System and method for managing content between devices having different capabilities

• US 20070061725A1
• Filed: 03/17/2005
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: D'Avello, Robert, Isaac, Emad
• Application Number:
  US11/082,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20070061725A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/717
• 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 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 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 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• 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 21/44029 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method for managing content between different client devices in various domains (such as vehicle, home, and person). The system and method includes a user interface, a wireless transceiver, and a controller. The user interface is used to receive an input form a user to change the presentation of the content from a first client device to a second client device. The wireless transceiver is capable of wirelessly transmitting the input from the user through the communication system. The controller is responsive to the input from the user and used to determine a content format for the second device. The controller may also be used for determining whether the second device has a network capability for accessing the content format. Depending on the determinations made by the controller, the controller will transmit a data message to the second device to activate access to the content if the second device has the network capability for accessing the content format. On the other hand, the controller will obtain the content and transmit the obtained content to the second device if the second device does not have the network capability for accessing the content format.

Claims

1. A method for managing content between a first device and a second device, the method comprising the steps of:

presenting the content in a first format to a user on the first device;

receiving an input from the user to present the content on the second device;

determining a second format for the content to be presented on the second device, the second format being different from the first format;

determining whether the second device has independent access to the content in the second format;

if the second device has independent access to the content in the second format, transmitting a data message to the second device to activate access to the content in the second format; and

if the second device does not have independent access to the content in the second format, obtaining the content in the second format and transmitting the obtained content to the second device.

2. The method in claim 1, wherein the first device is in a first domain and the second device is in a second domain, the first domain and the second domain selected from a group consisting of at least the vehicle, home, and person.

3. The method in claim 2, wherein the first device and the second device is a portable electronic device or a component from a group selected from a vehicular entertainment system and a home entertainment system.

4. The method in claim 1, wherein the step of determining a second format for the content is done by accessing a database that contains format capabilities and network capabilities of the second device.

5. The method in claim 1, wherein the second device has independent access to a digital satellite communication system, the data message transmitted to the second device comprising a plurality of information elements including at least a timestamp and a satellite channel identification.

6. The method in claim 1, wherein the second device has independent access to a radio tuner, the data message transmitted to the second device comprises a plurality of information elements including at least a timestamp and a radio frequency identification.

7. The method in claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining the content in the second format when the second device does not have independent access to the content further includes obtaining the content from a third party content provider and formatting the content into the second format.

8. A method for managing content between a first device and a second device, the first device being in a first domain and the second device being in a second domain, the first domain and the second domain selected from a group consisting of at least the home, vehicle, and person, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an input from a user on the first device to present the content on the second device;

determining a format for presenting content on the second device;

determining whether the second device has a network capability for accessing content associated with the determined format;

if the second device has the network capability for accessing content associated with the determined format, transmitting a data message to the second device to activate access to the content in the determined format; and

if the second device does not have the network capability for accessing content associated with the determined format, obtaining the content and transmitting the obtained content to the second device.

9. The method in claim 8, wherein the first device and the second device is a portable electronic device or a component from a group selected from a vehicular entertainment system and a home entertainment system.

10. The method in claim 8, wherein the step of determining a format for presenting content on the second device is done by accessing a database that contains format capabilities and network capabilities of the second device.

11. The method in claim 8, wherein the second device has a network capability for receiving content through a digital satellite communication system, the data message transmitted to the second device comprising a plurality of information elements including at least a timestamp and a satellite channel identification.

12. The method in claim 8, wherein the second device has a network capability for receiving content through a radio tuner, the data message transmitted to the second device comprising a plurality of information elements including at least a timestamp and a radio frequency identification.

13. The method in claim 8, wherein the step of obtaining the content when the second device does not have the network capability for accessing the content further includes obtaining the content from a third party content provider and formatting the content into the second format.

14. A communication system that is capable of managing content between a client device and other client devices, the client device and other client devices being in separate domains, the communication system comprising:

a user interface for receiving an input from a user to change the presentation of the content from a first client device to a second client device;

a wireless transceiver that is capable of wirelessly transmitting the input from the user through the communication system;

a controller, responsive to the input from the user, for determining a content format for the second device and whether the second client device has a network capability for accessing the content format;

wherein the controller transmits a data message to the second device to activate access to the content if the second device has the network capability for accessing the content format; and

wherein the controller obtains the content and transmits the obtained content to the second device if the second device does not have the network capability for accessing the content format.

15. The communication system in claim 14, wherein the first device is in a first domain and the second device is in a second domain, the first domain and the second domain selected from a group consisting of at least the vehicle, home, and person.

16. The communication system in claim 15, wherein the first device and the second device is a portable electronic device or a component from a group selected from a vehicular entertainment system and a home entertainment system.

17. The communication system in claim 14, wherein the controller determines a content format for the second device by accessing a database that contains format capabilities and network capabilities of the second device.

18. The communication system in claim 14, wherein the second device has a network capability for accessing content through a digital satellite communication system, the data message transmitted to the second device comprising a plurality of information elements including at least a timestamp and a satellite channel identification.

19. The communication system in claim 14, wherein the second device has a network capability for accessing content through a radio tuner, the data message transmitted to the second device comprising a plurality of information elements including at least a timestamp and a radio frequency identification.

20. The communication system in claim 14, wherein the controller obtains the content by obtaining the content from a third party content provider. and formatting the content into the second format.