Correlation of Actionable Events To An Actionable Instruction

• US 20160234295A1
• Filed: 02/05/2015
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Ziring, Stephen, Voyles, David Nicholas, Sharafi, Kalila, White, Charles, Gaston, Maurice, Yurasits, Bryan
• Granted Patent: US 11,818,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

Aspects as described herein are directed to providing an enhanced user experience for consuming content on a computing device. Secondary computing devices, such as handheld smartphones and tablet-style computers, may be identified by a primary computing device, such as a set-top box. The secondary computing devices may be configured to receive actionable instructions from the primary computing device. An actionable event associated with content being outputted to a user via the primary computing device may be determined and an actionable instruction may be transmitted to the secondary computing device in response to the determined actionable event.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a first computing device, at least one second computing device, external to the first computing device, configured to receive actionable instructions from the first computing device;

determining an actionable event associated with content being outputted to a user via the first computing device;

determining a first actionable instruction to transmit to the at least one second computing device, the first actionable instruction comprising a command for the at least one second computing device to perform; and

transmitting the first actionable instruction to the at least one second computing device in response to the determined actionable event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the actionable event comprises receiving data representative of a phone call.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the actionable event comprises receiving a pause command to pause the content being outputted to the user via the first computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first actionable instruction comprises an instruction to pause content being outputted to the user on at least one third computing device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising transmitting a second actionable instruction to pause content being outputted to the user on the at least one third computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the first actionable instruction comprises:

accessing a table correlating actionable instructions to actionable events; and

determining the first actionable instruction that correlates to the actionable event in the table.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the table comprises a plurality of actionable instructions to the actionable event and the transmitting the first actionable instruction comprises transmitting a plurality of actionable instructions.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first actionable instruction comprising the command for the at least one second computing device to perform comprises a command for the at least one second computing device to turn on at least one light, the method further comprising:

receiving an instruction at the first computing device to initiate playing the content from a paused state; and

transmitting a second actionable instruction to the at least one second computing device to turn off the at least one light.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting a third actionable instruction to initiate playing content, being displayed on at least one third computing device, from a paused state.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the actionable event comprises receiving an identifier, in the content, representative of an advertisement.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first actionable instruction comprises an instruction to output a second advertisement on at least one third computing device.

12. A method comprising:

outputting, by a first computing device, advertisement content associated with primary content being outputted to a user by a second computing device that is external to the first computing device;

receiving data representative of an input to a remote control of the second computing device to modify the advertisement content; and

modifying the advertisement content being outputted by the first computing device in response to the received transmitted data.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first computing device is a handheld computing device, the second computing device is a set-top box, and the primary content is video content.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the modifying the advertisement content comprises:

accessing a table correlating data representative of inputs to the remote control of the second computing device to actionable instructions to be taken by the first computing device;

identifying at least one actionable instruction that correlates to the received data; and

implementing the at least one actionable instruction.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the implementing the at least one actionable instruction comprises initiating an instruction to change the advertisement content being outputted to a different advertisement content being outputted.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving data comprises receiving a fast forward command.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein modifying the advertisement content being outputted by the first computing device comprises outputting second advertisement content in place of the advertisement content, the second advertisement content being proportional in duration to a speed representative of the fast forward command.

18. A method comprising:

receiving, at a first computing device, video programming content;

determining, by the first computing device, an indication of an advertisement in the video programming content;

receiving, by the first computing device, a fast forward instruction corresponding to a request to fast forward through the advertisement; and

transmitting an indication of the fast forward instruction to at least one second computing device to configure the at least one second computing device to output a second advertisement proportional in duration to a duration of the advertisement based on a speed representative of the fast forward instruction.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the indication of the fast forward instruction comprises an instruction to the at least one second computing device to disable trick play options on the at least one second device.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting a second instruction to the at least one second computing device to configure the at least one second computing device to prevent fast forwarding through the second advertisement.