Method and system for filtering home-network content

• US 8,713,199 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2004
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Bronnenberg, Wilhelmus Josephus Herman Jan, Bodlaender, Maarten Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuoc
• Assistant Examiner(s): John, Clarence
• Application Number:
  US10/597,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20070168051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,417 Days
• Field of Search: 709/246, 709/204
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2823 Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• 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 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements

Abstract

A method for filtering and storing information about content which is available on a network device of many network devices in a network includes filtering the information by removing information about content which cannot be rendered by at least one of the network devices adapted for rendering content, storing the filtered information and making it available on the network. When the network is a UPnP network, then control points have faster reaction times when they browse a content directory that includes the stored filtered information. For reducing load on the content directory service, the control point and the network is obtained when the control point browses the content directories. Further, the content presented to the user on the user screen of a control point only comprises content which can be used.

Claims

1. A method of filtering and storing information describing characteristics of content stored on at least one network device and accessible via a network, said content being potentially useable by a plurality of network rendering devices adapted for rendering content, the method comprising the acts of:

periodically filtering the information describing characteristics of the content to yield filtered information and remaining information, the filtered information being devoid of information describing characteristics of content that cannot be rendered by any of the plurality of network rendering devices;

storing, in a content directory, the filtered information devoid of information describing characteristics of content that cannot be rendered by any of said plurality of network rendering devices;

determining that the remaining information cannot be rendered by any of the plurality of network rendering devices for forming removed information;

storing the removed information removed by the periodically filtering act;

searching or browsing the content directory to review said filtered information devoid of information describing characteristics of content that cannot be rendered by any of the plurality of network rendering devices; and

searching the removed information describing characteristics of content that cannot be rendered by any of the plurality of network rendering devices,

wherein said searching or browsing of the content directory to review said filtered information devoid of information describing characteristics of content that cannot be rendered by any of the plurality of network rendering devices, is performed independently of said periodic filtering of information about the content to yield filtered information devoid of information describing characteristics of content that cannot be rendered by any of the plurality of network rendering devices, and

wherein said periodic filtering of information about the content to yield filtered information devoid of information describing characteristics of content that cannot be rendered by any of the plurality of network rendering devices, is performed upon elapse of a predetermined time interval following removal from the network of a network rendering device of the plurality of network rendering devices.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the acts of:

determining that the remaining information include questionable content having doubt as to whether the questionable content can be rendered by any of said plurality of network rendering devices; and

flagging the questionable content with a comment indicating that there is doubt as to whether the questionable content can be rendered by any of said plurality of network rendering devices.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein content that cannot be rendered by any of the plurality of network rendering devices, comprises content having a format or a transport protocol that is not compatible with any of the plurality of network rendering devices.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein content that cannot be rendered by any of the plurality of network rendering devices, comprises content having a DRM system that is not supported by any of the plurality of network rendering devices.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said periodic filtering of information about the content to yield filtered information devoid of information describing characteristics of content that cannot be rendered by any of the plurality of network rendering devices, is repeated over a predefined time interval.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said periodic filtering of information about the content to yield filtered information devoid of information describing characteristics of content that cannot be rendered by any of the plurality of network rendering devices, is performed when a network rendering device of the plurality of network rendering devices is removed from the network.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said periodic filtering of information about the content to yield filtered information devoid of information describing characteristics of content that cannot be rendered by any of the plurality of network rendering devices, is performed when a new network rendering device is added to the network.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network is a UPnP network, and the information describing characteristics of the content is stored by a UPnP content directory service.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises the act of:

selecting content for transfer via the network to any one of the network rendering devices, wherein said selecting is based on the searching or browsing act, and wherein said content selected for transfer is renderable by any of the plurality of network rendering devices.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the act of storing removed information comprises the act of:

periodically filtering information describing characteristics of the content to yield filtered information including information describing characteristics of content that cannot be rendered by any of the plurality of network rendering devices, and making available on the network said filtered information including information describing characteristics of content that cannot be rendered by any of the plurality of network rendering devices.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said method further comprises the act of:

initiating an action based on said filtered information including information describing characteristics of content that cannot be rendered by any of the plurality of network rendering devices, wherein the action comprises any of the following;

a) upgrading the network;

b) downloading and/or installing a codec;

c) adapting a security parameter;

d) recommending the purchase or upgrade of at least one network rendering device; and

e) providing a human-perceptible explanation of why content is unusable by the at least one network rendering device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of searching the removed information comprises the acts of:

accessing the removed information; and

determining upgrades of the network based on the accessing act.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the removed information are hidden content hidden from a user when performing the searching or browsing act.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the act of providing a human-perceptible explanation of why content removed by the periodically filtering act is unusable by the at least one network rendering device.

15. A device adapted for filtering and storing information describing characteristics of content accessible via a network, said content being potentially useable by a plurality of network rendering devices adapted for rendering content, the device comprising:

at least one filtering element adapted to periodically filter the information describing characteristics of the content to yield filtered information and remaining information, the filtered information being devoid of information describing characteristics of content that cannot be rendered by any of the plurality of network rendering devices; and

a storage element containing a content directory including the filtered information devoid of information describing characteristics of content that cannot be rendered by any of the plurality of network rendering devices;

wherein the storage element further contains removed information removed by the at least one filtering element;

wherein the content directory is searchable or browseable to enable review of said filtered information devoid of information describing characteristics of content that cannot be rendered by any of the plurality of network rendering devices, and searching or browsing of the content directory to review said filtered information devoid of information describing characteristics of content that cannot be rendered by any of the plurality of network rendering devices is performed independently of said periodic filtering by the at least one filtering element to yield filtered information devoid of information describing characteristics of content that cannot be rendered by any of the plurality of network rendering devices, and

wherein the content directory is searchable or browseable to enable review of said removed information, and

wherein said periodic filtering of information about the content to yield filtered information devoid of information describing characteristics of content that cannot be rendered by any of the plurality of network rendering devices, is performed upon elapse of a predetermined time interval following removal from the network of a network rendering device of the plurality of network rendering devices.

16. The device of claim 15, further comprising a processor configured to:

determine that the remaining information include questionable content having doubt as to whether the questionable content can be rendered by any of said plurality of network rendering devices; and

flag the questionable content with a comment indicating that there is doubt as to whether the questionable content can be rendered by any of said plurality of network rendering devices.

17. A network comprising the device of claim 15 and at least one network rendering device.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the removed information is accessible for determining upgrades of the network.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the removed information are hidden content hidden from a user, and a human-perceptible explanation is provided to the user of why content removed by the at least one filtering element is unusable by any of the plurality of network rendering devices.