METHOD FOR REESTABLISHING PRESENTATION OF A PAUSED MEDIA PROGRAM

• US 20080209497A1
• Filed: 02/27/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: CORDOBA, JUAN
• Granted Patent: US 8,601,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/134
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• 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 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A method for reestablishing presentation of a paused media program is disclosed. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a Set-Top Box (STB) located in a building can have a controller element that presents a media program to a media device operable only in the building, pauses presentation of the media program responsive to a pause request, generates a departure mark that identifies a presentation point in the media program associated with the pause request, receives a request to resume presentation of the media program from the departure mark at a portable communication device capable of maintaining communications with the STB outside the building, and transmits to the portable communication device a presentation of the media program from the departure mark. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A Set-Top Box (STB) located in a building, comprising a controller element that:

presents a media program to a media device operable only in the building;

pauses presentation of the media program responsive to a pause request;

generates a departure mark that identifies a presentation point in the media program associated with the pause request;

receives a request to resume presentation of the media program from the departure mark at a portable communication device capable of maintaining communications with the STB outside the building; and

transmits to the portable communication device a presentation of the media program from the departure mark.

2. The STB of claim 1, wherein the portable communication device comprises one among a cell phone, a personal digital assistant, a computer, and a telemetry system of an automobile, each capable of communicating wirelessly with the STB by way of a communication network coupled to the STB and the portable communication device.

3. The STB of claim 1, wherein the controller element:

records the media program from the departure mark;

retrieves a portion of the recorded media program from the departure mark responsive to the request to resume presentation; and

transmits said portion to the portable communication device.

4. The STB of claim 3, wherein the controller element:

receives a device descriptor associated with the portable communication device; and

adapts the portion of the recorded media program according to the device descriptor; and

transmits the adapted portion of the recorded media program to the portable communication device.

5. The STB of claim 4, wherein the adapted portion of the recorded media program comprises at least one among an image adaptation, and an audio adaptation, and wherein the adapted portion of the recorded media program transmitted to the portable communication device comprises at least one among an image presentation and an audio presentation, and wherein the controller element:

receives from the portable communication device a device identifier; and

retrieves according to the device identifier the device descriptor from a storage medium.

6. The STB of claim 4, wherein the controller element transmits to the portable communication device the adapted portion of the recorded media program as a compressed streamed media program.

7. The STB of claim 1, wherein the controller element continues an uninterrupted presentation of the media program at the media device while presenting from the departure mark the media program at the portable communication device.

8. The STB of claim 1, wherein the controller element:

receives from a media controller located in the building the pause request; and

receives from the portable communication device the request to resume presentation of the media program from the departure mark.

9. The STB of claim 1, wherein the controller element:

receives from one among the portable communication device and a media controller located in the building the pause request and a transition request identifying the portable communication device;

selects a media controller emulator from a plurality of media controller emulators;

transmits to the portable communication device the media controller emulator for controlling operations of the STB; and

receives from the portable communication device the request to resume presentation of the media program from the departure mark responsive to one or more functions of the media controller emulator selected by an end user of the portable communication device.

10. The STB of claim 9, wherein the controller element:

selects a device descriptor from a plurality of device descriptors according to the portable communication device identified by the transition request; and

selects the media controller emulator according to said device descriptor.

11. The STB of claim 10, wherein the device descriptor comprises at least one among one or more display parameters, one or more audio parameters, and one or more communication identifiers.

12. The STB of claim 1, wherein the controller element terminates the media program at the media device after receiving the request to resume presentation of the media program from the portable communication device.

13. A computer-readable storage medium in a portable communication device (PCD), comprising computer instructions for transmitting to a Set-Top Box (STB) located in a building a request to resume presentation at the PCD from a departure mark a media program paused by a media controller.

14. The storage medium of claim 13, wherein the portable communication device comprises one among a cell phone, a personal digital assistant, a computer, and a telemetry system of an automobile, each capable of communicating wirelessly with the STB by way of a communication network coupled to the STB and the portable communication device.

15. The storage medium of claim 13, comprising computer instructions for receiving from the STB an adaptation of the media program according to a device descriptor of the portable communication device.

16. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the device descriptor comprises at least one among one or more display parameters, one or more audio parameters, and one or more communication identifiers.

17. The storage medium of claim 15, comprising computer instructions for:

receiving from the STB a media controller emulator selected by the STB from a plurality of media controller emulators according to the device descriptor; and

presenting the media controller emulator by way of a user interface (UI) of the portable communication device.

18. The storage medium of claim 17, comprising computer instructions for:

receiving from the STB a visual image of the paused media program selected by the STB according to the departure mark;

presenting by way of the UI the visual image in the media controller emulator;

detecting a selection of one or more functions of the media controller emulator corresponding to the request to resume presentation of the paused media program; and

transmitting to the STB said request.

19. A method, comprising reestablishing presentation of a paused media program from a departure mark in transition from a fixed media device to a portable communication device.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising adapting the paused media program according to a device descriptor of the portable communication device.