Patent Document

RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This Patent Application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/601,249 filed on Feb. 21, 2012 entitled, “REMOTE MEDIA STREAMING”, the contents and teachings of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Evolution of personal electronic devices has resulted in a wide variety of media content availability for mobile devices. Transport technologies such as 3G, WiFi and 4G allow streaming media transport to devices located within range of a mobility cell or WiFi hotspot. Concurrently, digital formats of media options such as audio and video are allowing content providers, such as cable TV and Internet-based services, to offer an increasing array of content delivery, typically over hybrid fiber-coax (HFC) networks traditionally developed for providing cable (wired) television. These distinctions have become blurred in recent times as Internet providers and cable TV providers are typically the same entity providing both services to a residence under a subscriber agreement. A typical user, therefore, has available a plethora of content receiving capability from one of several content providers, depending on the device and location of the user. 
     SUMMARY 
     Remote media streaming provides media recipients with capabilities for out-of-home (OOH) viewing for remotely rendering media content from a subscriber based receiving device such as a settop box or similar rendering interface to a personal electronic device. A redirection device reroutes media content sent to the receiving device, typically located in the home of the subscriber, to the subscriber&#39;s mobile device such as a laptop or smartphone. While conventional 3G, 4G and web based streaming techniques transmit media content directly to the recipient mobile device, remote streaming redirects media that has already been received by the subscription based receiving device, such that the redirection device forwards a rendering signal including the requested content to the recipient mobile device or other rendering device based on the reported location of the rendering device. The redirected media stream therefore emanates from the redirection device as an independent transmission of content already received by the receiving device, and not as a separate transmission of media content from the content provider. 
     A content delivery network (CDN) provides multimedia services, such as video and audio, to a subscriber under a fee-for-services basis. A service provider sends services such as broadcast video and video-on-demand to a local receiving device (receiving device) at the subscriber&#39;s residence via the CDN. While traditional cable providers employed a so-called settop box, service providers, unlike cable providers, typically deliver to an IP-addressable user-agent/client. In either configuration, the receiving device resides proximate to the rendering device (TV) at the subscriber&#39;s residence. Modern cable providers employ a hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) network for transport of the media content from a headend to the individual subscribers via the local receiving device. Many subscribers also receive broadband Internet over the same HFC network. Further, many subscribers of cable/Internet also have personal electronic devices such as cellphones and smart phones relying on cell networks such as 3G and 4G under a separate subscriber agreement. 
     Widespread availability of 3G and 4G cellular services extends such coverage to all but the most remote residences. The result is that Internet and cable TV providers typically employ a common coaxial cable for wired media services to a subscriber, and Internet devices such as cable modems as well as settop boxes, traditionally associated with cable television, are all network devices employing the well entrenched IP address protocol. Further, wireless Internet access through 3G or 4G cellular, or WiFi access from either a home or external location (e.g. coffee shop, airport, etc.), is available through an Internet conversant device for receiving streaming media at a current subscriber location inside or outside of the home. In this manner, subscribers (users) have multiple rendering devices available, such as cellphones, smartphones, laptops, and traditional screen displays, for receiving media content. 
     Configurations herein are based, in part, on the observation that a subscriber typically has multiple delivery options through which to receive media content, varying by delivery medium and rendering device. As indicated above, delivery may also be constrained or regulated by different service agreements with the providers of the different mediums. 
     Unfortunately, conventional approaches for media content delivery suffer from the shortcoming that the subscriber may not have the most efficient or economic delivery medium available. For example, a remote user has a 4G phone on which to finish watching a feature film started the previous evening on the living room TV. While the feature film was ordered using video-on-demand (VOD) services through the local receiving device, and has several hours of viewing time remaining, the remaining feature is unavailable on the 4G phone because 4G media downloads are provided under the data plan of the cellular provider, and do not recognize the VOD service already invoked via the home local receiving device. 
     Accordingly, configurations herein substantially overcome the above described shortcoming of multiple service providers by providing remote media streaming that transports a rendering signal from an in-home or local rendering area to a remote rendering device by redirecting the rendering signal to a network device associated with the remote rendering device, such as a remote smartphone. The rendering device launches a rendering application for rendering the desired media content. The rendering application determines if the device is located in an out of home (OOH) viewing area, i.e. beyond the local rendering area of the subscriber, typically the room or home in which the local receiving device is located. The rendering application sends a rendering preference and identity of a remote receiving device to the local receiving device, and the local receiving device redirects the rendering signal including the desired media content to the remote receiving device for rendering on the rendering device at the user&#39;s current location. In this manner, media content delivery extends from the local receiving device, under the subscriber agreement, to the remote receiving device and rendering device via an independent connection, rather than establishing a new fee based video request directly form the rendering device. 
     In further detail, a network redirection device for seamlessly redirecting media content to an OOH location includes an interface to a content delivery network for receiving a rendering signal including media content for rendering on a mobile rendering device such as a smartphone or laptop. The redirection device selectively invokes one of a local output interface configured for communication with a rendering device in the local rendering area, or a placeshifted output interface configured for communication to rendering device via a remote receiving device outside the local rendering area. An interceptor is responsive to a rendering preference from the rendering device, such that the rendering preference is for directing the rendering signal to the local output interface or the placeshifted output interface based on the network identity of a requestor from which the rendering signal emanated. The redirection device and associated function need not be a standalone device, but rather may be incorporated in the local receiving device, such as for a local WiFi transmission according to IEEE 802.11, and/or redirecting the rendering signal back over the network to the rendering device. 
     The redirection device is operative in a media content delivery environment having subscribers coupled to a content delivery network for receiving media on a rendering device. In conjunction with the rendering device, the redirection device redirects local media content to a remote location by identifying a local receiving device responsive to a content provider for delivering media content to rendering devices in a local media network, and determining whether the rendering device is accessible via the local media network. The redirection device redirects, if the rendering device is outside the local media network, media content to a remote receiving device, by determining a network identity of a network device through which the rendering device may receive the media content, and comparing the determined network identity to a network identity of the local receiving device. The redirection device, based on a rendering preference from the rendering device, concludes that the rendering device is outside the local media network based on a difference between the determined network identity and the network identity of the local receiving device. It should be noted that the disclosed redirection of unicast streams from in-home redirection device differs from services that deliver a unicast streams from CDN to an OOH remote receiving device precipitated on a programmer-right based policy decision. The former redirects subscriber content already received by the subscriber device; the latter generates a separate transmission stream independent of a subscription for in-home usage. In contrast to so called “TV Everywhere” services, which purport to deliver a (typically fee based) dedicated stream to a requesting network entity via an IP address, redirection as disclosed herein merely redirects a subscriber oriented stream already received at the subscriber device, and forwards or retransmits, rather than regenerating, the subscriber-requested stream to an alternate rendering device. 
     The above scenario gives rise to a circumstance where the same content is available via the local rendering device and also via a TV Everywhere medium, creating an apparent ambiguity in which source should be sought for content. If the user has a redirection device/local receiving device in the local/home environment, it may be more cost effective to receive content at the remote rendering device from either redirection from the local rendering device or from the separate content delivery of the TV Everywhere (i.e. individual direct IP address streaming) from the service provider. 
     Alternate configurations of the invention include a multiprogramming or multiprocessing computerized device such as a multiprocessor, controller or dedicated computing device or the like configured with software and/or circuitry (e.g., a processor as summarized above) to process any or all of the method operations disclosed herein as embodiments of the invention. Still other embodiments of the invention include software programs such as a Java Virtual Machine and/or an operating system that can operate alone or in conjunction with each other with a multiprocessing computerized device to perform the method embodiment steps and operations summarized above and disclosed in detail below. One such embodiment comprises a computer program product that has a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including computer program logic encoded as instructions thereon that, when performed in a multiprocessing computerized device having a coupling of a memory and a processor, programs the processor to perform the operations disclosed herein as embodiments of the invention to carry out data access requests. Such arrangements of the invention are typically provided as software, code and/or other data (e.g., data structures) arranged or encoded on a computer readable medium such as an optical medium (e.g., CD-ROM), floppy or hard disk or other medium such as firmware or microcode in one or more ROM, RAM or PROM chips, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or as an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). The software or firmware or other such configurations can be installed onto the computerized device (e.g., during operating system execution or during environment installation) to cause the computerized device to perform the techniques explained herein as embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of particular embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is a context diagram of a media delivery environment suitable for use with configurations of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a flowchart of media delivery in the environment of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of media redirection in the environment of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram of the redirection device employed in the redirection of  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIGS. 5-6  are a flowchart of media content redirection as in  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 7  is a flowchart of rendering device transition between an OOH (out of home) and a local rendering area as in  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Depicted below is an example configuration of a media content delivery environment for providing media services to subscribers via a content delivery network responsive to rendering devices. In the example configuration, a media content provider delivers media services such as streaming video and audio to a subscriber via a receiving device. Modern technology has evolved personal electronic devices of decreasing size and increasing performance such that content delivery of media such as video and audio is receivable on a variety of personal electronic devices such as smartphones and laptops, in addition to the traditional household TV. The environment depicted below leverages such personal electronic devices (mobile devices) as rendering devices for receiving a rendering signal sent to the local (in home) receiving device. 
     Rendering devices are responsive to the local receiving device for receiving the rendering signal via a variety of mediums, including 3G, 4G, WiFi, as well as conventional wired connections (usually reserved for the stationary TV). The wireless access mediums (3G, 4G, WiFi) vary in terms of speed and connectivity range, but operate similarly as rendering devices for receiving a rendering signal. Using 4G, a subscriber (user) would expect a substantially faster connection than 3G, depending on coverage. 4G and WiFi have similar bandwidth, suitable for supporting HD video. One difference between them is in range. WiFi is targeted to cover low range networks, while 4G was designed to replace high range mobile networks. The rendering devices as described below may couple to the CDN via the receiving device using any suitable method, typically one of 3G, 4G, WiFi and wired connections, as described above. 
       FIG. 1  is a context diagram of a media delivery environment suitable for use with configurations of the invention. Referring to  FIG. 1 , in a media delivery environment  100 , a content delivery network  102  transmits media content  104  to a local receiving device  106 , such as a local receiving device, in a local delivery environment  110 . The local delivery environment is defined by the area in and around the residence  112  or dwelling of a subscriber  114 . The subscriber  114  has one or more local rendering devices  116 , such as a TV, connected to the local receiving device  106  (settop). The TV may connect directly, such as via HDMI or indirectly, such as via IP/DLNA to the local receiving device  106 . The local receiving device  106  receives the media content  104 , and extracts, decodes, or demodulates a rendering signal  120  based on a selection  122  having content for rendering on the local rendering device  116 . The media content  104  includes broadcast content generally available via the CDN  102 , and the user  114  selects the rendering signal  120  typically through a remote  124  for specifying a selection  122 , typically a channel. 
     In configurations herein, a redirection device  130  is disposed between the local receiving device  106  and the local rendering device  116 , and receives the rendering signal  120  including the requested content for forwarding to the local rendering device  116  or for redirection to a remote device, discussed below. 
     When the user is remotely located (OOH), the rendering device  132 - 2  is in communication with a remote receiving device  140 , such as a Wi-Fi hotspot or 3G/4G cell station. The remote receiving device  140  couples back to a redirection device  130  via a redirection network  152 , such as the Internet. A wrapper application  151  compares the received network identity  144  with a network identity of the local receiving device  106  (settop). If the network identity differs, and the local environment ( 110 ) includes a redirection device and the content being requested by the remote receiving device is not remote media service content for which alternate paths exist, such as general single-stream broadcast providers of VOD (video on demand) content, then redirection via the redirection device  130  commences. The rendering application  150  transmits the network identity  144  of the remote receiving device  140 , with which it is connected, back to the redirection device  130 , and the redirection device  130  redirects the rendering signal  120 - 2  to the remote rendering device  132 - 2  via the remote receiving device  140  indicated by the identity  144  (address). 
     In the case of a local, or non OOH user, the redirection device  130  compares the network identity of the local receiving device  106  and determines that the rendering signal  120 - 1  is to be sent to the local rendering device  116 . Alternatively, in the event of a local user employing a rendering device  132 - 1  within the local rendering area  110 , then the rendering device  132 - 1  receives the rendering signal  120 - 3 , such as a WiFi signal, locally. A rendering device  132 - 1 , disposed within the local rendering area  110 , may represent a local WiFi connection within the dwelling or a hardwired TV connection. 
       FIG. 2  is a flowchart of media delivery in the environment of  FIG. 1 . Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , at step  200 , in a media content delivery environment  100  having subscribers coupled to a content delivery network  102  for receiving media on a rendering device  132 , the method for redirecting local media content to a remote location includes identifying a local receiving device  106  responsive to a content provider for delivering media content  104  to rendering devices  132  in a local media network defined by the local rendering area  110 . The redirection device  130  determines whether a rendering device  132  is accessible via the local media network serving the local rendering area  110 , as depicted at step  201 , and redirects, if the rendering device  132 - 2  is outside the local media network, the media content to a remote receiving device  140 , as disclosed at step  203 . If should again be emphasized that that this scenario is applicable in situations when the user has the local redirection device  130  for operating on a previously received signal, in contrast to service providers that generate a separate signal from a transmission source (not a redirection device) to a mobile rendering device. 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram of media redirection in the environment of  FIG. 1 . Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the content delivery network  102  connects a media content provider  160  with a plurality of subscriber dwellings  112 , each having one or more local receiving devices  106 . From the media content  104  sent by the media content provider  160 , the local receiving device  106  generates the rendering signal  120 , typically a bandwidth selection of the total media content  104  signal specific to a channel or VOD selection. The redirection device  130  receives the rendering signal  120 , and invokes an interceptor  156  for redirecting the rendering signal  120 . Such redirection effectively results in “placeshifting” the viewing experience of the user  114 ,  114 ′ because the rendering signal  120  is processed through the local receiving device  106  and then forwarded to the current location (in home or OOH) of the rendering device  132 . Such placeshifting may be employed for content that the service provider otherwise would not authorize OOH consumption under the TV Everywhere use-case discussed above. Generally, such a use case arranges a specific transmission to a specific IP address associated with a corresponding rendering device. It may be fair to say that the redirected signal, having been received by the subscriber at the receiving device  150 , is not bound for rendering on a particular device or mandated for rendering in a particular location, such as within the residence of the subscriber. 
     Redirection of the rendering signal  120  is performed by the network redirection device  130 , which includes an interface  131  to the content delivery network  102  for receiving a rendering signal  120  including media content  104  for rendering on a rendering device  132 , and a local output interface  172  configured for communication with a rendering device  116  in the local rendering area  110 . The rendering device  132  also includes a placeshifted output interface  182  configured for communication with a rendering device  132 - 2  via a remote receiving device  140  outside the local rendering area  110 , and an interceptor  156  responsive to a rendering preference  184  ( FIG. 4 , below) from the rendering device  132 , in which the rendering preference  184  is for directing the rendering signal  120  to the local output interface  180  or the placeshifted output interface  182  based on the network identity  144  of a requestor (i.e. local or remote receiving device) from which the rendering preference  184  emanated. 
     Subsequently, the user  114  moves outside the local rendering area  110 , shown by arrow  128 , and consequently, the rendering application  150 - 2  initiates a transition for redirecting the rendering signal  120 . The wrapper application  151 - 2  determines that the rendering device  132 - 2  is disposed in a different service area corresponding to a different receiving device  140 . In the example shown, the remote receiving device  140  covers the area outside the local rendering area, although there are likely multiple possible transitional receiving devices, depending on the transport of the rendering device  132  (3G, 4G, or WiFi) and cellular density. The wrapper application  151  sends the network identity  144  of the remote receiving device  140  to the redirection device  130  via the network identity previously received  126 . The interceptor  156  redirects the he rendering signal  120  to the remote receiving device  140  using the network identity just received, typically an IP address, via the redirection network  152 . During transition, the rendering device  130  effects a seamless transition in the rendering image  133  from buffered media content, discussed further below. 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram of the redirection device  130  employed in the redirection of  FIG. 3 . Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the redirection device  130  includes the interceptor  156  for intercepting the rendering signal  120 - 1  to the local rendering device  116 , and also a local output interface  180  and a placeshifted output interface  182 . The local output interface  180  transmits the rendering signal to a rendering device  132 - 11 ,  116  within the local rendering area  110 , and the placeshifted output interface  182  transmits the rendering signal to an OOH rendering device  132 - 13 ,  132 - 14  via the redirection network  152  and the remote receiving device  140  as discussed above. Depending on the configuration, transmission to the local rendering device  116 , typically a hardwired connection, may employ a separate interface  172  for a dedicated device. The local output interface  180  and placeshifted output interface  182  are generally configured to accommodate a wireless rendering device  132 , such as a 3G, 4G or WiFi medium, collectively in accordance with IEEE 802.11, an industry standard for wireless communication. 
     The network redirection device  130  further includes an interface  182  to a transport network for placeshifting, in which the transport network interconnects a plurality of network devices for delivering media content outside the local rendering area, and rendering logic  158  for redirecting the rendering signal  120  based on a network identity of the requestor and a network identity corresponding to the local rendering area  110 . 
     The rendering logic  158  interprets the rendering preference  184  containing the address of the corresponding local  106  or remote  140  receiving device. Alternatively, the rendering logic  158  may perform a comparison by storing a network identity of the local receiving device  106 , receiving a network identity of a network device transmitting the rendering preference, comparing the network identity of the network device and the local receiving device  106 , and concluding that the rendering device is located in the local receiving area based on the comparing. 
     In the example arrangement, the redirection device  130  is responsive to the rendering application  150  on the rendering device  132  for determining a network identity  144  of a network device  106  or  140  serving the rendering application, and determining if the identified network identity  144  corresponds to a local receiving device  106  serving the local rendering area  110 . 
     The interceptor  156  redirects the rendering signal to a rendering device  132  upon receiving a request from the rendering application  150 - 1  . . .  150 - 2  ( 150  generally) launched on the rendering device  132 . The rendering application  150  receives a network identity  170  corresponding to the local receiving device  106  of the local user  114 , as shown by arrow  126 . A wrapper application  151 - 1  . . .  151 - 2  ( 151  generally) running concurrently with the rendering application  150  identifies the receiving device via message  176 , indicating the network identity (such as an IP address) of either the local  106  or remote  140  receiving device from which the rendering device  150  receives media signals. If the receiving device is the local receiving device  106 , the wrapper application  151  determines that the rendering device  132  is still within the local rendering area  110 , and transmits the rendering signal via local wired  172  or wireless  174  connections. 
     The redirection device  130  is responsive to the media rendering device  132  for remotely receiving media content, in which the rendering device  132  includes the rendering application  150  for receiving a rendering signal  120 , such that the rendering signal  120  is configured to render received media content  104  on a user perceivable medium (i.e. display screen). The rendering application  150  operates in conjunction with the wrapper application  151  for determining if the rendering signal  120  is to be sent to either a local rendering area  110  or a remote receiving device  140  outside the local rendering area. The rendering device  132  includes (or has access to) a comparator  186  for receiving a network identity of a requestor of the rendering signal, and for comparing the received network identity to a network identity corresponding to the local rendering area  110 . Also included is an interface  174 ,  182  to the redirection device  130 , in which the redirection device  130  is responsive to the rendering preference  184  from the wrapper application  151 . The rendering preference  184  is indicative of a receiving device  106 ,  140  to which the rendering signal  120  is to be sent depending on the local or remote (based on identity  144 ) location of the rendering device  132 . The rendering preference  184  therefore selects a local output  180  or a placeshifted output  182  of the redirection device  132 , in which the local output  180  is for sending the rendering signal  120  to the local rendering area  110 , and the placeshifted output  182  is for sending the rendering signal  120  to the remote receiving device  140 , such that the rendering preference  184  is further indicative of the network identity (i.e. IP address) of the remote receiving device  140 , in the event of a remote selection. 
     Responsive to a remote rendering preference  184 , the rendering application  150  receives a redirected rendering signal  120 - 2  including the media content  104  from the local receiving device  106  to the rendering device  132  via the redirection network  152 , in which the redirection device  130  is coupled between the rendering device  132  and the redirection network  152  for transporting the redirected rendering signal, typically via a wireless medium such as 3G, 4G or WiFi. In the case of a local transmission, the media content is delivered the local receiving device  116 ,  132 - 1  pursuant to a contractual arrangement, and redirecting of the rendering signal occurs after the media content has been received by the local receiving device  106   
     The wrapper application  151  identifies the current receiving device (local  116  or remote  140 ), and invokes a comparator  184  for comparing the current receiving device identity with the stored local device address  170 .′ Based on the comparison, the wrapper application sends a rendering preference  184  to the redirection device including the address of the remote receiving device  140 , if the preference is for redirection. Rendering logic at the redirection device selectively invokes either the local output  180  or the placeshifted output  182  to the address  176  of the remote receiving device  140  for rendering on the rendering device  132 . 
       FIGS. 5-6  are a flowchart of media content redirection as in  FIG. 3 . Referring to FIGS.  3  and  5 - 6 , at step  300 , the rendering device  132  identifies a local receiving device  106  responsive to a content provider  160  for delivering media content  104  to rendering devices  132  in a local media network  110 . The content provider  160  delivers the media content  104  to the local receiving device pursuant  106  to a contractual arrangement, as disclosed at step  301 . The local receiving device  106  is configured for rendering local content in a local delivery area  110  proximate to the local receiving device  110 , as depicted at step  302 . In the example arrangement, the local receiving device  106  may be a settop box or addressable device based on a user subscription to the service provider  160  for receiving the media content  104  over the content delivery network  102 , as shown at step  303 . Typically, the local delivery area  110  corresponds to direct wired connections  172  and WiFi transmissions  174  in and around the curtilage of a dwelling  112  in which the local receiving device is disposed. 
     The local rendering environment  110  receives, at the local receiving device, a CDN broadcast signal  104  interspersed with multiple selectable signals, each selectable signal operative to provide a rendering signal, as depicted at step  304 , and the user  114  selects the rendering signal from the broadcast signal  104  configured for receipt by a plurality of subscribers, as depicted at step  305 . Redirection of the rendering signal  120  occurs after the media content  104  has been received by the local receiving device  106 , therefore the rendering signal  120  includes only the requested video content or stream has been filtered from the generally available bandwidth by a channel selection, VOD request, or other bandwidth/channel selection. Selection of the rendering signal  120  may be performed by the rendering application  150  or a remote  124  directly controlling the local receiving device  106 . 
     The rendering application  150  determines whether the requesting rendering device  132  is accessible via the local media network  110 , as shown at step  306 , and determines a network identity of a network device ( 106  or  140 ) through which the rendering device  132  may receive the rendering signal  120  from the media content  104 , as depicted at step  307 . The in contrast to conventional approaches, the redirection device  130  and rendering application  150  are operating on a previously received signal, in contrast to service providers that generate a separate signal from a transmission source (not a redirection device) to a mobile rendering device. The network identity of the local receiving device  106  and the remote receiving device  140  may be an IP address or other suitable identifier, such as a MAC address or similar designation. The wrapper application  151  compares the determined network identity to a network identity of the local receiving device  106  to determine if the rendering device  132  is disposed in the local rendering area, as shown at step  308 . The rendering application  150  also sends a rendering preference  184  indicative of whether the rendering device  132  is outside the local media network  110 , as shown at step  309 . 
     The rendering application  150  concludes that the rendering device is outside the local media network based on a difference between the determined network identity  176  and the network identity  170  of the local receiving device  106 , as shown at step  310 , and redirects, if the rendering device  132  is outside the local media network  110 , the media content to a redirection device  140 , as depicted at step  311 . 
     A check is performed, at step  312 , to determine if the rendering device  132 - 2  is available in the local rendering area  110 . If the rendering device  132 - 2  is remotely disposed, then the redirection device  130 , responsive to the rendering application  150 , redirects, if the rendering preference  184  indicates a remote location, the rendering signal  120  to the rendering device  132 , such that the redirected rendering signal  120 - 2  includes the requested media content for rendering the media content on the rendering device  130 - 2 , as disclosed at step  313 . 
     This includes redirecting a rendering signal  120  including the media content from the local receiving device  106  to the rendering device  132  via a redirection network  152 , in which the redirection device  130  is coupled between the local receiving device  106  and the redirection network  152  for transporting the redirected rendering signal  120 - 2 , as depicted at step  314 . The redirection device  130  is responsive to a redirection signal, or rendering preference  184 , from the rendering device  132  for indicating the network identity of a remote receiving device  140  though which the rendering device  132  receives the redirected media content in the rendering signal  120 , as shown at step  315 . 
     In the example configuration, redirecting the rendering signal  120  occurs following delivery of the media content  104  to the local receiving device  106 , as depicted at step  316 , such that the redirected rendering signal  120 - 2  is merely forwarded from the local receiving device  106  over an independent connection, as depicted at step  316 . In the example shown, a local rendering area  110  of a wireless network defines the local media network, in which the local rendering area is based on a WiFi range of the local receiving device  106  and the rendering device  132  configured for receiving WiFi signals within the local rendering area, as disclosed at step  317 . 
       FIG. 7  is a flowchart of rendering device transition between an OOH (out of home) and a local rendering area. A rendering device  132  running the redirection application  150  performs a real-time switchover, or redirection, such that a rendered image resulting from the current rendering stream (rendering signal) transitions seamlessly due to buffering of the rendering stream at the redirection device  130  until additional renderable material can be obtained from the corresponding receiving device  106 ,  140 . The rendering application  150  determines when the rendering device  132  moves across a threshold boundary defining a local rendering area  110 , in which the local rendering area  110  is based on a range of a receiving device  106  for receiving media content  104  in the local rendering area  110 , as depicted at step  400 . The rendering application  150  performs a delivery transition to accommodate the rendering device  132  for allowing continued viewing of the media content  104  on the rendering device, such that the delivery transition switches the received media content between a redirection device  106 ,  140  and the rendering device  132 , as disclosed at step  401 . As the redirection device  130  is coupled between the receiving device  106  and a remote network location such as receiving device  140  for forwarding the media content switched from the receiving device  106 , the remote network location  140  is configured to forward the switched media content  104  to the rendering device  132 . 
     The delivery transition therefore switches the redirection device  106 ,  140  to direct the media content  104  to either the remote network location  140  or the rendering device  132  based on the presence of the rendering device  132  in the local rendering area  110 , as shown at step  402 . A check is performed, at step  403 , to determine if the transition is to the local rendering area or the remote (OOH) service area. 
     In the case of a local transition, switching the media content  104  includes recognizing when the rendering device  132  is disposed from a remote area outside the local rendering area into the local rendering area  110 , as shown at step  404 , and transmitting the media content  104  from the redirection device  130  to the rendering device  132 - 1 , as depicted at step  405 . 
     In the case of a remote switchover, switching the media content  104  includes recognizing when the rendering device  132  is disposed from the local rendering area  110  to a remote area outside the local rendering area, as depicted at step  406 . Rendering the media content  104  (rendering signal  120 ) includes transmitting the media content  104  from the redirection device  130  to a remote receiving device  140  associated with the remote network location, such as a router, cellular base, or WiFi hotspot, as depicted at step  407 , and transmitting the media content  104  from the remote receiving device  140  to the rendering device  132 - 2 , as shown at step  408 . 
     Those skilled in the art should readily appreciate that the programs and methods defined herein are deliverable to a user processing and rendering device in many forms, including but not limited to a) information permanently stored on non-writeable storage media such as ROM devices, b) information alterably stored on writeable non-transitory storage media such as floppy disks, magnetic tapes, CDs, RAM devices, and other magnetic and optical media, or c) information conveyed to a computer through communication media, as in an electronic network such as the Internet or telephone modem lines. The operations and methods may be implemented in a software executable object or as a set of encoded instructions for execution by a processor responsive to the instructions. Alternatively, the operations and methods disclosed herein may be embodied in whole or in part using hardware components, such as Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), state machines, controllers or other hardware components or devices, or a combination of hardware, software, and firmware components. 
     While the system and methods defined herein have been particularly shown and described with references to embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims.

Technology Category: 5