METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHARING MEDIA IN A MULTI-DEVICE ENVIRONMENT

• US 20120206319A1
• Filed: 02/11/2011
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Lucero, Andrés, Jokela, Tero, Holopainen, Jussi Pekka, Arrasvuori, Juha Henrik, Korhonen, Hannu J., Boberg, Marion, Reponen, Erika Piia Pauliina, Keränen, Jaakko Olli Taavetti
• Granted Patent: US 9,298,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/1.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/026 Video wall, i.e. juxtaposition of a plurality of screens to create a display screen of bigger dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2356/00 Detection of the display position w.r.t. other display screens
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/64 file transfer between terminals download of applications H04M1/72406; transfer of messages, e.g. SMS, e-mail or MMS H04M1/7243
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• 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: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services

Abstract

An approach is provided for sharing media in a multi-device environment. A group of devices for sharing one or more media files is determined. A shared media manager causes joining of one or more displays of the devices. The shared media manager then determines to generate a common user interface for presenting the one or more media files on the joined one or more displays.

Claims

1. A method comprising facilitating a processing of and/or processing (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal, the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal based, at least in part, on the following:

a device for sharing at least a portion of one or more media files;

a joining interface for joining at least a portion of one or more displays of one or more other devices; and

a user interface for, at least in part, presenting the at least a portion of the one or more media files on the joined one or more displays, wherein the user interface employs at least in part the joining interface with the at least a portion of the one or more displays of the one or more other devices; and

a manipulation of the user interface that is based, at least in part, on a command, a movement, or a combination thereof associated with the device, the one or more other devices, or a combination thereof.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the one or more media files are displayed on respective individual ones of the joined displays, displayed on a combination of the individual ones of the joined displays, or a combination thereof.

3. A method of claim 1, wherein the movement of at least one of the device or the one or more other devices is a movement to bring the at least one device above a plane defined by other ones of the devices, and wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

a presentation of an overview of the at least a portion of the one or more media files available for sharing at the respective display of the at least one device.

4. A method of claim 1, wherein the movement is a tilting of at least one of the device or the one or more other devices, and wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

an initiation of the presenting of the at least a portion of the one or more media files on the joined one or more displays based, at least in part, on the tilting.

5. A method of claim 4, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

a direction, a duration, or a combination thereof of the tilting; and

a processing of the direction, the duration, or a combination thereof to determine one or more characteristics of the presenting of the at least a portion of the one or more media files.

6. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

position information of the devices; and

a processing of the position information to determine an order of the joined one or more displays for the presenting of the at least a portion of the one or more media files.

7. A method of claim 1, wherein the command is a gesture captured by at least one of the device or the one or more other devices, and wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

a processing of the captured gesture to determine one or more characteristics of the presenting of the at least a portion of the one or more media files,

wherein the one or more characteristics include, at least in part, a direction, a duration, an orientation, or a combination thereof.

8. A method of claim 1, wherein the manipulation results in at least one or a combination of the following:

a synchronization the presenting of the at least a portion of the one or more media files on the joined displays;

a combination of at least two of the joined displays to create a shared view;

a leaving of at least one of the devices from the group; and

an editing of the at least a portion of the one or more media files.

9. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

at least one other device providing at least one public display;

a joining of the at least a portion of the at least one public display to the joined or more displays; and

a sharing of the at least a portion of the one or more media files over the at least a portion of the at least one public display.

10. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

other groups of devices; and

a designation of at least one of the device or the one or more other devices for sharing at least one of the one or more media files with the other groups.

11. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

determine a device for sharing at least a portion one or more media files;

cause, at least in part, joining of at least a portion of one or more displays of one or more other devices via a joining interface; and

determine to generate a user interface for, at least in part, presenting the at least a portion of the one or more media files on the joined one or more displays, wherein the user interface employs at least in part the joining interface with the lat least a portion of the one or more displays of the one or more other devices; and

cause, at least in part, manipulation of the common user interface based, at least in part, on a command, a movement, or a combination thereof associated with one or more of the devices.

12. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least a portion of the one or more media files are displayed on respective individual ones of the joined displays, displayed on a combination of the individual ones of the joined displays, or a combination thereof.

13. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the movement of at least one of the device or one or more other devices is a movement to bring the at least one device above a plane defined by other ones of the devices, and wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, presentation of an overview of the at least a portion of the one or more media files available for sharing at the respective display of the at least one device.

14. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the movement is a tilting of at least one of the device or the one or more other devices, and wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, initiation of the presenting of the at least a portion of the one or more media files on the joined one or more displays based, at least in part, on the tilting.

15. An apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine a direction, a duration, or a combination thereof of the tilting; and

process and/or facilitate a processing of the direction, the duration, or a combination thereof to determine one or more characteristics of the presenting of the at least a portion of the one or more media files.

16. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine position information of the devices; and

process and/or facilitate a processing of the position information to determine an order of the joined one or more displays for the presenting of the at least a portion of the one or more media files.

17. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the command is a gesture captured by at least one of the device or one or more other devices, and wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

process and/or facilitate a processing of the captured gesture to determine one or more characteristics of the presenting of the at least a portion of the one or more media files,

wherein the one or more characteristics include, at least in part, a direction, a duration, an orientation, or a combination thereof.

18. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the manipulation results in at least one or a combination of the following:

a synchronization the presenting of the at least a portion of the one or more media files on the joined displays;

a combination of at least two of the joined displays to create a shared view;

a leaving of at least one of the devices from the group; and

an editing of the at least a portion of the one or more media files.

19. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine at least one other device providing at least one public display;

cause, at least in part, a joining of the at least a portion of the at least one public display to the joined or more displays; and

cause, at least in part, sharing of the at least a portion of the one or more media files over the at least a portion of the at least one public display.

20. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine other groups of devices; and

cause, at least in part, designation of at least one of the device or the one or more other devices for sharing at least one of the one or more media files with the other groups.

21-48. -48. (canceled)