System for establishing communications with a mobile device server

• US 10,582,273 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2016
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2010
• 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: Brown, William A., Boatright, Michael, Banner, Stephen G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): Riaz, Sahar Aqil
• Application Number:
  US15/149,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20160255413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,394 Days
• Field of Search: 725152, 725133, 725153, 725106, 725112
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/123 where the packet-switched network is an Internet Protocol Multimedia System-type network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2265 Server identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/27 Server based end-user applications
• 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 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64 Addressing network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00; support for multicast or broadcast of one-way stream services H04L65/611
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64707 for transferring content from a first network to a second network, e.g. between IP and wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, receiving a message transmitted from a web server application operating in a mobile device and inserting an identifier of a gateway device into the message to produce a modified message. The modified message includes a request to invoke a software application in the mobile device. The modified message is forwarded to a remote server to allow the server to establish communications with a media processor based on the identifier of the gateway device. The media processor invokes the software application in the mobile device based on an address supplied by the web server application allowing the mobile device to execute the software application and to establish media communication services with the media processor responsive to executing the software application. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a media processor comprising a processing system, a signal from a mobile device indicating a preference for establishing communications between the media processor and the mobile device, wherein the signal is transmitted by the mobile device in response to receiving a list of media resources from a gateway, wherein the list of media resources comprises the media processor;

detecting, by the media processor, a profile established by a user of the mobile device;

detecting, by the media processor, a time of day;

detecting, by the media processor, from a prior history of user actions that the mobile device had previously initiated communications with the media processor;

in response to detecting the profile, the time of day, and the prior history, facilitating establishing communications, by the media processor, with the gateway, wherein the gateway provides a first message to the mobile device indicating that the media processor is an active media resource, wherein the first message is provided to the mobile device in response to the mobile device requesting identification of the active media resource;

transmitting, by the media processor, a detection signal to the mobile device in response to receiving a second message for requesting communications between the mobile device and the media processor, wherein responsive to detecting the media processor, the mobile device transmits a third message to a remote server by way of customer premises equipment, wherein the customer premises equipment is in wireless communication with the mobile device and assigned to a first network address, and wherein the third message comprises an identifier of a software application of the mobile device, a second network address associated with the software application and a request to initiate the software application in the mobile device;

receiving, by the media processor, an instruction from the remote server to invoke the software application on the mobile device;

transmitting, by the media processor, a first request to the mobile device to execute the software application according to the second network address, wherein the software application facilitates providing media communication services at the mobile device including communications between the mobile device and the media processor; and

receiving, by the media processor, from the mobile device a second request to initiate the media communication services responsive to the mobile device executing the software application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of media resources is provided by the gateway to the mobile device in response to the gateway receiving a third request from the mobile device for information regarding the media resources.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is one of a portable telephone, a cellular telephone, a cordless telephone, a media player, a gaming console, a personal digital computer, a personal computer, a tablet computer a laptop computer, or combinations thereof, and wherein a web server application on the mobile device submits a request to the media processor to receive streaming media content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer premises equipment comprises the gateway.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second network addresses are internet protocol addresses, and wherein the media communication services comprise exchanging markup language instructions.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the markup language corresponds to one of a multimedia retrieval markup language or an extensible markup language.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network address is inserted into a hypertext transfer protocol header of the first message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein operations of the media processor are managed by the mobile device responsive to the media communication services being initiated.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote server locates the media processor and the media communication services associated therewith based on the first network address of the customer premises equipment, wherein the media communication services are selected from a group comprising of a Video on Demand (VoD) service, a VoD catalog, a personal media catalog, an electronic programming guide, an interactive media service and combinations thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message comprises an identifier of the mobile device to enable the remote server to authorize the second request submitted by the mobile device to initiate the media communication services.

11. A media processor, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

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

receiving a signal from a mobile device indicating a preference for establishing communications between the media processor and the mobile device, wherein the signal is transmitted by the mobile device in response to receiving a list of media resources from a gateway, wherein the list of media resources comprises the media processor;

detecting a profile established by a user of the mobile device;

detecting a time of day;

detecting from a prior history of user actions that the mobile device had previously initiated communications with the media processor;

in response to detecting the profile, the time of day, and the prior history, facilitating establishing communications with the gateway, wherein the gateway provides a first message to the mobile device that the media processor is an active media resource in response to the mobile device to requesting identification of the active media resource, wherein the gateway indicates in the first message that the media processor is the active media resource;

providing a detection signal to the mobile device in response to receiving a second message for facilitating establishing communications between the mobile device and the media processor, wherein the mobile device transmits a third message to a remote server by way of customer premises equipment responsive to detecting the media processor, wherein the customer premises equipment is in wireless communication with the mobile device and assigned to a first network address, and wherein the third message comprises an identifier of a software application of the mobile device, a second network address associated with the software application and a request to initiate the software application in the mobile device;

obtaining an instruction from the remote server to invoke the software application on the mobile device; and

receiving, from the mobile device, a request to initiate media communication services responsive to the mobile device executing the software application.

12. The media processor of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a first request to the mobile device to execute the software application according to the second network address, and wherein the software application facilitates providing media communication services at the mobile device including communications between the mobile device and the media processor.

13. The media processor of claim 11, wherein the mobile device is selected from a group comprising of a portable telephone, a cellular telephone, a cordless telephone, a media player, a gaming console, a personal digital computer, a personal computer, a tablet computer and a laptop computer, and wherein the media processor comprises one of a set-top box, a computer, a gaming console or a media player.

14. The media processor of claim 11, wherein the media communication services conform to a multimedia retrieval markup language, and wherein the second network address associated with the software application comprises an internet protocol address.

15. The media processor of claim 11, wherein the second message is transmitted wirelessly in response to the mobile device detecting the media processor, and wherein the processor comprises a group of processors operating in a distributed processing environment.

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

receiving a signal from a mobile device indicating a preference for establishing communications between the media processor and the mobile device, wherein the signal is transmitted by the mobile device in response to receiving a list of media resources from a gateway, wherein the list of media resources comprises the media processor;

detecting a profile established by a user of the mobile device;

detecting a time of day;

detecting a from prior history of user actions that the mobile device had previously initiated communications with the media processor;

in response to detecting the profile, the time of day, and the prior history, facilitating establishing communications with the gateway, wherein the gateway provides a first message to the mobile device that the media processor is an active media resource in response to the mobile device to requesting identification of the active media resource, wherein the gateway indicates in the first message that the media processor is the active media resource;

sending a detection message to the mobile device in response to receiving a second message for facilitating establishing communications between the mobile device and the media processor, wherein responsive to detecting the media processor, the mobile device transmits a third message to a remote server by way of customer premises equipment, wherein the customer premises equipment is in wireless communication with the mobile device and assigned to a first network address, and wherein the third message comprises an identifier of a software application of the mobile device, a second network address associated with the software application and a request to initiate the software application in the mobile device;

providing a first request to the mobile device to execute the software application according to the second network address in response to receiving an instruction from the remote server to invoke the software application on the mobile device, wherein the software application facilitates providing media communication services at the mobile device including communications between the mobile device and the media processor; and

initiating the media communication services responsive to the mobile device executing the software application.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the media communications services conform to a multimedia retrieval markup language, and wherein the first and second network addresses are internet protocol addresses.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein a web server application of the mobile device comprises the software application, wherein the second message is transmitted wirelessly in response to the mobile device detecting the media processor, and wherein the processor comprises a group of processors operating in a distributed processing environment.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the web server application corresponds to a hypertext transfer protocol server application in the mobile device.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the mobile device comprises a device selected from a group comprising of a portable telephone, a cellular telephone, a cordless telephone, a media player, a gaming console, a personal digital computer, a personal computer, a tablet computer and a laptop computer.