Systems and methods for remote access to programming information

• US 9,071,797 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2008
• 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: Mukerji, Ankur, White, Scott, Scott, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruckart, Benjamin R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bantamoi, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US12/126,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20090293088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,594 Days
• Field of Search: 725/45, 725/51, 725/107, 725/110, 725/78, 725/80
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method for remotely accessing selected content can include receiving a list of content separate from a video stream. The list of content can include content previously recorded according to a user-defined recording schedule. The method can further include sending a request for content selected from the list of content, receiving the content through a network, and displaying the content.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving by a first remote device, an electronic programming guide from a set top box over a network responsive to authenticating of the first remote device based on an identifier associated with the first remote device, wherein the electronic program guide is stored on the set top box;

accessing, by the first remote device, a first level of a plurality of levels of the electronic program guide received at the first remote device, wherein only the first level of the plurality of levels of the electronic programming guide is enabled for accessing by the first remote device according to the authenticating;

selecting, by the first remote device, first television content from the first level of the plurality of levels of the electronic programming guide, wherein the selecting generates at the first remote device a modification to a user preference associated with the electronic programming guide;

sending, by the first remote device an indicator to the set top box to view the first television content;

sending, by the first remote device, an indicator to the set top box of the modification to the user preference associated with the electronic programming guide, wherein the set top box updates the electronic programming guide stored at the set top box according to the modification to the user preference and wherein the set top box sends a notification associated with the updating of the electronic programming guide to a second remote device;

receiving by the first remote device, the first television content from the set top box over the network;

storing, by the first remote device, the first television content that is received over the network; and

displaying, by the first remote device, the first television content that is received over the network.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising:

selecting, by the first remote device, previously recorded television content that is stored on the set top box; and

receiving, by the first remote device, the previously recorded television content that is selected from the set top box.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first television content is received by the set top box from a media server of a content service provider.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by the first remote device, user information over the network, wherein the user information is stored at the set top box; and

sending, by the first remote device modifications associated with the user information to the set top box, wherein the user information stored at the set top box is updated according to the modifications sent by the first remote device.

5. A method comprising:

storing, by a system comprising a processor, an electronic programming guide at a set top box;

authenticating, by the system, a first remote device according to an identifier associated with the first remote device;

sending, by the system, the electronic programming guide stored at the set top box to the first remote device over a network responsive to the authenticating, wherein access to the electronic programming guide by first remote device is limited to only a first level of a plurality of levels of the electronic programming guide according to the authenticating;

receiving, by the system, from the first remote device a modification of a user preference of the first level of the plurality of levels of the electronic programming guide;

updating, by the system, the first level of the plurality of levels of the electronic programming guide stored at the set top box according to the modification of the user preference; and

sending, by the system, a notification of the updating of the electronic programming guide of the set top box to a second remote device responsive to the updating.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising sending, by the system, television content to the first remote device according to the updating of the electronic programming guide.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

storing, by the system, user information;

sending, by the system, the user information to the first remote device over the network;

receiving, by the system, modifications associated with the user information from the first remote device; and

updating, by the system, the user information responsive to receiving the modifications.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising re-encoding the television content into a reduced bandwidth format, wherein the reduced bandwidth format is selected based on information received from the first remote device indicating an available bandwidth of the first remote device.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the first remote device is a cell phone, wherein the electronic programming guide is sent to the first remote device in response to a request for the electronic programming guide received from the first remote device, wherein the cell phone stores the request for the electronic programming guide and transmits the request for the electronic programming guide when access to the network becomes available to the cell phone.

10. A set-top box, comprising:

computer instructions; and

a memory to store computer instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising;

authenticating a first remote device according to an identifier associated with the first remote device;

sending an electronic programming guide stored at the set-top box to the first remote device over a network responsive to the authenticating, wherein access to the electronic programming guide by first remote device is limited to only a first level of a plurality of levels of the electronic programming guide according to the authenticating;

receiving from the first remote device a modification of a user preference of the first level of the plurality of levels of the electronic programming guide;

updating of the first level of the plurality of levels of the electronic programming guide stored at the set-top box responsive to receiving the modification of the user preference; and

sending a notification of the updating of the electronic programming guide stored at the set-top box to a second remote device responsive to the updating.

11. The set-top box of claim 10, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising sending television content to the first remote device according to the updating of the user preference of the electronic programming guide.

12. The set-top box of claim 11, wherein the updating of the user preference of the electronic programming guide comprises a selection of the television content at the first remote device.

13. The set-top box of claim 11, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising re-encoding the television content into a reduced bandwidth.

14. The set-top box of claim 10 wherein the first remote device is a cell phone.

15. A remote device, comprising:

a memory to store computer instructions; and

a processor in communication with the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising

receiving an electronic programming guide from a set top box over a network, responsive to authenticating of the remote device based on an identifier associated with the remote device;

accessing a first level of a plurality of levels of the electronic program guide received at the remote device according to the authenticating, wherein the only the first level of the plurality of levels of the electronic programming guide is enabled for the accessing by the remote device according to the authenticating;

selecting first television content from the first level of the plurality of levels of the electronic programming guide, wherein the selecting generates a modification of a user preference of the electronic programming guide;

sending a request to the set top box to view the first television content;

sending an indicator to the set top box of the modification of the user preference of the electronic programming guide, wherein the set top box updates the electronic program guide of the set top box according to the modification of the user preference and wherein the set top box sends a notification associated with the updating of the electronic programming guide to a second remote device;

receiving the first television content from the set top box over the network; and

displaying the first television content.

16. The remote device of claim 15 wherein the selecting of the first television content comprises scheduling recording the first television content.

17. The remote device of claim 15 wherein the television content is received as a streaming content.

18. A network server, comprising:

a memory to store computer instructions; and

a processor in communication with the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising;

authenticating a first remote device according to an identifier associated with the first remote device;

receiving modifications to an electronic programming guide from the first remote device responsive to the authenticating wherein access to the electronic programming guide by the first remote device is limited to a first level of a plurality of levels of the electronic program guide according to the authenticating;

updating the electronic programming guide according to the modifications;

sending a notification of the updating of the electronic programming guide to a second remote device responsive to the updating;

receiving a request from the remote device to provide first television content selected from the first level of the plurality of levels of the electronic programming guide; and

providing the first television content to the remote device by way of a set top box for playback at the remote device, wherein the first television content is provided concurrently with a broadcast of the first television content by the network server.

19. The network server of claim 18 wherein providing first television content includes providing streaming content.

20. The network server of claim 18 wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising retrieving the first television content from a remote storage prior to providing the first television content to the remote device.

21. The network server of claim 20 wherein the remote storage includes a set-top box.

22. The network server of claim 18 wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising re-encoding the first television content into a reduced bandwidth format prior to providing the first television content.

23. The network server of claim 18 wherein the remote device is a cell phone.