Digital home networks having a control point located on a wide area network

Abstract

A method of controlling and delivering media content from a media server (MS) to a media renderer (MR) utilizing a wide area IMS network for control. The method involves: provisioning a serving node in the IMS network with control point (CP) logic that includes logic to negotiate media content delivery with a least one of an MS and an MR; provisioning a user endpoint (UE) device of the IMS network with control point proxy (CPP) logic that includes logic to negotiate media content delivery and VCR controls to control media presentation; in response to a media content delivery request, invoking the CPP logic and the CP logic to cooperatively negotiate media content delivery between an MS and an MR that uses local wireless or land line connections when possible in order to minimize wide area bandwidth usage.

What is claimed: 
     
       1. A method of controlling and delivering media content from a media server (MS) to a media renderer (MR) utilizing a wide area network for control, comprising the acts of:
 provisioning a serving node in the wide area network with control point (CP) logic that includes logic to negotiate media content delivery with at least one of the MS and the MR, wherein the CP logic, MS, and MR resides outside of a user endpoint (UE) and the CP logic resides in the signaling domain and serves as a first proxy; 
 provisioning the UE of the wide area network with control point proxy (CPP) logic that includes (i) logic to negotiate media content delivery with at least one of the MS and the MR, (ii) logic to cooperate with CP logic to negotiate media content delivery between the MS and the MR, and (iii) video cassette recorder (VCR) controls to control a presentation of content provided by the MS and rendered by the MR, wherein the CPP logic resides in the UE and serves as a second proxy; 
 in response to a media content delivery request, determining a network context of the UE and a network connectivity of the MS and MR; 
 invoking the CPP logic and the CP logic to cooperatively negotiate media content delivery between the MS and the MR if one of the MS and MR are not in communication with the UE via a local wireless network; and 
 once media content delivery is negotiated, controlling a presentation of delivery via the VCR controls on the UE. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the CPP logic is invoked to negotiate media content delivery between the MS and the MR if the MS and MR are both in communication with the UE via a local wireless network. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the local wireless network includes at least one a Wi-Fi network, a WiMax network, and a Bluetooth network. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the CP logic is invoked to negotiate media content delivery between the MS and the MR if neither the MS nor the MR are in communication with the UE via the local wireless network. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the UE is implemented on a handset. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the handset comprises a display, and the MR uses the display. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the MS and the MR is on a 3G network and in communication with the serving node. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the UE is in communication with the MR via a local wireless network. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the UE is in communication with both the MS and the MR via a local wireless network. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the CP logic negotiates service delivery from the MS, the MS being on a 3G network, the CPP logic in the UE negotiates delivery on the MR, and the CP logic and CPP logic execute synchronization logic to complete the negotiation of delivery from the MS to the MR. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the UE communicates its network context to the serving node and the serving node informs the UE of the serving node's capabilities for negotiation with devices local to the UE. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the CP logic is configured to serve multiple unrelated devices running CPP logic. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein CPP logic is implemented in a UE resident in a handset and in a remote control device. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein a user uses the CPP logic in the handset when the user is remote from the MR and uses the CPP logic in the remote control device when the user is local to the MR. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , wherein, if one of the MS and MR are remote from the UE, the CPP logic provides information about invoked VCR controls to the CP logic on the serving node to allow the CP logic to control the remote MS or MR. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the MS and the MR are in a digital home network. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the UE determines that it is local to at least one of the MS and the MR by using Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) protocols. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the MS and MR announce their presence to the UE using at least one of UPnP protocols, Jini technology, RFID, and Bluetooth. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the negotiation of media content delivery includes the negotiation of out-of-band media transfer between the MS and the MR. 
     
     
       20. A method of controlling and delivering media content from a media server (MS) to a media renderer (MR) utilizing a wide area network for control, where a user endpoint (UE) is provisioned with control point proxy (CPP) logic that includes (i) logic to negotiate media content delivery with at least one of the MS and the MR, (ii) logic to cooperate with network control point (CP) logic to negotiate media content delivery between the MS and the MR, and (iii) video play controls to control a presentation of content provided by the MS and rendered by the MR, wherein the CPP logic resides in the UE and serves as a first proxy, comprising the acts of:
 provisioning a serving node in the wide area network with control point (CP) logic that includes logic to negotiate media content delivery with at least one of the MS and the MR, wherein the CP logic, MS, and MR resides outside of a user endpoint (UE) and the CP logic resides in the signaling domain and serves as a second proxy;   in response to a media content delivery request, the wide area network determining a network context of the UE and a network connectivity of the MS and MR;   invoking the CPP logic and the CP logic to cooperatively negotiate media content delivery between the MS and the MR if one of the MS and MR are not in communication with the UE via a local wireless network; and   once media content delivery is negotiated, receiving video play controls from the UE.   
     
     
       21. The method of claim 20, wherein the CPP logic is invoked to negotiate media content delivery between the MS and the MR if the MS and MR are both in communication with the UE via a local wireless network. 
     
     
       22. The method of claim 21, wherein the local wireless network includes at least one a wi-fi network, a wimax network, and a Bluetooth network. 
     
     
       23. The method of claim 20, wherein the CP logic is invoked to negotiate media content delivery between the MS and the MR if neither the MS nor the MR are in communication with the UE via the local wireless network. 
     
     
       24. The method of claim 20, wherein the MS and the MR are in a digital home network. 
     
     
       25. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of the MS and MR announce their presence to the UE using at least one of UPnP protocols, Jini technology, RFID, and Bluetooth. 
     
     
       26. The method of claim 20, wherein the negotiation of media content delivery includes the negotiation of out-of-band media transfer between the MS and the MR. 
     
     
       27. A user endpoint (UE) for communication with a serving node in a network, the serving node having control point (CP) logic that includes logic to negotiate media content delivery with at least one of a media server (MS) and a media renderer (MR), wherein the CP logic, MS, and MR reside outside of the UE and the CP logic resides in the signaling domain and serves as a first proxy, the UE comprising:
 a transceiver to communicate with the network, the MS and the MR; and   a computer readable medium comprising:
 personal agent logic configured to determine a network context of the UE; and 
 control point proxy logic configured to:
 negotiate media content delivery with at least one of the MS and the MR, 
 cooperate with the serving node CP logic to negotiate media content delivery between the MS and the MR, and 
 once media content delivery is negotiated, control a presentation of media content provided by the MS and rendered by the MR with video play controls. 
 
   
     
     
       28. The UE of claim 27 comprising a display, and the MR uses the display. 
     
     
       29. The UE of claim 27, wherein the UE is in communication with one or more of the MS and the MR via a local wireless network. 
     
     
       30. The UE of claim 29, wherein the local wireless network includes at least one a wi-fi network, a wimax network, and a Bluetooth network. 
     
     
       31. The UE of claim 27, wherein the UE determines that it is local to at least one of the MS and the MR by using universal plug and play (UPnP) protocols. 
     
     
       32. The UE of claim 27, wherein the UE communicates its network context to the serving node and receives from the serving node the serving node's capabilities for negotiation with devices local to the UE. 
     
     
       33. The UE of claim 27, wherein the UE is implemented on a handset.