At&t Intellectual Property I, L.p.

Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation

Randy Scott Zimler

John Alson Hicks, Iii

Thomas Arnold Anschutz

Lloyd Thomas Whitfield, Jr

James A Worsham

John Hicks

Steven Allan Wright

Brett Allen Davis

Albert Whited

Mustafa Sinasi Bilsel

William Whited

Glenn Howell

Robin Thomas

Al Hicks

Scott Russell Swix

P Thomas Watson

Matthew Mitchem

George B Bolam

Methods, systems, and products bridge wireless data transmissions with power-line communications. Should a failure occur in alternating current power, a backup battery maintains the power-line communications. Direct current battery power is used to power a wireless transceiver, thus maintaining both wireless data transmissions and communication during power failures.

Power-line communications

Methods, systems, and devices secure content in memory. The content includes a lock that prohibits reading the content from memory. Prior to expiration of the lock the content cannot be read from the memory. However, a preview option allows at least a portion of the content to be accessed. The preview option provides a preview of the content. At expiration, the content is readable.

Methods, systems, and devices for securing content

Methods, systems, and devices secure content in memory. The content includes a lock that prohibits reading the content from memory. Prior to expiration of the lock the content cannot be read from memory. However, a preview option allows at least a portion of the content to be accessed. The preview option provides a preview of the content. At expiration, the content is readable.

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller to determine a common user interface to be presented by a group of media devices of a premises where the group of media devices are capable of receiving media content from the server over a power line of the premises and are capable of presenting the media content, detect user interaction with the common user interface from different media devices of the group of media devices, and transmit display signals to the group of media devices for displaying the user interaction on the common user interface, where the display signals differentiate the different media devices that received the user interaction. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Apparatus and method for distributing media content

In at least one embodiment, a method includes receiving a first transmission from a device, the first transmission transmitted at a first frequency. In response to receiving the first transmission, a transceiver is disabled and a second transmission is transmitted to the device, the second transmission transmitted at a second frequency. The method further includes receiving a third transmission from the device, the third transmission transmitted at the second frequency.

Interference management using out-of-band signaling

Systems, methods, and equipment for use in the management of network topology and bandwidth for computing networks are provided. In an illustrative implementation of a device acting as a patch panel is provided. The patch panel works on both the physical wire and on the frequencies of the wire to route data to appropriate destination points. For example, both ADSL and telephony could be bridged among copper wires, using several independent busses. Home Phone Network Alliance Association (HPNA) standardized data could either be bridged among wires, or connected to an internal switching device, that would store and forward the native Ethernet packets used by HomePNA in a way similar to that done by Ethernet switches today. Additionally, an Ethernet uplink could attach the HPNA ports to a larger network or to a DSL Modem, and HPNA/ADSL could be removed from wires that might have privacy concerns or otherwise need filters to perform properly.

Bandwidth and topology management device for home networks

A digital residential entertainment system is disclosed recording video data of an event. The apparatuses include a processor communicating with memory. The memory stores video data of the event captured by a camera, and the video data includes a series of picture frames of the event. A loop buffer also stores video data of the event captured by the camera. A rule-based engine stored in the memory uses a set of rules to store the contents of the loop buffer in the memory. The apparatus utilizes the loop buffer to provide video data prior to occurrence of the event.

Digital residential entertainment system

Methods, systems, and computer program products for navigating during playback of media content on a content viewing device are provided. A method includes associating a descriptor with a time element. The time element references an instantiation of the descriptor in a content file. The method also includes applying a reference tag that identifies the descriptor to a location on the navigational search structure associated with the content file. The location is determined by the time element. The method further includes displaying the reference tag on the navigational search structure at the content viewing device while viewing the content file in playback mode.

Methods, systems, and computer program products for implementing a navigational search structure for media content

The present invention is a comprehensive digital residential entertainment system. A system includes a data switch, a mass storage device, a tuner and a demodulator. The data switch has a plurality of switch ports, and the mass storage device is coupled to a switch port of the plurality of switch ports of the data switch. The tuner selects an information channel of a plurality of information channels. The demodulator is coupled to a switch port of the plurality of switch ports of the data switch and to the tuner. A Web-based graphical user interface can be provided for accessing and controlling the features and functions of the digital residential entertainment system.

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for providing electronic media to a customer. One method prompts a customer to license a right to electronic media. If the customer agrees to license the right, then the license is electronically stored on behalf of the customer. The licensed electronic media is communicated to the customer via a communications network.

Methods, systems, and products for providing electronic media

A software conditional access system (CAS) for media services provided to a Media Distribution Device, such as a set top box (STB), is disclosed. The STB may be connected to a Media Delivery Service Provider via a broadband connection. Over the broadband connection, a CAS application may be downloaded to the STB, maintained and dynamically updated. Because the CAS is implemented by software on the STB, it is inexpensive to install, maintain and update. When a user desires to purchase media services through the STB, a request, with identifying information, is sent to the Media Delivery Service Provider via the broadband connection. The service provider cross-references the identifying information with a user's account to determine whether to allow the user to view the media service requested. If the service provider determines to allow the user to view the media service, the user's account (typically maintained by the service provider) is charged and a key is downloaded via the broadband connection to the STB. The key allows the user to view the requested media service to be presented for user viewing, hearing or other use. After the requested media service ends, after a predetermined amount of time, etc., the CAS application may delete the key.

Software conditional access system for a media delivery network

Methods, systems, and devices secure content in memory. When the content is received, the content includes a lock that prohibits reading the content from memory. Prior to expiration of the lock the content cannot be read from memory. At expiration, however, the content is then readable.

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller to wirelessly download media content to a media device of a vehicle from a point in the media content where a gateway previously stopped downloading the media content to the vehicle media device, where the server is in a reconfigurable master-slave relationship with the gateway, where the server and the gateway are remote from each other and remote from the vehicle, and where the gateway is associated with the vehicle. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Gainesville, GA, United States of America

Randy Scott Zimler