Providing and receiving content for computer networks using a gateway and server

• US 20070078993A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jolly Seven, Series 70 of Allied Security Trust I (Allied Security Trust)
• Original Assignee: Qurio Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Issa, Alfredo
• Granted Patent: US 8,516,135 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2871 Implementation details of single intermediate entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/251 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies details of learning user preferences for the retrieval of video data in a video database G06F16/739; computer systems using learning methods G06N3/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25833 involving client hardware characteristics, e.g. manufacturer, processing or storage capabilities allocation of resources considering hardware capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5044; allocation of resources considering software capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5055
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4108 characterised by an identification number or address, e.g. local network address protecting specific internal or external computer components using identification number G06F21/73; network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• 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 21/41407 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 21/4331 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 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Providing and receiving content for nodes of a computer network. In one aspect, a method for receiving content for nodes on a network includes establishing a computer device as a gateway device that can communicate in a first network and communicate with a server in a second network. The gateway device makes a request for content to be provided to at least one destination node in the first network. The requested content is received at the gateway device and is then provided to the destination node, where the received content is based on stored settings for the at least one destination node.

Claims

1. A method for receiving content for nodes on a network, the method comprising:

establishing a computer device as a gateway device, the gateway device operative to communicate in a first network and communicate with a server in a second network;

communicating with the server from the gateway device to make a request for content to be provided to at least one destination node in the first network, wherein the content is stored at the server; and

receiving the requested content at the gateway device and providing that content to the at least one destination node, wherein the received content is based on stored settings for the at least one destination node.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the stored settings for the at least one destination node include user preferences for the at least one selected node.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the user preferences include an association of a content genre with the at least one destination node.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the stored settings for the at least one destination node include a prior history of content received at the at least one destination node.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the stored settings for the at least one destination node include an association of content with the type of device at the destination node.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a list of available content from the server and displaying the list of available content to the user.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising receiving at the gateway device a selection from the user of content items in the list of available content, and wherein the selection of the content items is included in the content request made to the server.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the request for content includes a request for recommended content, the recommended content determined by the server based on the stored settings for the at least one destination node, the stored settings being stored at the server, and wherein the received requested content is the recommended content.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising receiving a recommendation list from the server before receiving the recommended content, and receiving a selection from the user at the gateway device of at least one content item indicated in the recommendation list, the selection providing the request for content provided to the server.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first network is a wireless network, and further comprising moving the gateway device into range of the wireless network so that it can connect to the first network and become established as the gateway device.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the gateway device collects a network identification and type of device for the at least one destination node and provides the network identification and type of device to the server with the request for content.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the user of the gateway device uses an interface of the gateway device to select which nodes of the first network are to receive the requested content.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the gateway device includes a cache to store content received from the server, and wherein the gateway device can push content from the cache to the at least one destination node.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining if any of the nodes of the first network are recognized nodes that have previously been communicated with by the gateway device;

providing the recognized nodes to the server to determine if there are any automatically play lists of content for the recognized nodes, the automatic play lists causing the server to automatically provide content in the automatic play lists to the gateway device.

15. A method for providing content to nodes on a computer network, the method comprising:

receiving a request at a server from a gateway device for content stored at the server, wherein the gateway device is operative to communicate with a first network and communicate with the server via a second network;

receiving at the server from the gateway device an identification of at least one destination node in the first network that is to receive the requested content; and

providing the requested content to the gateway device so that the gateway device can provide the requested content to the at least one destination node, wherein the requested content is based on settings stored at the server for the at least one destination node.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the stored settings for the at least one destination node include user preferences for the at least one destination node.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the stored settings for the at least one destination node include a prior history of content received at the at least one destination node.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising providing a list of available content to the gateway device, wherein the received request for content references content items in the list of available content.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the server determines the requested content by examining a stored setting including an association of the type of device at the destination node with particular content stored at the server.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising receiving a request for a recommended content, and further comprising determining recommended content at the server and providing the recommended content to the gateway device as the requested content.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising providing a recommendation list of content to the gateway device, and wherein the request for content references content items in the recommendation list of content as selected by a user of the gateway device.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the recommended content is determined based on the stored settings for the at least one destination node.

23. The method of claim 15 further comprising receiving a network identification and type of device for the at least one destination node.

24. The method of claim 15 wherein the request for content includes a request for content that is randomly selected by the server, and further comprising randomly selecting content from a database of the server to be provided as the requested content, the random selection based on the stored settings for the destination node.

25. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving an identification from the gateway device for recognized nodes that have previously been communicated with by the gateway device;

comparing the recognized nodes to a list of nodes which are associated with automatic play lists stored at the server; and

providing content referred to by the automatic play lists to the gateway device.

26. A computer readable medium including program instructions to be implemented by a computer, the program instructions for receiving content for nodes on a network, the program instructions implementing steps comprising:

establishing a computer device as a gateway device, the gateway device operative to communicate in a first network and communicate with a server in a second network;

communicating with the server from the gateway device to make a request for content stored at the server to be provided to at least one destination node in the first network; and

receiving the requested content at the gateway device and providing that content to the at least one destination node, wherein the received content is based on stored settings for the at least one destination node.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 26 wherein the request for content includes a request for recommended content, the recommended content determined by the server based on the stored settings for the destination node, the settings being stored at the server, and wherein the received requested content is the recommended content.