PERSONALIZED SECOND DISPLAY BROWSING EXPERIENCE DUE TO MULTIPLE SESSION FEATURE

• US 20120210245A1
• Filed: 03/31/2011
• 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: McCoy, Charles, Wong, Ling Jun, Xiong, True
• Granted Patent: US 8,832,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/747
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided to allow users to browse services, content items, or the like using a personalized user interface. Thus, for example, users can browse content offerings on the second display in a language and font set that are personalized to themselves. Users may also browse offerings that match a parental ratings setting, and use a background image and layout of their choice. The second displays generally do not require additional investment by the user because the same make use of a device, e.g., a smartphone, laptop computer, tablet computer, an internet appliance, a desktop computer, etc., which most users would already have in their possession. Such a second display is a significant complement to an IPTV because of the second display'"'"'s strength in supported languages and character font sets, flexible user interface, data entry, processing power, and user experience in content management.

Claims

1. A method of arranging a browsing session for content items for playback on a content playback device, comprising:

i. establishing a user account session between a second display and a server, the second display further in communication with at least one content playback device, wherein the establishing a session between a second display and a server includes downloading an application from the server to the second display, the application configured to display;

1. text in a first language and character font set associated with a user profile or with the content playback device or with a default value;

2. a background image associated with a profile or with a default value;

3. a background layout associated with a profile or with a default value;

4. a parental block rating level associated with a profile or with a default value;

5. a listing of favorite content items or services associated with a profile;

or

6. a listing of content items or services in a browsing history associated with a profile;

ii. receiving an input from a user, the input indicating a user selection of;

1. a second language, the second language having a corresponding character font set;

2. a second background image;

3. a second background layout;

or

4. a second parental block rating level; and

iii. changing the user interface of the application, or sending a signal to change the user interface of the application, according to the selection, or, if the selection is not available, then changing the user interface of the application, or sending a signal to change the user interface of the application, according to a default value of the selection, the default value of the selection associated with a service provider, the content playback device, the second display, or the server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

i. receiving an input from a user, the input indicating a user selection of a content item from a service provider; and

ii. causing the content playback device to request the content item from the service provider, wherein the content playback device requests the content item using an authentication credential.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying a list of content items on the second display, and wherein the list is displayed according to the selection, and wherein the items on the list are generated at least in part using a device characteristic of the content playback device.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying a list of content items on the second display, and wherein the list is displayed according to the selection, and wherein the items on the list are generated at least in part using a list of content playback devices associated with the user account or using a list of content playback devices discovered by the second display.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the items on the list are generated at least in part using a list of service providers associated with the user account.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying a list of content playback devices associated with the user account or discovered by the second display, wherein the list is displayed according to the selection, and further comprising receiving a selection of which content playback device is to play back a selected content item.

7. The method of claim 2, 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.

8. The method of claim 2, 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 a proxy server on behalf of the content playback device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving an input from a user, the input indicating a user selection, includes receiving data from a user profile.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the changing the user interface of the application includes changing the text to a second language and character font set or to a default language and character font set and wherein the changing the text includes translating the text.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the application is a web application or an application written in native code.

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

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

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

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

or

2. receive data about at least one content playback device discovered by the second display;

ii. receive an application from the server;

iii. execute the application, the application configured to display;

1. text in a first language and character font set associated with a user profile or with the content playback device or with a default value;

2. a background image associated with a profile or with a default value;

3. a background layout associated with a profile or with a default value;

4. a parental block rating level associated with a profile or with a default value;

5. a listing of favorite content items or services associated with a profile;

or

6. a listing of content items or services in a browsing history associated with a profile;

iv. receiving an input from a user, the input indicating a user selection of;

1. a second language, the second language having a corresponding character font set;

2. a second background image;

3. a second background layout;

or

4. a second parental block rating level; and

v. changing the user interface of the application according to the selection, or, if the selection is not available, then changing the user interface of the application according to a default value of the selection, the default value of the selection associated with the second display.

14. The program of claim 13, wherein the second display is further caused to perform the following additional steps:

i. receive a list of available content items from the proxy server and display the list according to the selection;

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

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

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

15. The program of claim 13, wherein a plurality of second displays are associated with the at least one content playback device, and wherein each second display of the plurality is configured to render a user interface according to a respective selection.

16. The program of claim 13, 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, receiving data about a default content playback device, receiving data about a discovered content playback device, or receiving stored data about previously-used content playback devices.

17. The program of claim 13, wherein the second display is selected from the group consisting of:

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

18. The program of claim 14, further comprising receiving a list of available service providers.

19. The program of claim 14, 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 wherein the content playback device transmits a request to a service provider using its authentication credential for the identified content items.

20. The program of claim 19, wherein the transmitting directly includes transmitting using a transmission scheme including:

wired transmissions, wireless transmissions, infrared transmissions, Bluetooth®

transmissions, or over a local network.

21. The program of claim 13, wherein the step of transmitting one or more reference identifiers identifying the one or more respective content items to the server includes transmitting the reference identifiers to a proxy server on behalf of the content playback device.

22. The program of claim 13, wherein the receiving an input from a user, the input indicating a user selection, includes receiving data from a user profile.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the changing the user interface of the application includes changing the text to a second language and character font set or to a default language and character font set and wherein the changing the text includes translating the text.

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

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

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

iii. transmit to the second display an application, the application allowing the second display to browse content offerings of a service provider using the server, the application configured to display;

1. text in a first language and character font set associated with a user profile or with the content playback device or with a default value;

2. a background image associated with a profile or with a default value;

3. a background layout associated with a profile or with a default value;

4. a parental block rating level associated with a profile or with a default value;

5. a listing of favorite content items or services associated with a profile;

or

6. a listing of content items or services in a browsing history associated with a profile;

iv. receiving an input from a user, the input indicating a user selection of;

1. a second language, the second language having a corresponding character font set;

2. a second background image;

3. a second background layout;

or

4. a second listing of content items appropriate to a rating level; and

v. transmit a signal to change the user interface of the application according to the selection, or, if the selection is not available, then changing the user interface of the application according to a default value of the selection, the default value of the selection associated with the server or with a service provider.

25. The program of claim 24, wherein the second display is further caused to perform the following additional steps:

i. transmit to the second display a list of available content items, the second display displaying the list of available content items using the selection or a default value of the selection;

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

iii. transmit to the 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.

26. The program of claim 24, 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, receiving data about a default content playback device, receiving data about a discovered content playback device, or receiving stored data about previously-used content playback devices.

27. The program of claim 24, wherein the server is further caused to perform the steps of:

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

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

iii. place the first content item in a queue;

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

v. place the second content item in a queue; and

vi. upon playback of each queued content item, provide to the respective service provider a service provider credential, the service provider credential associated with the user account and with the selected service provider.

28. The program of claim 26, wherein the transmitted list is customized based on at least data about the content playback device.

29. The program of claim 24, wherein the receiving an input from a second display, the input indicating a user selection, includes determining if a selection has been previously indicated by polling a user profile.

30. The program of claim 25, wherein the transmitting a signal to change the user interface of the application includes changing the text to a second language and character font set or to a default language and character font set, and wherein the changing the text includes translating the text.