Preserving a User Experience with Content Across Multiple Computing Devices Using Location Information

• US 20080133529A1
• Filed: 12/05/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Berkowitz, David, Crowley, Matthew William
• Granted Patent: US 7,870,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1027 Persistence of sessions during load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

A content management system stores location information indicating a location within a content item where a user exited from or last-accessed the content item. This location information is synchronized or otherwise shared between or among a plurality of devices associated with the user. With this information stored on or accessible to these multiple devices, the system enables the user to start from that location when subsequently accessing the content item on any of these devices. The user'"'"'s experience with the content item is thus preserved over time and independently of the device on which the content item is accessed.

Claims

1. A method for accessing content items from multiple computing devices, the method comprising:

receiving a request to access a content item on a first device;

receiving location information for the content item at the first computing device, the location information indicating a location in the content item where a user discontinued the content item at a second computing device; and

accessing the content item in the first device using the location information, the content item accessed at the first computing device at the location in the content item from which the content item was previously discontinued at the second computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

discontinuing access to the content item at the first computing device; and

updating the location information based on a location in the content item where the user discontinued the content item at the first computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the location information comprises the first computing device receiving the location information from a remote server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the location information comprises synchronizing the first computing device with the second computing device using a peer-to-peer communication.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein using the location information comprises retrieving the content item from a file storage within the first computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein using the location information comprises retrieving the content item from a third-party service provider.

7. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining whether the content item is being accessed by the second computing device; and

denying access to the content item by the first computing device responsive to the content item being accessed by the second computing device.

8. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium structured to store instructions executable by a processor, the instructions, when executed cause the processor to:

receive a request to access a content item on a first device;

receive location information for the content item at the first computing device, the location information indicating a location in the content item where a user discontinued the content item at a second computing device; and

access the content item in the first device using the location information, the content item accessed at the first computing device at the location in the content item from which the content item was previously discontinued at the second computing device

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the stored instructions further causes the processor to.

discontinue access to the content item at the first computing device;

and

update the location information based on a location in the content item where the user discontinued the content item at the first computing device.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the stored instructions causes the processor to receive the location information using a peer-to-peer communication.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the stored instructions causes the processor to retrieve the content item from a file storage within the first computing device.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the stored instructions causes the processor to retrieve the content item from a third-party service provider.

13. A method for providing an experience for accessing content items on multiple computing devices, the method comprising:

accessing a content item in a first computing device;

discontinuing the accessing of the content item at the first computing device;

storing in a memory location information indicating a location in the content item being accessed when the accessing of the content item was discontinued at the first computing device; and

sending the location information to a second computing device for use by the second device to access the content item at the location in the content item where the accessing of the content item was discontinued at the first computing device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises determining whether to allow the second computing device to access the content item.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises caching the content item on a remote server.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of the computing device is a mobile device.

19. A mobile device operable to access a content item using at least two applications, the mobile device comprising:

a file storage module for storing location information for each of a set of content items accessible by the device, the location information for a particular content item indicating a location in the content item where a user discontinued the content item;

a location information manager for generating location information for content items accessed by applications running on the mobile device, the location information manager further configured to provide the location information to applications running on the mobile device; and

a communication module coupled to the location information manager, the communication module operable to send the location information to and to retrieve the location information from a remote system over a communication network.

20. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the location information is synchronized with at least one other mobile device.