System and method of communicating video content

• US 7,596,799 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2005
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• 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: Chen, Wenge
• Primary Examiner(s): Ensey; Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): EASON, MATTHEW A
• Application Number:
  US11/283,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20070118866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: 725 38- 39, 725 86-100
• US Class Current: 725/87
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method of communicating video content is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the method includes communicating a selection of a channel from a set-top box device to at least one server of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system. The method also includes receiving a still image associated with a program of the selected channel and receiving data related to the selected channel at the set-top box device. Additionally, the method includes transmitting the still image and the data related to the selected channel to a display device. Further, the method includes receiving a multicast stream of video content of the selected channel at the set-top box device and transmitting the video content to the display device, in response to a selection of an accept channel command.

Claims

1. A method of communicating video content, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of a channel at a set-top box device;

communicating the selection of the channel from the set-top box device to at least one server of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system;

receiving a still image associated with a program available for imminent display via the selected channel and receiving data related to the selected channel at the set-top box device;

transmitting the still image and the data related to the selected channel to a display device;

receiving a multicast stream of video content of the selected channel at the set-top box device; and

transmitting the video content to the display device, in response to a selection of an accept channel command;

communicating a selection of a refuse channel command with a prior channel indicator from the set-top box device to the at least one server, in response to the selection of the refuse channel command; and

receiving a multicast stream of video content at the set-top box device, the multicast stream of video content associated with the prior channel indicator, in response to the selection of the refuse channel command.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting data corresponding to a graphical user interface to the display device, wherein the graphical user interface includes the data related to the selected channel and a plurality of indicators of selectable commands.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the graphical user interface includes a selectable accept channel indicator.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the data related to the selected channel includes a channel identifier, a network identifier, a program name, a type of program, a program audience rating, an elapsed program time, a remaining program time, a program start time, a program end time, a program summary, an actor name, a program host name, a program viewership, a video-on-demand availability indicator, or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of indicators of selectable commands includes an options command.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising transmitting to the display device a second graphical user interface with a plurality of options in response to selection of the options command, wherein the plurality of options includes a digital video recorder (DVR) programming option, a program notification option, a program search option, an automatic channel change option, or any combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the data related to the selected channel and the plurality of options, which are included in the second graphical user interface, are determined by a user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection of the selected channel is made using a next channel command, a previous channel command, a channel number input, a selection from a channel menu, a selection from a channel list, a selection from a program guide, or a combination thereof.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the still image is selected from a plurality of still images.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein each of the plurality of still images corresponds to a different program available via the selected channel.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the still image is associated with a second program available via the selected channel.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the program is further available via a second channel that is different from the selected channel.

9. A method of providing video content, the method comprising:

receiving a channel selection transmission from a set-top box device at an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system;

transmitting a still image associated with a program available for imminent display via a selected channel and data related to the selected channel from the IPTV system to the set-top box device;

transmitting a multicast stream of video content of the selected channel from the IPTV system to the set-top box device;

receiving a selection of a refuse channel command with a prior channel selection from the set-top box device at the IPTV system, in response to the selection of the refuse channel command at the set-top box device; and

transmitting a multicast stream of video content associated with the prior channel selection from the IPTV system to the set-top box, in response to the selection of the refuse channel command.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving a join command from the set-top box device at the IPTV system.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the IPTV system determines the program of the selected channel and retrieves the still image associated with the program of the selected channel.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the multicast stream of video content of the selected channel is transmitted to the set-top box device via at least one Internet Protocol (IP) multicast-enabled router.

13. A set-top box device, comprising:

a channel change module configured to receive a selection of a channel at the set-top box device and to communicate the selection of the channel to a component of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system;

an image control module configured to receive a still image associated with a program available for imminent display via the selected channel from the component and to transmit the still image to a display device coupled to the set-top box device;

a data control module configured to receive data related to the selected channel from the component and to transmit the data to the display device; and

a video content control module configured to receive a multicast stream of video content of the selected channel from the component, wherein the video content control module is configured to transmit the video content to the display device in response to an accept channel command received at the set-top box device and to transmit video content associated with a prior channel selection in response to a refuse channel command received at the set-top box device, wherein the channel change module is configured to communicate the prior channel selection with the refuse channel command to the component.

14. The set-top box device of claim 13, wherein the component includes a switch.

15. The set-top box device of claim 13, further comprising a graphical user interface (GUI) control module configured to transmit data corresponding to a graphical user interface to the display device, wherein the graphical user interface includes the still image, the data related to the selected channel and a plurality of indicators of selectable commands.

16. The set-top box device of claim 15, wherein the channel change module, the image control module, the data control module, the GUI module, or any combination thereof are stored within a shared memory device.

17. The set-top box device of claim 15, wherein the channel change module, the image control module, the data control module, the GUI module, or any combination thereof are within a processor.

18. The set-top box device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of indicators of selectable commands of the graphical user interface includes at least one option indicator and the GUI control module is configured to receive a selection of at least one option indicator from a user.

19. The set-top box device of claim 18, wherein the GUI control module is configured to:

prompt the user to input at least one recording instruction when the selected option indicator is a digital video recorder (DVR) programming option indicator; and

transmit at least one programming command to a DVR, wherein the at least one programming command corresponds to the at least one recording instruction.

20. The set-top box device of claim 18, wherein the GUI control module is configured to:

prompt the user for a designated program, when the selected option indicator is a program notification option indicator; and

output a notification to the display device at a pre-defined time before a scheduled start time of the designated program.

21. The set-top box device of claim 18, wherein the GUI control module is configured to:

prompt the user for a designated program, when the selected option indicator is a program notification option indicator; and

issue a selection of a channel of the designated program to the channel change module at a pre-defined time before a scheduled start time of the designated program.

22. The set-top box device of claim 18, wherein the GUI control module is configured to:

determine a type of programming of the selected channel, when the selected option indicator is a program search option indicator; and

output data related to at least one other channel having a substantially similar type of programming.

23. The set-top box device of claim 13, wherein the video content control module includes a buffer and the video content associated with the selected channel or the prior channel selection is transmitted from the set-top box device to the display device when an amount of the video content within the buffer exceeds a designated portion of the buffer.

24. A computer program tangibly embodied on a computer-readable medium, the computer program comprising:

instructions to receive a selection of a channel at a set-top box device;

instructions to communicate the selection of the channel from the set-top box device to a component of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system;

instructions to communicate with the component to receive a still image associated with a program available for imminent display via the selected channel and to transmit the still image to a display device coupled to the set-top box device;

instructions to communicate with the component to receive data related to the selected channel;

instructions to transmit the data to the display device;

instructions to receive a multicast stream of video content of the selected channel from the component and to transmit the video content to the display device, in response to a selection of an accept channel command;

instructions to communicate to the component a selection of a refuse channel command with a prior channel selection from the set-top box device, in response to the selection of the refuse channel command; and

instructions to receive a multicast stream of video content associated with the prior channel selection, in response to the selection of the refuse channel command.

25. The computer program of claim 24, wherein the still image is associated with the program of the selected channel on a one-to-one basis.

26. The computer program of claim 24, wherein the still image is associated with a plurality of programs of the selected channel on a one-to-many basis.

27. The computer program of claim 24, wherein the still image is associated with a plurality of programs of a plurality of channels.