Play Control Of Content On A Display Device
Patent No. US11086934 (titled "Play Control Of Content On A Display Device") was filed by Touchstream Technologies Inc on Jun 30, 2020.
What is this patent about?
’934 is related to the field of controlling media playback on a display device, such as a television, using a separate computing device like a smartphone. Traditionally, watching web media on a TV involved connecting a computer, which was cumbersome to control from a distance. Existing wireless controllers and web browsers on TVs also presented usability issues and interfered with normal TV viewing.
The underlying idea behind ’934 is to use a personal computing device to remotely control media playback on a display device, even when different media types require different player applications. The system establishes an association between the two devices using a unique identifier , allowing the personal device to send commands to the display device through a server. The server handles the translation of commands into a format compatible with the specific media player being used.
The claims of ’934 focus on a media receiver (e.g., a smart TV) that provides a unique identifier to a computing device (e.g., a smartphone). The media receiver then receives messages from the computing device, referencing content and including commands. The receiver selects the appropriate media player based on the content type and controls playback using the received commands, which have been converted from a universal format to a player-specific format.
In practice, the user initiates content selection and playback commands on their personal computing device. This device sends a message to a server, which verifies the user and target device. The server then uses a universal API adapter to translate the user's commands into the specific commands recognized by the media player on the display device. This allows the user to control various media players (e.g., YouTube, Ted.com) through a single interface.
This system differentiates itself from prior approaches by providing a seamless way to control diverse media content on a display device from a separate computing device. The use of a unique identifier and a server-side API adapter allows for a flexible and user-friendly experience, eliminating the need for complex configurations or direct connections between the devices. The system also supports scenarios with multiple users and devices, enabling collaborative viewing experiences.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the early 2010s when ’934 was filed, web media was often played on computers rather than television displays, even though connecting a computer to a television set was known. At a time when X was typically implemented using Y, it was difficult to control such a system within the typical scenario for television watching where the viewer is positioned some distance from the television. Furthermore, when systems commonly relied on Z rather than A, although a wireless device could enable the user to control the television from a distance, it could be difficult to view a web browser display on the television set and may interfere with normal television program viewing by other persons.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The examiner approved the application because the prior art, individually or in combination, did not disclose all elements of independent claim 1. Specifically, the prior art failed to show receiving a set of messages from another computing device based on a unique identifier, where the messages reference content associated with a specific media player type from a set of available types, and include commands for that player. The prior art also failed to show selecting the media player based on its association with the referenced content and controlling the content playback using the received commands.
Claims
This patent includes 20 claims, with independent claims 1, 8, and 17. The independent claims are generally directed to controlling media playback by selecting a media application based on content and using commands to control the application. The dependent claims generally add detail or limitations to the independent claims.
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Date
Description
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US11086934
- Application Number
- US16917095
- Filing Date
- Jun 30, 2020
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- Jun 10, 2031
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents