Method and system for preselecting multimedia content

• US 9,813,757 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2016
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2010
• 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: King, Robert, Moore, Darryl Cynthia, Roberts, Linda A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Parra, Omar S
• Application Number:
  US15/063,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20160191987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/475 End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. personal identification number [PIN], preference data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time

Abstract

A method and system for remote control at a client of a multimedia content distribution network (MCDN) enables a user to add desired multimedia program listings to a user collection. The user collection may be saved at an MCDN server for subsequent retrieval. Multimedia programs corresponding to the listings may be stored in a user collection cache. The user may easily select the listings in a user collection for presentation at an MCDN client. The multimedia programs may be provided from a plurality of content sources, including external content providers and the Internet.

Claims

1. A multimedia content delivery method, comprising:

sending, by a set top box to a mobile device configured to provide wireless telephone service, via a bidirectional connection including a wireless link between the mobile device and a wireless network and an access link between the set top box and an access network, information indicative of available content, wherein the available content comprises content made available to a subscriber by a service provider and accessible via a service provider network;

receiving, by the set top box from the mobile device via the bidirectional connection, first user input indicative of a particular content;

adding a listing corresponding to the particular content to a user list; and

playing back, by the set top box, the particular content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information indicative of available content includes an electronic programming guide listing at least one of:

a video-on-demand program, a prerecorded program, a pay-per-view program, streaming Internet content, and a broadcasted program.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein sending further includes sending the user list to facilitate user access to previously selected content.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first user input is indicative of a desired multimedia program listed in the user list.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving the user list from a repository associated with a user and displaying the user list.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

wherein displaying the user list comprises displaying the user list on a display associated with the set top box.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving second user input indicative of a user list name;

recognizing the user list name as a reference to the user list;

receiving third user input for selecting a named user list; and

displaying an indication of the named user list.

8. A mobile device, comprising:

a processor;

a wireless interface coupled to the processor;

a memory device, coupled to the processor, including processor-executable program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the mobile device to perform operations, comprising;

receiving, by a mobile device via a bidirectional connection comprising a wireless wide area network link between the mobile device and a wireless network and an access link between the set top box and an access network, available content information from the set top box, wherein the available content information is indicative of available content, wherein the available content comprises content made available to a subscriber by a service provider and accessible via a service provider network;

sending, to the set top box from the mobile device via the bidirectional connection, first user input indicative of a particular content;

adding a listing corresponding to the particular content to a user list; and

caching the particular content for subsequent play back.

9. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the information indicative of available content includes an electronic programming guide listing at least one of:

a video-on-demand program, a prerecorded program, a pay-per-view program, streaming Internet content, and a broadcasted program.

10. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the user list facilitates user access to previously selected content.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the first user input is indicative of a desired multimedia program listed in the user list.

12. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the operations include:

retrieving the user list from a repository associated with a user and displaying the user list.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the operations include:

displaying the user list on a display associated with the mobile device.

14. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the operations include:

receiving second user input indicative of a user list name;

recognizing the user list name as a reference to the user list;

receiving third user input for selecting a named user list; and

displaying an indication of the named user list.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium, including processor-executable program instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

sending, by a set top box to a mobile device configured to provide wireless telephone service, via a bidirectional connection including a wireless link between the mobile device and a wireless network and an access link between the set top box and an access network, information indicative of available content, wherein the available content comprises content made available to a subscriber by a service provider and accessible via a service provider network;

receiving, by the set top box from the mobile device via the bidirectional connection, first user input indicative of a particular content;

adding a listing corresponding to the particular content to a user list; and

performing an operation selected from the group of operations comprising;

playing back the particular content; and

caching the particular content on the set top box for subsequent play back.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the information indicative of available content includes an electronic programming guide listing at least one of:

a video-on-demand program, a prerecorded program, a pay-per-view program, streaming Internet content, and a broadcasted program.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the user list facilitates user access to previously selected content.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first user input is indicative of a desired multimedia program listed in the user list.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations include:

retrieving the user list from a repository associated with a user and displaying the user list.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the operations include:

displaying the user list on a display associated with the mobile device.