Abstract:
The techniques described transmit messages from a mobile device to a digital television (or other media) appliance. One technique associates a mobile unit with a customer premise equipment (CPE) device where the CPE device is a media device at a first location and the mobile unit is at a second location distant from the first location. The technique further receives a download code from the mobile unit where the download code corresponds to selectable content and communicates commands to download the selectable content to the CPE device based on the received download code

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates generally to wireless communication technology. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for remote control of media devices.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     This section is intended to provide a background or context to the invention that is recited in the claims. The description herein may include concepts that could be pursued, but are not necessarily ones that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, what is described in this section is not prior art to the claims in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.  
         [0005]     Although video cassette recorders (VCRs), media recorders and similar content storage devices are in widespread use in homes across the world, no remote control from outside the home is available for these devices. Conventional systems do not allow for the selection of free media content to store on a media recording evice or remote content purchasing for fee-based content.  
         [0006]     German Patent Disclosure DE10139331 describes a method for transmitting short messages from a mobile telephone to a digital television appliance. This German document indicates that short messages service (SMS) messages can be communicated from mobile phones to a television if there is an apparatus connected to the television with Internet access. The German document teaches transmitting messages received from the Internet using a transmitter that communicates with the television. However, the system described in the German document is limited in many ways.  
         [0007]     Thus, there is a need to provide an improved system and method for remote control of media devices. Even further, there is a need to communicate programming messages to a content provider that provides selected content to a media device. Further still, there is a need to associate terminals to facilitate the delivery of content to a media device as selected by a remote unit.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     Briefly, the present invention relates to techniques for transmitting messages from a mobile device to a digital television (or other media) appliance. One exemplary embodiment relates to a method of controlling a media device at a first location using a mobile unit at a second location, where the second location is distant from the first location. The method includes associating a mobile unit with a customer premise equipment (CPE) device where the CPE device is a media device at a first location and the mobile unit is at a second location distant from the first location. The method further includes receiving a download code from the mobile unit where the download code corresponds to selectable content and communicating commands to download the selectable content to the CPE device based on the received download code.  
         [0009]     Another exemplary embodiment relates to a system for controlling a media device at a first location using a mobile unit at a second location. The system includes a communication device that communicates commands to control media programming, a service provider that communicates with the communication device to receive commands regarding the control of media programming and provides instructions to carry out the control of the media programming, and a media device that receives media programming and carries out commands to control media programming from the communication device.  
         [0010]     Another exemplary embodiment relates to a device configured for controlling media programming at a media device located in a different local area from the device. The device includes a memory configured to contain instructions regarding control of media programming and a device identifier. The device also includes a processor that communicates control instructions to a service provider. The processor communicates the control instructions to a service provider using a messaging protocol such as short message service (SMS) signals, text messages, or other wireless messaging method to instruct the downloading of selected media programming to an associated media device based on the device identifier.  
         [0011]     Another exemplary embodiment relates to a computer program product that controls a media device at a first location using a mobile unit at a second location, wherein the second location is distant from the first location. The computer program product includes computer code to associate a mobile unit with a customer premise equipment (CPE) device, wherein the CPE device is a media device at a first location and the mobile unit is at a second location distant from the first location. There is also computer code to receive a download code from the mobile unit, wherein the download code corresponds to selectable content; and computer code to communicate commands to download the selectable content to the CPE device based on the received download code. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  is a diagram depicting a system for remote control of a media device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a flow diagram depicting exemplary operations in the remote control system of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a diagram depicting data and control flow in the remote control system of  FIG. 1  where the content is purchased.  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is a diagram depicting a communication system including the remote control feature of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS  
       [0016]      FIG. 1  illustrates a system  10  including a media device  12 , a program  14 , a content provider  16 , and a remote unit  18 . The media device  12  can be a video cassette recorder (VCR), a digital video recorder (DVR), a recordable DVD player, media recorder, or other content storage device. The program  14  can include content, such as a movie, song, game, or other media content, and is associated with an application. The content provider  16  can be an Internet service provider (ISP), a cable television (CATV) provider, a television (TV) station, or other broadcasting company. The remote unit  18  can be a mobile phone, a computer, or any other device that can communicate information to the content provider  16 .  
         [0017]     A user can send a control command using the remote unit  18  to the media device  12 . In an exemplary embodiment, the control command is communicated over a short message service (SMS) or similar data connection. While SMS is mentioned as one possible messaging method, it should be understood that other suitable messaging methods and protocol can also be used and that the invention described and claimed here is not limited to SMS. The user can select free content or fee-based content. The purchase can be made digitally and the content can be communicated to the media device  12  even though the purchase interaction takes place between the remote unit  18  and a backend system that handles charging, content delivery, and digital rights management (DRM).  
         [0018]     The remote unit  18  can communicate over a cellular network (or short range radio) to a mobile operator or access point and from there to a service provider. Alternatively, the mobile operator communicates directly to the media device  12 . Therefore, a certain programming message may include combined transmission channels—the identifier for the media device  12  and the associated application identifier. The application identifier can include information on the program and its associated application. If the program is available on-demand, it can be viewed as it downloads (if permitted by the media device  12 ).  
         [0019]     In one embodiment, the media device  12  can be a Media Master device sold by Nokia Corporation of Finland. The user can also receive a SMS message at the remote unit  18  with remote programming information from advertisers. A wide range of possibilities exist for how the user obtains programming information. For example, the user may read a programming code from a newspaper listing, such as a TV guide listing. Alternatively, the information may be available on the Internet or on a WAP (wireless application protocol) phone. Such information may contain programming tags that can be sent directly to the media device  12 .  
         [0020]     In one implementation, the content provider  16  receives an order from an SMS message and locates the user&#39;s home media device  12 . When the media device  12  is located and the service is available, the content provider  16  can initiate the delivery of data to the media device  12 . Billing for the service can be done through a phone bill where the remote unit  18  is a phone or based on a pre-payment method.  
         [0021]     Advantageously, content can be downloaded directly from a content provider to a media device terminal and the messaging from the remote unit  18  goes to the content provider, irrespective of the locations of the remote unit  18  and the terminal. The remote unit can be matched with its media device  12  and programming events can be selectively triggered.  
         [0022]      FIG. 2  illustrates a flow diagram of operations performed in the remote control system of  FIG. 1 . Additional, fewer, or different operations may be preformed, depending on the embodiment. In an operation  22 , the user obtains a download code for a program X. The user can obtain this code in many different ways, as described with reference to  FIG. 1 . The code may be included in TV listings in a newspaper or on the Internet, for example.  
         [0023]     In an operation  24 , the download code is communicated using a remote unit, such as a phone having SMS capability, a phone with text messaging, or any communication device. In an operation  26 , a content provider receives the download code and sends information to initiate the downloading of program X. The content provider can be an Internet Service Provider (ISP), a cable television (CATV) provider, a phone company, or any content provider. In an operation  28 , the program X is downloaded to a media device. The program X can be a sporting event, movie, television program, a song, or any other type of content.  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  illustrates data and control flow in the remote control system described with reference to  FIG. 1  where the content is purchased. Upon activation of the remote control service with a phone  32 , an operator  34  associates the phone  32  with a media device such as a VCR  38 . A service provider  36  sends an association code to the phone  32  or an Internet protocol (IP) address, media access control (MAC) identifier (ID), or some unique identifier. The phone  32  can obtain the identifier for the VCR  38  from an IRDA (infrared data association), RFID (radio frequency identification), Bluetooth, WLAN (wireless local area network), or UWB (ultrawide bandwidth) system. The phone  32  can act as a remote control device during the association phase.  
         [0025]     The user can be associated with a given service and terminal in the following manner. The service provider  36  can send an access code that is always sent together with the programming data. By way of example, the VCR  38  can have the code 12355. Thus, when the operator  34  receives a message to get the file number 5944323, it communicates the message to the service provider  36  to download file number 5944323 to terminal 12355. The file can be transferred over a broadcast medium, such as cable television, or through the Internet.  
         [0026]     A variety of implementation alternatives are possible. For example, the system described can also be used to configure and program a home computer as well as synchronize the remote unit and computer. Further, remote data can be redirected from the remote unit to other devices.  
         [0027]     As a result, purchased content can be redirected to any appropriate customer premise equipment (CPE) devices through the media device using external data interfaces, such as a memory card, a short range radio connection, or a wireline connection. Moreover, any storable digital content can be purchased and remotely downloaded to the appropriate home CPE device, e.g. new update/program to a PC, DVD, PDA. A service profile for a user can be combined into a single SMS message in many ways such that one SMS consists of either one single service, a service set, or dynamically created e.g. “ 10  most wanted programs ordered.” 
         [0028]      FIG. 4  illustrates a communication system  50  including the remote control features described herein. The exemplary embodiments described herein can be applied to a wide number of communication systems. Communication system  50  includes a terminal equipment (TE) device  52 , an access point (AP)  54 , a server  56 , and a network  58 . The TE device  52  can include memory (MEM), a central processing unit (CPU), a user interface (UI), and an input-output interface (I/O). The memory can include non-volatile memory for storing applications that control the CPU and random access memory for data processing. The I/O interface can include a network interface card of a wireless local area network, such as one of the cards based on the IEEE 802.11 standards. The TE device  52  can perform the communication operations described with respect to  FIGS. 1-3  relative to the remote control of a media device.  
         [0029]     The TE device  52  can be connected to the network  58  (e.g., a local area network (LAN), the Internet, a phone network) via the access point  54  and further to the server  56 . The TE device  52  can also communicate directly with the server  56 , for instance using a cable, infrared, or a data transmission at radio frequencies. The server  56  can provide various processing functions for the TE device  52 .  
         [0030]     The TE device  52  can be any portable electronic device. For example a personal digital assistant (PDA) device, remote controller or a combination of an earpiece and a microphone. The TE device  52  can be a supplementary device used by a computer or a mobile station, in which case the data transmission to the server  56  can be arranged via a computer or a mobile station. In an exemplary embodiment, the TE device  52  is a mobile station communicating with a public land mobile network, to which also the server  56  is functionally connected. The TE device  52  connected to the network  58  includes mobile station functionality for communicating with the network  58  wirelessly. The network  18  can be any known wireless network, for instance a network supporting the GSM service, a network supporting the GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), or a third generation mobile network, such the UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) network according to the 3GPP (3 rd  Generation Partnership Project) standard. The functionality of the server  56  can also be implemented in the mobile network. The TE device  56  can be a mobile phone used for speaking only, or it can also contain PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) functionality.  
         [0031]     While several embodiments of the invention have been described, it is to be understood that modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. The invention is not limited to a particular embodiment, but extends to various modifications, combinations, and permutations that nevertheless fall within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.