Method and Apparatus for Sharing Content

• US 20130263189A1
• Filed: 02/26/2013
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roku, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Roku, Inc.
• Inventors: Garner, Greg
• Granted Patent: US 9,137,578 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234 Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• 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 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4725 using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots details of information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739

Abstract

A method includes supplying a video stream to a primary display device, detecting an information request associated with the video stream, identifying a portion of the video stream corresponding to the time of detecting, supplying to a secondary display device choices corresponding to the information request, receiving selected choices and supplying to the secondary display device information corresponding to the selected choices.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

supplying a video stream to a primary display device;

detecting an information request associated with the video stream;

identifying a portion of the video stream corresponding to the time of detecting;

supplying to a secondary display device choices corresponding to the information request;

receiving selected choices; and

supplying to the secondary display device information corresponding to the selected choices.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein a remote control is the secondary display device.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the information request is triggered by a request to replay a portion of the video stream.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the information request is triggered by depressing a button on a remote control while the video stream is playing.

5. A system, comprising:

a primary display device configured for displaying a video stream;

an input device configured to receive a request for information while the video stream is being displayed;

a client device coupled to the input device and the primary display device, wherein the client device is configured to detect the request;

a platform server coupled to the client device, wherein the platform server is configured to retrieve information associated with the video stream that was displayed when the request was received; and

a secondary display device to display the information.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the request is received by activation of a button on the input device.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein the request is triggered by a request to replay a portion of the video stream.