Granted Patent B2

US 9,294,728 · App. 11/328,587 · Granted Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

Claims (56)

1. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying logic is operable when executed to:

receive source data describing content provided by each of a plurality of packet-based content sources and by each of a plurality of video service providers, different content from different ones of the packet-based content sources having different format characteristics, the content from each of the packet-based content sources having one or more format characteristics that is incompatible with transmission over an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network or viewing on a display associated with a user;

store the content source data in memory as a source list;

select at least one of the packet-based content sources from the plurality of packet-based content sources to receive corresponding content and at least one of the plurality of video service providers to receive a video stream in response to a request from the user based on the source list;

request the corresponding content from a selected packet-based content source and the video stream from a selected video service provider;

identify, based at least in part on the source data, one or more algorithms suitable to modify the corresponding content from the selected packet-based content source and the video stream from the selected video service provider to be compatible with transmission over the IPTV network and viewing on the display;

modify the corresponding content and the video stream based on one or more of the identified algorithms to generate displayable content; and

transmit the displayable content to the display to simultaneously display the corresponding content and the video stream selected in response to the request based on the source list.

2. The media of claim 1 , wherein the logic is further operable when executed to modify the content by translating the content to one of a Moving Picture Experts Group-2(MPEG-2) format or a Moving Picture Experts Group-4(MPEG-4) format.

3. The media of claim 1 , wherein the logic is further operable when executed to:

request and receive the content from the at least two of the plurality of content sources by requesting and receiving still digital images from the content sources; and

modify the content by rendering the still digital images into a video stream.

4. The media of claim 1 , wherein the logic is further operable when executed to authenticate the user with one of the at least two of the plurality of content sources from which the content is being requested.

5. The media of claim 1 , wherein the logic is further operable when executed to request information from a plurality of control sources and to combine the information for simultaneous viewing on the display.

6. The media of claim 1 , wherein the logic is further operable when executed to add one of an announcement and an advertisement to the displayable content.

7. The media of claim 1 , wherein the content is requested via an electronic program guide comprising the list of packet-based content sources available to provide content based on the content source data associated with the display.

8. A method comprising, by one or more computer systems:

receiving source data describing content provided by each of a plurality of packet-based content sources and by each of a plurality of video service providers, different content from different ones of the packet-based content sources having different format characteristics, the content from each of the packet-based content sources having one or more format characteristics that is incompatible with transmission over an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network or viewing on a display associated with a user;

storing the content source data in memory as a source list;

selecting at least one of the packet-based content sources from the plurality of packet-based content sources to receive corresponding content and at least one of the plurality of video service providers to receive a video stream in response to a request from the user based on the source list;

requesting the content from a selected packet-based content source and the video stream from a selected video service provider;

identifying, based at least in part on the source data stored in the memory, one or more algorithms suitable to modify the content from the selected packet-based content source and the video stream from the selected video service provider to be compatible with transmission over the IPTV network and viewing on the display;

modifying the content and the video stream based on one or more of the identified algorithms to generate displayable content; and

transmitting the displayable content to the display to simultaneously display the corresponding content and the video stream selected in response to the request based on the source list.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein modifying the requested content comprises translating the requested content to one of a Moving Picture Experts Group-2 (MPEG-2) format or a Moving Picture Experts Group-4 (MPEG-4) format.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein another one of the at least two of the packet-based content sources provides.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising authenticating the user with one of the at least two of the packet-based content sources from which the content is being requested.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the content is requested via an electronic program guide comprising the list of packet-based content sources available to provide content based on the content source data associated with the display.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising adding an advertisement to the displayable content.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising requesting information from a plurality of control sources and combining the information for simultaneous viewing on the display.

15. An apparatus comprising:

one or more communication interfaces; and

one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying logic that is operable when executed to:

receive source data describing content provided by each of a plurality of packet-based content sources and by each of a plurality of video service providers, different content from different ones of the packet-based content sources having different format characteristics, the content from each of the packet-based content sources having one or more format characteristics that is incompatible with transmission over an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network or viewing on a display associated with a user;

store the content source data in memory as a source list;

select at least one of the packet-based content sources from the plurality of packet-based content sources to receive corresponding content and at least one of the plurality of video service providers to receive a video stream in response to a request from the user based on the source list;

request the content from a selected packet-based content source and the video stream from a selected video service provider;

identify, based at least in part on the source data, one or more algorithms suitable to modify the content from the selected packet-based content source and the video stream from the selected video service provider to be compatible with transmission over the IPTV network and viewing on the display;

modify the content and the video stream based on one or more of the identified algorithms to generate displayable content; and

transmit the displayable content to the display to simultaneously display the corresponding content and the video stream selected in response to the request based on the source list.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the logic is further operable when executed to add an advertisement to the displayable content.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the logic is further operable when executed to modify the content by translating the content to one of a Moving Picture Experts Group-2 (MPEG-2) format or a Moving Picture Experts Group-4 (MPEG-4) format.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the logic is further operable when executed to:

request and receive the content from the at least two of the plurality of content sources by requesting and receiving still digital images from the content sources; and

modify the content by rendering the still digital images into a video stream.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the logic is further operable when executed to authenticate the user with one of the at least two of the plurality of content sources from which the content is being requested.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the logic is further operable when executed to request information from a plurality of control sources and to combine the information for simultaneous viewing on the display.

21. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the content information is requested via an electronic program guide comprising the list of packet-based content sources available to provide content based on the content source data associated with the display.

22. A system comprising:

means for receiving source data describing content provided by each of a plurality of packet-based content sources and by each of a plurality of video service providers, different content from different ones of the packet-based content sources having different format characteristics, the content from each of the packet-based content sources having one or more format characteristics that is incompatible with transmission over an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network or viewing on a display associated with a user;

means for storing the content source data in memory as a source list;

means for selecting at least one of the packet-based content sources from the plurality of packet-based content sources to receive corresponding content and at least one of the plurality of video service providers to receive a video stream in response to a request from the user based on the source list;

means for requesting the content from a selected packet-based content source and the video stream from a selected video service provider;

means for identifying, based at least in part on the source data, one or more algorithms suitable to modify the content from the selected packet-based content source and the video stream from the selected video service provider to be compatible with transmission over the IPTV network and viewing on the display;

means for modifying the content and the video stream based on one or more of the identified algorithms to generate displayable content; and

means for transmitting the displayable content to the display to simultaneously display the corresponding content and the video stream selected in response to the request based on the source list.

Assignments (7)