System for providing content, management, and interactivity for thin client devices

• US 20040253945A1
• Filed: 02/09/2004
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Craig M. Janik
• Original Assignee: Viviana Research LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Janik, Craig M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,937,450 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2861 Point-to-multipoint connection from the data network to the subscribers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2876 Handling of subscriber policies group policies management H04L41/0893
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• 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: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• 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 21/4135 : external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• 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 21/4143 : embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 : Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 : involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4437 : Implementing a Virtual Machine [VM] virtual machines in general G06F9/45533
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 : Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 : Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 : using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 : comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 : comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image

Abstract

A system is provided for delivering Internet and digital content to a variety of thin client devices. A web portal for accessing and selecting content is used in conjunction with graphical user interfaces on a personal computer for setting up and controlling the content channels. The user interfaces, scheduling, and communication management are controlled by a system control software application running on a local server with an Internet connection. A high speed local area network provides for streaming content from the Internet or local server to thin client devices. A digital audio playback device is connected to the local server via the local area network connection and decodes streamed audio files, and converts them into analog audio signals for input into a conventional stereo. Digital content is streamed automatically from the local server to another Internet playback device, based on end user content preferences and schedule selections.

Claims

1-20. -20. (Cancelled).

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a first interface capable of coupling to a wide area network (WAN);

a second interface capable of coupling at least one device via a local area network (LAN); and

a server having a storage device, the server coupled to the first and second interfaces to retrieve content specified by a user via the first interface from a remote facility over the WAN, to store the content in the storage device, and to deliver the content to the at least one device via the second interface over the LAN under the control of or as specified by the user.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the server comprises a graphical user interface (GUI) to associate the content with at least one of the devices coupled to the LAN and to schedule the time the content is to be delivered.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the content is retrieved and stored in the server according to a first schedule and is delivered to the at least one device according to a second schedule, and wherein the first and second schedules are different and controllable by the user.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the content is accessible by multiple devices coupled to the LAN based on a schedule specified by the user.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the server synchronizes content specified by the user among the multiple devices according to a schedule specified by the user.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the content is retrieved based on availability information of the content at the remote facility.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the LAN comprises a wireless network.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a database within the storage device of the server to retain personal preferences specified by the user.

29. A method, comprising:

automatically downloading content specified by a user from a remote facility over a wide area network (WAN); and

delivering the content to at least one device via a local area network (LAN) under the control of or as specified by the user.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising associating the content with at least one of the devices coupled to the LAN.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

scheduling the downloading according to a first schedule; and

scheduling the delivering according to a second schedule, wherein the first and second schedules are different and controlled by the user.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the scheduling of the downloading and delivering are performed based further upon an availability of the content at the remote facility.

33. The method of claim 29, further comprising synchronizing content of the at least one device according to a schedule specified by the user.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising retaining personal preferences specified by the user.

35. A machine-readable medium having executable code to cause a machine to perform a method, the method comprising:

automatically downloading content specified by a user from a remote facility over a wide area network (WAN); and

delivering the content to at least one device via a local area network (LAN) under the control of or as specified by the user.

36. The machine-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the method further comprises:

scheduling the downloading according to a first schedule; and

scheduling the delivering according to a second schedule, wherein the first and second schedules are different controlled by the user.

37. The machine-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the method further comprises synchronizing content of the at least one device according to a schedule specified by the user.

38. The machine-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the scheduling of the downloading and delivering are performed based further upon an availability of the content at the remote facility.

39. The machine-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the method further comprises retaining personal preferences specified by the user.

40. A method for acquiring content, the method comprising:

receiving one or more preferences from a user via a user interface for the content to be downloaded from a content server over a wide area network (WAN);

downloading the content from the content server over the WAN to a server capable of coupling one or more client devices via a local area network (LAN) according to a schedule; and

delivering the downloaded content from the server to at least one of the one or more client devices under a control of the user.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the downloading is performed based further upon availability information of the content at the content server.

42. A method for presenting content, the method comprising:

receiving one or more selections from a user for the content to be downloaded from a content server over a wide area network (WAN);

automatically downloading the content from the content server based on an availability of the content during the respective period; and

delivering the downloaded content to one or more client device via a local area network (LAN) under a control of the user.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the downloading is performed based further upon availability information of the content at the content server.

44. A method for presenting content, the method comprising:

selecting content from a Web site using a content selection interface at a local system according to a first time;

downloading the content based on an availability of the content at the Web site at a second time; and

delivering the downloaded content to one or more client devices at a third time specified by the user, wherein the first time, the second time, and the third time are different.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the downloading is performed based further upon availability information of the content at the Web site.

46. An apparatus for viewing content, the apparatus comprising:

a first data processing system capable of communicating with a remote facility over an Internet, the first data processing system having a first interface to select content stored at the remote facility and a scheduling mechanism to schedule a transaction for acquiring the selected content from the remote facility over the Internet; and

a second data processing system communicably coupled to the first data processing system over a local area network (LAN), the second data processing system having a second interface to activate a delivery of the acquired content from the first data processing system over the LAN.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the scheduling of the downloading of the content is performed based further upon availability information of the content at the remote facility.

48. An apparatus, comprising:

a computing device capable of communicatively coupling to a wide area network (WAN) and capable of communicatively coupling to at least one client device over a local area network (LAN);

a first user interface executable at the computing device, the first user interface allowing a user to select content to be downloaded from a remote facility over the WAN;

a storage device associated with the computing device to store the downloaded content; and

a second user interface executable at the at least one client device for activating delivery of the stored downloaded content from the computing device to the at least one client device over the LAN.

49. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the selected content is downloaded from the remote facility to the computing device periodically.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein periodic downloading of the selected content is performed based on availability information associated with the selected content.

51. The apparatus of claim 48, further comprising a database for presenting to the at least one client device downloaded content based on information associated with the downloaded content stored in the storage.

52. A method, comprising:

selecting, at a computing device, content to be downloaded from a remote facility over a wide area network (WAN) at a first time;

downloading the selected content from the remote facility and storing the downloaded content in a storage of the computing device; and

activating the delivery of the downloaded content stored in the computing device to at least one client device communicatively coupled to the computing device over a local area network (LAN) at a second time that is different than the first time.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein downloading the selected content from the remote facility is performed periodically.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein downloading the selected content from the remote facility is performed periodically based on availability information of the selected content.

55. The method of claim 52, further comprising a database presenting to the at least one client device the downloaded content based on information associated with the downloaded content stored in the storage.

56. A machine-readable medium having executable code to cause a machine to perform a method, the method comprising:

selecting, at a computing device, content to be downloaded from a remote facility over a wide area network (WAN) at a first time;

downloading the selected content from the remote facility and storing the downloaded content in a storage of the computing device; and

activating the delivery of the downloaded content stored in the computing device to at least one client device communicatively coupled to the computing device over a local area network (LAN) at a second time that is different than the first time.

57. The machine-readable medium of claim 56, wherein downloading the selected content from the remote facility is performed periodically.

58. The machine-readable medium of claim 57, wherein downloading the selected content from the remote facility is performed periodically based on availability information of the selected content.

59. The machine-readable medium of claim 56, wherein the method further comprises presenting to the at least one client device downloaded content from a database based on information associated with the downloaded content stored in the storage.

60. A method, comprising:

a server receiving a request for content, the request including a schedule for periodically delivery of the requested content;

the server periodically downloading the requested content from a remote facility over a wide area network (WAN);

storing the downloaded content at a storage associated with the server; and

delivering the stored content from the server to at least one client device over a local area network (LAN) according to the schedule.

61. The method of claim 60, wherein periodically downloading the requested content is performed further based on availability information of the requested content.

62. A machine-readable medium having executable code to cause a machine to perform a method, the method comprising:

a server receiving a request for content, the request including a schedule for periodically delivery of the requested content;

the server periodically downloading the requested content from a remote facility over a wide area network (WAN);

storing the downloaded content at a storage associated with the server; and

delivering the stored content from the server to at least one client device over a local area network (LAN) according to the schedule.

63. The machine-readable medium of claim 62, wherein periodically downloading the request content is performed further based on availability information of the requested content.