored video that corresponds to a broadcast video program.

6. The client module of claim 1 wherein the multimedia server generates the first video stream in accordance with parental controls associated with the user.

7. The client module of claim 1 wherein the first video request is generated based on a favorite channels list associated with the user.

8. A method for use with a client module, the method comprising:

communicating with a multimedia server via a network interface and in accordance with an Internet protocol;

generating authentication data associated with the client module, wherein the multimedia server authenticates the client module based on the authentication data;

generating a first video request, the first video request identifying a video on demand selection;

sending the first video request to the multimedia server via the network interface, wherein the multimedia server sends a first video stream that includes the video on demand selection to the client module in accordance with pause, fast forward and rewind commands received from a user, and wherein the multimedia server adapts a video quality of the first video stream based on an alternative video resolution selected by the client module; and

receiving the first video stream from the multimedia server for decoding by the client module and display by a television.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the network interface includes a wireless transceiver and wherein the method further comprises:

generating a second video request, the second video request identifying a video program recorded by a digital video recorder and digitally stored in a memory of the digital video recorder, wherein the digital video recorder is separate from the multimedia server;

sending the second video request to the digital video recorder, wherein the network interface receives, from the digital video recorder, a second video stream that includes the video program; and

decoding the video program for display by the television.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the multimedia server provides connections to a plurality of video sources.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the plurality of video sources include at least source of high definition digital video.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the plurality of video sources include at least source of stored video that corresponds to a broadcast video program.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the multimedia server generates the first video stream in accordance with parental controls associated with the user.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the first video request is generated based on a favorite channels list associated with the user.

15. A client module comprising:

an interface for coupling to a television;

a network interface for communicating with a multimedia server via an Internet protocol over at least one communication path that includes a wireless link, wherein the multimedia server provides connections to a plurality of video sources; and

a processing module that executes at least one access application, the processing module operable to;

generate authentication data associated with the client module, wherein the multimedia server authenticates the client module based on the authentication data;

generate a first video request, the first video request identifying a video selection; and

command the network interface to send the first video request to the multimedia server, wherein the multimedia server sends a first video stream that includes the video selection to the client module in accordance with pause, fast forward and rewind commands received from a user and wherein the multimedia server adapts a video quality of the first video stream based on an alternative video resolution selected by the client module;

wherein the network interface receives the first video stream from the multimedia server for decoding by the client module and display by the television.

16. The client module of claim 15 wherein the processing module is operable to:

generate a second video request, the second video request identifying a video program recorded by a digital video recorder and digitally stored in a memory of the digital video recorder, wherein the digital video recorder is separate from the multimedia server; and

command the network interface to send the second video request to the digital video recorder, wherein the network interface receives, from the digital video recorder, a second video stream that includes the video program;

wherein the client module is further operable to decode the video program for display by the television.

17. The client module of claim 15 wherein the plurality of video sources include at least one source of high definition digital video.

18. The client module of claim 15 wherein the plurality of video sources include at least one source of stored video that corresponds to a broadcast video program.

19. The client module of claim 15 wherein the multimedia server generates the first video stream in accordance with parental controls associated with the user.

20. The client module of claim 15 wherein the first video request is generated based on a favorite channels list associated with the user.