Methods and apparatus for supporting sharing of content between mobile communications devices and home based devices

摘要

Methods and apparatus for allowing a telephone user to share captured audio and/or video with a set top box user are described. Methods and apparatus can be implemented without the need for a called party to support video conferencing and/or have a computer system. In various embodiments a telephone call is used to contact a party to who content from a telephone may be streamed, e.g., in real time. Assuming the contacted party is interested a video session is established with a STB or other device corresponding to the called party and video content delivered from the cell phone. Audio may also be streamed with the video and/or the initial telephone call is maintained while video content is delivered allowing for bi-direction communication via the calling and called party's telephones. While IP signaling maybe used for video delivery an analog VOD session may alternatively be used.

主权项

1. A multimedia content delivery method, the method comprising:
communicating with a user of a second telephone, associated with a first customer premise device capable of outputting images to a display unit which is part of said customer premise device or coupled to said customer premise device, via a first telephone; and using an application on said first telephone to send a first invite signal to a server, while said first telephone is in communication with said second telephone, said first invite signal including a telephone number of the second telephone or a user identifier identifying a user of said second telephone, said first invite signal causing said server to send a second invite signal to said first customer premise device, while the communication between said first telephone and said second telephone is ongoing, to trigger presentation, by said first customer premise device, of a prompt on the display unit inviting said user of said second telephone to receive one or more images captured by said first telephone.