Media synchronization within home network using set-top box as gateway

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9451337-B2
Application number	US-201414448121-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2014
Priority date	May 10, 2012
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

Techniques disclosed herein include systems and methods for transmitting TV program related content to IP connected devices on a home network, or other local area network. Users can watch television while simultaneously receiving content related to TV programs currently being displayed on a television. TV centric and TV program related content can be transmitted to IP connected devices. Moreover, this TV program related content can be displayed at the same time as a television program is being displayed on a television. As such, the system can provide media synchronization within home network using the set-top box as a gateway for delivering the content. Users can watch TV at home, and at the same time receive TV program related content on a laptop, tablet computer, mobile phone, etc.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for media synchronization, comprising:
transmitting, to a set-top box by an electronic device, a request to receive synchronization data corresponding to a specific television channel to which the set-top box is tuned, the synchronization data including a first field containing a first uniform resource locator (URL) string that addresses displayable content, a second field containing a second URL string that addresses an application for use in presenting the displayable content for display, a third field identifying an organization that is a source of the synchronization data, and a fourth field specifying an identifier of the application that pertains to the source of the synchronization data, each of the set-top box and the electronic device being connected to a network;
determining whether the organization identified by the third field included in the synchronization data corresponds to a particular organization that is the source of the synchronization data;
in the event the organization identified by the third field of the synchronization data does not correspond to the particular organization:
retrieving, over the network by the electronic device, the displayable content addressed by the first URL string; and
retrieving, over the network by the electronic device, the application addressed by the second URL string for use in presenting the displayable content for display on the electronic device, thereby allowing the display of the displayable content on the electronic device; and

in the event the organization identified by the third field of the synchronization data corresponds to the particular organization:
blocking one or more of (1) the retrieving of the displayable content addressed by the first URL string, and (2) the retrieving of the application addressed by the second URL string, thereby disallowing the display of the displayable content on the electronic device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to the set-top box being tuned to a second channel, transmitting, to the set-top box by the electronic device, a second request to receive second synchronization data corresponding to the second channel, the second synchronization data including a fifth field containing a third URL string that addresses second displayable content, a sixth field containing a fourth URL string that addresses a second application for use in presenting the second displayable content for display, a seventh field identifying a second organization that is a second source of the second synchronization data, and an eighth field specifying a second identifier of the second application that pertains to the second source of the second synchronization data.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
retrieving, over the network by the electronic device, supplemental content displayable on the electronic device such that the supplemental content is displayed on the electronic device at a time that is synchronized with television programming content displayed on a television.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the synchronization data is embedded such that the set-top box does not process the synchronization data as content displayable on a television.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the request includes transmitting the request via a delivery protocol selected from the group consisting of multicast, broadcast, and unicast.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the synchronization data is embedded within an electronic program guide (EPG) of television signals.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the synchronization data is embedded within packet identifiers of a stream of Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) packets.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the network is a home network using a wireless access point, and wherein the electronic device is a tablet computer.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
recording audio and video of television programming from the specific television channel via a digital video recorder, the digital video recorder also recording the synchronization data such that the synchronization data is accessible to the electronic device during playback of recorded television content.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device connects to a hybrid fiber coax (HFC) broadband network.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device connects to a fiber-to-the-premises fiber optic network.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting of the request to receive the synchronization data corresponding to the specific television channel to which the set-top box is tuned includes transmitting the request to receive the synchronization data including the fourth field specifying the identifier of the application that is unique to the source of the synchronization data.

13. A computer system for media synchronization, the computer system comprising:
a processor; and
a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computer system to perform the operations of:
transmitting, to a set-top box, a request to receive synchronization data corresponding to a specific television channel to which the set-top box is tuned, the synchronization data including a first field containing a first uniform resource locator (URL) string that addresses displayable content, a second field containing a second URL string that addresses an application for use in presenting the displayable content for display, a third field identifying an organization that is a source of the synchronization data, and a fourth field specifying an identifier of the application that pertains to the source of the synchronization data, each of the system and the set-top box being communicably connected to a network;
determining whether the organization identified by the third field included in the synchronization data corresponds to a particular organization that is the source of the synchronization data;
in the event the organization identified by the third field of the synchronization data does not correspond to the particular organization:
retrieving, over the network, the displayable content addressed by the first URL string; and
retrieving, over the network, the application addressed by the second URL string for use in presenting the displayable content for display, thereby allowing the display of the displayable content on the electronic device; and

in the event the organization identified by the third field of the synchronization data corresponds to the particular organization:
blocking one or more of (1) the retrieving of the displayable content addressed by the first URL string, and (2) the retrieving of the application addressed by the second URL string, thereby disallowing the display of the displayable content on the electronic device.

14. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the memory stores further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computer system to perform the operation of:
in response to the set-top box being tuned to a second channel, transmitting, to the set-top box, a second request to receive second synchronization data corresponding to the second channel, the second synchronization data including a fifth field containing a third URL string that addresses second displayable content, a sixth fi

Assignees

• Chen David W
• Patel Vipul B
• Gould Kenneth L
• Yu Jian
• Time Warner Cable Entpr Llc

Inventors

• Chen David W
• Patel Vipul B
• Gould Kenneth L
• Yu Jian

Classifications

• H04N21/4126

  The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones · CPC title

• H04N21/43637

  involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth®, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] (arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114) · CPC title

• H04N21/8173

  End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game · CPC title

• H04N21/8586 Primary

  by using a URL (processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02) · CPC title

• H04N21/43615

  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 title