System and methods to test media devices

• US 9,635,428 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2010
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2010
• 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: Clark, IV, John Clayton, Pham, Hung John, Elliott, Shane M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruckart, Benjamin R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tien M
• Application Number:
  US12/959,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20120143359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,335 Days
• Field of Search: 725110, 348 1408, 348181
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6338 directed to network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64746 Control signals issued by the network directed to the server or the client

Abstract

A particular method includes receiving, at a control server from a user terminal, input selecting at least one media device that generates media output in an output format. The method includes sending a signal from the control server to a media switch to couple an output of the at least one media device to the user terminal. The media output of the at least one media device is sent to the user terminal in the output format when the output is coupled to the user terminal. The method includes receiving, at the control server from the user terminal, a command to be performed by the at least one media device. The method also includes sending command data from the control server to one or more controllers associated with the at least one media device. The at least one media device is controlled based on the command data to perform the command.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a control server from a first terminal, first input selecting a first media device and a second media device coupled to a media switch;

updating control data to generate updated control data in response to the first input, wherein the updated control data includes an identifier of the first media device and associates the first media device with a particular station location of a test facility, the particular station location associated with a particular controller;

sending a signal from the control server to the media switch to send a first video output of the first media device and a second video output of the second media device to the first terminal;

receiving, at the control server from the first terminal, second input identifying a command to be performed by the first media device; and

sending, via the particular controller based on the updated control data, command data corresponding to the command from the control server to the first media device to instruct the first media device to perform the command.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first video output and the second video output are received from the media switch as composite video.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular station location is associated with a network address of the particular controller, a port number of the particular controller, or a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the port number of the particular controller is associated with a particular control signal output device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the particular control signal output device comprises an infrared transmitter.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving third input from the first terminal indicating selection of the first media device and indicating selection of a second terminal to receive the first video output of the first media device; and

sending a second signal to the media switch in response to the third input to send the first video output of the first media device to the second terminal.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising updating the updated control data in response to the third input to indicate that the first video output from the first media device is to be sent to the second terminal and that the first media device is controllable from the first terminal but not from the second terminal.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to a third input from the first terminal, further updating the updated control data to indicate that the first video output from the first media device is to be sent to a second terminal and that the first media device is controllable from the first terminal but not from the second terminal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the command includes a command to power on the first media device, a command to power off the first media device, a channel change request, a menu selection, a command to access particular media content, a command to change a playback property of media content played by the first media device, a command to record media content, or a command to start an application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the control server enables the first terminal to control a plurality of media devices in response to a single user input.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated control data indicates that the first media device and the second media device are allocated to receive control input from the first terminal, and further comprising:

receiving third input from the first terminal to release the first media device; and

updating the updated control data in response to the third input to indicate that the first media device is no longer allocated to receive control input from the first terminal.

12. A server, comprising:

a processor;

a memory accessible to the processor, the memory comprising instructions executable by the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving, from a terminal, first input selecting a first media device and a second media device coupled to a media switch;

updating control data to generate updated control data in response to the first input, wherein the updated control data includes an identifier of the first media device and associates the first media device with a particular station location of a test facility, the particular station location associated with a particular controller;

sending a signal to the media switch to send a first video output of the first media device and a second video output of the second media device to the terminal;

receiving the first video output of the first media device and the second video output of the second media device from the media switch;

sending a user interface including the first video output and the second video output to a display device;

receiving, from the terminal, second input specifying a command to be performed by the first media device; and

sending, via the particular controller based on the updated control data, command data corresponding to the command to the first media device to instruct the first media device to perform the command.

13. The server of claim 12, wherein the first video output and the second video output are received from the media switch as composite video.

14. The server of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise establishing a connection to a remote device via a network.

15. The server of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise sending the first video output and the second video output to the remote device as internet protocol data.

16. The server of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

saving a set of commands applied to the first media device;

retrieving the set of commands; and

applying the set of commands to the second media device in response to receiving third input.

17. The server of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a first audio output of the first media device and a second audio output of the second media device;

receiving an audio output selection indicating the first media device; and

in response to the audio output selection, sending the first audio output of the first media device to an audio output device.

18. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions, that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a terminal, first input selecting a first media device and a second media device coupled to a media switch;

updating control data to generate updated control data in response to the first input, wherein the updated control data includes an identifier of the first media device and associates the first media device with a particular station location of a test facility, the particular station location associated with a particular controller;

sending a signal to the media switch to send a first video output of the first media device and a second video output of the second media device to the terminal;

receiving, from the terminal, second input identifying a command to be performed by the first media device; and

sending, via the particular controller, command data corresponding to the command to an address associated with the first media device to cause the first media device to perform the command.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the media switch comprises a multiplexer configured to direct the first video output and the second video output based on the signal.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein a port number of the particular controller is associated with a particular control signal output device.