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US 10,638,190 B2Granted
Personal area network proxy service for video systems
AssigneeBlutether Limited
InventorGeorge E. Gonzalez
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques where a computing device such as a smart phone can be leveraged to facilitate ratings data capture through a set top box (“STB”) associated with a content subscription service such as satellite television are described. In an exemplary embodiment, STB channel data can be communicated to the computing device via a personal area network (“PAN”) connection such as Bluetooth. The computing device in turn can forward the STB channel data to a remote server over a wide area network (“WAN”).
Claims52
A system comprising:
- a set top box (“STB”) for delivery of video content to a television for display thereon;
- a personal area network (“PAN”) transceiver unit for communication with the STB, the PAN transceiver unit comprising a PAN transceiver and a processor;
- a portable computer comprising a processor, a memory, a PAN transceiver, and a wide area network (“WAN”) transceiver, the portable computer including a mobile application that is embodied as a plurality of processor-executable instructions resident in the portable computer's memory;
- and
- a server;
- wherein the portable computer's processor is further configured to execute the mobile application to create a proxy service through which there is a PAN communication path between the STB and the mobile application via a wireless PAN that is established between the PAN transceivers of the PAN transceiver unit and the portable computer and through which there is a WAN communication path between the mobile application and the server via the portable computer's WAN transceiver;
- wherein the STB is configured to (1) change channels in response to user input, and (2) communicate channel changes to the PAN transceiver unit;
- wherein the PAN transceiver unit's processor is configured to (1) receive the channel change data from the STB, and (2) send messages with data indicative of the channel changes to the portable computer via the transceiver unit's PAN transceiver and the wireless PAN according to a PAN protocol;
- wherein the portable computer is configured to, through the proxy service created by execution of the mobile application, (1) receive the messages sent by the PAN transceiver unit and (2) send the channel change data to the server via the WAN communication path according to a WAN protocol;
- and
- wherein the server is configured to (1) receive the channel change data sent by the portable computer, and (2) store ratings data in a database based on the channel change data sent by the portable computer.
8 more elements
A method comprising:
- a personal area network (“PAN”) transceiver unit receiving channel change data from a set top box (STB) via a serial connection between the PAN transceiver unit and the STB, wherein the PAN transceiver unit comprises a PAN transceiver and a processor;
- the PAN transceiver unit establishing a wireless PAN connection with a portable computer, wherein portable computer comprises a processor, a memory, a PAN transceiver, and a wide area network (“WAN”) transceiver, the portable computer including a mobile application that is embodied as a plurality of processor-executable instructions resident in the portable computer's memory;
- the portable computer's processor executing the mobile application to create a proxy service through which there is a PAN communication path between the STB and the mobile application via the wireless PAN that is established between the PAN transceivers of the PAN transceiver unit and the portable computer and through which there is a WAN communication path between the mobile application and the server via the portable computer's WAN transceiver;
- the PAN transceiver unit's processor sending messages with data indicative of the received channel changes to the portable computer via the transceiver unit's PAN transceiver and the wireless PAN according to a PAN protocol;
- and
- the portable computer, through the proxy service created by execution of the mobile application, (1) receiving the messages sent by the PAN transceiver unit and (2) sending the channel change data to the server via the WAN communication path according to a WAN protocol.
3 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a personal area network (“PAN”) transceiver unit, wherein the PAN transceiver unit comprises a PAN transceiver, a processor, and a serial connector;
- wherein the serial connector is configured for serial connection with an output port of a set top box (STB);
- wherein the PAN transceiver unit is configured to establish a wireless PAN connection with a portable computer;
- wherein the processor is configured to (1) receive channel change data from the STB via the serial connection, and (2) send messages with data indicative of the received channel changes to the portable computer via the transceiver unit's PAN transceiver and the wireless PAN according to a PAN protocol.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.