Television channel display device and method thereof

• US 9,628,857 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2016
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2007
• 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: Sullivan, Marc, Edwards, Gregory, Pearl, Joan
• Primary Examiner(s): Yenke, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khalid, Omer
• Application Number:
  US15/196,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20160309226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 293 Days
• Field of Search: 725 86-104, 725 2, 725131, 725139, 725151, 348725
• 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 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17363 at or near the user terminal

Abstract

An Internet Protocol television system includes a set-top box that receives requests to display video streams being transmitted to a household. In response to the request, the set-top box provides a list of the video streams to a display device. The list includes options to terminate transmission of one or more of the streams. This allows a user to determine which video streams should be transmitted when bandwidth limitations are reached.

Claims

1. A media processor, comprising:

a processor; and

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

receiving a plurality of video streams from a media distribution system, wherein the media processor has a bandwidth limitation so that only a limited number of video streams can be received, and wherein the plurality of video streams from the media distribution system do not exceed the bandwidth limitation of the media processor;

transmitting the plurality of video streams to a plurality of secondary media processors;

receiving a channel request from a first media processor of the plurality of secondary media processors;

determining that fulfilling the channel request while transmitting the plurality of video streams would result in exceeding the bandwidth limitation of the media processor;

providing a first listing of the plurality of the video streams responsive to determining that fulfilling the channel request would result in exceeding the bandwidth limitation, wherein the first listing comprises a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a show name field to identify a title of each of the plurality of video streams, a status field to indicate whether each of the plurality of video streams is being shown or recorded, and a control field comprising a control button for each of the plurality of video streams to selectively terminate one of the plurality of video streams, and wherein the graphical user interface presents a thumbnail video stream for each of the plurality of video streams, and the channel request having a color that differs from each of the plurality of video streams to indicate that the channel request is not being transmitted to the media processor;

receiving a cancellation request to cancel a first video stream of the plurality of video streams according to the first listing, wherein the cancellation request originates from a selection of the control button corresponding to the first video stream of the plurality of video streams;

authenticating security information associated with the cancellation request, wherein cancelling of transmitting of the first video stream is conditioned upon the authenticating;

transmitting a message to at least one of the plurality of secondary media processors indicating that the first video stream is going to be terminated;

transmitting a termination request to the media distribution system to terminate transmission of the first video stream according to the cancellation request; and

transmitting a new video stream associated with the channel request to the first media processor in response to termination of the first video stream.

2. The media processor of claim 1, wherein the first listing of the plurality of the video streams is provided to the first media processor.

3. The media processor of claim 2, wherein the first media processor provides the cancellation request and security information.

4. The media processor of claim 1, wherein the first listing of the plurality of the video streams is provided to the plurality of secondary media processors.

5. The media processor of claim 4, wherein a second media processor of the plurality of secondary media processors provides the cancellation request and security information.

6. The media processor of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

providing a second listing of the plurality of video streams received from the media distribution system responsive to receiving a request for the second listing.

7. The media processor of claim 6, wherein a second media processor of the plurality of secondary media processors provides the request for the second listing.

8. The media processor of claim 6, wherein a communication device provides the request for the second listing.

9. The media processor of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting an alternate video stream to at least one of the plurality of secondary media processors in response to the termination of the first video stream.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a primary media device comprising a processor and a memory, a plurality of video streams from a media distribution system, wherein the primary media device has a bandwidth limitation so that only a limited number of video streams can be received, and wherein the plurality of video streams from the media distribution system does not exceed the bandwidth limitation of the primary media device;

transmitting, by the primary media device, the plurality of video streams to a plurality of secondary media devices;

receiving, by the primary media device, a channel listing request from a communication device;

providing, by the primary media device, a first listing of the plurality of the video streams to the communication device responsive to the channel listing request, wherein the first listing comprises a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a show name field to identify a title of each of the plurality of video streams, a status field to indicate whether each of the plurality of video streams is being shown or recorded, and a control field comprising a control button for each of the plurality of video streams to selectively terminate one of the plurality of video streams, and wherein the graphical user interface presents a thumbnail of a video stream for each of the plurality of video streams;

receiving, by the primary media device, a cancellation request and security information from the communication device, the cancellation request to cancel a first video stream of the plurality of video streams according to the first listing, wherein the cancellation request originates from a selection of the control button corresponding to the first video stream of the plurality of video streams, wherein cancelling of transmitting of the first video stream is conditioned upon authenticating the security information;

transmitting, by the primary media device, a message to at least one of the plurality of secondary media devices indicating that the first video stream is going to be terminated; and

transmitting, by the primary media device, a termination request to the media distribution system to terminate transmission of the first video stream according to the cancellation request.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the communication device is selected from a group consisting of a cellular telephone, a personal computer, set-top box, and a personal digital assistant.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting, by the primary media device, an alternate video stream to at least one of the plurality of secondary media devices in response to termination of the first video stream.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, by the primary media device, a channel request from a first media device of the plurality of secondary media devices;

determining, by the primary media device, that fulfilling the channel request while transmitting the plurality of video streams would result in exceeding the bandwidth limitation of the primary media device; and

providing, by the primary media device, a second listing of the plurality of the video streams responsive to determining that fulfilling the channel request would result in exceeding the bandwidth limitation, wherein the second listing comprises a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a show name field to identify a title of each of the plurality of video streams, a status field to indicate whether each of the plurality of video streams is being shown or recorded, and a control field comprising a control button for each of the plurality of video streams to selectively terminate one of the plurality of video streams, and wherein the graphical user interface presents a thumbnail of each of the plurality of video streams, and the channel request having a color that differs from each of the plurality of video streams to indicate that the channel request is not being transmitted to the primary media device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving, by the primary media device, a cancellation request to cancel a second video stream of the plurality of video streams according to the second listing, wherein the cancellation request originates from a selection of the control button corresponding to the second video stream of the plurality of video streams;

receiving, by the primary media device, security information in response to receiving the cancellation request;

authenticating, by the primary media device, the security information associated with the cancellation request, wherein cancelling of transmitting of the second video stream is conditioned upon the authenticating;

transmitting, by the primary media device, a message to at least one of the plurality of secondary media devices indicating that the second video stream is going to be terminated; and

transmitting, by the primary media device, a termination request to the media distribution system to terminate transmission of the second video stream according to the cancellation request.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting, by the primary media device, a second alternate video stream to at least one of the plurality of secondary media devices in response to termination of the second video stream.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a second media device of the plurality of secondary media devices provides the cancellation request and security information.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a primary media processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

receiving a plurality of video streams from a media distribution system, wherein the primary media processor has a bandwidth limitation so that only a limited number of video streams can be received, and wherein the plurality of video streams from the media distribution system does not exceed the bandwidth limitation of the primary media processor;

transmitting the plurality of video streams to a plurality of secondary media devices;

receiving a channel request from a first media device of the plurality of secondary media devices;

determining that fulfilling the channel request while transmitting the plurality of video streams would result in exceeding the bandwidth limitation of the primary media processor;

providing a first listing of the plurality of the video streams responsive to determining that fulfilling the channel request would result in exceeding the bandwidth limitation, wherein the first listing comprises a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface presents a thumbnail video stream and a control button for each of the plurality of video streams, wherein each control button enables selective termination of one of the plurality of video streams;

receiving a cancellation request and associated security information from the first media device to cancel a first video stream of the plurality of video streams according to the first listing, wherein the cancellation request originates from a selection of a control button corresponding to the first video stream of the plurality of video streams, wherein cancelling of transmitting of the first video stream is conditioned upon authenticating the associated security information; and

transmitting a message to at least one of the plurality of secondary media devices indicating that the first video stream is going to be terminated.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting a termination request to the media distribution system to terminate transmission of the first video stream according to the cancellation request; and

transmitting a new video stream associated with the channel request to the first media device in response to termination of the first video stream.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the plurality of secondary media devices is selected from a group consisting of a cellular telephone, a personal computer, set-top box, and a personal digital assistant.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting, by the primary media device, an alternate video stream to at least one of the plurality of secondary media devices in response to the termination of the first video stream.