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.

Abstract: The described captive portal techniques cause client devices to render and display designated web pages. One designated web page may be different than a requested web page such as when a client is not authorized to access the requested page and is instead caused to display a login portal. 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. The modified content is sent from the captive portal to the client device for display. Client web browser security measures related to redirection messages are thereby bypassed and load on the captive portal is minimal. Another designated web page may be the same as the requested web page such as when the requested page is an authorized page even for non-logged in clients. Authorized pages may be modified to add a login link.

Abstract: A hotspot provides an open wireless network and a secure wireless network. The open wireless network has no network-level encryption and allows open association therewith. The secure wireless network employs network-level encryption and requires authentication of a received access credential from a client device before allowing association therewith. A system for authorizing the client device for secured access at the hotspot includes an access controller configured to establish an encrypted connection between the client device and a login portal of the hotspot over the open wireless network, and to store a user-specific access credential transmitted via the encrypted connection as a valid access credential in a credential database. The credential database is accessed by wireless access points of the hotspot to authenticate the received access credential from the client device in response to a request from the client device to associate with the secure wireless network.

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 catalog 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: Network traffic is received from a guest device on a computer network of a hospitality establishment, and a guest area of the hospitality establishment is accordingly identified. A login database is queried to find an unexpired login for the guest area, the unexpired login specifying a stored guest identifier corresponding to information retrieved from a property management system of the hospitality establishment regarding a guest of the guest area at a time when the unexpired login was created. The stored guest identifier of the unexpired login is compared with a current guest identifier of the guest area retrieved from the property management system regarding a current guest of the guest area. When the stored guest identifier matches the current guest identifier, the guest device is automatically allowed to access the network service for a remaining portion of the allowed access duration of the unexpired login.

Abstract: A user profile server stores a particular user profile corresponding to a user who belongs to a plurality of separate loyalty programs, and the particular user profile includes a plurality of different loyalty program user identifiers each identifying the user on a respective one of the separate loyalty programs. The user profile server communicates user a preference included on the particular user profile to a first controller via the computer network and communicates the user preference included on the particular user profile to a second controller via the computer network. The first controller is associated with a first hospitality location where the user is identified according to a first loyalty program user identifier included on the particular user profile, and the second is controller is associated with a second hospitality location where the user is identified according to a second loyalty program user identifier included on the particular user profile.

Abstract: A media system providing customized media functions at a hospitality establishment includes a first device operable to display a first passkey to a user attempting to activate a media function on a particular media device. The hospitality establishment includes a plurality of media devices installed at a plurality of different locations therein. A second device is operable to receive the first passkey from the user, determine whether the first passkey received from the user matches a second passkey associated with the particular media device, and activate the media function on the particular media device in response to determining that the first passkey received from the user matches the second passkey associated with the particular media device.

Abstract: A configuration apparatus includes a user interface allowing a user to initiate configuration of at least a target configurable device selected from a plurality of configurable devices. A command module is coupled to the user interface for dynamically generating a sequence of commands required to configure the target configurable device. The sequence of commands includes commands for entering a hidden service-configuration menu of the target configurable device. A communication module is coupled to the command module for transmitting the sequence of commands to the target configurable device.

Abstract: A client device sends a request to a server via a network and times a request time duration while waiting for results to be received. The client further times an operation time duration substantially corresponding to a period of time that the client device is performing an operation that causes the client device to make the request. After receiving the results from the server, a processor of the client is operable to dynamically calculate a client processing time threshold at least according to a type of the operation and historic time durations for one or more previous operations performed by the client device. The processor further subtracts the request time duration from the operation time duration to thereby calculate a client processing time duration, and transmits one or more alert messages to a network operation center when the client processing time duration is greater than the client processing time threshold.

Abstract: One or more processors are configured to associate a first local IP address with a computer while the computer is connected to a first network access node thereby providing the computer with access to a network. The first local IP address is one of a plurality of local IP addresses used on the network. The one or more processors monitor transmissions received from the first network access node to determine when the computer requests an Internet transaction. When the computer requests an Internet transaction, a first one of the globally unique IP addresses is associated with the first local IP address thereby allowing the computer to conduct the Internet transaction. The first globally unique IP address is disassociated from the first local IP address after termination of the Internet transaction and is then available for association with any of the local IP addresses used on the network.

Abstract: A plurality of controllable devices is in communication with and remotely operable by a media system controller. A storage device stores associations between respective passkeys and one or more of the controllable devices that are currently associated therewith. The controller generates a passkey in response to an occurrence of a first event associated with a particular one of the controllable devices, stores in the storage device an association between the passkey and the particular one of the controllable devices, and the passkey is displayed by the particular one of the controllable devices. The passkey is entered into a mobile device by a user. The controller receives the passkey from the mobile device, finds the particular one of the controllable devices currently associated with the passkey, and transfers commands and status information between the particular one of the controllable devices and the mobile device until an occurrence of a second event.

Abstract: A system includes a storage device for storing details of a plurality of reservations of a hospitality establishment. A particular reservation includes a set of reservation-specific settings affecting behavior of the computer network at the hospitality establishment during the reservation. The settings may include a registered device setting for affecting behavior of a computer network at the hospitality establishment toward a user device having a specified device identifier. The system further includes a clock unit for tracking time, and a system controller coupled to the computer network and having access to the storage device and the clock unit. The system controller automatically configures one or more network components of the computer network when a start time of the particular reservation is reached in order to activate the reservation-specific settings.

Abstract: A captive portal system includes a login database, a web server, and a name server. The name server receives a DNS request from a user device, queries the login database to determine whether the user device is logged in, and responds to the DNS request with the IP address of the web server as a resolved IP address of the specified domain name when the user device is not logged in. The web server accepts a connection request from the user device to the IP address of the web server, receives an HTTP request specifying a non-local target URL from the user device, queries the login database to determine whether the user device is logged in according to the source address of the user device, and acts as a transparent proxy between the user device and the non-local target URL when the user device is logged in.

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 media server receives a request from an unpaired mobile device, queries a login database to determine whether the mobile device is logged in for high speed Internet access, and, when yes, identifies a particular guest area of the hospitality establishment according to details in its login record. One of the media devices accessible from within the particular guest area is selected and paired with the mobile device without requiring a user of the mobile device to input into the mobile device a connect code of the selected media device. In another example, a user initiates a codeless pairing mode on a particular one of the media devices and begins interacting with the media server utilizing an unpaired mobile device. Since, only one media device can be in that mode at a time, the media server pairs the newly detected unpaired mobile device with the particular media device.

Abstract: Network traffic is received from a guest device on a computer network of a hospitality establishment, and a guest area of the hospitality establishment is accordingly identified. A login database is queried to find an unexpired login for the guest area, the unexpired login specifying a stored guest identifier corresponding to information retrieved from a property management system of the hospitality establishment regarding a guest of the guest area at a time when the unexpired login was created. The stored guest identifier of the unexpired login is compared with a current guest identifier of the guest area retrieved from the property management system regarding a current guest of the guest area. When the stored guest identifier matches the current guest identifier, the guest device is automatically allowed to access the network service for a remaining portion of the allowed access duration of the unexpired login.

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 catalog 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 hotspot provides an open wireless network and a secure wireless network. The open wireless network has no network-level encryption and allows open association therewith. The secure wireless network employs network-level encryption and requires authentication of a received access credential from a client device before allowing association therewith. A system for authorizing the client device for secured access at the hotspot includes an access controller configured to establish an encrypted connection between the client device and a login portal of the hotspot over the open wireless network, and to store a user-specific access credential transmitted via the encrypted connection as a valid access credential in a credential database. The credential database is accessed by wireless access points of the hotspot to authenticate the received access credential from the client device in response to a request from the client device to associate with the secure wireless network.

Abstract: A plurality of controllable devices is in communication with and remotely operable by a media system controller. A storage device stores associations between respective passkeys and one or more of the controllable devices that are currently associated therewith. The controller generates a passkey in response to an occurrence of a first event associated with a particular one of the controllable devices, stores in the storage device an association between the passkey and the particular one of the controllable devices, and the passkey is displayed by the particular one of the controllable devices. The passkey is entered into a mobile device by a user. The controller receives the passkey from the mobile device, finds the particular one of the controllable devices currently associated with the passkey, and operates the particular one of the controllable devices in dependence upon commands received from the mobile device until an occurrence of a second event.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for off-site user access control to communications services via a site-based communications network. Embodiments operate in context of sites, each having one or more site-based networks in communication with external networks via one or more on-site routers. User devices are provided with controlled access to those external networks via wired or wireless connections between those user devices and the site based networks. In some embodiments, on-site routers maintain route maps that indicate which user devices are authorized. Standard routing functions are used so that traffic from authorized devices is routed normally, while traffic from unauthorized devices is automatically forwarded to an off-site (e.g., cloud-based) authentication system. As devices become remotely authenticated, the off-site authentication system can remotely update route maps of the on-site routers to add those devices.