ACCESSING REMOTE VIDEO DEVICES

• US 20140173670A1
• Filed: 02/24/2014
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pham, Hung John, Hoang, Bach N.
• Granted Patent: US 9,131,250 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/107
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21 Server components or server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23 Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23412 for generating or manipulating the scene composition of objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection

Abstract

A control server receives a local input to control a remote video device and sends an indication of the local input to the remote video device to control, access, or operate the remote video device. Video data indicative of images provided by the remote video device in response to the local input are relayed to the control server by the remote video device or associated components. A plurality of remote video devices can be simultaneously controlled, accessed, or operated. Control code sets for remote video devices are mapped to a local interface control set. Local input is translated to a remote video device command based on such mappings.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A remote control method, comprising:

receiving, by a control server, first video data from a remote video device, wherein the first video data is indicative of first video images displayed at the remote video device;

receiving, from a batch file comprising a plurality of local user inputs, a local input to control the remote video device;

sending an indication of the local input to the remote video device; and

receiving second video data indicative of second video images provided by the remote video device, wherein the second video images are provided by the remote video device in response to the indication of the local input.

22. The remote control method of claim 21, further comprising:

displaying a local video image based on the second video data.

23. The remote control method of claim 21, further comprising:

storing the first video data; and

storing the second video data.

24. The remote control method of claim 21, wherein the local input is provided by a software routine.

25. The remote control method of claim 21, further comprising:

scheduling the batch file for periodic execution.

26. The remote control method of claim 21, further comprising:

mapping a control code set to a local interface control set, wherein the control code set is associated with the remote video device.

27. The remote control method of claim 26, further comprising:

translating the local input to a remote video device command, wherein said translating is according to the control code set.

28. The remote control method of claim 21, further comprising:

comparing the first video images to a predetermined video pattern; and

responsive to the first video images matching the predetermined video pattern, initiating a recovery action associated with the predetermined video pattern.

29. The remote control method of claim 28, wherein the predetermined video pattern represents an error screen.

30. The remote control method of claim 29, wherein the recovery action includes obtaining a crash log related to the error screen.

31. The remote control method of claim 21, wherein said receiving is via a multimedia content distribution network.

32. The remote control method of claim 31, wherein the multimedia content distribution network comprises an Internet protocol television network.

33. A control server, comprising:

a processor;

a computer readable storage medium including computer executable instructions, that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving, by a control server, first video data from a remote video device, wherein the first video data is indicative of first video images displayed at the remote video device;

receiving, from a batch file comprising a plurality of local user inputs, a local input to control the remote video device;

sending an indication of the local input to the remote video device; and

receiving second video data indicative of second video images provided by the remote video device, wherein the second video images are provided by the remote video device in response to the indication of the local input.

34. The control server of claim 33, wherein the operations include:

comparing a video image received from the remote video device to stored video patterns to detect a video pattern event, wherein the video pattern event indicates an absence of a normal operation of the remote video device.

35. The control server of claim 34, wherein the operations include:

adapting the stored video patterns during operation based on the received video image.

36. The control server of claim 35, wherein a remote video device command is for bringing the remote video device to a predetermined state.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 35, wherein the operations include:

receiving, by the control server, at least a portion of multimedia content displayed by the remote video device.

37. A non-transitory computer readable medium including processor executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a control server, first video data from a remote video device, wherein the first video data is indicative of first video images displayed at the remote video device;

receiving, from a batch file comprising a plurality of local user inputs, a local input to control the remote video device;

sending an indication of the local input to the remote video device; and

receiving second video data indicative of second video images provided by the remote video device, wherein the second video images are provided by the remote video device in response to the indication of the local input.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 37, wherein the operations include:

mapping a control code set to a local interface control set, wherein the control code set is for the remote video device, wherein the local interface control set includes a local control command; and

translating the local control command to a remote video device command based on said mapping.