Method and system for communicating from a client device to a server device in a centralized content distribution system

• US 9,674,306 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Sean S., Wang, Phillip T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams, Clayton R
• Application Number:
  US14/137,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20150181002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38

Abstract

A system for controlling a communication system includes a local area network, a client device and a server device in communication with the client device through the local area network. The server device communicates an audio-video stream and a remote user interface to the client device through the local area network. The client receives an input signal and communicates an allocate memory signal requesting the server device to allocate memory in response to the input signal. The server device allocates memory for receiving data corresponding to the input signal in response to the allocate memory signal to form allocated memory. The client device communicates the data signal corresponding to the input signal to the server device. The server device stores data from the data signal in the allocated memory and communicates a response to the client device based on the data signal.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a local area network;

a client device;

a server device in communication with the client device through the local area network;

said server device communicates an audio-video stream and a remote user interface to the client device through the local area network;

said client device receives an input signal and communicates an allocate memory signal requesting the server device to allocate memory in response to the input signal, said allocate memory signal comprising an input signal type identifier corresponding to a type of input signal received at the client device;

said server device allocates memory for receiving data corresponding to the input signal in response to the allocate memory signal and the input signal type identifier to form allocated memory, said server allocating varying sizes of memory based on different input signal type identifiers;

said client device communicates a data signal corresponding to the input signal type to the server device; and

said server device stores data from the data signal in the allocated memory, processes the data of the data signal from the allocated memory and communicates a response to the client device based on the data signal.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the input signal type identifier comprises a voice signal.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the input signal type identifier comprises an audio signal.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the input signal type identifier comprises a graphical input signal.

5. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the input signal type identifier comprises a pointer signal.

6. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the input signal type identifier comprises a gesture signal.

7. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising an input device communicating an input data signal to the client device.

8. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the server device processes the data signal prior to communicating a response to the client device.

9. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the server communicates a second data signal to an external server for processing.

10. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the allocate memory signal comprises an input type.

11. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the allocate memory signal comprises a data size.

12. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the allocate memory signal comprises an input type and a data size.

13. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the allocate memory signal comprises a data channel identifier.

14. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the memory comprises a buffer.

15. The system as recited in claim 1 the allocate memory signal and the data signal are sent together.

16. A method of communicating between a client device and a server device through a local area network comprising:

communicating an audio-video stream and a remote user interface to the device through the local area network;

receiving an input signal at the client device;

communicating by the client device an allocate memory signal requesting the server device to allocate memory in response to the input signal, said allocate memory signal comprising an input signal type identifier corresponding to a type of input signal received at the client device;

allocating, at the server device, memory for receiving data corresponding to the input signal in response to the allocate memory signal and the input signal type identifier, said server allocating varying sizes of memory based on different input signal type identifiers;

communicating a data signal corresponding to the input signal from the client device to the server device;

storing data from the data signal in the allocated memory and processing the data of the data signal from the allocated memory; and

communicating a response from the server device to the client device based on processing of the data signal.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein receiving the input signal comprises receiving a voice signal.

18. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein receiving the input signal comprises receiving an audio signal.

19. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein receiving the input signal comprises receiving a graphical input signal.

20. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein receiving the input signal comprises receiving a pointer signal.

21. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein receiving the input signal comprises receiving the input signal from an input device.

22. The method as recited in claim 16 further comprising processing the data signal at the server device prior to communicating a response to the client device.

23. The method as recited in claim 16 further comprising communicating a second data signal to an external server for processing.

24. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein communicating the allocate memory signal comprises communicating an input type.

25. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein communicating the allocate memory signal comprises communicating a data size.

26. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein communicating the allocate memory signal comprises communicating an input type and a data size.

27. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein communicating the allocate memory signal comprises communicating a data channel identifier.

28. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein allocating memory comprises allocating a buffer.

29. The method as recited in claim 16 further comprising sending the allocate memory signal and the data signal together.

30. A system comprising:

a local area network;

a client device;

a server device in communication with the client device through the local area network, said server device communicates an audio-video stream and a remote user interface to the client device through the local area network;

said client device receives a visual input signal that corresponds to a visual input signal type;

said client device communicating to the server device an allocate memory signal based on the visual input signal type to form allocated memory, said server allocating varying sizes of memory based on different visual input signal type identifiers;

said server device allocating memory for receiving data corresponding to the visual input signal type based on the visual input signal type;

said client device communicates a visual data signal corresponding to the visual input signal type to the server device; and

said server device with stored data of the visual data signal in the allocated memory communicates a response to the client device based on the visual data signal.

31. The system as recited in claim 30 wherein the visual input signal type comprises a graphical input signal.

32. The system as recited in claim 30 wherein the visual input signal type comprises a pointer signal.

33. The system as recited in claim 30 wherein the visual input signal type comprises a gesture signal.

34. The system as recited in claim 30 further comprising an input device communicating an input data signal to the client device.

35. The system as recited in claim 30 wherein the server device processes the data signal prior to communicating a response to the client device.

36. The system as recited in claim 30 wherein the server communicates a second data signal to an external server for processing.

37. A method of communicating between a client device and a server device through a local area network comprising:

communicating an audio-video stream and a remote user interface to the client device through the local area network;

receiving a visual input signal at the client device that corresponds to a visual input signal type;

communicating an allocate memory signal from the client device to the server device based on the visual input signal type to form allocated memory, said server allocating varying sizes of memory based on different visual input signal type identifiers;

allocating, at the server device, memory for receiving data corresponding to the visual input signal type based on the visual input signal type;

communicating a visual data signal corresponding to the visual input signal type from the client device to the server device;

storing data of the visual data signal in the allocated memory; and

communicating a response from the server device to the client device based on the visual data signal, wherein processing of the visual data signal at the server device occurs prior to communicating the response to the client device.

38. The method as recited in claim 37 wherein receiving the visual input signal type comprises receiving a graphical input signal.

39. The method as recited in claim 37 wherein receiving the visual input signal type comprises receiving a pointer signal.

40. The method as recited in claim 37 wherein receiving the visual input signal type comprises receiving the input signal from an input device.

41. The method as recited in claim 37 wherein receiving the visual input signal type comprises receiving a gesture signal.

42. The method as recited in claim 37 further comprising communicating a second data signal to an external server for processing.