Methods and apparatus for enabling media functionality in a content-based network

• US 8,396,055 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2009
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Patel, Vipul, Miller, Scott, Shah, Mehul, Yu, Jian
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhou, Yong
• Application Number:
  US12/582,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20110090898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing unified access to interactive media applications and services in a network. In one embodiment, the network comprises a content-based network such as a cable television or satellite network, and the applications are disposed at the network headend. A servlet is provided to facilitate communication between the applications and client devices. The servlet acts as a proxy for applications utilizing a different content format than the client devices. The applications obtain data from e.g., an internet host server via a gateway device. The client application(s) may comprise Enhanced TV Binary Interchange Format (EBIF) pages, and are configured so as to permit use via a common interface (e.g., the user'"'"'s set top box and television display). These client applications enable a user to, for example, search the internet for data relating to displayed content, post and navigate micro-blogs, instant messaging or SMS, making telephone calls (e.g., VoIP), address/contact management, or provide the user with additional information about a product or service. An application providing internet content to the client device is also provided.

Claims

1. For use in a content-based network, a proxy server apparatus comprising:

a first interface configured to communicate with a plurality of client devices via said network;

a second interface configured to communicate with a plurality of media applications disposed on one or more devices of said network, said plurality of media applications comprising interactive applications configured to enable a user to post comments and to view comments simultaneous to a display of content; and

a processor configured to run at least one computer program thereon, said computer program comprising a plurality of instructions which when executed by said processor are configured to;

receive a request from one of said plurality of client devices to access one of said plurality of media applications;

determine whether said requested media application is compatible with said one of said plurality of client devices;

when said requested media application is compatible with said one of said plurality of client devices, refer said one of said plurality of client devices to said requested application for substantially direct communication therebetween; and

when said requested media application is not compatible with said one of said plurality of client devices, facilitate communication therebetween via at least one proxy process.

2. The proxy server apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one proxy process is configured to:

receive a communication in a first encoding format;

convert said communication to a second encoding format; and

transmit said converted communication.

3. The proxy server apparatus of claim 1, wherein said determination of whether said requested media application is compatible with said requesting client device is based at least in part on:

(i) capabilities of said client device, and (ii) a content format utilized by said requested media application.

4. The proxy server apparatus of claim 1, wherein said referral comprises notifying said one of said plurality of client devices of at least one means for contacting said requested media application.

5. The proxy server apparatus of claim 1, wherein said one of said plurality of client devices and said requested application each are Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)-enabled, and said referral comprises utilization of a SIP “

REFER”

method.

6. A method of operating a content distribution network, said method comprising:

providing an internet search application;

rendering user interfaces associated with said internet search application simultaneously with a rendering of media content on a user premises display device associated with a user premises equipment via communication between said user premises equipment and a network servlet associated with the internet search application;

receiving query data from said user premises equipment based at least in part on a user input;

translating query data into a first format readable by a search engine, said translating occurring via said network servlet;

transmitting query data in said first format to said search engine;

receiving search results based, at least in part, on said query data, from said search engine;

translating said search results into a second format readable by said user premises equipment; and

providing search results in said second format to said user premises equipment.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said query data is related to said media content.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said query data comprises a location of a user of said user premises equipment.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said method further comprises eliminating at least one search result from said search results based on a parameter.

10. A method of operating a content distribution network so as to provide a substantially unified user interface environment for a plurality of different applications and services, said method comprising:

providing a plurality of media applications, at least one of said applications being Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) compliant;

causing rendering one or more user interfaces associated with said plurality of applications on a user premises equipment;

receiving requests for said services from said user premises equipment; and

in response to said requests, providing services associated with said applications to a user of said user premises equipment via said user interfaces by;

mapping at least one HTTP-based message sent during operation of said at least one application into a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) communication; and

converting one or more content elements requested by said user as part of said services into an enhanced TV Binary Interchange Format (EBIF)-compatible format.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said act of rendering said one or more user interfaces comprises enabling communication between said user premises equipment and a network servlet associated with said plurality of applications.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said user premises equipment comprises an EBIF (enhanced TV Binary Interchange Format)-compatible application, and said act of enabling communication comprises referring said user premises equipment to said network servlet for substantially direct communication therebetween.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said act of enabling communication comprises facilitating communication between said user premises equipment and said network servlet via at least one proxy process.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said plurality of different media applications comprise at least one of:

(i) a text or Short Message Service (SMS) application;

(ii) an address book or contact management application; and

/or (iii) a telephony application.

15. A network architecture for providing interactive media applications, comprising:

a server entity disposed at a headend of said network, said server entity configured to run at least one proxy application;

a plurality of interactive media applications; and

a plurality of user devices, said user devices in communication with said server entity via said network and each adapted to run at least a client application configured to request access to individual ones of said plurality of interactive media applications;

wherein, the server entity is configured to;

when a requested one of said plurality of interactive media applications is compatible with a requesting one of said plurality of user devices, refer said requesting one of said plurality of user devices to said requested one of said plurality of interactive media applications for substantially direct communication therebetween; and

when said requested one of said plurality of interactive media applications is not compatible with said requesting one of said plurality of user devices, facilitate communication therebetween via said at least one proxy application.

16. The network architecture of claim 15, wherein said client application is further configured to render user interfaces associated with said requested one of said plurality of interactive media applications simultaneously with a rendering of media content on a user premises display device associated with said requesting one of said plurality of user devices via communication between said requesting one of said plurality of user devices and said server entity.

17. The network architecture of claim 15, wherein said requested one of said plurality of interactive media applications enables a user to search data on an internet.

18. The network architecture of claim 17, wherein said at least one proxy application is configured to:

receive query data from said requesting one of said plurality of user devices based at least in part on a user input thereat;

translate said query data into a first format readable by a search engine;

transmit said translated query data to said search engine;

receive search results based at least in part on said query data, from said search engine;

translate said search results into a second format readable by said requesting one of said plurality of user devices; and

provide said translated search results to said requesting one of said plurality of user devices.

19. The network architecture of claim 15, wherein said requested one of said plurality of interactive media applications enables a user to post data to an internet.

20. The network architecture of claim 19, wherein said at least one proxy application is configured to:

receive data relating to a post from said requesting one of said plurality of user devices based at least in part on a user input thereat;

process said data;

transmit said processed data to an internet-based server; and

cause said processed data to be displayed on a website associated with said internet-based server.

21. The network architecture of claim 15, wherein said requested one of said plurality of interactive media applications enables a user to request and receive a second data from an internet.

22. The network architecture of claim 21, further comprising a gateway device in communication with said plurality of interactive media applications and adapted to request and receive said second data from one or more internet host servers on behalf of said requested one of said plurality of interactive media applications.

23. The network architecture of claim 22, wherein said gateway device is further configured to convert said data received from said one or more internet host servers from a first media file container format to a second media file container format employed by said requesting one of said plurality of user devices.

24. The network architecture of claim 15, wherein said requested one of said plurality of interactive media applications enables data to be sent to or from a client device not in communication with said network.

25. The network architecture of claim 15, wherein said requested one of said plurality of interactive media applications enables a user to store a plurality of contact information.