METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTENT PLAYBACK USING MULTIPLE IPTV DEVICES

• US 20120210343A1
• Filed: 03/31/2011
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Network Entertainment International LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Network Entertainment International LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: McCoy, Charles, Wong, Ling Jun, Xiong, True
• Granted Patent: US 8,789,086 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream

Abstract

An apparatus and method for resuming playback of media content from more than one Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) device. The playback of a media asset or media content typically contains an asset ID and a start time. Based on the architecture of a second display device (e.g., a second IPTV device) the IPTV system determines the identity of an account and its associated IPTV devices. When a user pauses an asset, the system sends the asset identification (ID) and the stop time to a server operatively coupled to the system. The next time (within a predefined duration) the user requests the same asset ID, the pause time and the asset ID are returned. Using the pause time and the asset ID, the user can resume playback of the asset.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a database for storing;

a list of IPTV devices associated with each of one or more authenticated users;

a content list comprising asset identification information for each of the listed IPTV devices;

a network interface for receiving;

user authentication information;

asset identification information; and

an interruption command that includes offset information that represents a time interval from a first point of an asset,

wherein when a server receives an execution command specifying the asset identification information, the server sends content information for execution as a function of the offset information.

2. The system as in claim 1, further comprising:

an execution command, associated with a second IPTV device, to initiate play back of the content utilizing the second IPTV device.

3. The system as in claim 2,

wherein the server sends content identification information and the second IPTV device plays back content dependent on the offset information.

4. The system as in claim 1,

wherein the server sends content identification information so that content is played back starting at a predetermined time before the offset information execution.

5. The system as in claim 1,

wherein the network interface receives a playback command.

6. The system as in claim 1,

wherein the content information is internet content.

7. The system as in claim 1,

wherein the database stores information that allows a content list associated with a first authenticated user to be made available to a second authenticated user.

8. The system as in claim 1,

wherein the offset information is determined from a point in time of main content of the asset.

9. The system as in claim 1,

wherein, when the server receives asset identification information from a time zone that differs from the time zone from which the interruption command is received, the server determines new offset information as a function of the time zone from which the interruption command was received and the time zone from which the asset identification information was received, and

the server sends content information for execution as a function of the new offset information.

10. The system as in claim 9,

wherein, when the network interface receives a fast forward command, the server provides content information to a point of the content based on the asset identification information from a time zone.

11. The system as in claim 1,

wherein the asset list is an electronic location.

12. The system as in claim 11,

wherein the location is a uniform resource locator (URL).

13. The system as in claim 11,

wherein the location is a uniform resource identifier (URI).

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program that when executed on a computer performs processing, the program comprising the steps of:

receiving a first asset list from a server identifying one or more assets available for playback on a first IPTV device;

sending an asset selection to the server;

sending an interruption command including offset information to the server, the offset information representing a time interval from a first point of the asset;

receiving a second asset list from the server identifying one or more assets available for playback on a second IPTV device; and

sending a playback command to resume play back of the asset available for playback to the server.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14,

wherein one or more assets available for playback on the second IPTV device are available for playback on the first IPTV device.