Multimedia channel sharing

A device comprising:

• a memory storing instructions;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the instructions, performs operations comprising:
• receiving from a first multimedia receiver coupled to a first access network of a service provider via a first residential gateway, a channel share request indicating a request to share a multimedia channel with a second multimedia receiver at a remote premise from the first multimedia receiver using a second residential gateway operating independently from the first residential gateway and wherein the second residential gateway is coupled to the second multimedia receiver;
• determining whether sharing of the multimedia channel with the second multimedia receiver is enabled;
• determining whether the second multimedia receiver is coupled to a second access network of the service provider associated with the second multimedia receiver via the second residential gateway;
• establishing, a multimedia communications session between the service provider and the second multimedia receiver across a network boundary separating the first access network from the second access network according to the coupling to the second access network, wherein multimedia communications session with the service provider is further established via a digital subscriber line access multiplexer cooperatively coupled to the second residential gateway;
• and
• transmitting multimedia data representative of the multimedia channel from the first access network to the second access network for receipt by the second multimedia receiver associated with the second residential gateway responsive to the channel share request according to determining that sharing is enabled.

A non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

• receiving at a first multimedia receiver coupled to a first access network of a service provider via a first residential gateway, viewer input indicating a request at the first multimedia receiver to share a multimedia channel with a second multimedia receiver at a remote premise from the first multimedia receiver through a second residential gateway separate from the first residential gateway and coupled to the second multimedia receiver;
• and
• providing a channel share request for transmission to a service provider equipment, the channel share request identifying the multimedia channel and the second multimedia receiver, wherein the service provider equipment determines whether the second multimedia receiver is coupled to a second access network of the service provider associated with the second multimedia receiver via the second residential gateway, wherein the service provider equipment establishes a multimedia communications session between the service provider and the second multimedia receiver across a network boundary separating the first access network from the second access network according to the coupling to the second access network, wherein the service provider equipment further establishes the multimedia communications session via a digital subscriber line access multiplexer cooperatively coupled to the second residential gateway, wherein multimedia data representative of the multimedia channel is shared with the second multimedia receiver from the first access network to the second access network by way of the service provider equipment conditional on an acceptance of the multimedia channel by the second multimedia receiver.

A non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising instructions which, responsive to being executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

• receiving, from a service provider equipment, notification that a first multimedia receiver coupled to a first access network of a service provider via a first residential gateway has offered to share a multimedia channel with a second multimedia receiver coupled to a second residential gateway which is separate from the first residential gateway;
• receiving viewer input at the second multimedia receiver indicating whether the multimedia channel is accepted or rejected by the second multimedia receiver, wherein the multimedia channel is not provided from the service provider equipment unless accepted by the second multimedia receiver;
• and
• providing an indicator of the viewer input for transmission to the service provider equipment, wherein the indicator indicates enabling of the second multimedia receiver for receiving multimedia data representative of the multimedia channel, wherein the service provider equipment determines whether the second multimedia receiver is coupled to a second access network the service provider associated with the second multimedia receiver via the second residential gateway, wherein the service provider equipment establishes a multimedia communications session between the service provider and the second multimedia receiver across a network boundary separating the first access network from the second access network according to the coupling to the second access network, and wherein the service provider further establishes the multimedia communications session via a digital subscriber line access multiplexer cooperatively coupled to the second residential gateway.