Beacon applications for content discovery and interaction

• US 10,111,030 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2014
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Gedikian, Steve S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Chuck
• Application Number:
  US14/500,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20160094598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• Field of Search: 4554563, 4554141, 4554142, 4554143
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

Beacon applications for content discovery and interaction include triggering features in applications, application discovery, embedding beacon information in streaming media, synchronizing the presentation of content on mobile devices and automatic configuration of mobile devices.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a broadcast device operating in an environment, streaming media from a network-based content provider, the broadcast device being coupled to a radio frequency beacon device in the environment, the streaming media including a content portion and beacon information, the beacon information including at least a beacon identifier and a content identifier, the beacon identifier identifying the radio frequency beacon device and a location of the environment or a location in the environment, wherein the beacon identifier, when received by the network-based content provider or other content provider from a device operating in the environment, is used to identify additional content to send to the device, wherein the additional content is identified at least in part by using the beacon identifier to look up in a database accessible by the networked-based content provider or other content provider, the location of the environment or the location in the environment;

broadcasting, by the broadcast device, the content portion of the streaming media into the environment over a first broadcast medium; and

concurrently with the broadcasting of the content portion of the streaming media, broadcasting, by the radio frequency beacon device, the beacon information into the environment over a second broadcast medium that is different than the first broadcast medium.

2. The method of claim 1, where obtaining the beacon information includes obtaining the beacon identifier and content identifier from a streaming media packet header.

3. The method of claim 1, where broadcasting the content portion of the streaming media includes playing the content portion of the streaming media through a loudspeaker.

4. The method of claim 1, where broadcasting the content portion of the streaming media includes displaying the content portion of the streaming media on a computer or television screen.

5. The method of claim 1, where the beacon information further includes a device identifier stored by the device, the device identifier identifying the broadcast device type.

6. The method of claim 5, where the device type is a stereo system and the content ID identifies a radio station provided by a radio streaming service.

7. The method of claim 5, where the device type is a television system and the content ID identifies a television station.

8. The method of claim 1, where the content ID is associated with a slide show being presented in the environment.

9. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors;

memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving streaming media from a network-based content provider, the streaming media including a content portion and beacon information, the beacon information including at least a beacon identifier and a content identifier, the beacon identifier identifying the radio frequency beacon device and a location of the environment or a location in the environment, wherein the beacon identifier, when received by the network-based content provider or other content provider from a device operating in the environment, is used to identify additional content to send to the device, wherein the additional content is identified at least in part by using the beacon identifier to look up in a database accessible by the networked-based content provider or other content provider, the location of the environment or the location in the environment;

broadcasting the content portion of streaming media into the environment over a first broadcast medium; and

concurrently with the broadcasting of the content portion of the streaming media, broadcasting, by the radio frequency beacon device, the beacon information into the environment over a second broadcast medium that is different than the first broadcast medium.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, where obtaining the beacon information includes obtaining the beacon identifier and content identifier from a streaming media packet header.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, where broadcasting the content portion of the streaming media includes playing the content portion of the streaming media through a loudspeaker.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, where broadcasting the content portion of the streaming media includes displaying the content portion of the streaming media on a computer or television screen.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, where the beacon information further includes an apparatus identifier stored by the apparatus, the apparatus identifier identifying the apparatus type.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, where the apparatus type is a stereo system and the content ID identifies a radio station provided by a radio streaming service.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, where the apparatus type is a television system and the content ID identifies a television station.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, where the content ID is associated with a slide show being presented in the environment.

17. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a broadcast device operating in an environment, streaming media from a network-based content provider, the broadcast device being coupled to a radio frequency beacon device in the environment, the streaming media including a content portion and beacon information, the beacon information including at least a beacon identifier and a content identifier, the beacon identifier identifying the radio frequency beacon device and a location of the environment or a location in the environment, wherein the beacon identifier, when received by the network-based content provider or other content provider from a device operating in the environment, is used to identify additional content to send to the device, wherein the additional content is identified at least in part by using the beacon identifier to look up in a database accessible by the networked-based content provider or other content provider, the location of the environment or the location in the environment;

broadcasting, by the broadcast device, the content portion of the streaming media into the environment over a first broadcast medium; and

concurrently with the broadcasting of the content portion of the streaming media, broadcasting, by the radio frequency beacon device, the beacon information into the environment over a second broadcast medium that is different than the first broadcast medium.

18. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, where the beacon information further includes a device identifier stored by the broadcast device, the device identifier identifying the broadcast device type.

19. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, where the beacon information further includes a device identifier stored by the device, the device identifier identifying the broadcast device type.

20. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, where the device type is a stereo system and the content ID identifies a radio station provided by a radio streaming service.