Methods, devices, and systems for distributing content in community of over-the-air broadcast content receivers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12267149-B2
Application number	US-202117558369-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2021
Priority date	Dec 21, 2021
Publication date	Apr 1, 2025
Grant date	Apr 1, 2025

Abstract

A method of providing channel content in a broadcast content reception and distribution system includes: receiving, by a broadcast content reception device, information that identifies a channel that provides channel content, from a content player device; receiving, by the broadcast content reception device, a signal that transmits the channel content, from an antenna; receiving, by the broadcast content reception device, information that indicates a signal strength corresponding to the channel based on the signal that transmits the channel content received from the antenna; determining, by the broadcast content reception device, that the signal strength is less than or equal to a threshold value based on the information that indicates the signal strength; and transmitting, by the broadcast content reception device, a message to the content player device in response to the determining that the signal strength is less than or equal to the threshold value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of providing channel content in a broadcast content reception device, the method comprising:
receiving, by a first broadcast content reception device, information that identifies a channel that provides channel content, from a content player device, the first broadcast content reception device being a client-side device that receives over-the-air broadcast signals that include content for distribution;
receiving, by the first broadcast content reception device, a signal that transmits the channel content, from an antenna, the signal being an over-the-air broadcast signal;
receiving, by the first broadcast content reception device, information that indicates a signal strength corresponding to the channel, the information that indicates the signal strength corresponding to the channel being based on the signal that transmits the channel content received from the antenna;
determining, by the first broadcast content reception device, that the signal strength is less than or equal to a threshold value based on the information that indicates the signal strength corresponding to the channel; and
in response to determining that the signal strength corresponding to the channel is less than or equal to the threshold value:
receiving commands to communicate with a community server to identify a second broadcast content reception device, the second broadcast content reception device being a client-side device that receives over-the-air broadcast signals that include content for distribution;
causing a request for channel information to be transmitted to the community server device;
receiving information from the community server device that identifies a second broadcast content reception device that receives the channel content via an over-the-air broadcast signal;
transmitting, by the first broadcast content reception device, a request to the second broadcast content reception device for the channel content to be transmitted from the second broadcast content reception device to the first broadcast content reception device; and
receiving, by the first broadcast content reception device, the channel content as transmitted from the second broadcast content reception device to the first broadcast content reception device.

2. The method of providing channel content according to claim 1 , wherein causing the request for channel information to be transmitted to the community server device further comprises:
transmitting, by the first broadcast content reception device, a message to the content player device;
receiving, by the content player device, the message from the first broadcast content reception device;
transmitting, by the content player device, the request for channel information to a community server device in response to the receiving the message from the broadcast content reception device;
receiving, by the content player device, the information that identifies the second broadcast content reception device from the community server device;
transmitting, by the content player device, the request for the channel content to the second broadcast content reception device; and
receiving, by the content player device, the channel content from the second broadcast content reception device.

3. The method of providing channel content according to claim 1 , further comprising:
tuning, by the first broadcast content reception device, a receiver based on the information that indicates the channel in response to the receiving the information that indicates the channel.

4. The method of providing channel content according to claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting, by the first broadcast content reception device, the channel content based on the signal that transmits the channel content received from the antenna, to the content player device; and
stopping, by the first broadcast content reception device, the transmitting the channel content based on the signal that transmits the channel content received from the antenna in response to the determining that the signal strength corresponding to the channel is less than or equal to the threshold value.

5. The method of providing channel content according to claim 1 , wherein causing the request for channel information to the community server device further comprises:
transmitting, by the first broadcast content reception device, the request for channel information to a community server device in response to the determining that the signal strength corresponding to the channel is less than or equal to the threshold value;
receiving, by the first broadcast content reception device, the information that identifies the second broadcast content reception device from the community server device;
transmitting, by the first broadcast content reception device, the request for the channel content using the information that identifies the second broadcast content reception device received from the community server device, to the second broadcast content reception device;
receiving, by the first broadcast content reception device, the channel content from the second broadcast content reception device; and
storing, by the first broadcast content reception device, the channel content received from the second broadcast content reception device.

6. The method of providing channel content according to claim 5 , further comprising:
transmitting, by the first broadcast content reception device, the channel content received from the second broadcast content reception device to the content player device.

7. A method comprising:
receiving, by a first broadcast content reception device, information that identifies a channel that provides channel content, from a content player device;
receiving, by the first broadcast content reception device, a signal that transmits the channel content, from an antenna;
receiving, by the first broadcast content reception device, information that indicates a signal strength corresponding to the channel, the information that indicates the signal strength corresponding to the channel being based on the signal that transmits the channel content received from the antenna;
determining, by the first broadcast content reception device, that the signal strength is less than or equal to a threshold value based on the information that indicates the signal strength corresponding to the channel;
transmitting, by the first broadcast content reception device, a message to the content player device in response to the determining that the signal strength corresponding to the channel is less than or equal to the threshold value;
receiving, by the first broadcast content reception device, a request for channel information from a community server device;
tuning, by the first broadcast content reception device, a receiver in response to the receiving the request for channel information from the community server device;
storing, by the first broadcast content reception device, information that indicates one or more signal strengths corresponding to one or more channels based on the tuning; and
transmitting, by the first broadcast content reception device, a response to the request for channel information including the information that indicates the one or more signal strengths corresponding to the one or more channels to the community server device.

8. A client-side broadcast content reception device configured to receive over-the-air broadcast signals comprising:
a receiver which, in operation, receives an over-the-air broadcast signal that transmits channel content, from an antenna;
at least one transceiver;
a processor coupled to the receiver, the at least one transceiver; and
a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the

Assignees

• Dish Network Technologies India Pvt Ltd

Inventors

• Kumar Amit
• Ranganathan Gopikumar
• Eluvan Rakesh

Classifications

• H04H60/37

  for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID · CPC title

• H04H60/29

  Arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services · CPC title

• H04H60/79

  characterised by transmission among broadcast stations · CPC title

• H04H60/11

  Arrangements for counter-measures when a portion of broadcast information is unavailable · CPC title

• H04H60/43 Primary

  for identifying broadcast channels · CPC title