Media bridge apparatus and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9602864-B2
Application number	US-48059709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2009
Priority date	Jun 8, 2009
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for content, media and data delivery and access between devices of a premises and one or more portable media devices. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a media bridge between a portable media device (PMD) and a user's home network and/or home devices (e.g., set-top boxes, DVRs, etc.)). The apparatus is adapted to convert content stored on a PMD to a format capable of being rendered on a home device which may then store or playback the content. Control of the presentation is also provided by the bridging apparatus. The apparatus may also be adapted to transfer content from the home device to the PMD for storage or playback. In another embodiment, the apparatus may function within a home network having a trusted domain to provide content between a plurality devices on the network (and in the domain) and the PMD.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus adapted to distribute media content within a network, said apparatus comprising:
a first interface adapted to communicate with a first device, said first device configured to output or receive media content in a first format;
a second interface adapted to communicate with a second device, said second device configured to output or receive media content in a second format;
at least one converter apparatus adapted to convert media content between said first format and said second format;
at least one translator apparatus adapted to translate one or more commands to control manipulation of said media content between a first protocol utilized by said first device and a second protocol utilized by said second device; and
a processor apparatus adapted to: (i) access said first device, (ii) generate a webpage comprising a list of content in said first device, (iii) prioritize instances of said content in said list according to a quality-of-service (QoS) policy, (iv) after said prioritization, provide to said second device access to said list of content, and (v) implement said QoS policy for provision, from said first device to said second device, of at least one of said content selected from said list.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said media content comprises digitally compressed video content.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an IEEE Std. 802.3af PoE compliant power distribution apparatus adapted to provide power at least to said first device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first device comprises a portable media device (PMD), said first format comprises an analog format, said second device comprises a customer premises equipment (CPE), and said second format comprises a digital format.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said PMD comprises at least one of:
a video player application;
cellular telephony interface; or
a music player application.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein:
said first interface is adapted to receive media content from said first device in analog format;
said converter apparatus is adapted to convert said media content from said analog format to digital format; and
said second interface is adapted to transmit said digital format media content to said second device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein said first interface comprises at least one of a composite output interface or a stereo output interface, and said second interface comprises an Ethernet interface.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein said second device is further associated with a premises network comprising a plurality of devices, said media content in said second format being made available to said plurality of devices via said second device.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein:
said second interface is further adapted to receive from said second device one or more commands to control playback of said media content in accordance with said second protocol; and
said first interface is further adapted to transmit said one or more commands in accordance with said first protocol; and
wherein said first interface comprises at least one of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface or a RS232 interface, and second interface comprises an Ethernet interface.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first and second formats comprise first and second digital encodings, and said converter comprises a processor having a transcoding algorithm adapted to transcode one of said first and second formats to said second and first formats, respectively.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said second device is further associated with a premises network comprising a plurality of devices each configured to store a plurality of media content thereon, individual ones of said plurality of media content comprising said media content in said first format received at said apparatus via said second device.

12. A system for distribution of media content, said system comprising:
a first device associated with a content distribution network and adapted to utilize said media content in a first format;
a second device adapted to utilize said media content in a second format;
a bridging apparatus, said bridging apparatus adapted to:
store first capability information of said first device and said second device in a media player database;
said media player database further configured to access one or more previously stored user-specific profiles to obtain second capability information in addition to or missing from said first capability information;
access said media content from said first device and said second device, said accessed media content comprising protection data configured to indicate that said media content cannot become a source of multiple viewable copies;
create a sortable list comprising said accessed media content;
receive a request for said media content element from said sortable list;
convert said media content between said first and second formats; and
deliver said media content and one or more rules associated therewith from one of said first or second devices to an other of said first or second devices in a format capable of being received thereon, said one or more rules configured to indicate one or more copies of said media content as un-viewable according to said protection data.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein said first device comprises consumer premises equipment (CPE), and said media content comprises content received from a content source within said content distribution network to which said CPE is in communication.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein said CPE comprises a coaxial cable interface to exchange said media content with other CPE within a premises served by a local network formed at least in part by said coaxial cable.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein said second device comprises a portable media device (PMD), and said media content comprises digitally compressed content stored thereon.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein said bridging apparatus further comprises a storage entity adapted to store said media content from at least one of said first and second devices, and said delivery of said content comprises delivery from said storage entity.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein said bridging apparatus is further adapted to enable said first device to utilize one or more trick mode operations in playback of said media content from said second device.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein:
said accessed media content is sorted within said sortable list based at least in part on content type, said content type prioritized according to a quality-of-service (QoS) policy; and
said delivery of said media content comprises implementation of said QoS policy therefor.

19. The system of claim 12 , wherein said bridging apparatus is further adapted to:
identify a cable connection type; and
configure one or more ports to make use of said identified cable connection type.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein said configuration of said one or more ports comprises configuration of one or more Media Dependent Interface (MDI) ports via automatic wire switching to make use of said identified cable connection type, said one or more MDI ports configured to automatically detect a required cable connection type and configure said bridging apparatus to utilize said required cable connection type.

21. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a secure processing apparatus, said secure processing appar

Assignees

• Cholas Chris
• Helms William L
• Markley Jeffrey P
• Time Warner Cable Entpr Llc

Inventors

• Cholas Chris
• Helms William L
• Markley Jeffrey P

Classifications

• H04N21/47214

  for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market (stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224) · CPC title

• H04N21/4334

  Recording operations (recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27) · CPC title

• H04N21/4126

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

• H04N7/17318

  Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests · CPC title

• H04N21/4332 Primary

  by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository (interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739) · CPC title