Mobile interface for manipulating multimedia content
First Claim
1. A method for a mobile telephone device to enable a user of the mobile telephone device to control presentation of content on remote content presentation devices via a graphical user interface displayed on the mobile telephone device, the method comprising:
- receiving metadata information for multiple digital media content items of one or more types that are each available for presentation on one or more of multiple remote content presentation devices, the multiple digital media content items being part of a plurality of content items available for presentation that include multiple television programs and multiple other items having content of one or more media types other than video information, the metadata information for the television programs including electronic programming guide information;
automatically obtaining state information for each of at least one of the multiple remote content presentation devices that indicates a current state of presenting content by that remote content presentation device;
displaying to a user of the mobile telephone device a graphical user interface (“
GUI”
) that includes metadata information about at least one of the multiple digital media content items available for presentation, state information for at least one of the multiple remote content presentation devices, and controls via which the user can alter presentation of content on the remote content presentation devices; and
after receiving an indication of an instruction from the user to cause presentation of a selected digital media content item on a selected remote content presentation device for which obtained state information is available, the instruction indicated based on selection by the user of one or more of the controls of the GUI, automatically determining whether the selected remote content presentation device is able to present the selected digital media content item based at least in part on the obtained state information for the selected remote content presentation device; and
if it is determined that the selected remote content presentation device is able to present the selected digital media content item, providing instructions to the selected remote content presentation device to cause presentation of the selected digital media content item, and updating the obtained state information for the selected remote content presentation device to reflect the presentation of the selected digital media content item, so that a user can use the displayed graphical user interface to control presentation of content on remote content presentation devices based on state information for those content presentation devices.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques are described for managing various types of content and devices, such as via a user interface of a Content Management (“CM”) system executing on a computing device. In some situations, the content being managed includes television-related programming content and/or other types of content (e.g., one or more channels of scheduled digital music and/or on-demand digital music, photos and other images, etc.). In some situations, the content managing is performed via a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone or other cellular telephone, PDA or other electronic organizer, etc.) via a CM system user interface displayed on the mobile device, such as to allow a user of the mobile device to access some or all of the functionality of the CM system that would otherwise be available via a CM system GUI displayed on a general-purpose personal computer, as well as to synchronize with such a GUI in various ways.
406 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method for a mobile telephone device to enable a user of the mobile telephone device to control presentation of content on remote content presentation devices via a graphical user interface displayed on the mobile telephone device, the method comprising:
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receiving metadata information for multiple digital media content items of one or more types that are each available for presentation on one or more of multiple remote content presentation devices, the multiple digital media content items being part of a plurality of content items available for presentation that include multiple television programs and multiple other items having content of one or more media types other than video information, the metadata information for the television programs including electronic programming guide information;
automatically obtaining state information for each of at least one of the multiple remote content presentation devices that indicates a current state of presenting content by that remote content presentation device;
displaying to a user of the mobile telephone device a graphical user interface (“
GUI”
) that includes metadata information about at least one of the multiple digital media content items available for presentation, state information for at least one of the multiple remote content presentation devices, and controls via which the user can alter presentation of content on the remote content presentation devices; and
after receiving an indication of an instruction from the user to cause presentation of a selected digital media content item on a selected remote content presentation device for which obtained state information is available, the instruction indicated based on selection by the user of one or more of the controls of the GUI, automatically determining whether the selected remote content presentation device is able to present the selected digital media content item based at least in part on the obtained state information for the selected remote content presentation device; and
if it is determined that the selected remote content presentation device is able to present the selected digital media content item, providing instructions to the selected remote content presentation device to cause presentation of the selected digital media content item, and updating the obtained state information for the selected remote content presentation device to reflect the presentation of the selected digital media content item, so that a user can use the displayed graphical user interface to control presentation of content on remote content presentation devices based on state information for those content presentation devices. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A method for a mobile device to enable a user to control presentation of content on remote content presentation devices via a user interface displayed on the mobile device, the method comprising:
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receiving metadata information for multiple digital media content items of one or more types that are each available for presentation on one or more of multiple remote content presentation devices;
automatically obtaining state information for each of at least one of the multiple remote content presentation devices that indicates a current state of presenting content by that remote content presentation device;
displaying to a user of the mobile device a user interface having metadata information for at least one of the multiple digital media content items and having controls via which the user can alter presentation of content on the remote content presentation devices; and
after receiving an indication of an instruction from the user based on selection by the user of one or more of the controls of the user interface, the instruction regarding altering presentation of content on a selected one of the at least one remote content presentation devices for which obtained state information is available, automatically directing the selected remote content presentation device to alter presentation of content in a manner based at least in part on the obtained state information for the selected remote content presentation device. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a mobile computing device to enable a user to cause manipulation of content by remote content manipulation devices via a user interface displayed on the mobile device, by performing a method comprising:
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receiving metadata information for multiple digital media content items of one or more types that are each available for manipulation by one or more remote content manipulation devices;
automatically obtaining state information for each of at least one of the one or more remote content manipulation devices that indicates a current state of manipulating content by that remote content manipulation device;
displaying to a user of the mobile device a user interface having metadata information for at least one of the multiple digital media content items and having controls via which the user can alter manipulation of content by the one or more remote content manipulation devices; and
after receiving an indication of an instruction from the user based on selection by the user of one or more of the controls of the user interface, the instruction regarding altering manipulation of content by a selected one of the at least one remote content manipulation devices for which obtained state information is available, automatically directing the selected remote content manipulation device to alter manipulation of content in a manner based at least in part on the obtained state information for the selected remote content manipulation device. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A mobile computing device configured to enable a user to control presentation of content on one or more content presentation devices via a graphical user interface displayed on the mobile computing device, comprising:
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a display; and
a content management system configured to provide functionality to the user to control presentation of television programs on one or more content presentation devices, the provided functionality including presenting on the display a graphical user interface containing information about at least one television program and containing controls via which a user can alter presentation of television programs on the one or more content presentation devices, including obtaining state information for each of at least one of the one or more content presentation devices that indicates a current state of presenting content by that content presentation device, and including, after receiving an indication of an instruction from the user to alter presentation of content on a selected one of the one or more content presentation devices to reflect at least one selected television program, automatically directing the selected content presentation device to alter presentation of content to reflect the at least one selected television programs, the instruction from the user being based at least in part on selection by the user of one or more of the controls of the user interface, at least some of the provided functionality of the content management system being based in part on the obtained state information for the one or more content presentation devices. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification