WO2013000972A1

WO2013000972A1 - Shared set top box content monitoring

Info

Publication number: WO2013000972A1
Application number: PCT/EP2012/062509
Authority: WO
Inventors: Karthick RAJAPANDIYAN; Muthusamy MUTHIAH; Vijay Narayanan
Original assignee: Alcatel Lucent
Priority date: 2011-06-28
Filing date: 2012-06-27
Publication date: 2013-01-03

Abstract

The present subject matter discloses method(s) and system(s) for monitoring content in a shared transmission environment (100). In an embodiment, to monitor the content, the method includes identifying by a master set top box (102-1), a content associated with a shared set top box (102_s) where the shared set top box (102_s) is coupled with the master set top box (102-1) in the shared transmission environment(100).The method also includes receiving a content data of the content associated with the shared set top box (102_s) from a service provider system (108) and providing the content to a user of the master set top box (102-1). In said method, the content associated with the shared set top box (102_s) may be identified upon authorization from the service provider system (108) based on a credential set associated with the master set top box (102-1).

Description

SHARED SET TOP BOX CONTENT MONITORING

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present subject matter relates to communication systems and, particularly, but not exclusively, to monitoring of set top box content.

BACKGROUND

Broadcasting over public airways has long been established and enjoyed by millions of people worldwide. In recent years, shortcomings of public airway broadcasting, such as limited transmission distance, poor reception quality, and limited bandwidth and channel availability, have led to the installation of cable and satellite television systems. More recent television (TV) broadcast technology includes satellite broadcasting systems using satellite radio waves including both analog and digital broadcasting. Since satellite and cable systems offer greater bandwidth, higher channel availability, and higher quality reception, these newer broadcast systems are sidelining conventional terrestrial broadcasting systems.

In particular, digital television broadcast services have seen a more rapid growth. Digital signals consist of pieces of simple electronic code that can carry more information than analog signals. The code allows for the transmission of better quality sound and higher resolution pictures. Having started as a replacement of analog television, with more efficient bandwidth use, digital television offers a user with more

TV channels than ever before. Recent developments, such as pay TV, video-on-demand, and pay per view have added more value to conventional video services. However, the emerging technology of digital television brings along with it a necessity of using a decoder, such as a set top box, for decoding the digital broadcast and providing it to a display device, such as a television or monitor.

Further, with the development of the Internet and other public and private IP networks, Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) systems have become the most recent means of distributing video content to a plurality of users. IPTV is an emerging system where digital television broadcast is delivered to a set top box using IP over a network infrastructure. Set top boxes are generally pre-equipped and configured to have a one-to- one communication with a service provider system. However, with recent advancements, multiple set top boxes can also be configured to work in a shared broadcasting environment.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce concepts related to monitoring of content provided by a shared set top box, in a shared transmission environment. This summary is not intended to identify essential features of the claimed subject matter nor is it intended for use in determining or limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In an embodiment, a method for monitoring the content associated with a shared set top box includes identifying, by a master set top box, a content associated with the shared set top box, wherein the shared set top box is coupled to the master set top box in a shared transmission environment. The method further includes receiving the content associated with the shared set top box from a service provider system and providing the content to a user of the master set top box. In said method, the content associated with the shared set top box may be identified upon authorization from the service provider system based on a credential set associated with the master set top box. It would be understood that the content associated with the shared set top box may be the content being provided by the shared set top box, either to a connected display device or to a connected storage unit.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present subject matter, a method includes receiving a request from the master set top box for identifying a content information related to a content associated with a shared set top box, and requesting the content information from the shared set top box. The method further includes providing the content information associated with the shared set top box to the master set top box. In an embodiment, a method includes receiving an authorization request for a master set top box, wherein the authorization request includes a credential set associated with the master set top box, and authorizing the master set top box to identify the content associated with the shared set top box based on the credential set. In yet another embodiment of the present subject matter, a master set top box for monitoring content associated with the shared set top box is disclosed. The master set top box includes a Set Top Box (STB) processor, and a STB memory having a STB interaction module and a STB content module. The STB interaction module is configured to receive authorization from a service provider system and identify a content information related to a content associated with a shared STB. The authorization is indicative of a permission provided for identifying the content information. The STB content module is configured to request a content data pertaining to the content from the service provider system, based on the content information, and to provide the content data to a user associated with the master STB. Further, in another embodiment, a gateway connecting the service provider and the set top boxes is disclosed. The gateway includes a gateway processor and a gateway memory. The gateway memory includes a gateway interaction module and a gateway content information module. The gateway interaction module is configured to receive a request from a master set top box for identifying a content information related to a content associated with a shared set top box. Further, the gateway content information module is configured to provide the content information related to the content associated with the shared set top box to the master set top box.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present subject matter, a service provider system is described. The service provider system includes a service provider (SP) processor and a SP memory. The SP memory includes, amongst other things, a service provider authorization module and a service provider interaction module. The service provider authorization module is configured to authorize a master set top box based on a credential set associated with the master set top box for identifying a content information related to a content associated with the shared set top box. The service provider interaction module is configured to receive a request from the master STB for a content data of the content associated with a shared set top box, and provide the content data to the master set top box. In accordance with another embodiment of the present subject matter, a computer readable medium having a set of computer readable instructions, which when executed, perform acts including identifying a content information related to a content associated with a shared set top box is disclosed. The acts further include receiving a content data of the content associated with the shared set top box from a service provider system, and providing the content data of the content associated with the shared set top box to a user of the master set top box.

In an embodiment of present subject matter, a computer readable medium having a set of computer readable instructions, which when executed, perform acts including receiving a request from a master set top box for identifying a content information related to a content associated with a shared set top box, identifying the content information associated with the shared set top box, and providing the content information associated with the shared set top box to the master set top box is described.

In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present subject matter, a computer readable medium having a set of computer readable instructions, which when executed, perform acts including receiving an authorization request for a master set top box, wherein the authorization is indicative of a permission provided to the master set top box to identify a content associated with a shared set top box, and authorizing the master set top box to identify the content associated with the shared set top box based on a credential set associated with the master set top box.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the figures to reference like features and components. Some embodiments of system and/or methods in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

Fig. 1 schematically illustrates a shared transmission environment, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter;

Fig. 2 schematically illustrates a set top box implemented in a shared transmission environment, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter;

Fig. 3 schematically illustrates a gateway for distributing transmission to several set top boxes in a shared transmission environment, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter;

Fig. 4 schematically illustrates a service provider system for providing transmission to multiple set top boxes in a shared transmission environment, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter;

Fig. 5(a) illustrates an exemplary call flow diagram indicating a master set top box monitoring a content provided by a shared set top box in the shared transmission environment Fig. 1;

Fig. 5(b) illustrates an exemplary call flow diagram indicating content switching by the master set top box based on the content viewing of the shared set top box, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter; and

Fig. 6 illustrates a method to monitor a content associated with a shared set top box by a master set top box, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.

It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any block diagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative systems embodying the principles of the present subject matter. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flow charts, flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudo code, and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer readable medium and so executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Systems and methods for receiving television broadcast in a shared transmission environment are described. In one implementation, the systems and methods enable viewing, on a master set top box, a content associated with a shared set top box. The systems and methods can be implemented in a variety of transmission modes. The transmission modes for which the systems and methods can be utilized include, but are not limited to, satellite transmissions, such as cable transmissions, direct-to-home (DTH) transmissions, and terrestrial transmissions such as radio transmissions and Internet Protocol (IP) transmissions. Although the description herein is with reference to IP networks, the systems and methods may be implemented in other transmission modes and networks, albeit with a few variations, as will be understood by a person skilled in the art.

Television distribution systems, such as cable, satellite (DTH), digital terrestrial, and IP television (IPTV) broadcast require a set top box (STB) at a receiving location. STBs, among other capabilities, are configured to tune particular signals received from a service provider system and decrypt the same using a decryption circuitry. Early set top boxes used a coaxial connection to provide a tuned cable television channel. More recent set top boxes have provided tuned signals to a display device over composite, component, Syndicat des Constructeurs dAppareils Radiorecepteurs et Televiseurs (SCART), Digital Visual Interface (DVI), or High- Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connections. Wireless transmission of video from central connection boxes, such as gateways and modems, providing connectivity to multiple displays is also available, primarily, to address the problems in routing cables to a wall mounted television panel. However, the central connection boxes provided by the service provider system are still connected via conventional cabling to the central connection box. A one-to-one relationship generally exists between the set top boxes and display devices connected to the set top boxes. In homes or other similar environments with multiple displays, multiple set top boxes are often required, with each set top box directly connected to a specific display device. Also, for multiple set top boxes, multiple connections from the service provider systems are generally required. More recent set top boxes include multiple tuners, but only for the purpose of recording one program while displaying another, or for displaying multiple programs in a picture-in-picture mode, and not for providing content to multiple displays. Connections to the display devices are still provided through direct, short distance, video specific cabling, with a one-to-one relationship between the set top box and the display devices.

A shared IPTV broadcast environment generally includes a gateway or a modem and multiple set top boxes where each of the multiple set top boxes is connected to an independent display. Further, the gateway may be connected to a Digital Access Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) and Broadband Service Router's (BSR). The DSLAM and BSR are generally installed at premises of service providers to offer connectivity between content provider backend servers and multiple customers/end users of IPTV. In one example, the gateway connected to a DSLAM and installed at the customer's end allows multiple set top boxes to be connected to the IPTV broadcast through a single connection.

With advancement in technology, IPTV service provider systems are now capable of providing interconnected multiple set top boxes within a confined space, such as home or other environments, which can be driven on a single connection from a service provider system. The set top boxes connected in a shared environment, generally perform like an individual set top box directly connected to the service provider system. Each of the set top boxes individually receives signals from a gateway, decrypts the signals, and provides the signals to an associated display device. Further, certain set top boxes allow dual transmission of television broadcast content, hereinafter referred to as the content, for the picture-in-picture feature provided by some display devices. However, these systems fail to offer the ability for a viewer at one display device, such as a master, to view the content associated with other shared devices such as other set top boxes. It would be understood by those skilled in the art that the content associated with the shared set top box is channel data being provided by the shared set top box, either to a connected display device or to a connected storage unit.

According to an implementation of the present subject matter, systems and methods for enabling a master STB to monitor and display, on master display, content associated with any shared set top box on the corresponding display, in a shared transmission environment are described. In one embodiment, the systems and methods are described for IPTV broadcast systems. In various other embodiments, the systems and methods may be implemented in television broadcast systems that may include cable IPTV, satellite TV (direct to home), digital terrestrial TV, and the like, as would be understood by those skilled in the art.

The systems and methods as described herein, on one hand, enable monitoring of the content provided by the shared set top boxes, and on the other, allow automatic switching of monitored content based on the content switching at the shared set top box. It would be understood by those skilled in the art that among the multiple set top boxes, one set top box can act as a master and others may act as shared set top boxes. Further, among various content providing capabilities of the shared set top box, the real-time content provided by the shared set top box may be monitored by the master set top box.

In an example, a user utilizing the master set top box may initiate a request to access the content provided by the shared set top box. For clarity, the user utilizing the master set top box is hereinafter referred to as master user. Further, the request and responses exchanged between the master user and the service provider system are referred to as info-push operations. In one implementation, the request sent by the master set top box is sent in a networking protocol, such as hyper text transfer protocol (HTTP). Upon receiving such a request from the master user, a verification check is done by the service provider system, i.e., whether the master user is authorized to view the content provided by the shared set top box. The request may include a credential set associated with the master set top box that may include the credentials of the master user. In one implementation, the credential set may include details related to the activation of shared content viewing service, such as activation code, a security code of the master set top box, area code of operation, and the like. Further, it would be understood by those skilled in the art that the master user may be authorized to view the content provided by the shared set top box based on a subscription.

In one implementation, upon receiving such an access request from a master set top box, the service provider system may authenticate the master user based on the credential set. Additionally, the subscription for the service of content monitoring may be analyzed and upon confirmation, an approval may be sent by the IPTV backend server to the master set top box. In one implementation, the approval is sent through DSLAM/BSR to the gateway to enable the content viewing service on the master set top box. The confirmation may be sent in any networking protocol, such as, User Datagram Protocol (UDP), HTTP, HTTP secure (HTTPS), and the like. In said implementation, the confirmation may be sent in the HTTP format.

Further, based on the received approval, a content analysis enquiry may be made by the master set top box to enquire about the content provided by the shared set top box. For the purpose, the master set top box may communicate with service provider system of IPTV through the DSLAM and the gateway. In one implementation, the master set top box enquires the gateway for the content related to the shared set top box. Upon receiving this request, the gateway may initiate a procedure to gather content information displayed by the shared set top box.

In said procedure, the gateway may send an enquiry to the shared set top box and the shared set top box may reply with the requested information. It would be understood that in case of multiple shared set top boxes, the gateway may enquire the content only from the shared set top box for which the request has been received by the master user. In one implementation, the interconnection between the multiple shared set top boxes and the gateway in environments like home and business is done through Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA). Further, the information gathered about the content provided by the shared set top box is transferred to the master set top box. In said implementation, the communication between the master set top box, the gateway, and the shared set top box to identify the content displayed by the shared set top box is based on DLNA support and is done through the Universal Plug and Play (UPNP) protocol.

For example, the master set top box may send a UPNP request to the gateway. The gateway may then, to gather the content information, enquire the shared set top box by sending a UPNP message. In one implementation, the shared set top box may reply to the gateway in the same protocol. Finally, the gateway may send the gathered information to the master set top box through the UPNP protocol. Although the protocol for content identification is described to be UPNP, it would be understood by those skilled in the art that any protocol that supports the functionality of universal plug and play may be utilized.

In one implementation, once the content information is received by the master set top box, the master set top box may send a standard join request for the identified content to the gateway. In said implementation, the standard join request may specify the content to be displayed in 'picture-in-picture' mode. In another implementation, the request may also be sent for full display viewing of the content provided by the shared set top box without a special 'picture-in-picture' request. Once the request to view the content is made by the master set top box, the gateway may send the standard join request to the service provider system or the connected DSLAM. The service provider system or the DSLAM may then stream the requested content data to the gateway to be provided to the master user. For example, if the master set top box identifies that a channel a is displayed by the shared set top box, the master set top box may send an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) join request for the channel a to the gateway. The gateway may then forward the IGMP join request for the channel a to the associated DSLAM. In one implementation, if the master set top box requests for the content in 'picture-in-picture' mode, the DSLAM may stream the content through Realtime Transmission Protocol (RTP) to the gateway to be displayed by the master set top box in 'picture-in-picture' mode. In one implementation, the content provided by the master set top box may be automatically updated based on any change in content displayed by the shared set top box. Upon change in content associated with the shared set top box, the shared set top box may send a new content information to the gateway. In such a scenario, the gateway may then update the content information of the master set top box with the new content information received form the shared set top box. It would be appreciated that the update is automatic and may not require re-authentication and approval from the backend servers of the service provider system. The master set top box may then send a join request for the new content in a similar manner as explained earlier.

In this manner, the present subject matter provides exemplary methods and systems to enable viewing of content displayed by the shared set top boxes on the master set top box. Further, the content is continuously updated at the master set top box to enable automatic content switching at the master set top box based on content switching by the shared set top box. Through the disclosed scheme, the channels viewed on secondary physically apart locations can be monitored and checked from time to time without disturbing transmission at the secondary locations. Additionally, even though the current conventional display systems provide 'picture-in-picture' mode transmission, when a user desires to view the multiple content simultaneously, such conventional display systems are not capable of displaying the content displayed by the shared set top boxes in a 'picture-in-picture' mode. Therefore, the methods and associated systems are suitable for use in a shared environment, such as home, educational institutes, and business environment where multiple content display is required or where monitoring of content viewed by others is desirable.

It should be noted that the description merely illustrates the principles of the present subject matter. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements that, although not explicitly described herein, embody the principles of the present subject matter and are included within its spirit and scope. Furthermore, all examples recited herein are principally intended expressly to be only for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor(s) to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass equivalents thereof.

The manner in which the systems and methods to enable viewing of a content provided by a shared set top box on a master set top box shall be explained in details with respect to the Figures 1-6. While aspects of described systems and methods for enabling view of content provided by a shared set top box on a master set top box can be implemented in any number of different computing systems, transmission environments, and/or configurations, the embodiments are described in the context of the following exemplary system(s).

It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the words during, while, and when as used herein are not exact terms that mean an action takes place instantly upon an initiating action but that there may be some small but reasonable delay, such as a propagation delay, between the initial action and the reaction that is initiated by the initial action. Additionally, the word "connected" and "coupled" is used throughout for clarity of the description and can include either a direct connection or an indirect connection.

Fig. 1 illustrates a shared transmission environment 100 implementing a master set top box 102-1 and multiple shared set top boxes 102-2, ...102-N. Each of the master set top box 102-1 and multiple shared set top boxes 102-2, ...102-N are coupled to displays 104-1 , 104-2, 104-N, respectively, and provide content thereto according to an embodiment of the present subject matter. For the purpose of explanation and clarity, the master set top box 102-1 and multiple shared set top boxes 102-2, ...102-N, are collectively referred to as the set top box(s) 102 and individually as a set top box 102. Similarly the shared set top boxes are collectively referred to as 102_S, while an individual shared set top box is referred to as a shared set top box 102_s. Further, the displays 104-1 , 104-2, ...104-N, are also collectively and individually referred to as the display(s) 104. The set top boxes 102 are connected via a gateway 106 for accessing a video transmission. The gateway 106 is connected to a service provider system 108 to provide transmission/content data to the set top boxes 102 via a network 110. Further, the content provided to the shared set top box 102 is either displayed on the display 104 or be played on an audio device (not shown) or may be stored in a memory component associated with the set top box 102 (not shown) to be viewed at a later instance by a user.

In one embodiment of the present subject matter, the set top boxes 102 are integrated into the displays 104, however, in various different embodiments the set top boxes 102 may be non-integral to the displays 104. Further, the set top boxes can be implemented with any of a variety of displays known in the art, such as an electro luminescent display (ELD), a plasma display panel (PDP), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a light emitting diode (LED) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), and a thin-film transistor LCD (TFT-LCD).

The gateway 106 may provide connection between the service provider system 108 and the set top boxes 102. In one implementation, the gateway 106 may be a modem located within a compound of a residence or commercial building. However, in another implementation, the gateway 106 may be a system configured to receive signal from the service provider system 108 and distribute among the set top boxes 102. The connection between the gateway 106 and the set top boxes 102 may be a wired connection or a wireless connection. In one embodiment, the connection between the gateway 106 and the set top boxes 102 is enabled through Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA). In other embodiments, the connection between the gateway 106 and the set top boxes 102 may be enabled through different connection protocols. It would also be understood by a person skilled in the art that the connection between one set top box such as the master set top box 102-1 and the gateway 106 may be different from the connection between another set top box 102, such as the set top box 102-2 and the gateway 106.

Although the set top boxes 102 are shown to be connected through the gateway 106, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the set top boxes may be distributed locally or across one or more geographic locations and can be physically or logically connected to each other. Further, the service provider 108 may also be implemented on one or more discrete servers, mainframe computers, super- computers, and the like, located across different geographic locations and coupled to each other. Further, the functioning of the service provider 108 may also be provided by locally installed systems such as DSLAMs and broadband service routers, configured to provide content data to the gateway 106.

The network 1 10 may be a combination of wired and wireless networks. The network 110 may be implemented by the service provider systems through satellite communication, terrestrial communication, or may be implemented through the use of routers and access points connected to various Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexers (DSLAMs) of wired networks. The communication network 110 can be implemented as one of the different types of networks, such as intranet, telecom network, local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), Virtual Private Network (VPN), internetwork, Global Area Network (GAN), the Internet, and such. The network 110 may either be a dedicated network or a shared network, which represents an association of the different types of networks that use a variety of protocols, for example, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), etc., to communicate with each other.

In one embodiment, the master set top box 102-1 may be identified as a set top box that may have an authority to view a content associated with the shared set top boxes 102 S. It would be understood by those skilled in the art that the content associated with the shared set top boxes (102_s) is channel data being provided by the shared set top box (102_s), either to a connected display device or to a connected storage unit. Further, in said implementation, only the master set top box 102-1 may be configured to view the content associated with the shared set top boxes 102_S, while a shared set top box 102_s, such as shared set top box 102-2 may not have the privilege to view the content associated with the master set top box 102-1 or any other shared set top box 102_s, such as shared set top box 102-2. However, it would be appreciated that in one embodiment of the present subject matter, every set top box 102 may be configured to view the content provided by other set top boxes 102. In said embodiment, each set top box 102 may act as a master set top box 102-1 with respect to the other set top boxes 102 in the shared transmission environment 100.

According to an implementation of the present subject matter, the master set top box 102-1 includes a Set Top Box (STB) interaction module 112. The STB interaction module 112, amongst other things, is configured to interact with the gateway 106 and identify the content associated with a shared set top box 102-s. In one implementation, the STB interaction module 112 may communicate with the gateway 106 to identify the content associated with the shared set top boxes 102 S based on a user input. The user of the master set top box 102-1, hereinafter referred to as a master user, may specify a shared set top box 102_s from amongst the several shared set top boxes 102_S for which the content is to be identified. For example, the master user may choose the shared set top box 102-N to view the content associated with the set top box 102-N. It would be appreciated that in situations where a choice of a particular shared set top box 102_s from amongst the several shared set top boxes 102_S is not specified by the master user, the content associated with all the shared set top boxes 102_S may be identified by the STB identification module 1 12. In one embodiment, the content associated with a shared set top box 102_s pre-identified as a default set top box may be identified in cases where a choice of a particular shared set top box 102_s from amongst the several shared set top boxes 102_S is not specified by the master user.

Further, the gateway 106 may include a gateway interaction module 1 14, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter. The gateway interaction module 1 14, amongst other things, is configured to communicate between the set top boxes 102 and the service provider system 108. The gateway interaction module 1 14 may receive content view requests from master set top box 102-1. Based on such requests, the gateway interaction module 114 may interact with the service provider system 108 and receive authorization for the master user to view the content provided by a shared set top 102_s selected by the master user. In one implementation, the gateway interaction module 1 14 is also configured to communicate with the shared set top boxes 102 S and identify the content provided by the shared set top boxes 102 S to the displays 104. It would be understood by those skilled in the art that the content provided by the shared set top box 102_s may be a video channel or an audio channel from amongst several available channels.

As described earlier, the gateway 106 communicates with the service provider system 108 through the network 110. The service provider system 110 includes a Service provider system (SP) authorization module 1 16 configured to authorize the master set top box 102-1 to view the content associated with the selected shared set top box 102_s. The SP authorization module 116 may receive a request from the gateway 106 for authorization of the master set top box 102-1. The request may include a credential set associated with the master user and the master set top box 102- 1. In one implementation, the SP authorization module 116 may provide authorization to the master set top box 102-1 based on the credential set.

Fig. 2 illustrates the exemplary components of the master set top box 102-1 , according to an embodiment of the present subject matter. In one implementation, the master set top box 102-1 is configured to provide the content to the master user which is associated with the shared set top boxes 102_S (not shown). As described earlier, the master set top box 102-1 and the shared set top boxes 102_S may be connected via the gateway 106 (not shown) and communicate with the service provider 108 through the network 110 (not shown). It would be understood by those skilled in the art that the master set top box 102-1 may be integrated with a display system such as a television (TV), and a monitor and may internally communicate with the display system. However, in another embodiment of the present subject matter, the master set top box 102-1 may be external to the display system and may communicate with the display through various modes of communication, such as wired connections, communication over wired networks, or communication over wireless networks.

The master set top box 102-1 includes STB interface(s) 202, one or more STB processor(s) 204, and a memory, such as a STB memory 206, coupled to the STB processor(s) 204. The STB interfaces 202 may include a variety of software and hardware interfaces, for example, interfaces for peripheral device(s), such as a keypad, user identification cards, sensors, user interface screen, and an external display. In one implementation, the STB interfaces 202 may interface the master set top box 102-1 with an external display device, such as a TV. Further, the STB interfaces 202 may enable the master set top box 102-1 to communicate with users. The master set top box 102-1 may communicate with the gateway 106 through a wide variety of networks and protocol types, including wireless networks such as wireless LAN (WLAN), terrestrial, or satellite. In one implementation, the display system 102 may also communicate with the service providers 1 10.

The STB processor(s) 204 may be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, state machines, logic circuitries, and/or any devices that manipulate signals based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the STB processor(s) 204 are configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored in the STB memory 206.

The functions of the various elements shown in the figures, including any functional blocks labeled as "processor(s)", may be provided through the use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing software in association with appropriate software. When provided by a processor, the functions may be provided by a single dedicated processor, by a single shared processor, or by a plurality of individual processors, some of which may be shared. Moreover, explicit use of the term "processor" should not be construed to refer exclusively to hardware capable of executing software, and may implicitly include, without limitation, digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, network processor, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA), read only memory (ROM) for storing software, random access memory (RAM), and non volatile storage. Other hardware, conventional and/or custom, may also be included.

The STB memory 206 may include any computer-readable medium known in the art including, for example, volatile memory such as static random access memory (SRAM) and dynamic random access memory (DRAM), and/or non-volatile memory, such as read only memory (ROM), erasable programmable ROM, flash memories, hard disks, optical disks, and magnetic tapes. The STB memory 206 includes modules 208 and data 210. The modules 208, amongst other things, include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., which perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The data 210 serves, amongst other things, as a repository for storing data processed, received and generated by one or more of the modules 208. The modules 208 further include, for example, a STB interaction module 1 12, a STB content module 212, and other module(s) 214. The other modules 214 may include programs that supplement logic and routines on the master set top box 102-1. The data 210 includes data generated as a result of the execution of one or more modules 208, such as shared STB data 216, credential data 218, and other data 220. The shared STB data 216 may include details of the shared set top boxes 102 S, such as the IP address, and the history of content associated with the shared set top boxes 102_S. It would be appreciated that although several set top boxes 102 may be connected to the gateway 106, but all connected set top boxes 102, apart from the master set top box 102-1 , may not be shared set top boxes 102-S, i.e., the master set top box 102-1 may not have the rights to monitor the content associated with every connected set top box 102. Further the credential data 218 may store the credential set related to the master set top box 102- 1. In one example, the rights of the master set top box 102-1 to monitor the content associated with the various shared set top boxes 102_S is stored in the credential data 218.

In operation, the STB interaction module 112 is configured to communicate with the gateway 106 and identify the content associated with the shared set top boxes 102 S. In one embodiment of the present subject matter, to identify the content associated with a shared set top box 102_s, the STB interaction module 1 12 may request for an authorization from the service provider system 108. The STB interaction module 112 may send the request of authorization to the gateway 106. For the purpose of authorization, the STB interaction module 1 12 may send a credential set to the gateway 106. In one implementation, the credential set may include the details related to the activation of shared content viewing services, such as an activation code, a security code of the master set top box, the area code of operation, and the like. In said implementation, the credential set may be stored in the credential data 218. It would be understood by those skilled in the art that the STB interaction module 1 12 may be authorized to identify the content associated with the shared set top box 102_s based on a subscription, and the service provider 108 may identify the active state of the subscription based on the credential data 218 of the master set top box 102-1.

For example, to identify the content associated with the shared set top box 102- N, the STB interaction module 112 of the master set top box 102-1 may request for an authorization from the service provider system 108. The STB interaction module 112 may send a HTTP request to the gateway 106 including the credential set. In said example, the credential set may include only the security code of the master set top box 102-1. It would be understood by those skilled in the art that credential set include only the security code of the master set top box 102-1, or may include other details such as the area code of operation, activation code, etc.

In one implementation, based on the credential set of the master set top box 102-1, the STB interaction module 1 12 may receive an authentication or approval from the service provider system 108. Since the gateway 106 is configured to communicate between the set top boxes 102_S and the service provider system 108, the interaction module 112 may receive the authorization from the gateway 106. The STB interaction module 1 12 may further be configured to request a content information related to the content associated with the shared set top box 102_s. The content information related to the content may include the code of the channel associated with the shared set top box 102_s, the name of the channel, the channel address, and the like. Based on the content information, the master set top box 102-1 may request the content data from the service provider system 108. Therefore, to determine the content information related to the content, the STB interaction module 1 12 is configured to enquire the gateway 106 and identify the content associated with the shared set top boxes 102_S. As described before, it would be appreciated that the request for the content information is made only for the shared set top box 102 for which the view of content is desired by the master user. In response to the request, the gateway 106 may respond by providing the content information to the STB interaction module 1 12 which may be stored in the shared STB data 216. In one embodiment, upon receiving the authorization, the STB interaction module 112 may enquire the gateway 106 to identify the content associated with the shared set top box 102-N. For this, the STB interaction module 112 may communicate with the gateway 106 based on DLNA support in the UPNP protocol. Based on the UPNP protocol enquiry, the STB interaction module 112 may receive the content information related to the content associated with the shared set top box 102-N. In said embodiment, the information received is based on the UPNP protocol and includes the details regarding the content associated with the shared set top box 102-N.

The master set top box 102-1 further includes a STB content module 212 configured to request the content data from the gateway 106 based on the content information related to the content associated with the shared set top box 102_s. The STB content module 212 may send a standard join request to the service provider system 108 to view the content identified by the STB interaction module 1 12. In one implementation, the STB content module 212 may specify the content data to be provided in 'picture in picture' mode. However, in another implementation, the STB content module 212 may specify the content data to be provided in full display mode without a request for providing the content data in 'picture and picture' mode. Based on such a join request, the STB content module 212 may receive the content data from the service provider system 108 in the specified mode and provide the content to the master user.

For example, if the STB interaction module 1 12, based on the content information, identifies a channel x to be associated with the shared set top box 102-N, the STB content module 212 may request the content data of the channel x from the service provider system 108 in picture and picture mode. The STB content module 212 may request for the content in a standard IGMP join request from the service provider system 108 and provide the content data of channel x to the master user. In one implementation, if the STB content module 212 requests the content data in picture and picture mode, the content data received by the STB content module 212 may be streamed in RTP by the service provider system 108. The STB content module 212 may then provide the content to the master user associated with the master set top box 102-1. It would also be understood that the STB content module 212 may provide only the content information to the master user with the content data of the identified channel.

As described earlier, in situations where a particular shared set top box is not specified by the master user, the STB interaction module 1 12 may identify the content related to content associated with each shared set top box 102. Further, based on the information related to the content of each shared set top box 102, the STB content module 212 may request for the content data from the service provider system 108 and may provide the content of each shared set top box 102 in multiple 'picture in pictures'. It would also be appreciated that the master user may select multiple shared set top boxes 102_S to view the content associated with the multiple selected shared set top boxes 102 S. The STB interaction module 1 12 and the STB content module 212 may provide the content to the master user in a similar manner, as described for a single shared set top box 102.

Fig. 3 illustrates the exemplary components of the gateway 106, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter. In one implementation, the gateway 106 may act as a communication link between multiple set top boxes 102 and the service provider system 108. In one implementation, the gateway 106 may communicate with the master set top box 102-1 to receive different requests and may also forward the request to the service provider system 108. Also, the gateway may receive requests and content data from the service provider system 108 and may forward them to the set top boxes 102.

The gateway 106 includes gateway interface(s) 302, one or more gateway processor(s) 304, and a memory, such as a gateway memory 306, coupled to the gateway processor(s) 304. The gateway interfaces 302, the gateway processors 304, and the gateway memory 306 are similar to the STB interfaces 202, the STB processors 204, and the STB memory 206, as described in Fig. 1 , and a detailed explanation of the same is omitted for the sake of brevity.

The gateway memory 306 includes modules 308 and data 310. The modules 308, amongst other things, include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., which perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The data 310 serves, amongst other things, as a repository for storing data processed, received and generated by one or more of the modules 308. The modules 308 further include, for example, a gateway interaction module 114, a gateway channel information module 312, and other module(s) 314. The other modules 314 may include programs that supplement logic and routines on the gateway 106. The data 310 includes data generated as a result of the execution of one or more modules 308, such as gateway network data 316, channel data 318, and other data 320. The gateway network data 316 may include details of the network connections and connected devices such as the set top boxes 102. Further, the channel data 318 may store the information related to the content associated with the shared set top boxes 102_S.

In operation, the gateway interaction module 1 14 is configured to receive requests from the set top boxes 102 and the service provider system 108. In one implementation, the gateway interaction module 114 is configured to communicate authorization requests between the service provider system 108 and the master set top box 102-1. As described earlier, the service provider system 108 may authorize the master set top box 102 based on the credential set associated with the master set top box 102-1. The gateway interaction module 114 may append a set top box code to the authorization request initiated by the master set top box 102-1. The set top box code may mark the authorization request as authentic and indicate that the request is generated from the master set top box 102-1. For example, if an authorization request to view the content associated with the master set top box 102-1 is generated by a shared set top box 102-N, the gateway interaction module 114 may identify the request to be generated from a shared set top box 102-s and not append the set top box code to the request. Further, in this situation, since the authorization request would not include the set top box code, the service provider system 108 may deny the authorization request.

In another implementation of the present subject matter, the gateway interaction module 114 may forward the authorization request received from the master set top box 102-1 to the service provider system 108 without any changes. In such a situation, the gateway interaction module 114 may be configured to identify the requests received from the master set top box 102-1 and only forward such requests. In such a scenario, the authorization requests received from a shared set top box 102_s may be ignored and a pre-defined message may be sent back to the corresponding shared set top box 102. Further, the gateway interaction module 1 14 is also configured to receive the authorization approval for the master set top box 102-1 from the service provider system 108. The gateway interaction module 114 may forward the approval to the master set top box 102-1 and also may store the approval in the gateway network data 316. As described earlier, the authorization requests generated by the master set top box 102-1 and the approval response generated by the service provider system 108 may be in HTTP format.

According to one implementation, the gateway 106 is also capable of identifying the content information related to the content associated with the shared set top boxes 102_S. For this purpose, the gateway channel information module 312 is configured to communicate with the shared set top boxes 102_S. Accordingly, based on the request from a master set top box 102-1 to identify the content information related to the content associated with a shared set top box 102_s, the gateway channel information module 312 may first verify the authorization for the master set top box 102 received from the service provider system 108. To verify the authorization, the gateway channel information module 312 may fetch the approval from the gateway network data 316. Once the approval from the service provider system 108 is verified, the gateway channel information module 312 may initiate a request to enquire the content information from the shared set top box 102_s.

The gateway channel information module 312 may sent a request in UPNP to the shared set top box 102_s and enquire the content information related to the content associated with the shared set top box 102_s. Additionally, the gateway channel information module 312 may also receive the content information in the UPNP. As described earlier, the content information related to the content associated with the shared set top box 102_s may include the code of the channel associated with the shared set top box 102_s, the name of the channel, the channel address, and the like. The gateway channel information module 312 may further store the content information in the channel data 318. In situations where the shared set top box 102_s is switched off and does not respond to the content information requests send by the gateway channel information module 312, the gateway channel information module 312 may store a predefined error massage in the channel data 318.

The gateway interaction module 1 14 may provide the gathered content information to the master set top box 102-1. In one implementation, the gateway interaction module 114 fetches the content information from the channel data 318 and sends the information to the master set top box 102-1 in UPNP format.

According to an implementation of the present subject matter, the gateway interaction module 114 is also configured to request for the content data from the service provider system 108 based on a request from the master set top box 102-1. The gateway interaction module 1 14 may send a standard IGMP join request to the service provider system 108 based on a join request received from the master set top box 102-1. The join request may also indicate the mode in which the content data is requested by the master set top box 102-1. In said implementation, the content data may be requested in 'picture - in-picture' mode, and in another, the content data may be requested in full display mode. Upon receiving the content data from the service provider system 108, the gateway interaction module 1 14 may provide the content data to the master set top box 102-1. In one implementation, if the content data is requested in a particular mode such as the 'picture-in -picture' mode, and the service provider system 108 is unable to provide the content data in the requested mode, the gateway interaction module 1 14 may send a regret message to the master set top box 102-1. In said implementation, if the content data is not provided by the service provider system 108 in any mode, the gateway interaction module 114 may return only the content logo information to the master set top box 102-1.

As described earlier, the gateway interaction module 114 is configured to communicate between the set top boxes 102 and the service provider system 108. In one implementation, the gateway interaction module 1 14 is configured receive content switching request from the shared set top box 102_s. Based on the content switching request for a new content, the gateway interaction module 114 may request the new content data from the service provider system 108 and stream the same to the shared set top box 102_s. For every instance a content switching request is received, the gateway interaction module 114 verifies if the content associated with the shared set top box 102_s is also streamed to the master set top box. If the gateway interaction module 1 14 identifies such a scenario, the content information of the content associated with the shared set top box 102, is switched to the new content information. It would be understood by those skilled in the art that the new content information is sent to the master set top box 102-1 in UPNP format.

In an example, say a shared set top box 102-N is displaying a channel ' ' on the display 104-N and a master user associated with the master set top box 102-1 is monitoring the content provided by the shared set top box 102-N. Therefore, the master set top box 102-1 is displaying the channel 'a' for the master user. At this instance, the user of the shared set top box 102-N may send a request to switch the content from channel ' ' to channel '& '. In such a scenario, the shared set top box 102-N will send a content switching request to the gateway 106 an request for the content data relate to channel The gateway interaction module 114, upon receiving such a request verifies whether the master set top box 102-1 is monitoring the content associated with the shared set top box 102-N. Upon verification, the gateway interaction module 1 14 may update the content information with the new content information, send the new content information to the master set top box 102-1 in UPNP format, and stream the new content data to the shared set top box 102_s.

Fig. 4 illustrates the exemplary components of the service provider system 108, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter. In one implementation, the service provider system 108 provides the television broadcast of different audio and video content to a user. As described earlier, the service provider system 108 may be located locally or across more geographic locations and may be implemented on servers, mainframe computers, super computers, and the like. Further, the functioning of the service provider system 108 may also be associated with locally installed systems such as DSLAMs and broadband service routers, configured to provide content data to the users though the gateway 106. The service provider system 108 includes one or more Service provider system (SP) processor(s) 402, SP interface(s) 404, and a memory, such as a SP memory 406, coupled to the SP processor(s) 402. The SP interfaces 404, the SP processors 402, and the SP memory 406 are similar to the STB interfaces 202, the STB processors 204, and the STB memory 206, as described in Fig. 1 , and a detail explanation of the same is omitted for the sake of brevity.

The SP memory 406 includes modules 408 and data 410. The modules 408, amongst other things, include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., which perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The data 410 serves, amongst other things, as a repository for storing data processed, received and generated by one or more of the modules 408. The modules 408 further include, for example, a SP authorization module 116, a SP interaction module 412, and other module(s) 414. The other modules 414 may include programs that supplement logic and routines on the service provider system 108. The data 410 includes data generated as a result of the execution of one or more modules 408, such as SP network data 416, subscription data 418, and other data 420. The SP network data 416 may include details of the network connections and connected devices including different gateways such as the gateway 106. Further, the subscription data 418 may store the information related to the different users and their subscriptions.

The service provider system 108 may also include a SP authorization module 116. The SP authorization module 1 16, amongst other things is configured to authorize the master set top box 102-1 based on the credential set. In one implementation, the SP authorization module 116 may receive an authorization request from the gateway 106 for authorizing the master set top box 102-1 to view the content associated with the shared set top box 102. The authorization request may include the credential set associated with the master set top box. The SP authorization module 1 16 may compare the received credential set with the subscription of the user. In one implementation, the subscription of the user may be identified by the SP authorization module 1 16 from the subscription data 418. As described earlier, the credential set of a master set top box 102-1 may include details about the master set top box and the subscription, and therefore, the SP authorization module 116 may authorize the master set top box 102-1 based on the comparison of the credential set details with the subscription data 418 details.

The SP interaction module 412 is configured to communicate with different devices such as the gateway 106 and provide the content requested by different users. In one implementation, the SP interaction module 412 is configured to receive requests to provide content data to the gateway 106. Based on the request, the SP interaction module 412 may provide the content data to the gateway 106. As described, the content data requested by the gateway 106 may be in different modes such as 'picture-in -picture' and to provide the content data in different modes, the SP interaction module 412 may utilize different protocols. For example, to provide the content data in 'picture-in-picture' mode, the SP interaction module 412 may utilize RTP. Further, in said implementation, the SP interaction module 412 is configured to receive content data requests in standard join IGMP format. However it would be understood by those skilled in the art that the content data request may be received by the SP interaction module 412 in different protocols.

In one implementation of the present subject matter, a master set top box, such as the master set top box 102-1 may be used to monitor the content provided by the shared set top boxes 102_S. For example, in case of parental supervision, the master set top box 102-1 may be used by the parents and shared set top boxes 102_S may be used by the children. In another implementation, the master set top box may be used by an educational institute to monitor the content viewed by the student. For example, the master set top box 102-1 may be used by a warden of an institute to monitor the content viewed by the students utilizing the shared set top boxes 102_S.

Fig. 5(a) illustrates a call-flow diagram indicating a master set top box viewing a content provided by a shared set top box in the shared transmission environment of

Fig. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter. The various arrow indicators used in the call-flow diagram depict the transfer of information between the master set top box 102-1 , the shared set top box 102_s, the gateway 106, and the service provider system 108. As mentioned in Fig. 1 , the master set top box 102-1 and the shared set top box 102_s are connected to the service provider system 108 through the gateway 106. In many cases, multiple network entities besides those shown may lay between the gateway 106 and the service provider system 108, including DSLAMs and routers, although those have been omitted for clarity. Similarly, various acknowledgement and confirmation network responses may also be omitted for clarity.

In an example, a user of the master set top box 102-1 also referred to as master user, requests to view the content associated with the shared set top box 102_s. To this end, the master set top box 102-1 initiates a shared content view request by sending an authorization request to the gateway 106 (step 502). In one implementation, the master set top box 102-1 may send the authorization request in HTTP format and the request may include a credential set. As described earlier, the credential set may include the details related to the master user and the master set top box 102-1. The credential set may include the details related to the activation of shared content viewing service, such as an activation code, a security code of the master set top box 102-1 , the area code of operation, and the like.

At step 504, based on the received authorization request, the gateway 106 may forward the request for shared content view to the service provider system 108. The request may be forwarded by the gateway in HTTP format. However, it would be understood by those skilled in the art that the request may be sent in any format known in the art. The service provider system 108 may authorize the master set top box 102-1 to view the content associated with the shared set top box 102_s based on the received credential set in the authorization request. At step 506, based on the authorization check of the master set top box 102-1, the service provider system 108 may send an authorization response. If the service provider system 108 verifies that the master set top box 102-1 has a subscription to view the content associated with the shared set top box

102_s, the service provider system 108 may sent an approval to the gateway 106 in the response.

In one implementation, the approval response sent by the service provider system 108 allows the gateway 106 to identify the content information related to the content associated with the shared set top box 102_s, and provide the content information to the master set top box 102-1. In operation, upon receiving authorization response from the service provider system 108, the gateway 106 may provide the authorization to the master set top box 102-1 by forwarding the response at step 508. It would be appreciated that the authorization requests and the responses may be the 'info- push' operations in an IPTV network and are exchanged in HTTP format by the master set top box 102-1, the service provider system 108, and the gateway 106.

The master set top box 102-1, upon receiving the authorization at step 508 may initiate a 'shared content info' request to identify the content associated with the shared set top box 102_s. At step 510, the master set top box 102-1 sends a request to the gateway 106 to request the content information related to the content associated with the shared set top box 102_s. Based on such an enquiry by the master set top box 102-1 , the gateway 106 may retrieve the content information from the shared set top box 102_s. In one implementation, the gateway 106 may enquire the content information from the shared set top box 102_s by sending a 'content info enquiry' request at step 512. The gateway 106 may receive the content information from the shared set top box 102_s at step 514 in the form of a 'content info reply'. Further, the gateway 106 may provide the content information to the master set top box 102-1 at step 516. In one example, the network may be an IPTV network where the gateway 106 and the set top boxes 102 are connected through DLNA support and therefore, the exchange of information at steps 510, 512, 514 and 516 is completed in UPNP format.

Once the master set top box 102-1 receives the content information, a request is send to receive the shared content data from the service provider system 108. In one implementation, to receive the shared content data, the master set top box 102- 1 sends a standard IGMP join request for the shared content data. The IGMP join request is first send to the gateway 106 at step 518 and then forwarded to the service provider system 108 at step 520 by the gateway 106. The IGMP request for the shared content data may also include the mode for which the content data is requested, i.e. either in 'picture-in- picture' mode or 'full display' mode. The service provider system 108, upon identifying a content data request from the authorized master set top box 102-1 provides the content data to the gateway 106, which in turn is provided to the master set top box 102-1 (at step 524 and 526 respectively). Further, to provide the content data for the IGMP content data request, the service provider system 108 may provide the content data in RTP format. Additionally, the content data provided by the service provider system 108 is in accordance with the mode requested by the master set top box 102-1. If the content data is provided in 'picture-in -picture' mode, the content data provided in lower resolution, however, if the content is requested in full display, the content data provided in full resolution, as would be understood by those skilled in the art.

The steps 502 to 526, as explained above may enable the master set top box 102-1 to view the content provided by the shared set top box 102. Although the steps have been explained with reference of one shared set top box 102_s, however, it would be appreciated that a similar approach can be followed in case of multiple shared set top boxes 102_S.

Fig. 5(b) illustrates a call-flow diagram indicating content switching for the master set top box based on content switching by the shared set top box in the shared transmission environment of Fig. 1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter. It would be appreciated that the flow of events described in Fig 5(b) is in continuation of the Fig 5 (a) where the master set top box 102-1 is monitoring the content associated with the shared set top box 102_s. Hence, call flow for the situation where the content associated with the shared set top box 102_s is switched is described.

The event of content switching is triggered by a user of the shared set top box 102_s. For example, the user of the shared set top box 102_s may switch the view from channel 1 to channel 2. In such a scenario, the shared set top box 102_s may initiate a join request for the new content and send it to the gateway 106, at step 528. The gateway 106 may forward the content switch request to the service provider system 108 at step 530, and may request for the new content data from the service provider system. Similar to the steps 518 and 520, the join requests may be forwarded in IGMP format to the service provider system 108 at steps 528 and 530.

Upon receiving the join request for the new content data from the gateway 106, the service provider system 108 provides the new content data to the shared set top box 102_s via the gateway 106. For this purpose, the service provider system 108 may send the new content data to the gateway 106 in RTP format at step 532 which may be forwarded by the gateway 106 to the shared set top box 102_s in RTP format at step 534. In one implementation, once the new content data is received by the shared set top box 102_s, the new content info related to the new content is received by the gateway 106 at step 536. It would be understood by those skilled in the art that the gateway 106 may request for the new content information from the shared set top box 102_s at step 534, or the shared set top box 102_s may automatically provide the new content info to the gateway 106.

In both the above mentioned scenarios, at the step 538, the new content information is provided to the master set top box 102-1 by the gateway 106. As described earlier and similar to the step 516, the new content info may include the details of the new content provided by the shared set top box 102_s. Once the new content information is received by the master set top box 102-1, a new join request for the new content data is initiated by the master set top box 102-1 (at step 540). In a similar manner to the steps, 518, 520, 524, and 526, the gateway 106 and service provider system 108 receive the new content join request and provide the new content data to the master set top box 102-1 , at steps 540, 542, 544, and 546.

Therefore, the steps 528 to 548, as explained above may enable the master set top box 102-1 to monitor the content associated with the shared set top box 102_s, even in situations where the shared set top box 102_s switches the content from one to another. Although the steps have been explained with reference of one shared set top box 102_s, however, it would be appreciated that a similar approach can be followed in case of multiple shared set top boxes 102 S. Fig. 6 illustrates exemplary method 600 for enabling a master set top box to monitor a content associated with a shared set top box in a shared transmission environment, in accordance with an implementation of the present subject matter. The method is presently provided for providing shared content of a shared set top box to the master set top box. It would be appreciated that the same methods can also be implemented for providing shared content of multiple shared set top boxes on the master set top box without deviating from the scope of the present subject matter.

The order in which the method is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks can be combined in any order to implement the method, or an alternative method. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from the method without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, the methods can be implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or combination thereof.

A person skilled in the art will readily recognize that steps of the method can be performed by programmed computers. Herein, some embodiments are also intended to cover program storage devices, for example, digital data storage media, which are machine or computer readable and encode machine-executable or computer-executable programs of instructions, wherein said instructions perform some or all of the steps of the described method. The program storage devices may be, for example, digital memories, magnetic storage media such as a magnetic disks and magnetic tapes, hard drives, or optically readable digital data storage media.

At block 602, authorization to view a content provided by at least one shared set top box is received. In one implementation, the authorization is received by a master set top box 102-1 in a similar manner as explained in steps 502, 504, 506, and 508 of Fig. 5(a). Further, a content information related to the content provided by the at least one shared set top box 102_s is identified at block 604 in similar manner as explained in steps 510, 512, 514, and 516 of the Fig. 5(a). Based on the content information, a content data from a service provider system 108 is requested at block 606. In one implementation, the content data is requested in a manner similar to the manner as explained in steps 518 and 520 of Fig. 5(a). Further, the content data is provided to a user at block 608. The content data may be provided by the service provider system 108 to the master set top box 102-1 which in turn may be provided to the user, as also described in steps 524 and 526 of Fig. 5(a).

Although implementations for enabling view of a content provided by a shared set top box on a master set top box information have been described in language specific to structural features and/or methods, it is to be understood that the appended claims are not necessarily limited to the specific features or methods described. Rather, the specific features and methods are disclosed as exemplary implementations for providing television broadcast in a shared transmission environment.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring content, the method comprising:

identifying, by a master set top box (102-1), a content information related to a content associated with a shared set top box (102_s), wherein the shared set top box (102_s) is coupled with the master set top box (102-1);

receiving a content data of the content associated with the shared set top box (102_s) from a service provider system (108); and

providing the content data of the content associated with the shared set top box (102_s) to a user of the master set top box (102-1).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the identifying comprises:

sending an authorization request to the service provider system (108), wherein the authorization request includes a credential set associated with the master set top box (102-1), and wherein the credential set includes credential data related to the master set top box (102-1);

receiving an authorization from the service provider system (108) based on the credential set; and

requesting the content information related to the content associated with the shared set top box (102_s) from a gateway (106).

3. A method comprising:

receiving a request for identifying a content information related to a content associated with a shared set top box (102_s) from a master set top box (102-1);

requesting the content information from the shared set top box (102_s); and providing the content information associated with the shared set top box (102_s) to the master set top box (102-1).

The method as claimed in claim 3 further comprising:

receiving a content switching request from the shared set top box (102_s); and providing a new content information to the master set top box (102-1) coupled with the shared set top box (102_s) in response to the content switching request.

The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the content information related to the content associated with the shared set top box (102_s) is provided in Universal Plug and Play (UPNP) format to the master set top box (102-1).

A method comprising:

receiving an authorization request for identifying a content associated with a shared set top box (102_s) from a master set top box (102-1), wherein the authorization request includes a credential set associated with the master set top box (102-1); and

authorizing the master set top box (102-1) to identify the content associated with the shared set top box (102_s) based on the credential set of the master set top box (102-1).

A master set top box (STB) (102-1) comprising:

a STB processor (204); and

a STB memory (206) coupled to the STB processor (204), the STB memory (206) comprising:

a STB interaction module (112) configured to,

receive authorization from a service provider system (108), and

identify a content information related to a content associated with a shared STB (102_s); and

a STB content module (212) configured to, request a content data of the content associated with the shared set top box (102 -s), from a service provider system (108) based on the content information, and

provide the content data to a user associated with the master STB (102-1).

The master STB (102-1) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the STB content module (212) is further configured to provide the content data in one of, picture-in-picture, and full display mode.

A service provider system (108) comprising:

a service provider (SP) processor (402); and

a SP memory (406) coupled to the SP processor (402), the SP memory (406) comprising:

a service provider authorization module (116) configured to authorize a master set top box (102-1) based on a credential set associated with the master set top box (102-1) for identifying a content associated with the shared set top box (102_s); and

a service provider interaction module (412) configured to, receive a request for identifying the content associated with a shared set top box (102_s) from the master STB (102-1), and

provide the content data to the master set top box (102-1).

10. The service provider system (108) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the credential set includes one or more of an activation code, a security code, and an area code of operation.

1 1. A gateway (106) comprising:

a gateway processor (304); and

a gateway memory (306) coupled to the gateway processor (304), the gateway memory (306) comprising:

a gateway interaction module (1 14) configured to receive a content information request from a master set top box (102-1) for identifying a content information related to a content associated with a shared set top box (102_s); and

a gateway content information module (312) configured to provide the content information related to the content associated with the shared set top box (102_s) to the master set top box (102-1).

The gateway ( 106) as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the gateway interaction module (1 14) is further configured to receive a content switching request from the shared set top box (102_s).

13. The gateway (106) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the gateway content information module (312) is further configured to provide a new content information to the master set top box (102-1) in response to the content switching request.

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions that when executed perform acts comprising:

providing the content data of the content associated with the shared set top box (102_s) to the master set top box (102-1).

15. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions that when executed perform acts comprising:

receiving a request from a master set top box (102-1) for identifying a content information related to a content associated with a shared set top box (102_s);

requesting the content information from the shared set top box (102_s); and

providing the content information associated with the shared set top box (102_s) to the master set top box (102-1).

16. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions that when executed perform acts comprising:

receiving an authorization request from a master set top box (102-1), wherein the authorization request includes a credential set associated with the master set top box; and