# US 9,520,956 B2 · Method and system for remote television replay control

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- Number: US 9,520,956 B2
- Document ID: US9520956B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/195,699
- Filed: 2011-08-01
- Published: 2012-02-02
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2000-08-08
- Assignees: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
- Applicants: Millard E. Sweatt, III; Don Woodward; Chris E. Matichuk; Alain Regnier; Mark Nudelman; Philippe Pignon; F. Andrew Voltmer; Dave Westerhoff; Matthew Self; Sunil Mohan
- Inventors: Millard E. Sweatt, III; Don Woodward; Chris E. Matichuk; Alain Regnier; Mark Nudelman; Philippe Pignon; F. Andrew Voltmer; Dave Westerhoff; Matthew Self; Sunil Mohan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520956B2

## CPC

- H04H 60/27: Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
- H04H 60/72: using electronic programme guides [EPG] (focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 {; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47})
- H04H 60/82: the transmission system being the Internet
- H04N 5/782: on tape
- H04N 7/162: {Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing}
- H04N 7/173: with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
- H04N 21/2183: Cache memory {(caches in web servers or browsers G06F16/9574; intermediate storage and caching in data networks H04L67/568)}
- H04N 21/222: Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end {(provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56)}
- H04N 21/23109: {by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository (details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739)}
- H04N 21/26283: {for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic programme guide data}
- 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 21/4147: PVR [Personal Video Recorder] (H04N5/76 takes precedence {; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40})
- H04N 21/4227: {Providing} Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
- H04N 21/4334: {Recording operations (recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27)}
- H04N 21/4345: {Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream}
- H04N 21/4431: {characterized by the use of Application Program Interface [API] libraries}
- H04N 21/4622: {Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet (web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859)}
- H04N 21/47: End-user applications
- H04N 21/47214: {for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market (stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224)}
- H04N 21/4782: Web browsing {, e.g. WebTV}
- H04N 21/4825: {using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists}
- H04N 21/4828: {for searching programme descriptors (retrieval of video data G06F16/739)}
- H04N 21/6125: {involving transmission via Internet (transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82)}
- H04N 21/6175: {involving transmission via Internet (broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82)}
- H04N 21/6581: {Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application}
- H04N 21/84: Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors {(systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73)}
- H04N 21/85406: {involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format}
- H04N 21/8586: {by using a URL (processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02)}
- H04N 21/426: Internal components of the client {; Characteristics thereof} (H04N5/44 takes precedence)
- H04H: BROADCAST COMMUNICATION (multiplex communication H04J; pictorial communication aspects of broadcast systems H04N)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

A method, system, computer medium, and other embodiments for integrating unrelated web hosted services with stand-alone media-based devices are provided. Users can access and control the media-based device conveniently with a web-browser through various portals on the Internet. In one embodiment, users access the media-based device through one or more unrelated web portals, so as to control and to program the media-based device in a single web session, and to see information both stored on the media-based device and originating from third-party online sources of information and services in a single integrated presentation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A web server that is communicatively coupled to a user's client device via a client browser on the client device, and a middle-tier server, the client device and the middle-tier server being remotely located from the web server, the web server comprising:
a processor;
data storage; and
program code stored in the data storage, which when executed by the processor, causes the web server to perform the following functions:
transmitting to the middle-tier server one or more Application Program Interface function calls, which when executed by the middle-tier server causes the middle-tier server to retrieve information pertaining to a media-based device and transmit the retrieved information to the web server;
receiving the retrieved information from the middle-tier server;
assembling a presentation having a format that is well-suited for the client browser on the user's client device; and
forwarding the presentation to the client browser,
wherein the functions further comprise caching the retrieved information at the web server with a frequency based upon when the user is interested in the information.