Interfacing a television with a second device

• US 10,609,321 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2018
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Liu, Eric H C, Chan, Haywai Hayward
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Dhairya A
• Application Number:
  US16/179,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20190075267A1
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82

Abstract

A system and method for interfacing a television with a second device is provided. The system includes an interfacing unit to enter an interfacing mode between the television mode and the second device; a card storage unit to store a first card and a second card, the first card being presently displayed on the television and the second card being previously displayed on the television; a current card display register to store the first card; an interactive retrieval unit to retrieve a plurality of interactive functions associated with the first card; and a display unit to display the first card and the plurality of interactive functions in response to being in the interfacing mode.

Claims

1. A method for interfacing devices, comprising:

detecting, using a mobile device that includes a hardware processor and a mobile display, a display device that is proximal to the mobile device over a communications network, wherein the display device is presenting media content;

causing, using the hardware processor, the mobile device to be communicatively coupled to the display device;

causing, using the hardware processor, a first card interface to be presented on the mobile display, wherein the first card interface relates to a first media content item currently being presented on the display device and wherein the first card interface includes a first set of interactive functions associated with the media content currently being presented on the display device;

in response to a second media content item being presented on the display device, causing, using the hardware processor, a second card interface to be presented on the mobile display, wherein the second card interface that relates to the second media content item currently being presented on the display device and wherein the second card interface includes a second set of interactive functions associated with the second card interface;

receiving, using the hardware processor, an input on the mobile display of the mobile device that corresponds to a request to present the previously presented first card interface and the associated first set of interactive functions for a second time;

in response to receiving the input on the mobile display of the mobile device, retrieving, using the hardware processor, the previously presented first card interface from a local memory of the mobile device; and

causing, using the hardware processor, the first card interface and the associated first set of interactive functions to be presented for the second time on the mobile display.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the first card interface and the associated first set of interactive functions to the display device over the communications network for presentation on the display device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting the second card interface and the associated second set of interactive functions to the display device over the communications network for presentation on the display device, wherein the first card interface is no longer presented on the display device and the second card interface replaces the first card interface.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to receiving the input on the mobile display of the mobile device, causing the first card interface and the associated first set of interactive functions to be presented for the second time on the display device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the first card interface and the second card interface in the local memory of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first card interface identifies the first media content item being presented on the display device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first set of interactive functions is a function to share information associated with the first card interface via a social networking service associated with the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of interactive functions is identified based on content presented on the first card interface.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the display device is detected based on a distance between the mobile device and the display device.

10. A system for interfacing devices, the system comprising:

a hardware processor that is programmed to;

detect a display device that is proximal to a mobile device over a communications network, wherein the display device is presenting media content;

cause the mobile device to be communicatively coupled to the display device;

cause a first card interface to be presented on a mobile display of the mobile device, wherein the first card interface relates to a first media content item currently being presented on the display device and wherein the first card interface includes a first set of interactive functions associated with the media content currently being presented on the display device;

in response to a second media content item being presented on the display device, cause a second card interface to be presented on the mobile display, wherein the second card interface that relates to the second media content item currently being presented on the display device and wherein the second card interface includes a second set of interactive functions associated with the second card interface;

receive an input on the mobile display of the mobile device that corresponds to a request to present the previously presented first card interface and the associated first set of interactive functions for a second time;

in response to receiving the input on the mobile display of the mobile device, retrieve the previously presented first card interface from a local memory of the mobile device; and

cause the first card interface and the associated first set of interactive functions to be presented for the second time on the mobile display.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to transmit the first card interface and the associated first set of interactive functions to the display device over the communications network for presentation on the display device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to transmit the second card interface and the associated second set of interactive functions to the display device over the communications network for presentation on the display device, wherein the first card interface is no longer presented on the display device and the second card interface replaces the first card interface.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to, in response to receiving the input on the mobile display of the mobile device, cause the first card interface and the associated first set of interactive functions to be presented for the second time on the display device.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to store the first card interface and the second card interface in the local memory of the mobile device.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the first card interface identifies the first media content item being presented on the display device.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first set of interactive functions is a function to share information associated with the first card interface via a social networking service associated with the mobile device.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the first set of interactive functions is identified based on content presented on the first card interface.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the display device is detected based on a distance between the mobile device and the display device.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to execute a method for interfacing devices, the method comprising:

detecting a display device that is proximal to a mobile device over a communications network, wherein the display device is presenting media content;

causing the mobile device to be communicatively coupled to the display device;

causing a first card interface to be presented on a mobile display of the mobile device, wherein the first card interface relates to a first media content item currently being presented on the display device and wherein the first card interface includes a first set of interactive functions associated with the media content currently being presented on the display device;

in response to a second media content item being presented on the display device, causing a second card interface to be presented on the mobile display, wherein the second card interface that relates to the second media content item currently being presented on the display device and wherein the second card interface includes a second set of interactive functions associated with the second card interface;

receiving an input on the mobile display of the mobile device that corresponds to a request to present the previously presented first card interface and the associated first set of interactive functions for a second time;

in response to receiving the input on the mobile display of the mobile device, retrieving the previously presented first card interface from a local memory of the mobile device; and

causing the first card interface and the associated first set of interactive functions to be presented for the second time on the mobile display.