Abstract: A mobile device is configurable by a controller to remotely operate a target controllable device, the controller and the target controllable device being part of a hospitality media system. A communication module establishes a connection to the controller and performs data transfer between the mobile device and the controller. A customization module receives customization information from the controller and customizes a user interface of the mobile device accordingly. A status information regarding the target controllable device is received from the controller and displayed on the user interface of the mobile device. A user of the mobile device thereafter issues a command via the user interface to the controller, the command containing instruction intended for the target controllable device. The controller receives the command and operates the target controllable devices in dependence upon instruction contained in the command received from the mobile device.

Abstract: A media system includes a computer network, a media device supporting a network-based media sharing protocol, a plurality of output devices located at a plurality of physical locations within a hospitality establishment, and a system controller. In response to a first event, the system controller assigns the media device to a particular guest device by reconfiguring one or more components of the computer network to enable the particular guest device to utilize the network-based media sharing protocol to share media over the computer network with the media device, and commands an output device located at a physical location associated with the particular guest device to play media corresponding to the media signal outputted by the media device on the output port. In response to a second event, the system controller un-assigns the media device from the particular guest device and commands the output device to stop playing the media.

Abstract: Network traffic is received from an unrecognized guest device on a computer network. A user profile server is queried to determine a user identifier that is associated with the device identifier of the unrecognized guest device. A login database is queried to find an unexpired login record of an authorized guest device associated with the user identifier. The unexpired login record grants the authorized guest device access to the network service with a service entitlement for an allowed access duration, and a stored device identifier in the unexpired login record of the authorized guest device is different from the device identifier of the unrecognized guest device. The service entitlement of the network service specified in the unexpired login record is shared between the authorized guest device and the unrecognized guest device for a remaining portion of the allowed access duration of the unexpired login record of the authorized guest device.

Abstract: A media system includes a plurality of set-top boxes coupled to a coax network and a controller. The controller displays a first passkey to a user in response to receiving a request from the user to activate playback of a media content on a particular set-top box. The set-top box receives the first passkey from the user and determines whether the user is authorized to activate playback of the media content by comparing the first passkey received from the user with a second passkey obtained from a passkey module on the set-top box. When the user is determined by the set-top box to be authorized to activate playback of the media content, the set-top box determines a radio frequency channel of the coax network according to the first passkey received from the user and begins playback of the media content received on the radio frequency channel on a display device.

Abstract: A walled garden system includes a firewall controlling access between a first network and a second network at least by allowing connection requests originating from a user device on the first network to a destination IP address on the second network in response to determining that the destination IP address matches a cleared IP address on a cleared IP addresses list. A controller receives a domain name service (DNS) reply from a DNS server on the second network, and determines whether a domain name specified within the DNS reply matches a cleared domain name on a cleared domain names list. In response to determining that the domain name specified within the DNS reply matches the cleared domain name on the cleared domain names list, the controller adds a resolved IP address specified in the DNS reply to the cleared IP addresses list as a new cleared IP address.

Abstract: A set-top box receives original video streams and generates a guide video stream that includes each of the original video streams resized and arranged as a plurality of scaled video streams such that all of the scaled video streams are simultaneously visible and playing on the guide video stream. The guide video stream is displayed on a display device and the set-top box provides an interactive user interface on the display device in conjunction with the guide video stream to allow a user of the set-top box to select one of the scaled video streams for full screen playback. In response to the user selecting a particular scaled video stream on the guide video stream for full screen playback, the set-top box plays full screen on the display device a particular original video stream corresponding to the particular scaled video stream as received via the communication interface.

Abstract: A service controller includes a network interface for coupling to a local area network of a hospitality establishment, and one or more processors coupled to the network interface. The one or more processors are configured to detect a device identifier of a user device on a local area network of a hospitality establishment, determine whether a guest of the hospitality establishment is associated with the device identifier, and automatically activate a service for the user device at the hospitality establishment in response to detecting the device identifier on the local area network when a guest of the hospitality establishment is determined to be associated with the device identifier.

Abstract: An app server receives a device token from a software application on a mobile device. The device token identifies the mobile device for pushing notification messages of the software application to the mobile device via a push notification system. The mobile device is monitored while accessing the Internet in order to detect when the user may benefit from upgraded access to the Internet. The app server then sends one or more notification message(s) to the user such as by sending a message to the device token of the mobile device via the push notification system or to a display device associated with the user at the hospitality establishment. The notification message invites the user to upgrade their Internet access. The push notification system alerts the user to the notification message via the user interface of the mobile device even when the software application is not running on the mobile device.

Abstract: A hospitality media system includes a media system controller and a plurality of media devices located in a plurality of rooms and coupled to the media system controller. Each room has one or more in-room media devices located therein for performing a media function. A connection port allows a user of a room to establish data communications between the media system controller and a guest device. The media system controller is coupled to the connection port and configured to catalogue guest content available on the guest device to thereby form a guest content list, associate the guest content with one or more associated rooms at least including the user's room, and perform the media function utilizing content selected from the guest content list only on the in-room media devices located within the one or more associated rooms.

Abstract: A media system includes a plurality of set-top boxes coupled to a coax network and a controller. The controller displays a first passkey to a user in response to receiving a request from the user to activate playback of a media content on a particular set-top box. The set-top box receives the first passkey from the user and determines whether the user is authorized to activate playback of the media content by comparing the first passkey received from the user with a second passkey obtained from a passkey module on the set-top box. When the user is determined by the set-top box to be authorized to activate playback of the media content, the set-top box determines a radio frequency channel of the coax network according to the first passkey received from the user and begins playback of the media content received on the radio frequency channel on a display device.

Abstract: A method of managing wireless access to a network performed by an access point includes storing a programmable response time for defining a zone of operation around the access point, receiving from a client device a request to associate with the access point, transmitting a probe to the client device, when a response to the probe is received, measuring a round trip time between transmission of the probe and receipt of the response, determining whether the client device's request to associate with the access point should be granted or denied by comparing the round trip time to the programmable response time, granting the request to associate in response to determining that the round trip time is less than the programmable response time, and denying the request to associate with the access point in response to determining that the round trip time is longer than the programmable response time.

Abstract: A mobile device is configurable by a controller to remotely operate a target controllable device, the controller and the target controllable device being part of a hospitality media system. A communication module establishes a connection to the controller and performs data transfer between the mobile device and the controller. A customization module receives customization information from the controller and customizes a user interface of the mobile device accordingly. A status information regarding the target controllable device is received from the controller and displayed on the user interface of the mobile device. A user of the mobile device thereafter issues a command via the user interface to the controller, the command containing instruction intended for the target controllable device. The controller receives the command and operates the target controllable devices in dependence upon instruction contained in the command received from the mobile device.

Abstract: Network traffic, including a device identifier, is received from an unrecognized guest device on a computer network of a hospitality establishment. A user profile server is queried to determine a user identifier that is associated with the device identifier of the guest device. A properly management system is queried to determine whether the user identifier is associated with a current guest of the hospitality establishment, and, when yes, to determine a guest area registered to the current guest. A login database is queried to find an unexpired login record of an authorized guest device associated with the guest area, the unexpired login record granting the authorized guest device access to the network service for an allowed access duration. The unrecognized guest device is automatically granted access to the network service for a remaining portion of the allowed access duration of the unexpired login record.

Abstract: A media server is for enabling codeless pairing between a mobile device and a particular one of a plurality of media devices. The media server is communicatively coupled to the mobile device and the media devices via a computer network. The media server receives a request by a first media device to enter a codeless pairing mode, queries a database to determine whether any other of the media devices is currently in the codeless pairing mode—and, when yes, the media server transmits a busy message to the first media device, and, when no, the media server detects a media session initiated by the mobile device. Upon detecting the media session, the media server pairs the mobile device with the first media device and causes the first media device to play media content associated with the media session.

Abstract: The described captive portal techniques cause client devices to display requested webpage for authorized device and modified content for unauthorized devices. One designated web page may be different than a requested web page such as when a client is not authorized to access the requested webpage and the requested webpage is not one of the walled garden websites. When the requested webpage is within walled garden website, the original content of the requested webpage is modified to include at least some original content. The captive portal may modify the designated web page to ensure that relative links lacking base domains now have specified base domains pointing to an authorized web server. Client web browser security measures related to redirection messages are thereby bypassed and load on the captive portal is minimal. The client device may also be prevented from caching the modified content of the requested web page.

Abstract: A walled garden system includes a firewall controlling access between a first network and a second network at least by allowing connection requests originating from a user device on the first network to a destination IP address on the second network in response to determining that the destination IP address matches a cleared IP address on a cleared IP addresses list. A controller receives a domain name service (DNS) reply from a DNS server on the second network, and determines whether a domain name specified within the DNS reply matches a cleared domain name on a cleared domain names list. In response to determining that the domain name specified within the DNS reply matches the cleared domain name on the cleared domain names list, the controller adds a resolved IP address specified in the DNS reply to the cleared IP addresses list as a new cleared IP address.

Abstract: A content selector retrieves customization criteria corresponding to a plurality of guests of a hospitality location. According to the criteria, a core set of channels is automatically selected to make available from a plurality of available channels for streaming via the external computer network. Bandwidth between the external computer network and the hospitality location is reserved to ensure all core channels can be concurrently streamed to the hospitality location. An interactive program guide available on the entertainment devices is customized to list at least one of the core channels as available for viewing. For each channel of the core set, the channel is streamed to the hospitality location only when the channel is being viewed on at least one of the entertainment devices. Updated guest related customization criteria is retrieved and the core channels available for viewing are dynamically changed as the guests of the hospitality location change over time.

Abstract: A server in a captive portal accepts a connection from a user device to the IP address of the server and receives a HTTP or HTTPS request over the connection. The connection may be a result of the user device being previously determined to be not logged in, and consequently provided the IP address of the server as a DNS resolved IP address, the user device thereafter caching the IP address of the server. The server responds with requested content if the target host of the request is a local host. If the target host is a remote destination, the server queries a login database to determine whether the user device is logged in. The server acts as a transparent proxy between the user device and the remote destination if the user device is logged in, else the server sends alternate content to the user device over the connection.

Abstract: An app server receives a device token from a software application on a mobile device. The device token identifies the mobile device for pushing notification messages of the software application to the mobile device via a push notification system. The mobile device is monitored while accessing the Internet in order to detect when the user may benefit from upgraded access to the Internet. The app server then sends one or more notification message(s) to the user such as by sending a message to the device token of the mobile device via the push notification system or to a display device associated with the user at the hospitality establishment. The notification message invites the user to upgrade their Internet access. The push notification system alerts the user to the notification message via the user interface of the mobile device even when the software application is not running on the mobile device.

Abstract: One or more processors receive a plurality of original video streams, generate a guide video stream that includes each of the original video streams resized and arranged such that all of the original video streams are simultaneously visible and playing on the guide video stream, and display the guide video stream on a display device. The one or more processors further provide an interactive user interface on the display device in conjunction with the guide video stream to thereby allow a user of the set-top box to select one of the original video streams shown playing on the guide video stream for full screen playback. In response to the user selecting a particular original video stream for full screen playback, the one or more processors play full screen on the display device the particular original video stream as selected by the user.