US20110302607A1 - Hospitality media system operated by mobile device - Google Patents
Hospitality media system operated by mobile device Download PDFInfo
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- US20110302607A1 US20110302607A1 US13/150,672 US201113150672A US2011302607A1 US 20110302607 A1 US20110302607 A1 US 20110302607A1 US 201113150672 A US201113150672 A US 201113150672A US 2011302607 A1 US2011302607 A1 US 2011302607A1
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- Prior art keywords
- mobile device
- room
- media system
- controllable devices
- identification information
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Classifications
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
- H04N21/436—Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
- H04N21/43615—Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
- H04L12/00—Data switching networks
- H04L12/28—Data switching networks characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks]
- H04L12/2803—Home automation networks
- H04L12/2807—Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network
- H04L12/2809—Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
- H04L12/00—Data switching networks
- H04L12/28—Data switching networks characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks]
- H04L12/2803—Home automation networks
- H04L12/2807—Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network
- H04L12/2814—Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/41—Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
- H04N21/4104—Peripherals receiving signals from specially adapted client devices
- H04N21/4126—The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
- H04N21/41265—The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/41—Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
- H04N21/4104—Peripherals receiving signals from specially adapted client devices
- H04N21/4131—Peripherals receiving signals from specially adapted client devices home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
- H04W12/00—Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity
- H04W12/08—Access security
- H04W12/082—Access security using revocation of authorisation
Definitions
- the invention pertains generally to hospitality media and entertainment systems. More specifically, the invention relates to operating a hospitality media system from a mobile device.
- hotel media systems are designed to be “user-friendly”. This generally means control elements such as menus and control buttons be as intuitive as possible such that a guest can easily figure out how to use the system without first having to read instructions.
- control elements such as menus and control buttons be as intuitive as possible such that a guest can easily figure out how to use the system without first having to read instructions.
- the hardware vendors for different hotels may differ, the physical appearance and other control aspects of in-room media and entertainment systems may also differ from hotel to hotel. Therefore, even if each system is itself user-friendly, frequent travelers who stay at many hotels may need to learn many different media systems. The process of learning to use yet another hotel media system can detract from the overall guest experience.
- a hospitality media system including a media system controller and a plurality of controllable devices operable by the media system controller, each of a plurality of rooms having one or more in-room controllable devices.
- a communication module performs data communications with a mobile device.
- An authentication module receives identification information from the mobile device, determines a registered room currently associated with the identification information, and includes in an authorized subset of the controllable devices for which the mobile device is authorized to operate at least the in-room controllable devices of the registered room.
- the media system controller operates the authorized subset of the controllable devices in dependence upon commands received from the mobile device.
- a method of operating a plurality of controllable devices in a hospitality media system Each of a plurality of rooms has one or more in-room controllable devices.
- the method includes performing data communications with a mobile device and receiving identification information from the mobile device. A registered room currently associated with the identification information is determined. An authorized subset of the controllable devices for which the mobile device is authorized to operate at least includes the in-room controllable devices of the registered room. The method further includes operating the authorized subset of the controllable devices in dependence upon commands received from the mobile device.
- a hospitality media system including a plurality of controllable devices, each of a plurality of rooms having one or more in-room controllable devices.
- Means is included for receiving identification information from a mobile device and determining a registered room currently associated with the identification information.
- Means is included for including in an authorized subset of the controllable devices for which the mobile device is authorized to operate at least the in-room controllable devices of the registered room.
- Means is included for operating the authorized subset of the controllable devices in dependence upon commands received from the mobile device.
- FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a hotel media system having controllable devices being operated by mobile devices according to an exemplary configuration of the invention.
- FIG. 2 is an operational flowchart of the hotel media system of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a mobile phone being one of the mobile devices of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 4 is an operational flowchart of the mobile phone of FIG. 3 .
- FIG. 5 illustrates a hotel floor plan having multiple controllable devices being remotely operated by various mobile devices according to another exemplary configuration of the invention.
- FIG. 6 shows an exemplary data structure of a database for performing authentication of the mobile devices of FIG. 5 .
- FIG. 7 illustrates the media system controller of FIG. 1 being divided into a central controller and a plurality of local controllers according to another configuration of the invention.
- FIG. 8 illustrates how commands received from a mobile device may be passed from the media system controller to a set-top box in a guest room in order to thereby control other controllable devices in the room.
- FIG. 9 illustrates how commands from a mobile device may be received directly by an in-room STB in order to control other controllable devices in the room.
- FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary data structure of a multi-table database for performing authentication of the mobile devices of FIG. 5 .
- FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of how authentication data may be utilized by the hotel media system of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a hotel media system 100 having controllable devices 130 being operated by a plurality of mobile devices 150 according to an exemplary configuration of the invention.
- a media system controller 110 includes an authentication module 112 and a customization module 114 coupled to a communication module 116 .
- the media system controller 110 is coupled through a media system network 106 to each guest room 102 and to a conference room 104 .
- the media system controller 110 is coupled to and communicates with the controllable devices 130 and delivers media and entertainment content through the media system network 106 .
- Each guest room 102 , 104 includes one or more in-room controllable devices 130 such as a set-top box (STB), personal video recorder (PVR), television (TV), projector, and room control box, which can each be operated by the media system controller 110 .
- the room control box allows electronic control of elements in the room 102 , 104 such as air conditioning, lighting, heating, fans, doors, windows, blinds, etc.
- the media system controller 110 itself includes a networked personal video controller (network PVR) being a further controllable device 130 . Any number and types of controllable devices 130 may be positioned throughout the hotel media system 100 in other configurations.
- Guests of a hotel often have their own mobile devices 150 such as laptop computers, tablet computers, cell phones, music players, personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital cameras, global positioning systems (GPSs), and all other kinds of personal electronic gadgets.
- These mobile devices 150 may be coupled to the media system controller 110 through a guest accessible network 108 that is installed throughout the hotel and available to guests of the hotel, or through a public network 160 that may be available outside the hotel such as the Internet.
- the media system network 106 and the guest accessible network 108 may be the same network.
- the mobile devices 150 Once connected to the media system controller 110 , the mobile devices 150 may operate one or more of the controllable devices 130 .
- a custom application 152 may be pre-included on each mobile device 150 or may be downloaded and installed from the media system controller 130 or another source if it is not already present on the mobile device 150 .
- the application 152 automatically detects the hotel media system 100 and establishes data communications with the communication module 116 .
- the customization module 114 may then provide customization information specific to this particular hotel media system 100 to the application 152 . Examples of the information specific to a particular hotel media system 100 may include hotel name, branding logos, color schemes, welcome messages, authentication methods, etc.
- the application 152 utilizes this information to customize itself for this particular hotel and then identifies itself or its operator to the authentication module 112 .
- Authorization limits implemented by the authentication module 112 in conjunction with a database 118 such as the hotel's property management system (PMS) determine which controllable device(s) 130 may be operated by a particular mobile device 150 .
- PMS hotel's property management system
- the media system controller 110 transfers status information for the authorized controllable devices 130 to the particular mobile device 150 and operates the controllable devices 130 in the authorized subset in dependence upon commands received from the particular mobile device 150 .
- a first mobile device 150 (Mobile device 1 in FIG. 1 ) may be authorized to operate the STB, PVR, TV, and room control devices in a first guest room (Guest room 1 in FIG.
- a second mobile device may be authorized to operate the STB, PVR, room control, and projector in the conference room 104 . Therefore, the first mobile device will only be able to see status information from and send commands to the in-room controllable devices 130 of the first guest room, and the second mobile device will only be able to see status information from and send commands to the in-room controllable devices 130 of the conference room 104 .
- FIG. 2 is an exemplary operational flowchart 200 of the hotel media system of FIG. 1 .
- the steps of flowchart 200 are not restricted to the exact order shown, and, in other configurations, shown steps may be omitted or other intermediate steps added.
- the hotel media system 100 performs the following operations:
- Step 214 the hotel media system 100 determines an authorized subset of the controllable devices 130 for which the mobile device 150 is authorized to operate.
- the authentication module 112 receives some identification information from the mobile device 150 corresponding to either the mobile device itself or an operator of the mobile device 150 and then looks up in a database 118 to determine which controllable devices 130 are permitted to be operated by this mobile device or operator. For example, the authentication module 112 may query a database 118 such as the hotel's property management system (PMS) to make sure the guest's name, MAC address, GSM SIM card number, passkey, and/or reservation number are correct for a particular hotel room and authorize the user.
- PMS hotel's property management system
- the database 118 includes data associating the identification information with one or more registered guest rooms and the authorized subset includes the in-room controllable devices 130 that are accessible from the room(s) for which the operator of the mobile device is currently registered. Steps 216 and 218 may also be utilized, alone or in combination, to receive the identification information corresponding to the mobile device 150 and/or the operator of the mobile device 150 .
- Step 220 Once the mobile device 150 is authenticated, the hotel media system 100 transfers any status information from the authorized subset of the controllable devices 130 to the mobile device 150 , and controls the authorized subset of the controllable devices 130 according to commands received from the mobile device 150 .
- the status information may include UI menus for each of the controllable devices 130 in the authorized subset
- the commands received from the mobile device 150 may include UI selections for operating each of the controllable devices 130 in the authorized subset.
- the authorized subset of controllable devices 130 may be operated in accordance with commands received from the mobile device 150 .
- steps may also be included such as if a user is not authorized at step 214 , actions such as providing an error message or other assistance to the guest may be provided by the hotel's media system 100 . Because the user of the mobile device is not authenticated, the hotel media system 100 may provide only general services and information to the mobile device 150 but no specific room control services until the mobile device 150 tries to re-authenticate. Control may proceed back to step 214 when the mobile device tries to re-authenticate.
- FIG. 3 is an exemplary block diagram of a mobile phone 300 being one of the mobile devices 150 of FIG. 1 .
- the mobile phone 300 includes a user interface (UI) 312 , a customization module 302 , a communication module 304 , an identification module 306 , and a unique identification (ID) 308 .
- the communication module 304 may be implemented in hardware as a part of the mobile phone.
- the phone 300 may be equipped with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and WLAN capabilities. Any of these may therefore be utilized to establish a connection to the hotel media system 100 via either a guest accessible network 108 , public network 160 , or other available access port.
- control of the mobile phone 300 is performed by a custom media control application 152 having been previously installed.
- the invention may alternatively operate utilizing a web interface or the application 152 may be downloaded and installed as a part of the connection procedure.
- Compiled, semi-compiled code such as a Java or interpreted code such as JavaScript may also be utilized to perform the role of the media control application 152 .
- the authorized subset of the controllable devices 150 for the mobile phone 300 may include at least a PVR of a hotel room (hotel room 101 in FIG. 3 ). Therefore, the UI 312 of the mobile phone 300 shows an interactive program guide (IPG) of content available on the hotel's media system 100 as recordable by the PVR of room 101 . Note that different rooms in the hotel may have different available content, and part of the status information sent from the hotel media system 100 to the mobile phone 300 included the content that was actually recordable by the PVR in room 101 . An operator of the mobile phone 300 may schedule the PVR of room 101 to record content listed on the IPG by interacting with the UI 312 of the mobile phone 300 .
- IPG interactive program guide
- Corresponding commands will be sent from the mobile phone 300 to the hotel media system 100 and the hotel media system 100 will utilize these commands to operate the PVR of room 101 . Additional status messages such as confirmation of the recording or conflict messages will be passed back to the UI 312 as required. In this way, the mobile phone 300 may operate the PVR of room 101 from any location as long as a connection to the media system 100 is available. The mobile phone 300 may also be authorized to operate other in-room controllable devices 130 and these other in-room controllable devices 130 could be selected and controlled using the UI 312 in a similar way.
- the media system controller 110 transfers status information to the mobile phone 300 such as data for displaying the IPG on the mobile phone 300 customized to list only the content that is available on the in-room controllable devices 130 of the guest's registered room.
- a benefit of such operation is a guest staying in a budget room will not see content listed on the IPG that is only available in other rooms of the hotel with higher entitlements.
- the customization module 304 of the mobile phone 300 receives the customization information sent from the customization module 114 of the media system controller 110 .
- a hotel branded logo 310 may be utilized by the mobile phone 300 to customize the UI 312 when operating the media system 100 at a particular hotel.
- the ID module 306 is responsible for identifying the mobile phone 300 to the hotel media system 100 and may also store identification information that needs to be remembered for authentication purposes. For example, a pass code that a guest was given at check-in for authenticating their mobile device(s) 150 may be stored within the ID module 306 .
- the ID module 306 may also automatically pass a unique ID 308 such as the GSM SIM card number, MAC address, software serial number, or browser cookie to the authentication module 112 of the hotel's media system controller 110 to allow determination of the authorized controllable devices.
- FIG. 4 is an exemplary operational flowchart 400 of the mobile phone 300 of FIG. 3 .
- the mobile phone 300 of FIG. 3 is taken as an example but similar steps may also apply to the other mobile devices 150 of FIG. 1 .
- the steps of flowchart 400 are not restricted to the exact order shown, and, in other configurations, shown steps may be omitted or other intermediate steps added. In this configuration, the mobile phone 300 performs the following operations:
- FIG. 5 illustrates a hotel floor plan 500 having multiple controllable devices 506 , 508 , 510 , 512 , 514 being remotely operated by various mobile devices 530 , 532 , 534 according to another exemplary configuration of the invention.
- the hotel includes a plurality of guest rooms including a particular room 502 being shown with an expanded view.
- installed in guest room 502 are several in-room controllable devices including a STB 506 , TV 508 , PVR 510 , and room control box 512 ; and installed in a conference room 501 is an in-room controllable projector 514 .
- Access parts for a guest accessible computer network 108 are distributed throughout the hotel including wireless access points (APs) 520 and a wired Ethernet connection 522 .
- APs wireless access points
- wired Ethernet connection 522 there are three mobile devices illustrated including a cell phone 530 , a laptop computer 532 , and a tablet computer 534 .
- FIG. 6 shows an exemplary data structure of a database 118 for performing authentication of the mobile devices 530 , 532 , 534 of FIG. 5 .
- the database structure 600 includes authentication data for each mobile device 530 , 532 , 534 organized in rows with a mobile device column 602 indicating the particular mobile device name, a MAC address column 604 indicating a unique ID being associated with the hardware of the mobile device, a registered rooms column 606 indicating one or more registered guest rooms currently associated with the mobile device, and an authorized subset of controllable devices column 610 indicating the subset of the possible controllable devices 506 , 508 , 510 , 512 , 514 that are authorized to be operated.
- the authorized subset of controllable devices column 610 includes the in-room controllable devices of the guest rooms included in the registered rooms column 606 .
- Other configurations of the database 118 may also be utilized.
- a user information column may be included to associate certain user information such as the guest's name or login ID with one or more registered guest rooms and corresponding in-room controllable devices.
- FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary data structure of a multi-table configuration of database 118 for performing authentication of the mobile devices of FIG. 5 .
- in-room device table 1000 specifies the one or more in-room controllable devices of each guest room. This table 1000 may be generally static and only change when the installed devices in one of the rooms is changed such as during installation or system upgrades.
- Registered room table 1010 is utilized to dynamically associate user identification information being passkeys in this example with one or more currently registered guest rooms. Table 1010 may be updated as guests check in and out of the hotel and/or change their room assignments.
- the passkey for the conference room 501 may be changed with each booking so that users of a first conference will not be able to use the same passkey to control devices in the conference room 501 during a second conference.
- the passkey associated with a particular guest room may be changed each time a new guest enters the room.
- the authentication module 112 receives identification information from a mobile device such as a passkey entered by the user or stored within the mobile device, queries the registered room table 1010 to determine the registered guest room currently associated with the received identification information, and includes in the authorized subset of the controllable devices for which the mobile device is authorized to operate at least the in-room controllable devices of the registered guest room(s) as specified in the in-room device table 1000 .
- a unique identifier of the mobile device may also be stored and associated with one or more registered guest rooms so that the mobile device can be automatically authenticated upon next usage according to the unique identifier rather than the passkey. Combinations of the database structures of FIG. 6 and FIG. 10 may also be utilized.
- FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of how authentication data may be utilized by the hotel media system of FIG. 1 .
- the steps of the flowchart are not restricted to the exact order shown, and, in other configurations, shown steps may be omitted or other intermediate steps added.
- the hotel media system 100 performs the following operations:
- the authentication information of step 1102 may be dynamically added to the database 118 when the passkey is displayed on the display device in the registered guest room.
- the authentication data stored in the database 118 at step 1102 may corresponds to personal information of the guest dynamically added to the database 118 when the guest checks in to the registered guest room.
- Other steps may also be added to the flowchart of FIG. 11 .
- additional authentication data associating the unique identifier of the mobile device with the registered guest room may be dynamically added to a database table such as that illustrated in FIG. 6 when the guest registered to the room first utilizes the mobile device to authenticate with the media system controller 110 .
- Each mobile device 520 , 532 , 534 may operate the subset of the controllable devices for which it is authorized even when it is not located in the same room as the controllable device it is trying to operate.
- the cell phone 530 may operate the PVR 510 even while the cell phone 530 is located in the dining hall.
- all mobile devices 530 , 532 , 534 may operate the projector 514 in the conference room 501 .
- the operator of the cell phone 530 is a registered guest of room 502 and also a speaker of a conference
- the operator of the laptop 532 may also be a speaker of the conference but is not staying at the hotel
- the tablet 534 may be carried by hotel staff to assist guests as needed and therefore is authorized to operate all controllable devices 506 , 508 , 510 , 512 , 514 in the hotel.
- De-authorization of one or more controllable devices 506 , 508 , 510 , 512 , 514 may be performed by modifying the database accordingly. For example, to de-authorize the cell phone 530 from controlling the STB 506 , the STB 506 may be removed from the authorized subset of controllable devices column in the FIG. 6 . In one configuration, de-authorization may coincide with when the guest checks out of the registered guest room. In another configuration, it may also be useful to de-authorize a particular controllable device 130 or mobile device 150 when a conference or other hotel event ends, when a specific time period or time duration ends, during a specific time interval such as to disable staff users from controlling devices during the evening or early morning so they don't accidentally disturb the guest, etc. Allowing a user to de-authorize themselves may also be useful in some instances such as when a guest wants to lend their mobile device 150 to a third party.
- de-authorization of a controllable device may occur on a device-level or a feature-level. For example when a guest checks out of a hotel their mobile device 150 may be de-authorized to control the TV and other in-room devices 130 but may still be authorized to review their portfolio, message inbox, etc. In another example a mobile device 150 may be de-authorized to watch or record certain TV channels due to parental lock control settings.
- FIG. 7 illustrates the media system controller 110 of FIG. 1 being divided into a central controller 710 and a plurality of local controllers 720 according to another configuration of the invention.
- the central controller 710 includes a central authentication module 712 , a central customization module 714 , and a central communication module 716 ; and each of the local controllers 720 includes a local authentication module 722 , a local customization module 724 , and a local communication module 726 .
- the central controller 710 may be located at an off-site location such as a media system vendor server room, and each of the local controllers 720 may be located on-site at the various hotels incorporating the media system 100 .
- Communication between the central controller 710 and the local controllers 720 may be via a direct link or may be through the public network 160 .
- Encryption and/or virtual private network (VPN) links may be utilized to ensure secure communication between the central controller 710 and the various local controllers 720 .
- VPN virtual private network
- a mobile device 150 connects to the media system controller 110 via the public network 160 , communication is first established with the central communication module 716 .
- Customization and authentication may be performed by the central controller 710 using the central customization module 714 and the central authentication module 712 according to techniques similar to what was already described above for FIG. 1 .
- information in the database 118 in FIG. 1 may also be located at the central location.
- the modules 712 , 714 , 716 in the central controller 710 may each operate in tandem with the corresponding modules 722 , 724 , 726 in the local controller 720 at the hotel for which the mobile device 150 is associated.
- Information stored at the central controller may include a mapping of each known mobile device 150 to a particular local controller 720 .
- the central controller 710 may query the mobile device 150 to identify to which hotel it is associated. This allows the central controller 710 to create the mapping to the correct local controller 720 and then the appropriate customization and authentication would occur utilizing the local customization module 724 and the local authentication module 722 at the local controller 720 in that hotel.
- FIG. 8 illustrates how commands received from a mobile device 150 may be passed from the media system controller 110 to a set-top box 831 in a guest room in order to thereby control other controllable devices 130 in the room.
- the arrows on the lines correspond to the direction of controlling commands received from the mobile device 150 .
- the STBs 831 operate as in-room controllers of the other in-room controllable devices 130 .
- the STB 831 also passes back status information from each of the controllable devices 130 to the media system controller 110 , which forwards it back to the mobile devices 150 .
- a benefit of this configuration is that an older generation media system may already have an existing network (or other available connections) 850 in the hotel that can be utilized to connect a central location housing the media system controller 110 to all the various in-room STBs 831 .
- the media system controller 110 may perform the authentication for all the mobile devices 150 and pass commands to in-room STBs.
- the functions of STB 831 may also be integrated with one or more of the other controllable devices 130 .
- a television or PVR may include STB functionality embed therein.
- FIG. 9 illustrates how commands from a mobile device 150 may be received directly by an in-room STB 931 in order to control other controllable devices 130 in the room.
- the arrows in FIG. 9 again correspond to the direction of controlling commands received from the mobile device 150 .
- a SIB 931 in a guest room includes an authentication module 912 , customization module 914 , and a communication module 916 .
- the communication module 916 in the STB 931 may support any number of data modes including ports for a direct wired connection such as USB, Ethernet, or Firewire; a wireless connection such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, or any other type of connection.
- Mobile devices 150 connect to the STB 931 via a data connection 950 which could be either a networked, direct, or indirect connection according to the modes supported by the communication module 916 .
- the customization module 914 and authentication module 912 operate similar to as described above for FIG. 1 to perform customization and authentication functions.
- the STB 931 may communicate to a media system controller 110 (see FIG. 1 ) to support the customization and authentication functions.
- the STB 931 may perform these functions itself. For example, authentication may be performed via a passkey that is generated and displayed on a TV 130 by the STB 931 .
- the mobile device 150 then transmits the same passkey back to the STB 931 to thereby prove its operator is authorized to operate all the in-room controllable devices 130 , 931 .
- in-room authentication may be performed without requiring assistance from the media system controller 110 .
- Customization information may be pre-stored in the STB 931 , and may also be determined automatically by the STB 931 according to which other controllable devices 130 are coupled to the STB 931 . In this way, a plurality of authentication modules 912 , customization modules 914 , and communication modules 916 may be distributed in the STBs 931 of the various guest rooms in the hotel.
- guests may operate the hotel's media system from the guest's own mobile device.
- a media system control application 152 for controlling the hotel media systems 100 may be provided for users to install on the mobile platform 150 of their choice.
- the application 152 may appear and operate the same at all hotels.
- different hotels or chains may vary certain elements of the application related to branding such as logos and color schemes, or enable additional features and functions.
- basic functionality may be substantially the same or at least very similar at multiple hotels. This allows the user to reuse their already-learned knowledge to operate different media systems 100 at different hotels.
- a consistent web interface may be provided across hotels.
- the mobile application and web interface may also provide device-specific Help information to the guest. Having 1-click Help functionality built into the mobile or web app ensures users always have a quick resource available to answer their “how does this device work?” or “how do I use this?” questions.
- the media system 100 may include a general overview of how a PVR system works that would be available at any time, as well as a PVR-specific help button available on the IPG page that would lead the guest through the specific steps to record and watch TV shows on a particular system.
- the guest may control in-room and other hotel equipment 130 from their mobile device 150 .
- the guest may view the IPG for the television in the guest's room and choose programs to record for later viewing when they are finished eating. The recording could take place on a PVR installed within the guest's room, or may be done at a network-PVR installed anywhere in the hotel's media system 100 .
- Recorded programs may then be viewed later in the guest's room or even via the mobile device itself if bandwidth and multimedia capabilities of the network and mobile device are sufficient.
- Any menus or other control elements for devices of the hotel media system 100 in the guest's room may also be controlled from the guest's mobile device. Examples include in-room STB, PVR, television, audio system, room lights, AC/heater, etc.
- In-room controllable devices also include devices that are physically installed at other locations in the hotel but are controllable from within the guest's registered room such as the network PVR 130 of FIG. 1 .
- a conference or meeting room 104 will often have multiple “guests” and the hotel media system 100 may allow more than one person to control something in the room.
- One mobile device 150 may be able to do everything, one may only do the audio, one may only do the lights, etc.
- Another example would be a Hotel staff member or Support Agent authorizing a device in order to assist a customer/guest if necessary.
- the invention may be utilized to interface with other hotel functions that are not a part of the entertainment system.
- the hotel media system 100 may also be for allowing a guest to perform check-in and check-out functions from their mobile device 150 .
- the media system controller 110 may update the information in the database 118 when the guest either checks in or checks out from their mobile device.
- the database 118 may be a part of the hotel's PMS and therefore the guest's mobile device 150 is in effect operating the PMS.
- the hotel's PMS may also be utilized by the authentication module 112 for determining the authorized subset of the controllable devices for which a mobile device is authorized to control.
- the mobile devices 150 may be authorized by the media system controller 110 to operate any type of controllable device 130 . User authentication may play a role on what operations are available for particular controllable devices 130 .
- Another benefit is either a media system vendor or a particular hotel can push automatic updates to the guest using the mobile application.
- the hotel could push out ads or information about upcoming sales, etc. This could be as either a content update of the app, or even a new software version that would automatically trigger the mobile device to inform the user that an update is available. Messages and announcements may also be transferred to user's mobile devices.
- the hospitality media system may automatically authorize a user to use a mobile device to control the in-room devices in the room(s) for which the user is currently registered. When the room is no longer registered to the user, the media system may automatically de-authorize the user from controlling in-room devices. The process may then repeat with each future guest staying in the room.
- This is highly beneficial for hospitality locations such as hotels that may have thousands of rooms including guest rooms, meeting rooms, and conference rooms, and continuously arriving and departing guests, each of who may bring one or more mobile devices they wish to use to operate in-room controllable devices during their stay at the hotel.
- a hospitality media system includes a media system controller and a plurality of controllable devices operable by the media system controller, each of a plurality of rooms having one or more in-room controllable devices.
- a communication module performs data communications with a mobile device.
- An authentication module receives identification information from the mobile device, determines a registered room currently associated with the identification information, and includes in an authorized subset of the controllable devices for which the mobile device is authorized to operate at least the in-room controllable devices of the registered room.
- the media system controller operates the authorized subset of the controllable devices in dependence upon commands received from the mobile device.
- the exemplary user indication of “guest” refers to current guests in the hotel, people who are attending a conference or meeting in the hotel, staff members at the hotel, or any other person or user who may need or want to operate a hospitality media system. Future guests that have reservations, potential future guests that don't yet have reservations, and other users may also be given access for certain in-room functions. For example, a demonstration of the technology may be available in the hotel lobby and all users would be able to utilize their own mobile devices 150 to control in-room controllable devices 130 installed in the lobby in order to try out the system 100 . Additionally, it is not necessary that the users bring their own mobile device 150 . In another configuration, the mobile device 150 may be provided to the user by the hotel.
- mobile is utilized to mean the device is capable of being moved. Although portable devices that are easily carried are anticipated by the inventors as being particularly useful, it is not a strict requirement that the mobile devices be easily carried. Other devices such as desktop computers that are of a more permanent nature may also act as mobile devices in conjunction with the invention.
- the various separate elements, features, and modules of the invention described above may be integrated or combined into single units. Similarly, functions of single elements, features, and modules may be separated into multiple units.
- the modules may be implemented as dedicated hardware modules, and the modules may also be implemented as one or more software programs executed by a general or specific purpose processor to cause the processor to operate pursuant to the software program to perform the above-described module functions.
- the media system controller 110 of FIG. 1 may be implemented by a computer server having one or more processors executing a computer program loaded from a storage media (not shown) to perform the functions of the authentication module 110 , communication module 116 , and/or the customization module 114 .
- server may also mean a service daemon on a single computer, virtual computer, or shared physical computer, for example.
- server may also mean a service daemon on a single computer, virtual computer, or shared physical computer, for example.
- features described may be implemented in hardware or software according to different design requirements. Additionally, all combinations and permutations of the above described features and configurations may be utilized in conjunction with the invention.
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Abstract
A hospitality media system includes a media system controller and a plurality of controllable devices operable by the media system controller, each of a plurality of rooms having one or more in-room controllable devices. A communication module performs data communications with a mobile device. An authentication module receives identification information from the mobile device, determines a registered room currently associated with the identification information, and includes in an authorized subset of the controllable devices for which the mobile device is authorized to operate at least the in-room controllable devices of the registered room. The media system controller operates the authorized subset of the controllable devices in dependence upon commands received from the mobile device.
Description
- This application claims the benefit of Canadian Patent Application No. 2,709,651 filed Jun. 7, 2010 which is incorporated herein by reference.
- The invention pertains generally to hospitality media and entertainment systems. More specifically, the invention relates to operating a hospitality media system from a mobile device.
- In order to meet guest expectations, hotels must provide increasingly sophisticated media entertainment systems. However, the increased sophistication inevitably results in increased complexity, and thus the systems become “scary” to new users who may be unfamiliar with the operation of many remotes and other equipment such as set-top boxes (STBs) and personal digital recorders (PVRs) that may be found in the rooms.
- To solve this problem, hotel media systems are designed to be “user-friendly”. This generally means control elements such as menus and control buttons be as intuitive as possible such that a guest can easily figure out how to use the system without first having to read instructions. However, regardless of how user-friendly a system may actually be, it will still be regarded as new and therefore troublesome by a guest who is unfamiliar with the system but who needs to learn it in order to enjoy their stay. Also, because the hardware vendors for different hotels (even of the same hotel chain) may differ, the physical appearance and other control aspects of in-room media and entertainment systems may also differ from hotel to hotel. Therefore, even if each system is itself user-friendly, frequent travelers who stay at many hotels may need to learn many different media systems. The process of learning to use yet another hotel media system can detract from the overall guest experience.
- According to an exemplary configuration of the invention there is provided a hospitality media system including a media system controller and a plurality of controllable devices operable by the media system controller, each of a plurality of rooms having one or more in-room controllable devices. A communication module performs data communications with a mobile device. An authentication module receives identification information from the mobile device, determines a registered room currently associated with the identification information, and includes in an authorized subset of the controllable devices for which the mobile device is authorized to operate at least the in-room controllable devices of the registered room. The media system controller operates the authorized subset of the controllable devices in dependence upon commands received from the mobile device.
- According to another exemplary configuration of the invention there is provided a method of operating a plurality of controllable devices in a hospitality media system. Each of a plurality of rooms has one or more in-room controllable devices. The method includes performing data communications with a mobile device and receiving identification information from the mobile device. A registered room currently associated with the identification information is determined. An authorized subset of the controllable devices for which the mobile device is authorized to operate at least includes the in-room controllable devices of the registered room. The method further includes operating the authorized subset of the controllable devices in dependence upon commands received from the mobile device.
- According to yet another exemplary configuration of the invention there is provided a hospitality media system including a plurality of controllable devices, each of a plurality of rooms having one or more in-room controllable devices. Means is included for receiving identification information from a mobile device and determining a registered room currently associated with the identification information. Means is included for including in an authorized subset of the controllable devices for which the mobile device is authorized to operate at least the in-room controllable devices of the registered room. Means is included for operating the authorized subset of the controllable devices in dependence upon commands received from the mobile device.
- These and other embodiments and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.
- The invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which represent preferred embodiments thereof.
-
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a hotel media system having controllable devices being operated by mobile devices according to an exemplary configuration of the invention. -
FIG. 2 is an operational flowchart of the hotel media system ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a mobile phone being one of the mobile devices ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 4 is an operational flowchart of the mobile phone ofFIG. 3 . -
FIG. 5 illustrates a hotel floor plan having multiple controllable devices being remotely operated by various mobile devices according to another exemplary configuration of the invention. -
FIG. 6 shows an exemplary data structure of a database for performing authentication of the mobile devices ofFIG. 5 . -
FIG. 7 illustrates the media system controller ofFIG. 1 being divided into a central controller and a plurality of local controllers according to another configuration of the invention. -
FIG. 8 illustrates how commands received from a mobile device may be passed from the media system controller to a set-top box in a guest room in order to thereby control other controllable devices in the room. -
FIG. 9 illustrates how commands from a mobile device may be received directly by an in-room STB in order to control other controllable devices in the room. -
FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary data structure of a multi-table database for performing authentication of the mobile devices ofFIG. 5 . -
FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of how authentication data may be utilized by the hotel media system ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of ahotel media system 100 havingcontrollable devices 130 being operated by a plurality ofmobile devices 150 according to an exemplary configuration of the invention. In this configuration, amedia system controller 110 includes anauthentication module 112 and acustomization module 114 coupled to acommunication module 116. Themedia system controller 110 is coupled through amedia system network 106 to eachguest room 102 and to aconference room 104. Themedia system controller 110 is coupled to and communicates with thecontrollable devices 130 and delivers media and entertainment content through themedia system network 106. Eachguest room controllable devices 130 such as a set-top box (STB), personal video recorder (PVR), television (TV), projector, and room control box, which can each be operated by themedia system controller 110. In this example, the room control box allows electronic control of elements in theroom media system controller 110 itself includes a networked personal video controller (network PVR) being a furthercontrollable device 130. Any number and types ofcontrollable devices 130 may be positioned throughout thehotel media system 100 in other configurations. - Guests of a hotel often have their own
mobile devices 150 such as laptop computers, tablet computers, cell phones, music players, personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital cameras, global positioning systems (GPSs), and all other kinds of personal electronic gadgets. Thesemobile devices 150 may be coupled to themedia system controller 110 through a guestaccessible network 108 that is installed throughout the hotel and available to guests of the hotel, or through apublic network 160 that may be available outside the hotel such as the Internet. In another configuration, themedia system network 106 and the guestaccessible network 108 may be the same network. Once connected to themedia system controller 110, themobile devices 150 may operate one or more of thecontrollable devices 130. - In one configuration, a
custom application 152 may be pre-included on eachmobile device 150 or may be downloaded and installed from themedia system controller 130 or another source if it is not already present on themobile device 150. According to the type of connectingnetwork application 152 automatically detects thehotel media system 100 and establishes data communications with thecommunication module 116. Thecustomization module 114 may then provide customization information specific to this particularhotel media system 100 to theapplication 152. Examples of the information specific to a particularhotel media system 100 may include hotel name, branding logos, color schemes, welcome messages, authentication methods, etc. Theapplication 152 utilizes this information to customize itself for this particular hotel and then identifies itself or its operator to theauthentication module 112. - Authorization limits implemented by the
authentication module 112 in conjunction with adatabase 118 such as the hotel's property management system (PMS) determine which controllable device(s) 130 may be operated by a particularmobile device 150. After determining an authorized subset of thecontrollable devices 130 for which a particularmobile device 150 is authorized to operate, themedia system controller 110 transfers status information for the authorizedcontrollable devices 130 to the particularmobile device 150 and operates thecontrollable devices 130 in the authorized subset in dependence upon commands received from the particularmobile device 150. For example, inFIG. 1 , a first mobile device 150 (Mobile device 1 inFIG. 1 ) may be authorized to operate the STB, PVR, TV, and room control devices in a first guest room (Guest room 1 inFIG. 1 ), and a second mobile device (Mobile device Q inFIG. 1 ) may be authorized to operate the STB, PVR, room control, and projector in theconference room 104. Therefore, the first mobile device will only be able to see status information from and send commands to the in-roomcontrollable devices 130 of the first guest room, and the second mobile device will only be able to see status information from and send commands to the in-roomcontrollable devices 130 of theconference room 104. -
FIG. 2 is an exemplaryoperational flowchart 200 of the hotel media system ofFIG. 1 . The steps offlowchart 200 are not restricted to the exact order shown, and, in other configurations, shown steps may be omitted or other intermediate steps added. In this configuration, thehotel media system 100 performs the following operations: -
- Step 202: A connection is established between the
hotel media system 100 and amobile device 150 in order to pass data between themedia system 100 and themobile device 150. To ensure privacy, the data flowing through the connection may encrypted in both directions such that a third party will not be able to read or understand any of the information. The connection may be established via wired access ports such as USB, FireWire, Ethernet, etc or wireless access ports such as using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, WLAN, etc, and, as previously mentioned, a computer network used to make the connection may be a guestaccessible network 108 available only on the hotel premises or via anypublic network 160 such as the Internet available from other locations such as a wireless hotspot at a local coffee shop. The connection to themobile device 150 may be dynamically established through any computer network access ports, and the ports utilized may change as themobile device 150 moves to new locations. In general, any type of connection may be established between thehotel media system 100 and themobile device 150. - Step 204: The
hotel media system 100 detects whether a mediasystem control application 152 is running on themobile device 150. This detection may be performed by attempting a connection to themobile device 150 utilizing a predetermined handshake protocol that is known only to theapplication 152. Alternatively, the mobile device may simply identify itself and include a version number of the mediasystem control application 152 if it is installed and running on themobile device 150 at the time the connection is established. - Step 206: Assuming the
mobile device 150 is running theapplication 152, thehotel media system 100 may next transfer customization information specific to this particularhotel media system 100 to themobile device 150. By way of example, the customization information may provide any required information and data to properly brand the user interface (UI) of theapplication 152 and to enable or disable various features according to what is supported by this specifichotel media system 100. Transferring customization information to themobile device 150 is useful because different hotel chains may all support the samemobile application 152 but will place their own logos on theapplication 152 for branding purposes. Also, some hotels may allow remote control of particular types of in-room devices as part of themedia system 100 and others may not. Rather than transferring all the customization data, a customization token corresponding to a specific hotel may be transferred instead. In this configuration, customization information for the hotel corresponding to the token is already stored within themobile device 150 and will be utilized by theapplication 152. Transferring only a hotel specific token speeds connection time for subsequent connections by the samemobile device 150 when the full customization information has already been downloaded. - Step 208: Because the
media control application 152 was not detected, thehotel media system 100 offers theapplication 152 for download by themobile device 150. In one configuration, thehotel media system 100 may automatically detect the type of themobile device 150 and offer acompatible application 152. In another configuration, themedia system 100 may provide a web interface allowing an operator of themobile device 150 to select and chose a desired application from a list of supported device platforms. In yet another configuration, theapplication 152 may be stored and made available from a third-party site such as an application store. In this case, the hotel media system may provide a link to where theapplication 152 may be retrieved. - Step 210: If the user has downloaded the
application 152 or at least indicated they plan to use the application 152 (if the application is available from a third-party), the hotel media system will return to step 204 and continue trying to detect theapplication 152. However, in some cases, the user of themobile device 150 may not wish to use a custommedia control application 152 and will instead opt to continue without installing themedia application 152. Some aspects of controlling thehotel media system 100 are facilitated and enhanced by running amedia control application 152 on themobile device 150. One reason is the required data to be transmitted will be minimized if thedevice 150 already has thecontrol application 152 installed. Another reason is automatic detection, connection, and authentication with thehotel media system 100 can be performed by an application but may need to be performed manually by a user of a web interface. Also, better integration with the UI of themobile device 150 and background operation are both possible with acustom application 150. However, there is an advantage to not requiring users to install and run themedia control application 152. For example, by providing a web interface to thehotel media system 100, full compatibility with any device that is able to browse the web is achieved. This may be useful to users who are unwilling or unable to install acustom application 152 on theirmobile device 150. - Step 212: Because the mobile device is not running the
media control application 152, thecommunication module 116 acts as a web server and a web interface is provided to themobile device 150. Again, to ensure privacy and prevent unauthorized access from third parties, the web interface may be encrypted using a secure sockets layer (SSL).
- Step 202: A connection is established between the
- Step 214: At this step, the
hotel media system 100 determines an authorized subset of thecontrollable devices 130 for which themobile device 150 is authorized to operate. Generally speaking, theauthentication module 112 receives some identification information from themobile device 150 corresponding to either the mobile device itself or an operator of themobile device 150 and then looks up in adatabase 118 to determine whichcontrollable devices 130 are permitted to be operated by this mobile device or operator. For example, theauthentication module 112 may query adatabase 118 such as the hotel's property management system (PMS) to make sure the guest's name, MAC address, GSM SIM card number, passkey, and/or reservation number are correct for a particular hotel room and authorize the user. In this configuration, thedatabase 118 includes data associating the identification information with one or more registered guest rooms and the authorized subset includes the in-roomcontrollable devices 130 that are accessible from the room(s) for which the operator of the mobile device is currently registered.Steps mobile device 150 and/or the operator of themobile device 150. -
- Step 216: The
authentication module 112 may automatically detect a unique identifier received from the hardware or software of themobile device 150. Some examples of unique identifiers include Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) subscriber identity module (SIM) card number, media access control (MAC) address, internet protocol (IP) address, web browser identification from a previously stored cookie,media control application 152 serial number, etc. The unique identifier of themobile device 150 can be mapped in thedatabase 108 to the authorized subset of controllable devices. In one configuration, theauthentication module 110 determines the registered guest room currently associated with the unique identifier by querying thedatabase 108, which includes authentication data associating the unique identifier of themobile device 150 with a registered guest room. Theauthentication module 110 then includes in the authorized subset at least the in-room controllable devices of the registered guest room. - Step 218: The
authentication module 112 may receive user information corresponding to an operator of themobile device 150 such as guest name, room number, company name, address, phone numbers, credit card number, passport number, etc. In this configuration, thedatabase 108 includes authentication data associating the user information with the registered guest room(s) for the user. However, identification information received from themobile device 150 need not be of a personal nature and may also be implemented using usernames, pass codes, or token numbers. For example, upon check-in, a guest may be provided with a password for use when authenticating their mobile device(s) 150 with thehotel media system 100. The password may be randomly generated by the media system controller upon guest check-in and stored in the database to indicate the registered guest room associated with the password. In this way, no personal identification information need be supplied by the guest either at check-in or when authenticating their mobile device(s) 150. Alternately, theauthentication module 112 may automatically display a passkey on an interface such as a TV in the guest's room and ask the guest to enter this passkey to confirm the guest is registered for the particular room. This may be similar to the process used to pair Bluetooth devices, except the medium for transport of data could be wired, wireless, Bluetooth, cell, etc; and after receiving the correct passkey for a particular room, theauthentication module 110 includes in the authorized subset all the in-room controllable devices of the guest room associated with the passkey. In another advantageous configuration, receiving the identification information corresponding to the operator of themobile device 150 atstep 218 may only need to be performed once permobile device 150. Once received, a unique identifier from themobile device 150 such as automatically detected atstep 216 can be stored in thedatabase 108 with an association to the registered guest room. For subsequent authentications by the samemobile device 150, the automatic detection of the unique identifier atstep 216 may be sufficient to determine the registered guest room and authenticate themobile device 150.
- Step 216: The
- Step 220: Once the
mobile device 150 is authenticated, thehotel media system 100 transfers any status information from the authorized subset of thecontrollable devices 130 to themobile device 150, and controls the authorized subset of thecontrollable devices 130 according to commands received from themobile device 150. For example, the status information may include UI menus for each of thecontrollable devices 130 in the authorized subset, and the commands received from themobile device 150 may include UI selections for operating each of thecontrollable devices 130 in the authorized subset. At this step, the authorized subset ofcontrollable devices 130 may be operated in accordance with commands received from themobile device 150. - Other steps may also be included such as if a user is not authorized at
step 214, actions such as providing an error message or other assistance to the guest may be provided by the hotel'smedia system 100. Because the user of the mobile device is not authenticated, thehotel media system 100 may provide only general services and information to themobile device 150 but no specific room control services until themobile device 150 tries to re-authenticate. Control may proceed back to step 214 when the mobile device tries to re-authenticate. -
FIG. 3 is an exemplary block diagram of amobile phone 300 being one of themobile devices 150 ofFIG. 1 . In this configuration, themobile phone 300 includes a user interface (UI) 312, acustomization module 302, acommunication module 304, anidentification module 306, and a unique identification (ID) 308. Thecommunication module 304 may be implemented in hardware as a part of the mobile phone. For example, thephone 300 may be equipped with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and WLAN capabilities. Any of these may therefore be utilized to establish a connection to thehotel media system 100 via either a guestaccessible network 108,public network 160, or other available access port. In this configuration, control of themobile phone 300 is performed by a custommedia control application 152 having been previously installed. However, as mentioned above, the invention may alternatively operate utilizing a web interface or theapplication 152 may be downloaded and installed as a part of the connection procedure. Compiled, semi-compiled code such as a Java or interpreted code such as JavaScript may also be utilized to perform the role of themedia control application 152. - As an example of beneficial usage, as shown in
FIG. 2 , the authorized subset of thecontrollable devices 150 for themobile phone 300 may include at least a PVR of a hotel room (hotel room 101 inFIG. 3 ). Therefore, theUI 312 of themobile phone 300 shows an interactive program guide (IPG) of content available on the hotel'smedia system 100 as recordable by the PVR ofroom 101. Note that different rooms in the hotel may have different available content, and part of the status information sent from thehotel media system 100 to themobile phone 300 included the content that was actually recordable by the PVR inroom 101. An operator of themobile phone 300 may schedule the PVR ofroom 101 to record content listed on the IPG by interacting with theUI 312 of themobile phone 300. Corresponding commands will be sent from themobile phone 300 to thehotel media system 100 and thehotel media system 100 will utilize these commands to operate the PVR ofroom 101. Additional status messages such as confirmation of the recording or conflict messages will be passed back to theUI 312 as required. In this way, themobile phone 300 may operate the PVR ofroom 101 from any location as long as a connection to themedia system 100 is available. Themobile phone 300 may also be authorized to operate other in-roomcontrollable devices 130 and these other in-roomcontrollable devices 130 could be selected and controlled using theUI 312 in a similar way. In one configuration, themedia system controller 110 transfers status information to themobile phone 300 such as data for displaying the IPG on themobile phone 300 customized to list only the content that is available on the in-roomcontrollable devices 130 of the guest's registered room. A benefit of such operation is a guest staying in a budget room will not see content listed on the IPG that is only available in other rooms of the hotel with higher entitlements. - Regarding additional features of the
phone 300, thecustomization module 304 of themobile phone 300 receives the customization information sent from thecustomization module 114 of themedia system controller 110. For example, a hotel brandedlogo 310 may be utilized by themobile phone 300 to customize theUI 312 when operating themedia system 100 at a particular hotel. TheID module 306 is responsible for identifying themobile phone 300 to thehotel media system 100 and may also store identification information that needs to be remembered for authentication purposes. For example, a pass code that a guest was given at check-in for authenticating their mobile device(s) 150 may be stored within theID module 306. TheID module 306 may also automatically pass aunique ID 308 such as the GSM SIM card number, MAC address, software serial number, or browser cookie to theauthentication module 112 of the hotel'smedia system controller 110 to allow determination of the authorized controllable devices. -
FIG. 4 is an exemplaryoperational flowchart 400 of themobile phone 300 ofFIG. 3 . Themobile phone 300 ofFIG. 3 is taken as an example but similar steps may also apply to the othermobile devices 150 ofFIG. 1 . The steps offlowchart 400 are not restricted to the exact order shown, and, in other configurations, shown steps may be omitted or other intermediate steps added. In this configuration, themobile phone 300 performs the following operations: -
- Step 402: The
mobile phone 300 may automatically detect the existence of the hotel media system by recognizing a hotel Wi-Fi access point by service set identifier (SSID), recognizing a cell tower identification that is near the hotel, determining themobile phone 300 is physically located near a predetermined GPS coordinate corresponding to the geographic location of the hotel as detected by a GPS unit (not shown) of themobile phone 300, detecting a hotel's Bluetooth network or infrared signal, establishing a wired connection with the hotel's Ethernet or DSL system, or by simply recognizing broadcast packets from the hotel that are received on one of the mobile phone's 300 network interfaces atcommunication module 304. The SSIDs, cell tower IDs, GPS coordinates, and formats of broadcast packets of various hotels may be preprogrammed as a part of themedia control application 152 or may be stored remotely such as at a publically accessible Internet site that is periodically accessed by theapplication 152. In a manual configuration, an operator of themobile phone 300 may manually specify or select the network interface and destination hotel name or address such as a domain name that corresponds to the hotel. This may be beneficial if the guest is not physically near the hotel and is instead accessing thehotel media system 100 through apublic network 160 such as the Internet. - Step 404: Once the hotel's
media system 100 is detected, in one configuration, thecommunication module 304 of themobile phone 300 performs data communication with the hotel media system such as by establishing a two-way data connection with thecommunication module 116 of the hotel'smedia system controller 110. Again, this connection and the data transferred through the connection may be encrypted for privacy. Other data communication methods may also be utilized in other configurations including connectionless datagram communication types, for example. - Step 406: The
mobile phone 300 customizes its user interface according to the particular hotel and any customization information that is received from the hotel. This may include branding information such as thehotel logo 310, color schemes or other elements. - Step 408: The
ID module 306 identifies themobile phone 300 to theauthentication module 112 of the hotel'smedia system controller 100. Because the goal may actually be to identify the user of themobile phone 300, one method may be to query the user of themobile phone 300 to enter, via a UI prompt, their name and room number and then pass this information to thehotel media system 100. This user information could already be known by the application so it could be done automatically without requiring user interaction. (User had already entered their name on the device and the room number was known at the time of reservation.) For privacy and security reasons, it is not necessary that any personal information be transmitted to themedia system 100 to perform authentication. Another method to authenticate themobile phone 300 would be via a MAC address or GSM SIM card number of the user's device that was associated with the guest during the reservation process. A registration confirmation number could also be utilized. Another method may be to authenticate with themedia system 100 through a passkey given out by an interface in the room (i.e. through the TV). Sub steps 410 and 412 contain more information about identification techniques and may be performed together in either order or only one may be performed according to different configurations. - Step 410: The
ID module 306 transmits a unique identifier of the mobile device such as the mobile phone's GSM SIM card number or MAC address to theauthentication module 112. - Step 412: The
ID module 306 transmits identification information corresponding to a user of the mobile device to theauthentication module 112. TheID module 306 may first utilize theUI 312 to query a user of the mobile phone for the identification information and store it within theID module 306, or the identification information may already be stored within theID module 306. - Step 414: The
mobile phone 300 now displays the status information received from the authorized subset ofcontrollable devices 150 and transmit commands to operate the authorized subset ofcontrollable devices 150. Each of the authorizedcontrollable devices 150 may be operated using a separate screen on theUT 312 of the mobile phone if space is limited. Alternatively, on amobile device 150 such as a laptop computer, all of the (or multiple) authorizedcontrollable devices 150 may be visible on a single screen.
- Step 402: The
-
FIG. 5 illustrates ahotel floor plan 500 having multiplecontrollable devices mobile devices FIG. 5 , the hotel includes a plurality of guest rooms including aparticular room 502 being shown with an expanded view. As shown in the expanded view, installed inguest room 502 are several in-room controllable devices including aSTB 506,TV 508,PVR 510, androom control box 512; and installed in aconference room 501 is an in-roomcontrollable projector 514. Access parts for a guestaccessible computer network 108 are distributed throughout the hotel including wireless access points (APs) 520 and awired Ethernet connection 522. In this example, there are three mobile devices illustrated including acell phone 530, alaptop computer 532, and atablet computer 534. -
FIG. 6 shows an exemplary data structure of adatabase 118 for performing authentication of themobile devices FIG. 5 . Thedatabase structure 600 includes authentication data for eachmobile device mobile device column 602 indicating the particular mobile device name, aMAC address column 604 indicating a unique ID being associated with the hardware of the mobile device, a registeredrooms column 606 indicating one or more registered guest rooms currently associated with the mobile device, and an authorized subset ofcontrollable devices column 610 indicating the subset of the possiblecontrollable devices controllable devices column 610 includes the in-room controllable devices of the guest rooms included in the registeredrooms column 606. Other configurations of thedatabase 118 may also be utilized. For example, rather than (or in addition to) theMAC address column 604, a user information column may be included to associate certain user information such as the guest's name or login ID with one or more registered guest rooms and corresponding in-room controllable devices. -
FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary data structure of a multi-table configuration ofdatabase 118 for performing authentication of the mobile devices ofFIG. 5 . In this example, in-room device table 1000 specifies the one or more in-room controllable devices of each guest room. This table 1000 may be generally static and only change when the installed devices in one of the rooms is changed such as during installation or system upgrades. Registered room table 1010 is utilized to dynamically associate user identification information being passkeys in this example with one or more currently registered guest rooms. Table 1010 may be updated as guests check in and out of the hotel and/or change their room assignments. For example, the passkey for theconference room 501 may be changed with each booking so that users of a first conference will not be able to use the same passkey to control devices in theconference room 501 during a second conference. Likewise, the passkey associated with a particular guest room may be changed each time a new guest enters the room. - Rather than (or in addition to) the passkeys stored in
user information column 1012, in another configuration, users may also be required to both specify the correct passkey and other user information such as the name of a guest currently staying in the room. Theauthentication module 112 receives identification information from a mobile device such as a passkey entered by the user or stored within the mobile device, queries the registered room table 1010 to determine the registered guest room currently associated with the received identification information, and includes in the authorized subset of the controllable devices for which the mobile device is authorized to operate at least the in-room controllable devices of the registered guest room(s) as specified in the in-room device table 1000. Upon successful authentication of the mobile device usinguser information column 1012, a unique identifier of the mobile device may also be stored and associated with one or more registered guest rooms so that the mobile device can be automatically authenticated upon next usage according to the unique identifier rather than the passkey. Combinations of the database structures ofFIG. 6 andFIG. 10 may also be utilized. -
FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of how authentication data may be utilized by the hotel media system ofFIG. 1 . The steps of the flowchart are not restricted to the exact order shown, and, in other configurations, shown steps may be omitted or other intermediate steps added. In this configuration, thehotel media system 100 performs the following operations: -
- Step 1100: When a guest checks in to one of the rooms in the hotel, control proceeds to step 1102. Other situations may also be deemed equivalent to guest check-in such as when a guest changes or upgrades to a different room.
- Step 1102: The
database 118 is populated with authentication data. For example, authentication data such as the passkey in theuser information column 1012 and corresponding registered room(s) in the currently registered room(s)column 1014 may be generated and added to the registered room table 1010 at this step. The same passkey may also be provided to the guest at the front desk upon check-in, or may be selectively displayed when needed on a display device in the guest's room such as the in-room TV. - Step 1104: After data communications have been established between the guest's mobile device and the
media system controller 110, theauthentication module 112 receives ID information from the mobile device. Continuing the above example, the received ID information may include the passkey as entered by the guest in order to prove they are the current guest of one or more of the hotel rooms. - Step 1106: The
authentication module 112 determines the registered guest room currently associated with the identification information. For example, theauthentication module 112 may perform a lookup operation matching the received passkey with the same passkey stored in theuser information column 1012 of registered room table 1010. In this way, the currently registered room(s)column 1014 on the matching row indicates the registered guest room currently associated with the passkey. - Step 1108: The authentication module then assigns the in-room controllable devices of the registered guest room determined at
step 1106 to be the authorized subset for which the mobile device is authorized to control. For example, theauthentication module 112 may perform a lookup operation to match the registered guest room determined atstep 1106 with the same guest room stored in theguest room column 1002 of in-room device table 1000. The matching row indicates the corresponding in-room controllable devices incolumn 1004. - Step 1110: The media system controller operates the authorized subset of the controllable devices determined at
step 1108 in dependence upon commands received from the mobile device. In some situations involving simple commands such as volume control or channel changes, there may not be any feedback returned to the mobile device; however, preferably this step also involves sending status information corresponding to the authorized subset of the controllable devices to the mobile device. The status information helps to allow the guest to operate the in-room controllable devices even when the guest is away from the registered room. - Step 1112: When the guest checks out of the registered guest room, control proceeds to step 1114; otherwise, control returns to step 1104.
- Step 1114: The authentication data is removed from the database in order to thereby de-authorize the guest's mobile devices from continuing to operate the in-room devices. In this way, should the same identification information be received at
step 1104, it will no longer be associated with the registered guest room atstep 1106.
- In a modification of the above-described flowchart, rather than populating the
database 118 with the authentication data immediately after guest check-in, the authentication information ofstep 1102 may be dynamically added to thedatabase 118 when the passkey is displayed on the display device in the registered guest room. In another example, the authentication data stored in thedatabase 118 atstep 1102 may corresponds to personal information of the guest dynamically added to thedatabase 118 when the guest checks in to the registered guest room. Other steps may also be added to the flowchart ofFIG. 11 . For example, additional authentication data associating the unique identifier of the mobile device with the registered guest room may be dynamically added to a database table such as that illustrated inFIG. 6 when the guest registered to the room first utilizes the mobile device to authenticate with themedia system controller 110. - Each
mobile device FIG. 5 , thecell phone 530 may operate thePVR 510 even while thecell phone 530 is located in the dining hall. Also, as shown inFIG. 6 , in this example, allmobile devices projector 514 in theconference room 501. This could be the situation because the operator of thecell phone 530 is a registered guest ofroom 502 and also a speaker of a conference, the operator of thelaptop 532 may also be a speaker of the conference but is not staying at the hotel, and thetablet 534 may be carried by hotel staff to assist guests as needed and therefore is authorized to operate allcontrollable devices - De-authorization of one or more
controllable devices cell phone 530 from controlling theSTB 506, theSTB 506 may be removed from the authorized subset of controllable devices column in theFIG. 6 . In one configuration, de-authorization may coincide with when the guest checks out of the registered guest room. In another configuration, it may also be useful to de-authorize a particularcontrollable device 130 ormobile device 150 when a conference or other hotel event ends, when a specific time period or time duration ends, during a specific time interval such as to disable staff users from controlling devices during the evening or early morning so they don't accidentally disturb the guest, etc. Allowing a user to de-authorize themselves may also be useful in some instances such as when a guest wants to lend theirmobile device 150 to a third party. - Furthermore, de-authorization of a controllable device may occur on a device-level or a feature-level. For example when a guest checks out of a hotel their
mobile device 150 may be de-authorized to control the TV and other in-room devices 130 but may still be authorized to review their portfolio, message inbox, etc. In another example amobile device 150 may be de-authorized to watch or record certain TV channels due to parental lock control settings. -
FIG. 7 illustrates themedia system controller 110 ofFIG. 1 being divided into acentral controller 710 and a plurality oflocal controllers 720 according to another configuration of the invention. In this configuration, thecentral controller 710 includes acentral authentication module 712, acentral customization module 714, and acentral communication module 716; and each of thelocal controllers 720 includes alocal authentication module 722, alocal customization module 724, and alocal communication module 726. Thecentral controller 710 may be located at an off-site location such as a media system vendor server room, and each of thelocal controllers 720 may be located on-site at the various hotels incorporating themedia system 100. Communication between thecentral controller 710 and thelocal controllers 720 may be via a direct link or may be through thepublic network 160. Encryption and/or virtual private network (VPN) links may be utilized to ensure secure communication between thecentral controller 710 and the variouslocal controllers 720. - When a
mobile device 150 connects to themedia system controller 110 via thepublic network 160, communication is first established with thecentral communication module 716. Customization and authentication may be performed by thecentral controller 710 using thecentral customization module 714 and thecentral authentication module 712 according to techniques similar to what was already described above forFIG. 1 . In this configuration, information in thedatabase 118 inFIG. 1 may also be located at the central location. Alternately, themodules central controller 710 may each operate in tandem with the correspondingmodules local controller 720 at the hotel for which themobile device 150 is associated. Information stored at the central controller may include a mapping of each knownmobile device 150 to a particularlocal controller 720. In the event that an unknownmobile device 150 connects to thecentral controller 710, thecentral controller 710 may query themobile device 150 to identify to which hotel it is associated. This allows thecentral controller 710 to create the mapping to the correctlocal controller 720 and then the appropriate customization and authentication would occur utilizing thelocal customization module 724 and thelocal authentication module 722 at thelocal controller 720 in that hotel. -
FIG. 8 illustrates how commands received from amobile device 150 may be passed from themedia system controller 110 to a set-top box 831 in a guest room in order to thereby control othercontrollable devices 130 in the room. InFIG. 8 , the arrows on the lines correspond to the direction of controlling commands received from themobile device 150. In this configuration, theSTBs 831 operate as in-room controllers of the other in-roomcontrollable devices 130. TheSTB 831 also passes back status information from each of thecontrollable devices 130 to themedia system controller 110, which forwards it back to themobile devices 150. A benefit of this configuration is that an older generation media system may already have an existing network (or other available connections) 850 in the hotel that can be utilized to connect a central location housing themedia system controller 110 to all the various in-room STBs 831. In this way, themedia system controller 110 may perform the authentication for all themobile devices 150 and pass commands to in-room STBs. It should also be noted that the functions ofSTB 831 may also be integrated with one or more of the othercontrollable devices 130. For example, a television or PVR may include STB functionality embed therein. -
FIG. 9 illustrates how commands from amobile device 150 may be received directly by an in-room STB 931 in order to control othercontrollable devices 130 in the room. The arrows inFIG. 9 again correspond to the direction of controlling commands received from themobile device 150. In this configuration, aSIB 931 in a guest room includes anauthentication module 912,customization module 914, and acommunication module 916. Thecommunication module 916 in theSTB 931 may support any number of data modes including ports for a direct wired connection such as USB, Ethernet, or Firewire; a wireless connection such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, or any other type of connection.Mobile devices 150 connect to theSTB 931 via adata connection 950 which could be either a networked, direct, or indirect connection according to the modes supported by thecommunication module 916. Once connected thecustomization module 914 andauthentication module 912 operate similar to as described above forFIG. 1 to perform customization and authentication functions. In some configurations, theSTB 931 may communicate to a media system controller 110 (seeFIG. 1 ) to support the customization and authentication functions. In other configurations, theSTB 931 may perform these functions itself. For example, authentication may be performed via a passkey that is generated and displayed on aTV 130 by theSTB 931. Themobile device 150 then transmits the same passkey back to theSTB 931 to thereby prove its operator is authorized to operate all the in-roomcontrollable devices media system controller 110. Customization information may be pre-stored in theSTB 931, and may also be determined automatically by theSTB 931 according to which othercontrollable devices 130 are coupled to theSTB 931. In this way, a plurality ofauthentication modules 912,customization modules 914, andcommunication modules 916 may be distributed in theSTBs 931 of the various guest rooms in the hotel. - According to the invention, guests may operate the hotel's media system from the guest's own mobile device. In doing so, there are at least four major benefits:
- Guests often bring their own laptops, mobile phones, tablet computers, music players and other mobile devices with them as they travel. Such guests are typically also very familiar and comfortable with the user interface and operation of their own devices, and since they carry the equipment with them, there are no new hardware systems to learn as they stay in different hotels.
- A media
system control application 152 for controlling thehotel media systems 100 may be provided for users to install on themobile platform 150 of their choice. Theapplication 152 may appear and operate the same at all hotels. Alternatively, different hotels or chains may vary certain elements of the application related to branding such as logos and color schemes, or enable additional features and functions. Because onemobile application 152 may be used to control multiple hotels, basic functionality may be substantially the same or at least very similar at multiple hotels. This allows the user to reuse their already-learned knowledge to operatedifferent media systems 100 at different hotels. Similarly, a consistent web interface may be provided across hotels. - Additionally, the mobile application and web interface may also provide device-specific Help information to the guest. Having 1-click Help functionality built into the mobile or web app ensures users always have a quick resource available to answer their “how does this device work?” or “how do I use this?” questions. For example, the
media system 100 may include a general overview of how a PVR system works that would be available at any time, as well as a PVR-specific help button available on the IPG page that would lead the guest through the specific steps to record and watch TV shows on a particular system. - 3. Guest can Operate in-Room Controllable Devices Even when not in Room
- Because most users'
mobile devices 150 include some kind of wireless or wired communication technology, once authorized by a hotel'smedia system 100, there is nothing stopping the guest from operating themedia system 100 even when the guest is outside of their registered room. That is, no matter where the guest is physically located, as long as some kind of a connection to thehotel media system 100 is available, the guest may control in-room andother hotel equipment 130 from theirmobile device 150. One example is, while eating dinner in the hotel's restaurant, the guest may view the IPG for the television in the guest's room and choose programs to record for later viewing when they are finished eating. The recording could take place on a PVR installed within the guest's room, or may be done at a network-PVR installed anywhere in the hotel'smedia system 100. Recorded programs may then be viewed later in the guest's room or even via the mobile device itself if bandwidth and multimedia capabilities of the network and mobile device are sufficient. Any menus or other control elements for devices of thehotel media system 100 in the guest's room may also be controlled from the guest's mobile device. Examples include in-room STB, PVR, television, audio system, room lights, AC/heater, etc. In-room controllable devices also include devices that are physically installed at other locations in the hotel but are controllable from within the guest's registered room such as thenetwork PVR 130 ofFIG. 1 . - There can be more than one authorized
mobile device 150 that is allowed to control a singlecontrollable device 130. For example, a conference ormeeting room 104 will often have multiple “guests” and thehotel media system 100 may allow more than one person to control something in the room. Onemobile device 150 may be able to do everything, one may only do the audio, one may only do the lights, etc. In other words, there can be more than one authorized user per controllable device at a time. Another example would be a Hotel staff member or Support Agent authorizing a device in order to assist a customer/guest if necessary. Once the state of a particularcontrollable device 130 changes, updated status information will be sent to all mobile devices authorized to operate that controllable device. - In another configuration, the invention may be utilized to interface with other hotel functions that are not a part of the entertainment system. For example, with reference to
FIG. 1 , thehotel media system 100 may also be for allowing a guest to perform check-in and check-out functions from theirmobile device 150. In this configuration, themedia system controller 110 may update the information in thedatabase 118 when the guest either checks in or checks out from their mobile device. Thedatabase 118 may be a part of the hotel's PMS and therefore the guest'smobile device 150 is in effect operating the PMS. The hotel's PMS may also be utilized by theauthentication module 112 for determining the authorized subset of the controllable devices for which a mobile device is authorized to control. In general, themobile devices 150 may be authorized by themedia system controller 110 to operate any type ofcontrollable device 130. User authentication may play a role on what operations are available for particularcontrollable devices 130. - Another benefit is either a media system vendor or a particular hotel can push automatic updates to the guest using the mobile application. For example, the hotel could push out ads or information about upcoming sales, etc. This could be as either a content update of the app, or even a new software version that would automatically trigger the mobile device to inform the user that an update is available. Messages and announcements may also be transferred to user's mobile devices.
- A further advantage is the hospitality media system may automatically authorize a user to use a mobile device to control the in-room devices in the room(s) for which the user is currently registered. When the room is no longer registered to the user, the media system may automatically de-authorize the user from controlling in-room devices. The process may then repeat with each future guest staying in the room. This is highly beneficial for hospitality locations such as hotels that may have thousands of rooms including guest rooms, meeting rooms, and conference rooms, and continuously arriving and departing guests, each of who may bring one or more mobile devices they wish to use to operate in-room controllable devices during their stay at the hotel.
- In summary, a hospitality media system includes a media system controller and a plurality of controllable devices operable by the media system controller, each of a plurality of rooms having one or more in-room controllable devices. A communication module performs data communications with a mobile device. An authentication module receives identification information from the mobile device, determines a registered room currently associated with the identification information, and includes in an authorized subset of the controllable devices for which the mobile device is authorized to operate at least the in-room controllable devices of the registered room. The media system controller operates the authorized subset of the controllable devices in dependence upon commands received from the mobile device.
- In the above description, the exemplary user indication of “guest” refers to current guests in the hotel, people who are attending a conference or meeting in the hotel, staff members at the hotel, or any other person or user who may need or want to operate a hospitality media system. Future guests that have reservations, potential future guests that don't yet have reservations, and other users may also be given access for certain in-room functions. For example, a demonstration of the technology may be available in the hotel lobby and all users would be able to utilize their own
mobile devices 150 to control in-roomcontrollable devices 130 installed in the lobby in order to try out thesystem 100. Additionally, it is not necessary that the users bring their ownmobile device 150. In another configuration, themobile device 150 may be provided to the user by the hotel. It should also be noted that the term “mobile” is utilized to mean the device is capable of being moved. Although portable devices that are easily carried are anticipated by the inventors as being particularly useful, it is not a strict requirement that the mobile devices be easily carried. Other devices such as desktop computers that are of a more permanent nature may also act as mobile devices in conjunction with the invention. - Although the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it should be understood that various modifications, additions and alterations may be made to the invention by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, although the invention has been described as being utilized at a hotel, the invention is equally applicable to any hospitality related location or service wishing to provide users with a media system including but not limited to hotels, motels, resorts, hospitals, apartment/townhouse complexes, restaurants, retirement centers, cruise ships, busses, airlines, shopping centers, passenger trains, etc. The invention may also be utilized to control other systems and services outside a hotel's media system. For example, hotel's PMS, reporting, or administration systems. The various separate elements, features, and modules of the invention described above may be integrated or combined into single units. Similarly, functions of single elements, features, and modules may be separated into multiple units. The modules may be implemented as dedicated hardware modules, and the modules may also be implemented as one or more software programs executed by a general or specific purpose processor to cause the processor to operate pursuant to the software program to perform the above-described module functions. For example, the
media system controller 110 ofFIG. 1 may be implemented by a computer server having one or more processors executing a computer program loaded from a storage media (not shown) to perform the functions of theauthentication module 110,communication module 116, and/or thecustomization module 114. In addition to a dedicated physical computing device, the word “server” may also mean a service daemon on a single computer, virtual computer, or shared physical computer, for example. Unless otherwise specified, features described may be implemented in hardware or software according to different design requirements. Additionally, all combinations and permutations of the above described features and configurations may be utilized in conjunction with the invention.
Claims (20)
1. A hospitality media system comprising:
a media system controller;
a plurality of controllable devices operable by the media system controller, each of a plurality of rooms having one or more in-room controllable devices;
a communication module for performing data communications with a mobile device; and
an authentication module for:
receiving identification information from the mobile device,
determining a registered room currently associated with the identification information, and
including in an authorized subset of the controllable devices for which the mobile device is authorized to operate at least the in-room controllable devices of the registered room;
wherein the media system controller is for operating the authorized subset of the controllable devices in dependence upon commands received from the mobile device.
2. The hospitality media system of claim 1 , wherein the media system controller is further for transferring status information corresponding to the authorized subset of the controllable devices to the mobile device.
3. The hospitality media system of claim 2 , wherein the status information includes data for displaying an interactive program guide on the mobile device customized to list only content that is available on the in-room controllable devices of the registered room.
4. The hospitality media system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a customization module coupled to the communication module for transferring customization information specific to the hospitality media system to a predetermined application running on the mobile device after a connection to the mobile device has been established;
wherein the predetermined application is compatible with and may be customized by a plurality of different hospitality media systems.
5. The hospitality media system of claim 1 , wherein:
the identification information comprises a unique identifier of the mobile device;
the authentication module is for determining the registered room currently associated with the identification information by querying a database; and
the database includes authentication data associating the unique identifier of the mobile device with the registered room.
6. The hospitality media system of claim 1 , wherein:
the identification information corresponds to user information entered by a user of the mobile device;
the authentication module is for determining the registered room currently associated with the identification information by querying a database; and
the database includes authentication data associating the user information with the registered room.
7. The hospitality media system of claim 6 , wherein the authentication data is automatically removed from the database when the user checks out of the registered room.
8. The hospitality media system of claim 1 , wherein the identification information comprises a passkey displayed by the media system controller on a display device in the registered room.
9. The hospitality media system of claim 1 , wherein the authentication module is further for authorizing a plurality of mobile devices to operate a single controllable device.
10. The hospitality media system of claim 1 , wherein the authentication module is further for including in the authorized subset the in-room controllable devices of a plurality of registered rooms that are currently associated with the identification information.
11. A method of operating a plurality of controllable devices in a hospitality media system, each of a plurality of rooms having one or more in-room controllable devices, the method comprising:
receiving identification information from a mobile device;
determining a registered room currently associated with the identification information;
including in an authorized subset of the controllable devices for which the mobile device is authorized to operate at least the in-room controllable devices of the registered room; and
operating the authorized subset of the controllable devices in dependence upon commands received from the mobile device.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
transferring status information corresponding to the authorized subset of the controllable devices to the mobile device;
wherein the status information includes an interactive program guide customized to list only content that is available on the in-room controllable devices of registered room.
13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
transferring customization information specific to the hospitality media system to a predetermined application running on the mobile device after a connection to the mobile device has been established;
wherein the predetermined application is compatible with and may be customized by a plurality of different hospitality media systems.
14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining the registered room currently associated with the identification information by querying a database;
wherein the identification information comprises a unique identifier of the mobile device; and
the database includes authentication data associating the unique identifier of the mobile device with the registered room.
15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining the registered room currently associated with the identification information by querying a database;
wherein the identification information corresponds to user information entered by a user of the mobile device; and
the database includes authentication data associating the user information with the registered room.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising automatically removing the authentication data from the database when the user checks out of the registered room.
17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising displaying a passkey on a display device in the registered room, wherein the identification information comprises the passkey.
18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising authorizing a plurality of mobile devices to operate a single controllable device.
19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising including in the authorized subset the in-room controllable devices of a plurality of registered rooms that are currently associated with the identification information.
20. A hospitality media system comprising:
a plurality of controllable devices, each of a plurality of rooms having one or more in-room controllable devices;
means for receiving identification information from a mobile device;
means for determining a registered room currently associated with the identification information;
means for including in an authorized subset of the controllable devices for which the mobile device is authorized to operate at least the in-room controllable devices of the registered room; and
means for operating the authorized subset of the controllable devices in dependence upon commands received from the mobile device.
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US14/275,189 US9584848B2 (en) | 2010-06-07 | 2014-05-12 | Method of operating one or more controllable devices in dependence upon commands received from a mobile device and system controller thereof |
US15/404,802 US9942595B2 (en) | 2010-06-07 | 2017-01-12 | Operating controllable device of media system in dependence upon commands received by mobile device |
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US16/671,557 US11272239B2 (en) | 2010-06-07 | 2019-11-01 | Method of remotely operating one or more controllable devices by mobile device |
US17/666,993 US11770575B2 (en) | 2010-06-07 | 2022-02-08 | Allowing mobile device to remotely control authorized subset of controllable devices utilizing content available in registered guest room |
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CA2709651A1 (en) | 2010-12-29 |
US20130347028A1 (en) | 2013-12-26 |
US9060197B2 (en) | 2015-06-16 |
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