IP Verse

System, Apparatus, And Method For Controlling Internet Devices Via A Mobile Device Session

Patent No. US11831561 (titled "System, Apparatus, And Method For Controlling Internet Devices Via A Mobile Device Session") was filed by Sookbox Llc on Apr 26, 2021.

What is this patent about?

’561 is related to the field of networked media systems, specifically focusing on the distribution and control of digital content across multiple devices in a home or similar environment. The background involves the increasing complexity of home entertainment systems, with numerous devices (TVs, smartphones, tablets, etc.) and content sources (internet, local storage) creating challenges for seamless user experience and content management.

The underlying idea behind ’561 is to provide a centralized system for managing and distributing digital content, allowing users to control the content displayed on various output devices (TVs, speakers) from their mobile devices. The key inventive insight is to enable discriminative control , where different users or devices can have different levels of access and control over the content, creating a more personalized and secure experience.

The claims of ’561 focus on a display dongle or a display device itself, equipped with a network interface and processing capabilities. The dongle or display receives streaming video from a content server and control signals from mobile devices. These control signals manipulate content items displayed on both the mobile devices and the display, allowing users to interact with and control the video playback.

In practice, the system works by establishing a socket-based communication between a host server (potentially implemented in the dongle or display) and multiple control devices (smartphones, tablets). The host server manages content distribution and user access, while the control devices provide user interfaces for browsing and controlling the content. The system differentiates between control devices based on assigned roles or classes (e.g., 'DJ' vs. 'guest', 'parent' vs. 'child'), enabling customized experiences and access restrictions.

This approach differs from prior solutions by offering fine-grained control over content access and presentation. Instead of simply mirroring content or providing basic remote control functionality, ’561 enables scenarios like parental controls, collaborative playlists, and multi-player games, where each user has a unique and controlled experience. The use of socket protocols allows for low-latency, real-time interaction, improving the responsiveness and overall user experience compared to traditional HTTP-based systems.

How does this patent fit in bigger picture?

Technical landscape at the time

In the early 2010s when ’561 was filed, at a time when digital media consumption was increasing rapidly, systems commonly relied on client-server architectures for content delivery, and hardware or software constraints made seamless content sharing and control across multiple devices non-trivial.

Novelty and Inventive Step

Claims 2-21 were rejected. The applicant's arguments were considered but not persuasive. The examiner stated that the prior parent applications failed to provide proper support for certain limitations in the claims. The examiner also rejected claims under 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 based on anticipation and obviousness over prior art. This action was made final.

Claims

This patent contains 23 claims, with independent claims 1, 7, and 13. The independent claims are directed to a display dongle, a display device, and a dongle, respectively, each configured to receive streaming video data from a content server and control signals from mobile devices to control the display of the video data. The dependent claims generally elaborate on specific configurations, functionalities, and interactions between the display dongle/device/dongle, content server, and mobile devices.

Key Claim Terms New

Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.

Term (Source)Support for SpecificationInterpretation
Content server
(Claim 1, Claim 7, Claim 13)		“An embodiment of the disclosure comprises a host server for managing and distributing digital media content in association with a network system that may include a plurality of computing devices with varying user interface features and capabilities as described throughout this invention.”A server connected to the network that provides streaming video data to the display dongle or display device.
Control signal data
(Claim 1, Claim 7, Claim 13)		“The methods and systems described, depicted, and claimed herein may relate to managing and distributing the separation of internet device information and associated controls within a network system.”Data received from a mobile device over a wireless connection, used to control the display of streaming video data.
Display dongle
(Claim 1)		“Embodiments of democratically (e.g. non-discriminatively) managing the separation and distribution of digital content and associated controls in a network may include, but are not limited to, uses of processing nodes that are described herein. These embodiments benefit from the descriptions and figures relating to non-discriminative control device operation in co-pending application U.S. Ser. No. ,397 filed Jan. 4, 2014. Processing node embodiments include operations including receiving a request from any one of a plurality of control devices that participate in an active control session, responding democratically via a processing node configured to perform host server functions to any one of the control device requests, and delivering content and/or control elements via a processing node to a real-world input/output device that is connected to the processing node.”A device that connects to a display device and is capable of processing streaming video data and control signals. It receives streaming video data from a content server and control signals from a mobile device over a wireless connection.
Mobile device
(Claim 1, Claim 7, Claim 13)		“Another recent trend with respect to consumer electronic devices (more specifically, mobile devices, such as smart-phones, tablets, etc.) is that they have become increasingly affordable. In addition, the consumer electronic devices increasingly include more advanced features.”A device distinct from the display dongle that sends control signals to the display dongle to control the display of video data.
Streaming video data
(Claim 1, Claim 7, Claim 13)		“Embodiments of the present disclosure include methods, systems, or computer readable medium, with program codes embodied thereon, for managing and distributing the separation of media content and associated controls within a network system.”Video data that is received via the network interface from the content server.

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US11831561

SOOKBOX LLC
Application Number
US17240622
Filing Date
Apr 26, 2021
Status
Granted
Expiry Date
Jan 4, 2033
External Links
Slate, USPTO, Google Patents