Method for reestablishing presentation of a paused media program

• US 9,756,391 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2015
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cordoba, Juan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tilahun, Alazar
• Application Number:
  US14/753,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20150304722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• 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 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A method for reestablishing presentation of a paused media program is disclosed. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a Set-Top Box (STB) located in a building can have a controller element that presents a media program to a media device operable only in the building, pauses presentation of the media program responsive to a pause request, generates a departure mark that identifies a presentation point in the media program associated with the pause request, receives a request to resume presentation of the media program from the departure mark at a portable communication device capable of maintaining communications with the STB outside the building, and transmits to the portable communication device a presentation of the media program from the departure mark. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A media processor device, comprising:

a processing system including a processor;

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

receiving a media program from a communication network;

presenting the media program at a display device;

receiving, from a portable communication device associated with a user, a pause request for the presenting of the media program at the display device;

continuing to present the media program at the display device responsive to detecting that additional users are viewing the media program at the display device;

detecting a departure mark during the presenting of the media program based on the receiving of the pause request;

directing recording of the media program via the communication network responsive to the detecting of the departure mark to generate a recorded media program, wherein the recorded media program comprises a first format;

receiving from the portable communication device a request to present the media program at the portable communication device from the departure mark responsive to selection of a function of a media controller emulator executed by the portable communication device;

identifying a device descriptor associated with the portable communication device;

determining the portable communication device has memory limitations according to the device descriptor;

generating a transmission of the recorded media program as a compressed streamed media program according to the memory limitations of the portable communication device; and

directing the transmission of the recorded media program by way of the communication network to the portable communication device for enabling presentation of the recorded media program at the portable communication device from the departure mark, wherein the portable communication device converts the recorded media program from the first format to a second format prior to the presentation, and wherein the directing of the transmission of the recorded media program includes the transmission comprising the compressed streamed media program.

2. The media processor device of claim 1, wherein the recorded media program is presented at the portable communication device from its beginning.

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

determining a format requirement for the portable communication device; and

providing format information to the portable communication device according to the format requirement, wherein the portable communication device uses the format information for converting the recorded media program from the first format to the second format.

4. The media processor device of claim 1, wherein the portable communication device comprises one of a cell phone, a personal digital assistant, a tablet, a computer, a telemetry system of an automobile, or any combination thereof.

5. The media processor device of claim 1, wherein the portable communication device communicates wirelessly with the media processor device by way of the communication network that is coupled to the media processor device and the portable communication device.

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

modifying the recorded media program according to the device descriptor.

7. The media processor device of claim 6, wherein the modifying of the recorded media program comprises one of image modification, audio modification, or a combination thereof.

8. The media processor device of claim 6, wherein the recorded media program that is transmitted to the portable communication device comprises one of an image presentation, an audio presentation, or a combination thereof.

9. The media processor device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise continuing presentation of an uninterrupted media program at the display device as the recorded media program is transmitted.

10. The media processor device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise receiving user-generated input from a media controller to identify the departure mark.

11. The media processor device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise receiving user-generated input from the portable communication device to identify the departure mark.

12. The media processor device of claim 1, wherein the media controller emulator is selected according to the device descriptor associated with the portable communication device.

13. The media processor device of claim 12, wherein the device descriptor comprises one of a display feature, an audio feature, a communication feature, or a combination thereof.

14. The media processor device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise terminating presentation of the media program at the display device.

15. A computer-readable storage device, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor of a portable communication device associated with a user, facilitate performance of operations comprising:

transmitting a pause request for a presentation of a media program at a display device;

obtaining a media controller emulator for controlling operations of a media processor;

presenting the media controller emulator by way of a user interface of the portable communication device;

receiving a recorded media program for presentation at the user interface under control of the media controller emulator, wherein the media program is recorded responsive to identifying a departure mark during the presentation of the media program by the media processor based on the pause request, wherein the recorded media program is adapted for the presentation at the user interface, wherein the recorded media program is received by way of a communication network that is coupled to the portable communication device and the media processor, wherein the recorded media program comprises a first format, wherein the presentation of the media program continues at the display device responsive to detecting that additional users are viewing the presentation of the media program at the display device, wherein the recorded media program is a compressed streamed media program, wherein the compressed stream media program is generated in response to identifying a device descriptor of the portable communication device and determining the portable communication device has memory limitations according to the device descriptor;

converting the recorded media program to a second format; and

presenting the recorded media program that has been converted to the second format at the user interface from the departure mark.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the recorded media program is adapted for the presentation at the user interface as directed by one of the media processor or the portable communication device.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the portable communication device comprises one of a cell phone, a personal digital assistant, a tablet, a computer, or a telemetry system of an automobile, and wherein the recorded media program is received by the portable communication device as originally recorded without modification.

18. A method, comprising:

presenting, by a processing system including a processor, a media program at a display device;

receiving, from a communication device associated with a user, a pause request for the presenting of the media program at the display device;

continuing to present the media program at the display device responsive to detecting that additional users are viewing the media program at the display device;

detecting, by the processing system, a departure mark during the presenting of the media program based on the receiving of the pause request;

receiving, by the processing system, a request to present the media program at the communication device according to the departure mark;

identifying a device descriptor associated with the communication device;

determining the communication device has memory limitations according to the device descriptor;

generating a transmission of a recorded media program as a compressed streamed media program according to the memory limitations of the communication device; and

directing the transmission, by the processing system, of the recorded media program to the communication device via a communication network responsive to the request to present the media program at the communication device for enabling presentation of the recorded media program according to the departure mark at the communication device according to a media control emulator executed by the communication device, wherein the recorded media program comprises a first format for presentation by the processing system, and wherein the communication device converts the recorded media program to a second format for presentation at the communication device, and wherein the directing of the transmission of the recorded media program includes the transmission comprising the compressed streamed media program.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising directing recording, by the processing system, of the media program via the communication network responsive to the detecting of the departure mark to generate a recorded media program.