System for establishing communications with a mobile device server

• US 9,369,773 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2014
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2010
• 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: Brown, William A., Boatright, Michael, Banner, Stephen G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengesha, Mulugeta
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAIG, SAHAR A
• Application Number:
  US14/452,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20140344878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 725/152, 725/133, 725/153, 725/106, 725/112
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/123 where the packet-switched network is an Internet Protocol Multimedia System-type network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2265 Server identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/27 Server based end-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64 Addressing network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00; support for multicast or broadcast of one-way stream services H04L65/611
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64707 for transferring content from a first network to a second network, e.g. between IP and wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, receiving a message transmitted from a web server application operating in a mobile device and inserting an identifier of a gateway device into the message to produce a modified message. The modified message includes a request to invoke a software application in the mobile device. The modified message is forwarded to a remote server to allow the server to establish communications with a media processor based on the identifier of the gateway device. The media processor invokes the software application in the mobile device based on an address supplied by the web server application allowing the mobile device to execute the software application and to establish media communication services with the media processor responsive to executing the software application. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting, by a gateway comprising a processor, a list of devices to a mobile device, wherein the list of devices comprises a media processor;

receiving, by the gateway, a message from a web server application of the mobile device in response to the mobile device receiving the list of devices, wherein the message is directed to a remote server in a network remote from a location of the media processor, wherein the gateway is in wireless communication with the mobile device and assigned to a first address, wherein the message comprises an identifier of a software application of the mobile device, a second address associated with the software application and a request to initiate the software application in the mobile device;

inserting, by the gateway, the first address into the message to produce a modified message; and

sending, by the gateway, the modified message to the remote server,

wherein the modified message causes the remote server to identify the media processor and media services assigned thereto based on the first address of the gateway, and

wherein the modified message causes the remote server to direct the media processor to invoke the software application in the mobile device based on the second address, wherein the mobile device receives a request from the media processor to execute the software application based on the second address and to execute the software application to establish communication services, wherein the mobile device and the media processor communicate with each other based on the communication services.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the web server application comprises using a hypertext transfer protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second addresses are internet protocol addresses, and wherein the communication services comprise exchanging markup language instructions.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the list of devices comprises devices active on a wireless network, and wherein the markup language corresponds to one of a multimedia retrieval markup language or an extensible markup language.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the message comprises receiving, by the gateway, a uniform resource locator with a plurality of descriptors that identify the software application and the second address.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first address is inserted into a hypertext transfer protocol header of the message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein operations of the media processor are managed by the mobile device responsive to the communication services being established.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is one of a portable telephone, a cellular telephone, a cordless telephone, a media player, a gaming console, a personal digital computer, a personal computer, a tablet computer a laptop computer, or combinations thereof, and wherein the web server application submits a request to the media processor to receive streaming media content.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the server locates the media processor and the media services associated therewith based on the address of the gateway, wherein the media services are selected from a group consisting of a Video on Demand (VoD) service, a VoD catalog, a personal media catalog, an electronic programming guide, an interactive media service and combinations thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises an identifier of the mobile device to enable the server to authorize a request submitted by the web server application to establish the communication services.

11. A gateway device comprising:

a memory to store executable instructions; and

a processor in communication with the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the instructions, facilitates performance of operations comprising;

transmitting a list of devices to a mobile device, wherein the list of devices comprises a media processor;

receiving a message transmitted from a web server application in the mobile device in response to the mobile device receiving the list of devices, wherein the message is directed to a remote server in a network remote from a location of the media processor;

inserting an identifier of the gateway device into the message to produce a modified message, wherein the modified message comprises a request to invoke a software application in the mobile device, and wherein the software application is associated with an address; and

forwarding the modified message to the remote server to allow the remote server to establish communications with the media processor based on the identifier of the gateway device, wherein the media processor invokes the software application in the mobile device based on the address supplied by the web server application causing the mobile device to execute the software application based on the address and establish media communication services with the media processor responsive to executing the software application.

12. The gateway device of claim 11, wherein the web server application of the mobile device comprises the software application, and wherein the mobile device is selected from a group consisting of a portable telephone, a cellular telephone, a cordless telephone, a media player, a gaming console, a personal digital computer, a personal computer, a tablet computer and a laptop computer.

13. The gateway device of claim 11, wherein the media communications services conform to a multimedia retrieval markup language, and wherein the address associated with the software application comprises an internet protocol address.

14. The gateway device of claim 11, wherein the identifier of the gateway comprises a first internet protocol address assigned to the gateway.

15. The gateway device of claim 11, wherein the web server application corresponds to a hypertext transfer protocol server application in the mobile device, and wherein the message is transmitted wirelessly in response to the mobile device detecting the media processor.

16. A machine-readable storage device, comprising executable instructions which, responsive to being executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

transmitting a list of devices to a mobile device, wherein the list of devices comprises a media processor;

receiving a message transmitted wirelessly from a web server application in the mobile device in response to the mobile device receiving the list of devices, wherein the message is directed to a remote server in a network remote from a location of the media processor;

inserting an identifier of a gateway processor into the message to produce a modified message, wherein the modified message comprises a request to invoke a software application in the mobile device, and wherein the software application is associated with an address; and

forwarding the modified message to the remote server, allowing the remote server to establish communications with the media processor based on the identifier of the gateway processor, such that the media processor can invoke the software application in the mobile device based on the address supplied by the web server application, wherein invocation of the software application in the mobile device allows the mobile device to perform operations comprising executing the software application based on the address and establishing media communication services with the media processor responsive to executing the software application.

17. The machine-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the web server application of the mobile device comprises the software application, and wherein the message is transmitted wirelessly in response to the mobile device detecting the media processor.

18. The machine-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the media communications services conform to a multimedia retrieval markup language, and wherein the address comprises an internet protocol address.

19. The machine-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the web server application corresponds to a hypertext transfer protocol server application in the mobile device.

20. The machine-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the mobile device comprises a device selected from a group consisting of a portable telephone, a cellular telephone, a cordless telephone, a media player, a gaming console, a personal digital computer, a personal computer, a tablet computer and a laptop computer, and wherein the media processor comprises one of a set-top box, a computer, a gaming console or a media player.