Systems and methods for content delivery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9769538-B2
Application number	US-201213716682-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2012
Priority date	Dec 17, 2012
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

Systems and methods for redirecting content from a first user device to a second user device is disclosed. The first user device may generate a redirection request message and transmit the redirection request message to a video back office server. The redirection request message may contain information pertaining to the user device to which the content is to be redirected and information related to a current session of the rendering the content. The video back office server may instantiate a redirection of the content to the second user device based at least in part on the received redirection request message.

First claim

The claimed invention is:

1. A method, comprising:
identifying, by a first user device comprising one or more processors, one or more second user devices;
rendering, by the first user device, a first respective indicia corresponding to each of the one or more second user devices, wherein:
the first user device is a managed user device that is connected to a content delivery network via a cable connection, and
the one or more second user devices are at least one of a managed user device or an unmanaged user device that is connected to the content delivery network via a gateway;

receiving, by the first user device, a selection of a user device of the one or more second user devices, based at least in part on a detected input associated with at least one of the corresponding indicia;
generating, by the first user device, a redirection request message based at least in part on the selection of the user device from the one or more second user devices, and information associated with a rendering of content by the first user device, wherein the information corresponds to:
a profile associated with the user device, wherein the profile includes content information about rendering the content on the user device, the content information comprises one or more of:
an aspect ratio of the user device,
resolution of the user device,
frame refresh frequency of the user device, or
content transfer bit rate of the user device;

rendering, by the first user device, a second respective indicia corresponding to one or more commands to control content corresponding to the redirection request message;
receiving, by the first user device, a selection of a command corresponding to the second respective indicia; and
transmitting, by the first user device, the redirection request message and the command.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the first user device, an indication of redirection of content.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first user device is an unmanaged user device and the one or more second user devices are at least one of: a managed user device; or an unmanaged user device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the one or more second user devices comprises:
transmitting, by the first user device, a request for identification of the one or more second user devices; and
receiving, by the first user device, an indication of the one or more second user devices.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying, by the first user device, a content on a display screen of the first user device.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein rendering the respective indicia corresponding to each of the one or more second user devices comprises pausing the displaying of the content on the display screen.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein rendering the respective indicia corresponding to each of the one or more second user devices comprises displaying a respective icon corresponding to each of the one or more second user devices on a display screen of the first user device.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying, by the first user device, one or more session information associated with displaying, by the first user device, a content on a display screen of the first user device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein generating a redirection request message further comprises generating, by the first user device, the redirection request message based at least in part on the one or more session information.

10. A system, comprising:
a display screen configured to display content;
at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions;
at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
display a content on the display screen;
receive an indication of redirection of the content;
identify one or more available user devices, wherein the one or more available user devices are at least one of a managed user device that is connected to a content delivery network via a cable connection or an unmanaged user device that is connected to the content delivery network via a gateway;

render a first respective indicia corresponding to each of the one or more available user devices;
receive a selection of at least one of the one or more available user devices based at least in part on a detected input associated with at least one of the corresponding indicia;
generate a redirection request message based at least in part on:
the selection of the at least one of the one or more available user devices, and
information associated with a rendering of the content, wherein the information corresponds to:
a profile associated with the user device, wherein the profile includes content information about rendering the content on the user device, the content information comprises one or more of:
 an aspect ratio of the user device,
 resolution of the user device,
 frame refresh frequency of the user device, or
 content transfer bit rate of the user device;

render a second respective indicia corresponding to one or more commands to control content corresponding to a redirection request message;
receive a selection of a command corresponding to the second respective indicia; and
identify one of more session information based at least in part on the display of the content on the display screen;
transmit a redirection request message, based at least in part on:
the selection of the user device of the one or more user devices,
the one or more session information, and
the command.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more available user devices comprises at least one of: a tablet computing device; a smartphone; a netbook computer; a laptop computer; a set-top box; a television; a desktop computer; or a content recording device.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to receive an indication of the one or more available user devices from a video back office server.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more session information comprises at least one of: a bookmark of the content already rendered during a current session; volume settings associated with the current session; brightness settings associated with the current session; or contrast settings associated with the current session.

14. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a video back office server comprising one or more processors, a redirection request message and a command;
determining, by the video back office server and based at least in part on the redirection request message and the command, a destination user device and one or more session related information, wherein the destination user device is at least one of a managed user device that is connected to a content delivery network via a cable connection or an unmanaged user device that is connected to the content delivery network via a gateway;
identifying, by the video back office server and based at least in part on the destination user device, one or more format information associated with the destination user device, and a profile associated with the destination user device, wherein the profile comprises content information about the reproduction of content on the destination user device, the content information comprises one or more of:
an aspect ratio of the user device,
resolution of the user device,
frame refresh frequency of the user device, or
content transfer bit rate of the user device; and

instantiating, by the

Assignees

• Cox Communications Inc

Inventors

• Killick Ray

Classifications

• H04N21/6587 Primary

  Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection · CPC title

• H04N21/41407

  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 title

• H04N21/462

  Content or additional data management e.g. creating a master electronic programme guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end or controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabilities · CPC title

• H04N21/266

  Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel · CPC title