# US 11,122,096 B1 · System and method for hotel multicast services manager > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,122,096 B1 - Document ID: US11122096B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/946,229 - Filed: 2020-06-11 - Granted: 2021-09-14 - Earliest claimed: 2015-10-13 - Assignees: Marriott International, Inc. - Applicants: Marriott International, Inc. - Inventors: David M. Straitiff; Neil R. Schubert, III; William R. Walker - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11122096B1 ## CPC - H04L 65/611: for multicast or broadcast (systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06) - H04N 21/2143: {located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum (arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106)} - H04L 61/4511: using domain name system [DNS] - H04L 61/4541: Directories for service discovery - H04L 65/1045: Proxies, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP] - H04L 65/1059: End-user terminal functionalities specially adapted for real-time communication - H04L 65/1073: Registration or de-registration - H04L 65/60: Network streaming of media packets - H04L 65/612: for unicast - H04L 67/51: Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services - H04L 67/52: specially adapted for the location of the user terminal - H04L 67/56: Provisioning of proxy services (store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54) - H04N 21/25816: {involving client authentication (restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06)} - H04N 21/41265: {having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device (unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204)} - H04N 21/4227: {Providing} Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work - H04N 21/4751: {for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children} - H04N 21/6405: Multicasting {(data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18)} - H04N 21/64322: {IP} - H04W 12/50: Secure pairing of devices - H04L 2101/69: using geographic information, e.g. room number - H04W 84/12: WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract System and methods for initiating a media streaming device, particularly for devices associated with a guest services environment. Such initiation may include: receiving, at a proxy server, a request from a mobile device to join a guest services network, the request identifying a user of the mobile device; verifying a registration of the user, the registration indicating permission of the user to join the guest services network, to yield a verification; identifying, based on the verification, a media streaming device associated with the registration of the user; and configuring the media streaming device to be controllable by the mobile device, such that control commands are routed from the mobile device through the proxy server to the media streaming device, and streaming content is routed from the Internet to the media streaming device bypassing the proxy server. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for customizing controllable devices accessible by a guest in a lodging unit, comprising: storing, by one or more servers, guest check-in information; receiving, by the one or more servers, a registration request from a mobile device of the guest; registering, by the one or more servers, the mobile device by comparing the registration request with the guest check-in information; provisioning, by the one or more servers, WiFi access for the mobile device on a hidden Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) of a room associated with the guest, wherein the room is one of a plurality of rooms in the lodging unit and each room of the plurality of rooms include a plurality of controllable devices; identifying, by a proxy server accessible using the hidden VLAN, at least one controllable device located in the room associated with the guest, the at least one controllable device is connected to a hidden network; receiving, by the proxy server, mobile device identification and a guest identifier from the one or more servers after registering the mobile device; permitting, by the proxy server, select network communication between the at least one controllable device and the mobile device over the hidden network based on the mobile device identification and the guest identifier; communicating, using the proxy server, information with the mobile device for control of the at least one controllable device located in the room associated with the guest; modifying, by the proxy server, domain name service (DNS) requests from the mobile device for the plurality of controllable devices, wherein modification of the DNS requests reroutes the DNS requests to the at least one controllable device of the room associated with the guest on the hidden network; routing, by the proxy server, instructions from the mobile device to the at least one controllable device for customizing the at least one controllable device associated with the room of the guest, wherein access to the at least one controllable device of the room associated with the guest is provided to the mobile device by the proxy server using the hidden network and access to any of the plurality of controllable devices of the plurality of rooms excluding the room of the guest is restricted to the mobile device by the proxy server; and controlling, the at least one controllable device associated with the room of the guest based on the instructions from the mobile device of the guest for customizing the at least one controllable device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of controllable devices are connected to, or incorporated in, a display device located in the room associated with the guest. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of controllable devices includes media streaming device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the proxy server uses mDNS (Multicast Domain Name Service) to allow the mobile device to discover the at least one controllable device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the registering of the mobile device is performed through a WI-FI network. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the guest identifier is a guest name and an assigned room number. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device identification includes an IP address or a MAC address. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the proxy server by dynamically modifying firewall rules to allow and forward control traffic between the mobile device and the at least one controllable device. ### Claim 9 A system for customizing at least one controllable device in a lodging unit, the system comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory coupled with the at least one processor, wherein the at least one memory is configured to store guest check-in information, and wherein the at least one processor and the at least one memory are configured to: receive a registration request from a mobile device of a guest; register the mobile device by comparing the registration request with the guest check-in information; provision WiFi access for the mobile device on a hidden Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) of a room associated with the guest, wherein the room is one of a plurality of rooms in the lodging unit and each room of the plurality of rooms include a plurality of controllable devices; identify using the hidden VLAN, the at least one controllable device located in the room associated with the guest, the at least one controllable device is connected to a hidden network; receive mobile device identification and a guest identifier after registering the mobile device; permit select network communication between the at least one controllable device and the mobile device over the hidden network based on the mobile device identification and the guest identifier; communicate information with the mobile device for control of the at least one controllable device located in the room associated with the guest; modify domain name service (DNS) requests from the mobile device for the plurality of controllable devices, wherein modification of the DNS requests reroutes the DNS requests to the at least one controllable device of the room associated with the guest on the hidden network; route instructions from the mobile device to the at least one controllable device for customizing the at least one controllable device associated with the room of the guest, wherein access to the at least one controllable device of the room associated with the guest is provided to the mobile device by a proxy server using the hidden network and access to any of the plurality of controllable devices of the plurality of rooms excluding the room of the guest is restricted to the mobile device by the proxy server; and control the at least one controllable device associated with the room of the guest based on the instructions from the mobile device of the guest for customizing the at least one controllable device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of controllable devices are connected to, or incorporated in, a display device located in the room associated with the guest. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of controllable devices includes media streaming device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the proxy server uses mDNS (Multicast Domain Name Service) to allow the mobile device to discover the at least one controllable device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the mobile device is registered through a WI-FI network. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the guest identifier is a guest name and an assigned room number. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the mobile device identification includes an IP address or a MAC address. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, further comprising updating the proxy server by dynamically modifying firewall rules to allow and forward control traffic between the mobile device and the at least one controllable device. ### Claim 17 A system for controlling a plurality of controllable devices by a guest in a lodging unit, the system comprising: one or more servers configured to: store guest check-in information; receive a registration request from a mobile device of the guest; register the mobile device by comparing the registration request with the guest check-in information; provision WiFi access for the mobile device on a hidden Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) of a room associated with the guest, wherein the room is one of a plurality of rooms in the lodging unit and each room of the plurality of rooms include the plurality of controllable devices; and a proxy server configured to: identify using the hidden VLAN, at least one controllable device located in the room associated with the guest, the at least one controllable device is connected to a hidden network; receive mobile device identification and a guest identifier from the one or more servers after registering the mobile device; permit select network communication between the at least one controllable device and the mobile device over the hidden network based on the mobile device identification and the guest identifier; communicate information with the mobile device for control of the at least one controllable device located in the room associated with the guest; modify domain name service (DNS) requests from the mobile device for the plurality of controllable devices, wherein modification of the DNS requests reroutes the DNS requests to the at least one controllable device of the room associated with the guest on the hidden network; and route instructions from the mobile device to the at least one controllable device for customizing the at least one controllable device associated with the room of the guest, wherein access to the at least one controllable device of the room associated with the guest is provided to the mobile device by the proxy server using the hidden network and access to any of the plurality of controllable devices of the plurality of rooms excluding the room of the guest is restricted to the mobile device by the proxy server, and wherein the one or more servers are configured to control the at least one controllable device associated with the room of the guest based on the instructions from the mobile device of the guest for customizing the at least one controllable device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the proxy server uses mDNS (Multicast Domain Name Service) to allow the mobile device to discover the at least one controllable device, and wherein the mobile device is registered through a WI-FI network. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the guest identifier is a guest name and an assigned room number and wherein the mobile device identification includes an IP address or a MAC address. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the proxy server is updated based on modification of firewall rules to allow and forward control traffic between the mobile device and the at least one controllable device.