Providing remote access to multimedia content

• US 8,990,355 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2012
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hu, Weidong
• Primary Examiner(s): WINDER, PATRICE L
• Application Number:
  US13/608,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20120331500A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 709203-204, 709217-219, 709/225, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/102 Gateways arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways, H04L12/66
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82

Abstract

Remote access to multimedia content is provided to hardware devices that have been predesignated as approved. For example, a customer premises equipment (CPE) device such as a set-top box may transmit digital television content to a mobile telephone. The multimedia content may be simulcast to multiple remote hardware devices by the CPE device.

Claims

1. A customer premises equipment device, comprising:

a first input to receive a hardware identifier associated with a remote hardware device and indicating the remote hardware device as approved;

a second input to receive a request from the remote hardware device to remotely receive the multimedia content;

a processor to;

verify that the remote hardware device based associated with the hardware identifier has been approved;

transmit the multimedia content to the remote hardware device upon verification that the remote hardware device has been approved;

responsive to receiving a remote hardware device request to interact with a digital video recorder user interface, transmit digital video recorder user interface data to the remote hardware device; and

responsive to receiving, from the remote hardware device, digital video recorder user interface input indicating a requested digital video recorder function, performing the requested digital video recorder function;

a receiver to receive the multimedia content from a multimedia content provider network; and

a transmitter to transmit the multimedia content to the remote hardware device;

wherein the hardware identifier is an International Mobile Equipment Identity number associated with the remote hardware device.

2. The customer premises equipment device of claim 1, wherein the multimedia content occurs is transmitted to the remote hardware device substantially in real time as it is streamed to the customer premises equipment device.

3. The customer premises equipment device of claim 1, wherein the multimedia content occurs is displayed on the remote hardware device substantially in real time as it is streamed to the customer premises equipment device.

4. The customer premises equipment device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter simulcasts the multimedia content to a plurality of remote hardware devices that have each been designated as approved.

5. The customer premises equipment device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter transmits the multimedia content to the remote hardware device using real time transport protocol.

6. The customer premises equipment device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter transmits the multimedia content to the remote hardware device using real data transport protocol.

7. The customer premises equipment device of claim 1, wherein transmitting the multimedia content includes transmitting the multimedia content to a storage media locally coupled to the remote hardware device for later playing on the remote hardware device.

8. The customer premises equipment device of claim 7, wherein the remote hardware device is a cellular telephone and wherein the customer premises equipment device further comprises:

a storage for recording the multimedia content, wherein after recording, the multimedia content is available for later transmission to the remote hardware device.

9. The customer premises equipment device of claim 8, wherein the second input receives input from the remote hardware device to pause, stop, fast forward, and rewind the multimedia content and wherein the customer premises equipment device is enabled to control playback of the multimedia content on the customer premises equipment in response.

10. The customer Premises equipment device of claim 9, wherein the transmitter transmits data for a graphical user interface to the remote hardware device;

and wherein the second input receives input made to the graphical user interface at the remote hardware device for controlling a flow of the transmission of the multimedia content.

11. The customer premises equipment device of claim 10, wherein the input received at the second input includes HTML commands.

12. The customer premises equipment device of claim 10, wherein the input received at the second input includes XML commands.

13. A method, comprising:

receiving a request from a remote hardware device to remotely receive multimedia content;

detecting an international mobile equipment identity associated with the remote hardware device;

verifying that the identity corresponds to an approved hardware device;

receiving the multimedia content from a multimedia content provider network;

encoding the multimedia content for transmission to the remote hardware device upon verification that the remote hardware device has been approved and not encoding the multimedia content for transmission until the remote hardware device has been approved;

responsive to receiving a transmission control input from the remote hardware device, transmitting the multimedia content to the remote hardware device;

transmitting digital video recorder user interface data to the remote hardware device; and

responsive to receiving, from the remote hardware device, digital video recorder user interface input indicating a requested digital video recorder function, performing the requested digital video recorder function.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the remote hardware device is a cellular telephone and wherein the input from the remote hardware device includes an HTML command.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the input from the remote hardware device includes an XML document.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium including program instructions, executable by a processor, wherein the processor, when executing the program instructions performs operations, comprising:

receiving a request from a remote hardware device to remotely receive multimedia content;

detecting an international mobile equipment identity associated with the remote hardware device;

verifying that the identity corresponds to an approved hardware device;

receiving the multimedia content from a multimedia content provider network;

encoding the multimedia content for transmission to the remote hardware device upon verification that the remote hardware device has been approved and not encoding the multimedia content for transmission until the remote hardware device has been approved;

responsive to receiving a transmission control input from the remote hardware device, transmitting the multimedia content to the remote hardware device;

transmitting digital video recorder user interface data to the remote hardware device; and

responsive to receiving, from the remote hardware device, digital video recorder user interface input indicating a requested digital video recorder function, performing the requested digital video recorder function.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations include:

transmitting data for a graphical user interface to the hardware device, wherein the graphical user interface enables remote control of transmission of the multimedia content.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the operations include:

responding to received input from the hardware device by controlling the transmission of the multimedia content.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the received input from the hardware device includes an HTML input.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the received input from the hardware device includes an XML document.