Methods and apparatus for integrating media across a wide area network
View Patent ↗A system for distributing media includes a wide area network (WAN), a media player coupled to the WAN at a first home, and a media server coupled to the WAN at a second home for providing media. A service is coupled to the WAN for receiving a request for media from the media player and for establishing a connection between the first and second homes over the WAN. Media is streamed across the WAN from the second home to the first home. The system may include a storage device coupled to the media player where media is transferred across the WAN for storage at the storage device. A media device may be coupled to the media player for playing the streamed/transferred media where the media player and the media device may comprise a television, stereo, or computer and the media item may comprise video, photographs, or audio.
1. A media system comprising:
a plurality of digital media servers, located at one or more homes that include second and third homes, wherein each of said plurality of digital media servers is configured to transmit at least one media item to one or more digital media players for playback over a wide area network, wherein:
a digital media player is in a first home;
a second digital media server of said plurality of digital media servers is in the third home; and
a wide area network media server is coupled to said wide area network, wherein said wide area network media server comprises processing circuitry configured to:
establish a first connection with said digital media player over said wide area network;
establish a plurality of connections with said digital media servers over said wide area network;
receive, using the first connection, a request for media from said digital media player;
identify which of said plurality of digital media servers can provide said media to said digital media player, wherein:
said identification is based on media items said digital media player is permitted to access and media items available from said plurality of digital media servers;
broker a first direct connection between said digital media player and said identified digital media server over said wide area network to allow said media to be streamed across said wide area network from said identified digital media server directly to said digital media player using the first direct connection and without passing through the wide area network media server, the first connection, or the plurality of connections;
wherein, said media is streamed, using the first direct connection, across said wide area network from said identified digital media server directly to said digital media player;
broker a second direct connection between said first home and said third home over said wide area network;
wherein said at least one media item from said third home is streamed across said wide area network to said first home using the second direct connection, and without gassing through the wide area network media server, the first connection, or the plurality of connections.
2. The media system as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising a media device, coupled to said digital media player, for playing said streaming media.
3. The media system as set forth in claim 2 , wherein said digital media player and said media device comprise a television and said media item comprises video or digital photograph.
4. The media system as set forth in claim 2 , wherein said digital media player and said media device comprise a stereo and said media item comprises audio.
5. The media system as set forth in claim 2 , wherein said digital media player and said media device comprise a computer.
6. The media system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said second home comprises a local area network for coupling at least one additional digital media server to said identified digital media server.
7. The media system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said wide area network media server comprises storage for storing group information, wherein said group information identifies at least two digital media servers of said plurality of digital media servers, located at disparate locations from one another, that present at least one media item.
8. The media system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said wide area network media server is further configured to generate an aggregated list of media items available from said identified digital media server and present said list of media items to said digital media player.
9. The media system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said digital media player is configured to generate an aggregated list of media items available from said identified digital media server.
10. The media system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said identified digital media server is configured to transcode said media item from a first digital format to a second digital format based on capabilities of said digital media player.
11. A media system comprising:
a plurality of digital media servers located at one or more homes that include second and third homes, wherein each of said plurality of digital media servers is configured to transmit at least one media item to one or more digital media players for playback over a wide area network, wherein:
a digital media player is in a first home;
a second digital media server of said plurality of digital media servers is in the third home; and
a wide area network media server is coupled to said wide area network, wherein said wide area network media server comprises processing circuitry configured to:
establish a first connection with said digital media player over said wide area network;
establish a plurality of connections with said digital media servers over said wide area network;
receive a request for at least one digital media file from said digital media player;
identify which of said plurality of digital media servers can provide media to said digital media player, wherein:
said identification is based on media items said digital media player is permitted to access and media items available from said plurality of digital media servers; and
broker a first direct connection between said digital media player and said identified digital media server over said wide area network to allow said at least one digital media file to be streamed across said wide area network from said identified digital media server directly to said digital media player using the first direct connection and without passing through the wide area network media server; and
wherein, said at least one digital media file is transferred across said wide area network, using the first direct connection, from said identified digital media server directly to said digital media player;
broker a second direct connection between said first home and said third home over said wide area network;
wherein said at least one media item is transferred across said wide area network from said third home to said first home using the second direct connection, and without passing through the wide area network media server, the first connection, or the plurality of connections.
12. The media system as set forth in claim 11 , further comprising a media device, coupled to said digital media player, for playing said digital media file.
13. The media system as set forth in claim 12 , wherein said digital media player and said media device comprise a television and said digital media file comprises a digital video file or a digital photograph file.
14. The media system as set forth in claim 12 , wherein said digital media player and said media device comprise a stereo and said digital media file comprises a digital audio file.
15. The media system as set forth in claim 12 , wherein said digital media player and said media device comprise a computer.
16. The media system as set forth in claim 11 , wherein said second home comprises a local area network for coupling at least one additional digital media server to said identified digital media server.
17. The media system as set forth in claim 11 , wherein said wide area network media server comprises storage for storing group information, wherein said group information identifies at least two digital media servers of said plurality of digital media servers, located at disparate locations from one another, that present at least one media item.
18. The media system as set forth in claim 11 , wherein said wide area network media server is further configured to generate an aggregated list of media items available from said identified digital media server and present said list of media items to said digital media player.
19. The media system as set forth in claim 11 , wherein said digital media player is configured to generate an aggregated list of media items available from said identified digital media server and present said list of media items to said digital media player.
20. The media system as set forth in claim 11 , wherein said identified digital media server is configured to transcode said digital media file from a first digital format to a second digital format based on capabilities of said digital media player.
21. The media system of claim 1 , wherein said wide area network media server is configured to identify which of said plurality of digital media servers corresponds to a user by determining which of said plurality of digital media servers has granted permission to said digital media player for media access.
22. A media system comprising:
a first digital media server, a digital media player, and a plurality of second digital media servers, wherein each of said plurality of second digital media servers are located in one or more homes that include second and third homes and are configured to transmit at least one media item for playback to one or more digital media players over said wide area network, wherein a third digital media server of said plurality of second digital media servers is in the third home, and wherein:
the digital media player is in a first home; and
the first digital media server comprises processing circuitry configured to:
establish a first connection with the digital media player over said wide area network;
establish a plurality of connections with said plurality of second digital media servers over said wide area network;
receive a request for media from the digital media player;
identify which of the plurality of second digital media servers can provide said media to said digital media player;
broker a first direct connection between the digital media player and the identified digital media server over the wide area network to allow said media to be transferred or streamed across said wide area network from said identified digital media server directly to said digital media player without passing through the first digital media server, the first connection, or the plurality of connections; and
the media is transferred or streamed across the wide area network, using the first direct connection, from the identified digital media server directly to the digital media player; and
broker a second direct connection between said first home and said third home;
wherein said at least one media item is transferred or streamed across said wide area network from said third home to said first home using the second direct connection, and without passing through the first digital media server, the first connection, or the plurality of connections.
23. A method for transferring media content across a wide area network, the method comprising:
establishing, with a first digital media server, a first connection with the digital media player over a wide area network;
establishing, with the first digital media server, a plurality of connections with a plurality of second digital media servers over said wide area network;
receiving, with the first digital media server, a request for media from the digital media player;
identifying which of the plurality of second digital media servers can provide said media to the digital media player, wherein each of the plurality of second digital media servers are located in one or more homes that include second and third homes and are configured to transmit at least one media item for playback to one or more digital media players over the wide area network, wherein a third digital media server of said plurality of second digital media servers is located in the third home, and wherein:
the digital media player is in a first home;
brokering a first direct connection between the digital media player and the identified digital media server over the wide area network to allow said media to be transferred or streamed across said wide area network from said identified digital media server directly to said digital media player without passing through the first digital media server, the first connection, or the plurality of connections, wherein the media is transferred or streamed across the wide area network, using the first direct connection, from the identified digital media server directly to the digital media player; and
brokering a second direct connection between said third home and said first home over said wide area network, wherein the at least one media item is transferred or streamed across the wide area network using the second direct connection, from said third home directly to said first home.