EMPLOYMENT OF MULTIPLE SECOND DISPLAYS TO CONTROL IPTV CONTENT

• US 20120117586A1
• Filed: 12/30/2010
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Network Entertainment International LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: McCoy, Charles, Wong, Ling Jun, Xiong, True
• Granted Patent: US 9,924,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/237 Communication with additional data server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2396 characterized by admission policies admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for network security using user profiles for access control H04L63/102; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• 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 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4415 using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/475 End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. personal identification number [PIN], preference data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6332 directed to client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/63345 by transmitting keys key distribution for secret or secure communication H04L9/08; network support of key management H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods to enable a multiple users browsing content offerings on multiple devices to have their selections played by a content playback device using its own authentication credentials. The users can then continue to browse the content offerings on their multiple second displays without interrupting the content that is playing on the main content playback device. The method is an architecture design and implementation that allows users to navigate, browse, and search content offerings on a second display such as a smart phone, PC, laptop, tablet, internet appliance, or any other device with a capability to couple to a network. Concurrently, while a user is using the content playback device, another user can perform browsing activities on a second display and send a media selection to a primary content playback device of the user'"'"'s choice for queueing and/or playback.

Claims

1. A method of arranging multiple browsing sessions for content selection, the selected content for playback on a content playback device, comprising:

i. establishing a user account session between one second display and a proxy server, the second display further having at least one content playback device coupled thereto;

ii. establishing a user account session between another second display and the proxy server through the local network;

iii. receiving a selection of a content item on the one or another second display; and

iv. causing the content playback device to request the content item from a service provider, wherein the content playback device requests the content item using an authentication credential, and wherein the same authentication credential is used no matter which second display received the selection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a list of content items on the one or another second display, wherein the list is generated at least in part using a device characteristic of the content playback device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a list of content items on the one or another second display, wherein the list is generated at least in part using a list of content playback devices associated with the user account.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the list is generated at least in part using a list of service providers associated with the user account.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a list of content playback devices associated with the user account, and receiving a selection of which content playback device is to play back the selected content item.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the causing the content playback device to request the content item includes causing the second display on which the selection was received to communicate the selection to the content playback device, for the content playback device to request the content item.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the causing the content playback device to request the content item includes causing the second display on which the selection was received to communicate the selection to the proxy server on behalf of the content playback device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving a selection of a content item includes receiving a selection of a content item at the proxy server, and wherein the receiving at least a portion of the selected content item includes receiving a content URL at the content playback device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing a session between a second display and a proxy server includes downloading an application from the proxy server to the second display.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising instructions for causing a computing device to implement the method of claim 1.

11. A computer program, stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, for causing one second display to perform the following steps, the second display associated with at least one content playback device and at least another second display:

i. establish a session between a second display and a proxy server, the session associated with a user account on the proxy server;

ii. receive an application from the proxy server;

iii. execute the application to establish a browsing session;

iv. receive data about at least one content playback device associated with the user account;

v. receive a list of available content items from the proxy server;

vi. receive a selection of one or more of the available content items; and

vii. transmit one or more reference identifiers identifying the one or more respective content items to the proxy server,

viii. such that the one or more reference identifiers are configured to be employed at the proxy server with an authentication credential of the content playback device to request from one or more respective content servers that the one or more content items be made accessible for playback on the content playback device.

12. The program of claim 11, wherein a plurality of second displays are associated with the at least one content playback device, and wherein the same authentication credential of the content playback device is used no matter which second display performed the step of transmitting one or more reference identifiers.

13. The program of claim 11, wherein the step of receiving data about at least one content playback device associated with the user account includes:

receiving a selection from a user of one or a set of content playback devices associated with the user account, using a default content playback device, or using stored data about previously-used content playback devices.

14. The program of claim 11, wherein the second display is selected from the group consisting of:

a laptop computer, a tablet computer, an internet appliance, a desktop computer, and a smart phone.

15. The program of claim 11, wherein the list of available content items includes a list of available service providers.

16. The program of claim 11, wherein the step of transmitting one or more reference identifiers identifying the one or more respective content items to the proxy server includes transmitting the reference identifiers directly to the content playback device whereby the content playback device transmits a request to a service provider using its authentication credential for the identified content items.

17. The program of claim 16, wherein the transmitting directly includes transmitting using a transmission scheme including:

wired transmissions, wireless transmissions, infrared transmissions, Bluetooth®

transmissions, or over a local network.

18. The program of claim 11, wherein the step of transmitting one or more reference identifiers identifying the one or more respective content items to the proxy server includes transmitting the reference identifiers to the proxy server on behalf of the content playback device.

19. A computer program, stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, for causing a proxy server to perform the following steps:

i. receive a request to establish a session with one second display, and upon proper user authentication establish a session with the one second display, the session associated with a user account;

ii. receive a request to establish a session with another second display, and upon proper user authentication establish a session with the other second display, the session associated with the user account;

iii. transmit to the one and the other second display an application, the application allowing the one and the other second display to review content offerings using the proxy server;

iv. receive data about at least one content playback device associated with the user account;

v. transmit to the one or another second display a list of available content items;

vi. receive from the one or another second display a selection of one or more content items for playback; and

vii. transmit to a service provider a request for the one or more content items to be made available for playback on the content playback device, the request including an authentication credential of the content playback device.

20. The program of claim 19, wherein the step of receiving data about at least one content playback device associated with the user account includes:

receiving a selection from a user of one or a set of content playback devices associated with the user account, using a default content playback device, or using stored data about previously-used content playback devices.

21. The program of claim 19, wherein the proxy server is further caused to perform the steps of:

i. transmit to the one or another second display a list of available service providers;

ii. receive from the one or another second display a selection of one or more service providers; and

iii. provide to the selected service providers a service provider credential, the service provider credential associated with the user account and with the selected service provider.

22. The program of claim 21, wherein the proxy server is further caused to perform the step of receiving from the one or another second display a selection of one or more content items from the selected service provider for playback.

23. The program of claim 19, wherein the step of receiving from the one or another second display a selection of one or more content items for playback includes receiving from the one or another second display one more respective reference identifiers identifying the one or more respective content items.

24. The program of claim 19, wherein the transmitted list is customized based on at least the data about the content playback device.