System and method for internet access to a personal television service
View Patent ↗Systems and methods for remote access to personal television service are disclosed. A remote personal TV service center provides centralized program guide information. Users may access the personal TV service center through a digital video recorder which is connected to the personal TV service center via telephone modem or a network server. Users may access the personal TV service center through a remote computer terminal or a personal digital assistant which is connected to a computer network. A user selects program events and programs the digital video recorder using a graphical user interface installed in the digital video recorder in case of local programming, or using a similar GUI which is incorporated into the Web pages presented to remote users by a Web server in case of remote programming. The media stream stored in one digital video recorder may be transferred to another digital video recorder.
1. A first multimedia playback device comprising:
a subsystem, implemented at least partially by hardware, configured to send a particular multimedia program to a second multimedia playback device, the second multimedia playback device being configured to, responsive to the sending, store the complete particular multimedia program at the second multimedia playback device;
a subsystem, implemented at least partially by hardware, configured to perform playback of the particular multimedia program;
a subsystem, implemented at least partially by hardware, configured to, during playback of the particular multimedia program at the first multimedia playback device, receive input indicating a trick-play action to perform with respect to the playback of the particular multimedia program;
a subsystem, implemented at least partially by hardware, configured to, based on the input indicating the trick-play action, cause the second multimedia playback device to perform the trick-play action during playback of the particular multimedia program at the second multimedia playback device, the playback of the particular multimedia program at the first multimedia playback device being synchronized with the playback of the particular multimedia program at the second multimedia playback device.
2. The first multimedia playback device of claim 1 ,
wherein the input comprises a key event from a viewer at the first multimedia playback device;
wherein causing the second multimedia playback device to perform the trick-play action comprises passing the key event to the second multimedia playback device.
3. The first multimedia playback device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a subsystem configured to, during the playback of the particular multimedia program at the second multimedia playback device, cause the second multimedia playback device to output audio inputted at the first multimedia playback device during the playback of the particular multimedia program at the first multimedia playback device.
4. The first multimedia playback device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a subsystem configured to, during the playback of the particular multimedia program at the second multimedia playback device, cause the second multimedia playback device to play a sound or present a graphic that was played or presented in response to further input at the first multimedia playback device during the playback of the particular multimedia program at the first multimedia playback device.
5. The first multimedia playback device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a subsystem that establishes a secure connection, at the first multimedia playback device, with the second multimedia playback device;
wherein causing the second multimedia playback device to perform the action comprises the first multimedia playback device communicating with the second multimedia playback device over the secure connection.
6. The first multimedia playback device of claim 1 , further comprising a subsystem configured to record the particular multimedia program from a broadcast stream, the first multimedia playback device being a digital video recorder coupled to a display device at which the first multimedia playback device is configured to display the particular multimedia program.
7. The first multimedia playback device of claim 1 , further comprising a subsystem configured to send at least a portion of the particular multimedia program to the second multimedia playback device during the playback of the particular multimedia program at the second multimedia playback device.
8. The first multimedia playback device of claim 1 , wherein the first multimedia playback device is configured to download the particular multimedia program from a content server.
9. The first multimedia playback device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first multimedia playback device or the second multimedia playback device is configured to determine, based on authorization information from a service provider, whether the first multimedia playback device is authorized to interact with the second multimedia playback device.
10. The first multimedia playback device of claim 1 , further comprising a subsystem configured to cause the second multimedia playback device to perform the trick-play action while the first multimedia playback device is still sending the particular multimedia program to the second multimedia playback device.
11. The first multimedia playback device of claim 1 , further comprising a subsystem configured to send the particular multimedia program to the second multimedia playback device, partially concurrent to the playback of the particular multimedia program at the second multimedia playback device, at a speed that is faster than the playback of the particular multimedia program.
12. A method comprising:
sending, from a first multimedia playback device, a particular multimedia program to a second multimedia playback device, the second multimedia playback device being configured to, responsive to the sending, store the complete particular multimedia program at the second multimedia playback device;
during playback of the particular multimedia program at the first multimedia playback device, receiving input indicating a trick-play action to perform with respect to the playback of the particular multimedia program;
based on the input indicating the trick-play action, the first multimedia playback device causing the second multimedia playback device to perform the trick-play action during playback of the particular multimedia program at the second multimedia playback device, the playback of the particular multimedia program at the second multimedia playback device being synchronized with the playback of the particular multimedia program at the first multimedia playback device;
wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.
13. The method of claim 12 ,
wherein the input comprises a key event from a viewer at the first multimedia playback device;
wherein causing the second multimedia playback device to perform the trick-play action comprises passing the key event to the second multimedia playback device.
14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
during the playback of the particular multimedia program at the second multimedia playback device, the first multimedia playback device causing the second multimedia playback device to output audio inputted at the first multimedia playback device during the playback of the particular multimedia program at the first multimedia playback device.
15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
during the playback of the particular multimedia program at the second multimedia playback device, the first multimedia playback device causing the second multimedia playback device to play a sound or present a graphic that was played or presented in response to further input at the first multimedia playback device during the playback of the particular multimedia program at the first multimedia playback device.
16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
establishing a secure connection, at the first multimedia playback device, with the second multimedia playback device;
wherein causing the second multimedia playback device to perform the action comprises the first multimedia playback device communicating with the second multimedia playback device over the secure connection.
17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising the first multimedia playback device recording the particular multimedia program from a broadcast stream, the first multimedia playback device being a digital video recorder coupled to a display device at which the first multimedia playback device displays the particular multimedia program.
18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising the first multimedia playback device sending at least a portion of the particular multimedia program to the second multimedia playback device during the playback of the particular multimedia program at the second multimedia playback device.
19. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: the first multimedia playback device downloading the particular multimedia program from a content server.
20. The method of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first multimedia playback device or the second multimedia playback device is configured to determine, based on authorization information from a service provider, whether the first multimedia playback device is authorized to interact with the second multimedia playback device.
21. The method of claim 12 , further comprising causing the second multimedia playback device to perform the trick-play action while the first multimedia playback device is still sending the particular multimedia program to the second multimedia playback device.
22. The method of claim 12 , further comprising sending the particular multimedia program to the second multimedia playback device, partially concurrent to the playback of the particular multimedia program at the second multimedia playback device, at a speed that is faster than the playback of the particular multimedia program.
23. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause:
sending, from a first multimedia playback device, a particular multimedia program to a second multimedia playback device;
responsive to the sending, the second multimedia playback device storing the complete particular multimedia program at the second multimedia playback device;
during playback of the particular multimedia program at the first multimedia playback device, receiving input indicating a trick-play action to perform with respect to the playback of the particular multimedia program;
based on the input indicating the trick-play action, the first multimedia playback device instructing the second multimedia playback device to perform the trick-play action;
responsive to the first multimedia playback device instructing the second multimedia playback device to perform the trick-play action, the second multimedia playback device performing the trick-play action the during playback of the particular multimedia program at the second multimedia playback device, the playback of the particular multimedia program at the second multimedia playback device being synchronized with the playback of the particular multimedia program at the first multimedia playback device.
24. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 23 ,
wherein the input comprises a key event from a viewer at the first multimedia playback device;
wherein instructing the second multimedia playback device to perform the trick-play action comprises passing the key event to the second multimedia playback device.
25. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 23 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause:
during the playback of the particular multimedia program at the second multimedia playback device, the first multimedia playback device instructing the second multimedia playback device to output audio inputted at the first multimedia playback device during the playback of the particular multimedia program at the first multimedia playback device;
outputting the audio at the second multimedia playback device during the playback of the particular multimedia program at the second multimedia playback device.
26. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 23 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause:
during the playback of the particular multimedia program at the second multimedia playback device, the first multimedia playback device instructing the second multimedia playback device to play a sound or present a graphic that was played or presented in response to further input at the first multimedia playback device during the playback of the particular multimedia program at the first multimedia playback device;
playing the sound or presenting the graphic at the second multimedia playback device during the playback of the particular multimedia program at the second multimedia playback device.
27. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 23 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause:
establishing a secure connection, at the first multimedia playback device, with the second multimedia playback device;
wherein instructing the second multimedia playback device to perform the action comprises the first multimedia playback device communicating with the second multimedia playback device over the secure connection.
28. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 23 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause the first multimedia playback device recording the particular multimedia program from a broadcast stream, the first multimedia playback device being a digital video recorder coupled to a display device at which the first multimedia playback device displays the particular multimedia program.
29. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 23 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause the first multimedia playback device sending at least a portion of the particular multimedia program to the second multimedia playback device during the playback of the particular multimedia program at the second multimedia playback device.
30. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 23 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause: the first multimedia playback device downloading the particular multimedia program from a content server.
31. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 23 , wherein at least one of the first multimedia playback device or the second multimedia playback device is configured to determine, based on authorization information from a service provider, whether the first multimedia playback device is authorized to interact with the second multimedia playback device.
32. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 23 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause the second multimedia playback device to perform the trick-play action while the first multimedia playback device is still sending the particular multimedia program to the second multimedia playback device.
33. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 23 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause sending the particular multimedia program to the second multimedia playback device, partially concurrent to the playback of the particular multimedia program at the second multimedia playback device, at a speed that is faster than the playback of the particular multimedia program.