IP Library Granted Patent US 9,137,559
Granted Patent B2
US 9,137,559 · App. 13/310,937 · Granted Sep 15, 2015

Apparatus and method for providing media programming

Inventors: James Sofos (Aurora, IL); Lee Chow (Naperville, IL); David Piepenbrink (Chicago, IL)
Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, LP
H04N21/4122H04N21/4126H04N21/43637H04N21/44227
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,137,559
App. No.
13/310,937
Granted
Sep 15, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, detecting at a mobile communication device a presence of a set-top box communicatively coupled to a display device, negotiating a transfer of operational control of the display device from the detected set top box to the mobile communication device, receiving a media stream at the mobile communication device by way of wireless communication with a media source, and transmitting a selected media program from the mobile communication device to the display device by way of a wireless communication link between the mobile communication device and the detected set-top box for presentation at the display device without decoding of the selected media program being performed by the set top box. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims (39)

1. A mobile communication device comprising:

a memory to store instructions;

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the instructions, performs operations comprising:

receiving a first media stream comprising a first media program by way of a cellular telecommunications network;

receiving a second media stream comprising a second media program from a set-top box device by way of a first wireless communication link;

determining whether a second set-top box is communicatively coupled to a display device;

facilitating establishment of a second wireless communication link to the second set-top box responsive to detecting the second set-top box is communicatively coupled to the display device;

negotiating a transfer of operational control of the display device from the second set top box to the mobile communication device;

transmitting the first media program to the display device by way of the second set-top box using the second wireless communication link; and

transmitting the second media program to the display device by way of the second set-top box using the second wireless communication link.

2. The mobile communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

presenting the second media program at a built-in display of the mobile communication device.

3. The mobile communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor further performs operations comprising detecting a radio frequency identification signal from the display device.

4. The mobile communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor further performs operations comprising transcoding the first media program to accommodate a format of the display device.

5. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting at a mobile communication device a telephony communication session initiated from a second communication device over a wireless communication network;

receiving at the mobile communication device a first media stream comprising a first media program over the wireless communication network;

detecting a presence of a display device by radio frequency identification;

receiving at the mobile communication device a second media stream comprising a second media program from a set-top box by way of a second wireless communication link;

determining whether a second set-top box is communicatively coupled to a display device;

facilitating establishment of a third wireless communication link to the second set-top box responsive to detecting the second set-top box is communicatively coupled to the display device;

negotiating a transfer of operational control of the display device from the second set top box to the mobile communication device;

transmitting the first media program to the display device by way of the second set-top box using the third wireless communication link; and

transmitting the second media program to the display device by way of the second set-top box using the third wireless communication link.

6. The storage device of claim 5 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

presenting the second media program at a built-in display of the mobile communication device.

7. The storage device of claim 5 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to further perform operations comprising transcoding the first media program and the second media program to accommodate a format of the display device.

8. A method, comprising:

detecting, by a mobile communication device comprising a processor, a presence of a first set-top box communicatively coupled to a display device;

negotiating, by the mobile communication device, a transfer of operational control of the display device from the first set top box to the mobile communication device;

receiving, by the mobile communication device, a first media stream, by way of wireless communication with a media source;

receiving, by the mobile communication device, a second media stream from of a second set-top box; and

transmitting, by the mobile communication device, a first media program from the mobile communication device to the display device by way of a wireless communication link between the mobile communication device and the first set-top box for presentation at the display device, wherein the first media program is decoded from the first media stream; and

transmitting, by the mobile communication device, a second media program from the mobile communication device to the display device by way of the wireless communication link between the mobile communication device and the first set-top box for presentation at the display device, wherein the second media program is decoded from the second media stream.

9. The method of claim 8 , comprising:

facilitating, by the mobile communication device, establishment of the wireless communication link between the mobile communication device and the first set-top box for transmission of the first media program or the second media program to the first set-top box by way of the wireless communication link.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the presence of the first set-top box is detected with a radio frequency identification device.

11. The method of claim 8 , comprising facilitating, by the mobile communication device, establishment of a wireless telephony communication session between the mobile communication device and a second communication device.

12. The method of claim 8 , comprising receiving, by the mobile communication device, a third media program from the first set-top box by way of the wireless communication link.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 5, 2011
From: SOFOS, JAMES; CHOW, LEE; PIEPENBRINK, DAVID
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, LP
Reel/Frame 027326/0735 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20130145403A1 · Jun 6, 2013