Methods and apparatuses for displaying interactive content through a device

• US 8,057,306 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2004
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Farrage, David, Takagi, Yumiko, Koza, Michelle, Glassman, Ellen, Feinberg, Paul H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): YOO, JASSON H
• Application Number:
  US10/803,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20040244060A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,799 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/43, 463/7, 463/9, 463/44, 463/30, 463/40, 463/41, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/418 External card to be used in combination with the client device, e.g. for conditional access

Abstract

In one embodiment, the methods and apparatuses detect a device; detect a status level corresponding to the device; receive content on the device based on the status level; and display the content on the device based on the status level.

Claims

1. A method for displaying synchronized contests involving characters associated with portable devices, the method comprising:

associating with a first portable device a first character having a first status level;

detecting a second portable device within a proximity of the first portable device, a second character having a second status level being associated with the second portable device;

comparing the first status level with the second status level; and

displaying on the first portable device an animated graphical display of a contest between the first and second characters, wherein the animated graphical display of the contest is displayed as a synchronized single continuous event on both the first portable device and the second portable device, with an outcome of the contest being determined based upon the comparison of the first and second status levels.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronized graphical display is separately displayable on the second portable device while it is being displayed on the first portable device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a winner of the contest is shown in the synchronized graphical display, the winner being based upon the comparison of the first and second status levels.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first status level is adjusted based upon the outcome of the contest.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a hierarchy module establishes the first status level.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a wireless tag module respectively transmits and receives profile information corresponding to the first and second devices, the profile information accommodating association of the first and second characters with the first and second devices.