REMOVAL OF UNAVAILABLE SERVICES AND/OR CONTENT ITEMS FROM A LIST OF FAVORITE AND/OR RECENTLY VIEWED SERVICES AND/OR CONTENT ITEMS ASSOCIATED WITH A USER ACCOUNT

• US 20120210241A1
• Filed: 09/20/2011
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2011
• 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: Wong, Ling Jun, McCoy, Charles, Xiong, True
• Granted Patent: US 9,955,202 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82

Abstract

Software is provided to handle the playback of media in browsers that in addition may use second display protocols to instruct a separate display device to play the media. The software can transmit the content or specify a network location of the same for subsequent playback on a content playback device. The software may be in the form of a web browser or other application that is configured for the playback of selected media types. The browser maintains a list of favorite and/or recently viewed services and content items and is configured to filter the list to eliminate those content items or services which are no longer available. In this way, favorite content items and services and/or recently viewed content items and services, as available to the user, are made accessible using the second display.

Claims

1. A method of viewing on a second display a list of favorite and/or recently-viewed services or content items available to a user, comprising:

i. establishing a communication session between a second display and a source of content;

ii. associating the communication session with a user account of a user;

iii. accessing a list of favorite and/or recently-viewed services or content items associated with the user account;

iv. filtering the list to eliminate those content items, or services offering such content items that are no longer available under the user account; and

v. presenting to the user the filtered list to thereby present a list of favorite and/or recently-viewed services or content items that are currently available under the user account.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

i. instantiating a second display application on the second display;

ii. playing back at least a portion of a specified content item selected from the filtered list in the second display application, or loading an identifier of the specified content item in the second display application; and

iii. causing the specified content item to play back in the specified content playback device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtered list is presented in a web browser on the second display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing, filtering and delivering the list is performed in response to a user request.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

i. receiving an identifier of a content playback device specified by the user on which content is to be played back; and

ii. further filtering the list of favorite and/or recently-viewed services or content items to include only currently available services or content items playable on the specified content playback device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the identifier of the content playback device is received from the second display.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering the filtered list to the second display.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the list is filtered by the second display application on the second display.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the content playback device is located on a common local network with the second display, and wherein the causing includes transmitting the content item to the content playback device over the local network.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the causing includes transmitting the content item to the content playback device over a wired or wireless direct connection.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the source of content is a service provider.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

i. transmitting to the second display a filtered list of favorite service providers and/or recently viewed service providers that are accessible to the specified content playback device;

ii. receiving from the second display a selection of a first content item from one of the service providers;

iii. placing the first content item in a queue;

iv. receiving from the second display a selection of a second content item from another of the service providers; and

v. placing the second content item in a queue.

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

14. A second display, comprising:

i. a display module, the display module providing a user interface and configured to display a content item, receive a content item URL, or display a list of favorites or recently-viewed services or content items;

ii. a network communications module, the network communications module for coupling the second display to a local network or to a specified content playback device; and

iii. a second display application module for receiving a selection of a specified content playback device and browsing services and content items and maintaining a list of favorite and/or recently viewed services and content items associated with a user account, wherein said second display application module is configured to filter the list to include only those content items, or services offering such content items, that are currently available under the user account.

15. The display of claim 14, wherein the second display application module is a web-browsing module and includes a plug-in or helper application.

16. The display of claim 14, further comprising a content item redirection module, the content item redirection module configured to direct the specified content playback device to play back the content item or a content item associated with a content item URL.

17. The display of claim 14, wherein the second display application module is configured to further filter the list to include only those content items, or services offering such content items, that are currently available to the user account and which are also playable on the specified content playback device.

18. The display of claim 16, wherein the content item redirection module is configured to direct the content playback device to play back a content item associated with the content item URL by transmitting the content item URL to a server.

19. A server, comprising:

i. a processor;

ii. memory bearing computer readable instructions capable of receiving login information from a user of a second display and determining if the login information is correct for a user account associated with the user;

iii. memory bearing computer readable instructions capable of receiving an identity of a specified content playback device associated with the user account;

iv. memory bearing computer readable instructions capable of accessing or generating a list of favorite and/or recently viewed services or content items associated with the user account and further capable of filtering the list to eliminate those recently viewed content items, or services offering such content items, that are no longer available under the user account; and

v. memory bearing computer readable instructions capable of delivering the filtered list to the second display.

20. The server of claim 19, wherein the server is a proxy server or a management server.