Facilitating Placeshifting Using Matrix Code

• US 20120222071A1
• Filed: 02/28/2011
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Gaede, Jason, Schaefer, Germar
• Granted Patent: US 8,443,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• 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 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/432 Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium, e.g. hard-disk details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• 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 21/43622 Interfacing an external recording device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus

Abstract

A method for providing a user of a target device with placeshifted content. The method includes detecting, utilizing the target device, a matrix code associated with an audio/visual program. Data encoded in the matrix code includes program identifying information and elapsed time information with respect to the program. The method further includes generating, utilizing the target device, a request for the program based at least in part on the encoded data. The method also includes transmitting, utilizing the target device, the program request across a network.

Claims

1. A system for transmitting placeshifted content, comprising:

a content receiver comprising a first processing unit, wherein the first processing unit is provided with computer implemented instructions to;

receive a content stream from a service provider and transmit the content stream to a presentation device for display to a user;

generate, based at least in part on the content stream and/or data associated with the content stream, a matrix code; and

transmit the matrix code to the presentation device for display to the user;

a target device communicably coupled to a network, the target device comprising;

an optical input device configured to optically detect the matrix code, and

a second processing unit communicably coupled to the optical input device, wherein the second processing unit is provided with computer implemented instructions to;

decode the matrix code; and

generate, based at least in part on the decoded matrix code, a request for a content stream previously transmitted from the service provider to the content receiver; and

a placeshifting device communicably coupled to the network, the placeshifting device comprising a third processing unit, wherein the third processing unit is provided with computer implemented instructions to;

receive across the network the target device'"'"'s request for a content stream; and

based at least in part on the request, retrieve from a storage device a content stream for transmission over the network to the target device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the target device further comprises a display and wherein the processing unit is provided with further computer implemented instructions to:

receive the content stream transmitted from the placeshifting device over the network; and

display the content stream on the display.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the content stream corresponds to an audio/visual program, and wherein data encoded in the matrix code comprises program identifying information and elapsed time information with respect to the program.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the content request comprises a request for a content stream corresponding to a portion of the audio/visual program commencing from a point in the program that corresponds to the point in the program when the matrix code was displayed to the user.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the content receiver further comprises a recorder communicably coupled to the first processing unit, and wherein the first processing unit is provided with further computer implemented instructions to record, utilizing the recorder, the program upon generation of the matrix code.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the placeshifting device retrieves the content stream from a storage location within the content receiver.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the placeshifting device retrieves the content stream from a storage location that is remote from the content receiver.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the content stream is a television or movie program.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the matrix code is a QR code.

10. A method for providing a user of a target device with placeshifted content, the method comprising:

detecting, utilizing the target device, a matrix code, wherein the matrix code is associated with an audio/visual program, and wherein data encoded in the matrix code comprises program identifying information and elapsed time information with respect to the program;

generating, utilizing the target device, a request for the program based at least in part on the encoded data; and

transmitting, utilizing the target device, the program request across a network.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving from across the network the program request at a placeshifting device, and processing, utilizing the placeshifting device, the program request.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting, utilizing the placeshifting device, a program responsive to the program request across the network to the target device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising outputting, utilizing a display of the target device, the program for display to a user.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the request specifies that the placeshifting device retrieve the program from a storage location associated with a content receiver.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the matrix code is detected at a geographical location, and the program transmitted by the placeshifting device is retrieved by the placeshifting device from a storage location that is remote with respect to the geographical location.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the request comprises a request for the program commencing at or about the point in the program that the matrix code was detected.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the program is a television or movie program.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the matrix code comprises a QR code.

19. A target device in a placeshifting system, the target device comprising:

a network connection;

an optical input device configured to optically detect a matrix code; and

a processing unit connected to the network connection and configured to send and receive transactions across a network though the network connection, wherein the processing unit is communicably coupled to the optical input device and is provided with computer implemented instructions to;

decode the matrix code, wherein the matrix code comprises at least program identifying information and elapsed time information with respect to the program;

generate, based at least in part on the decoded matrix code, a request for a content stream corresponding to the program; and

process the content stream corresponding to the program received from across the network from a placeshifting source.