Indication of trickplay availability via a remote control device

• US 9,516,273 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2012
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bedingfield, James Carlton Sr., Stefanik, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shibru, Helen
• Application Number:
  US13/438,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20120189270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,708 Days
• Field of Search: 386/343, 386/350, 386/206, 386/230, 386/234
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• 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 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method for receiving a controllability indicator at a portable communication device, the controllability indicator received from a stationary communication device. The controllability indicator indicates whether a trickplay feature is available for controlling a presentation of multimedia content, and is determined from a characterization of the multimedia content. The method further includes presenting a trickplay indicator at the portable communication device according to the controllability indicator to indicate whether the trickplay feature is available. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a processing system comprising a processor, a controllability indicator, the system being part of a portable communication device, the controllability indicator received from a stationary communication device communicatively coupled to the portable communication device, wherein the controllability indicator indicates whether a trickplay feature is available for controlling a presentation of multimedia content by the stationary communication device at a first display device, and wherein the controllability indicator is determined from a characterization of the multimedia content indicating the multimedia content supports the trickplay feature;

generating, by the processing system, a visual trickplay indicator to indicate an availability of the trickplay feature when the controllability indicator indicates the trickplay feature is available; and

enabling, by the processing system, a presentation of the visual trickplay indicator at a second display device of the portable communication device according to the controllability indicator to indicate an availability status of the trickplay feature, wherein the presentation includes an overlay provided at the second display device to present the visual trickplay indicator, wherein the second display device deactivates the display after a presentation of the visual trickplay indicator, wherein the portable communication device detects a motion, and wherein the portable communication device reactivates the display of the visual trickplay indicator responsive to the detection of the motion to restart the presentation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the trickplay indicator further comprises an audible indicator.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting the trickplay indicator in response to user input detected by the portable communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating the trickplay indicator at the portable communication device in response to the controllability indicator indicating that the trickplay feature is available for the multimedia content.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising deactivating the trickplay indicator at the portable communication device in response to the controllability indicator indicating that the trickplay feature is unavailable for the multimedia content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the trickplay indicator comprises first and second light sources, and wherein the method further comprises:

activating the first light source at the portable communication device in response to the controllability indicator indicating that the trickplay feature is available for the multimedia content; and

activating the second light source at the portable communication device in response to the controllability indicator indicating that the trickplay feature is unavailable for the multimedia content.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second light source differs from the first light source according to one of color, size, or placement location at the portable communication device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the trickplay indicator comprises an element of a graphical user interface, and wherein the method further comprises:

displaying the element at the second display of the portable communication device in response to the controllability indicator indicating that the trickplay feature is available for the multimedia content; and

omitting a presentation of the element at the second display in response to the controllability indicator indicating that the trickplay feature is unavailable for the multimedia content.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the trickplay indicator comprises an audible indicator, and wherein the method further comprises:

outputting the audible indicator in a first state in response to the controllability indicator indicating that the trickplay feature is available for the multimedia content; and

outputting the audible indicator in a second state in response to the controllability indicator indicating that the trickplay feature is unavailable for the multimedia content.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting comprises presenting the trickplay indicator in response to a detected motion of the portable communication device.

11. A receiver, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving media content;

analyzing the media content to determine if the media content supports a trickplay feature;

determining whether the trickplay feature is available for the media content according to the analyzing of the media content;

generating a controllability indicator to indicate an availability of the trickplay feature responsive to the determining that the trickplay feature is available, wherein the controllability indicator comprises a visual indicator to be displayed on a display of a portable device;

transmitting the visual indicator to the portable device, wherein the portable device provides the visual indicator on the display of the portable device;

receiving an indication that a motion of the portable device was detected; and

responsive to receiving the indication that the motion of the portable device was detected, retransmitting the visual indicator to the portable device, wherein the portable device re-provides the visual indicator on the display responsive to the retransmitting of the visual indicator.

12. The receiver of claim 11, wherein the portable device presents a trickplay indicator according to the controllability indicator.

13. The receiver of claim 12, wherein the trickplay indicator comprises one of a visual indicator or an audible indicator.

14. The receiver of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving from the portable device a signal indicating a selected function of the trickplay feature; and

presenting the media content according to the selected function.

15. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations of a media control device to control operations of a media receiver, comprising:

receiving, from the media receiver, a controllability indicator indicating whether a trickplay feature is available for controlling a presentation of media content being presented by the media receiver, wherein the controllability indicator is based on a determination that the media content supports the trickplay feature;

obtaining a visual trickplay indicator to indicate an availability of the trickplay feature when the controllability indicator indicates the trickplay feature is available;

enabling a presentation of the visual trickplay indicator on a display of the media control device based on the controllability indicator to indicate whether the media content supports the trickplay feature;

disabling the presentation of the visual trickplay indicator after the presentation of the visual trickplay indicator;

detecting a motion of the control device; and

re-enabling the presentation of the visual trickplay indicator responsive to detecting the motion of the control device.

16. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the trickplay indicator further comprises an audible indicator.

17. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the trickplay indicator comprises a light source, and wherein the operations further comprise:

activating a first state of the light source in response to the controllability indicator indicating that the trickplay feature is available for the media content; and

activating a second state of the light source in response to the controllability indicator indicating that the trickplay feature is unavailable for the media content.

18. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the trickplay indicator is presented according to one of a color emanating from a light source, an illumination intensity of the light source, an audible signal, or combinations thereof.

19. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the trickplay indicator comprises a graphical element of a graphical user interface, and wherein the operations further comprise:

presenting the graphical element in response to the controllability indicator indicating that the trickplay feature is available for the media content; and

omitting a presentation of the graphical element in response to the controllability indicator indicating that the trickplay feature is unavailable for the media content.

20. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the trickplay indicator comprises an audible source, and wherein the operations further comprise:

causing the audible source to present a first audible indication in response to the controllability indicator indicating that the trickplay feature is available for the media content; and

causing the audible source to present a second audible indication in response to the controllability indicator indicating that the trickplay feature is unavailable for the media content.