Patent ID: 7518992

Claim:
In a local server, the local server being coupled to a central server in a first network, the local server being coupled to a plurality of network devices via a second network, a method of interactively controlling from one of the plurality of network devices a flow of audio visual data from the central server to the network device, the local server having a memory associated therewith, the method comprising: receiving a control command at the local server from the network device via the second network, the control command indicating a desired initiation of data flow associated with a specified file, and wherein the network device and the local server are communicatively coupled, in a local area network or a wide area network, using a wired Ethernet technology or using a wireless communication technology; sending the control command from the local server to the central server via the first network; receiving an audio visual data stream from the central server at the local server via the first network in response to the control command; and transmitting the audio visual data stream from the local server to the network device via the second network such that the network device interactively controls the flow of audio visual data from the central server to the network device; wherein the central server is configured to transmit a modified audio visual data stream in response to another control command received from the network device, the other control command indicating a desired modification to the flow of the audio visual data.