Sharing digital content among multiple devices

• US 8,731,459 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2012
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Spurgat, Jeffrey Jonathan, Gladwin, Stephen Christopher, Andrews, Hoyet Harrison III
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US13/621,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20130072108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 612 Days
• Field of Search: 455/66.1, 455 411- 412, 455 301- 306, 455418-420, 455/500, 455/502, 455517-519, 4554141-4142, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 709/208, 709/211, 709/213, 709/216, 709/231, 709/248
• US Class Current: 455/3.05
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/68 Systems specially adapted for using specific information, e.g. geographical or meteorological information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/88 which are wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• 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 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams

Abstract

A wireless communication system and in particular a wireless communication system for digital audio players that provides for increased functionality, such as communication, interaction and synchronization between a computing platform and various mobile, portable or fixed digital audio players, as well as providing a communication link between the various digital audio players themselves. The computing platform may act, for example, through a wireless network or wireless communication platform, to control the digital audio players; to act as a cache of digital audio data for the digital audio players; as well as provide a gateway to the Internet to enable the digital audio players to access additional digital audio content and other information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing, by a first digital content device, a direct wireless communication with a second digital content device;

receiving, by way of the direct wireless communication with the second digital content device, information regarding presentation of digital content by the second digital content device, wherein the information regarding the presentation of the digital content by the second digital content device comprises a current position of the presentation of the digital content by the second digital content device;

receiving, by the first digital content device, a request to present the digital content to a user; and

presenting, by the first digital content device, the digital content beginning from the current position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital content comprises at least one of audio content, video content or text.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first digital content device and the second digital content device comprises one of an audio player or a video player.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the direct wireless communication with the second digital content device comprises detecting, by the first digital content device, the second digital content device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein detecting the second digital content device comprises detecting a position of the second digital content device within a range of a wireless network.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein detecting the second digital content device comprises detecting a position of the second digital content device within a range associated with a wireless communication platform.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the current position of the presentation of the digital content comprises a position other than a start point of the presentation.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the current position of the presentation of the digital content based on the presentation, by the first digital content device, of the digital content.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending, by the first digital content device, the updated current position to at least one other device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a disruption in the presentation of the digital content by the first digital content device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein detecting a disruption in the presentation of the digital content comprises detecting a loss of the wireless communication.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising updating the current position to represent a position of the presentation at the time of the disruption.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

reestablishing the wireless communication; and

upon reestablishing the wireless communication, presenting, by the first digital content device, the digital content beginning from the updated current position.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform steps comprising:

establishing, by a first digital content device, a direct wireless communication with a second content device;

receiving, by way of the direct wireless communication with the second digital content device, information regarding presentation of digital content by the second digital content device, wherein the information regarding the presentation of the digital content by the second digital content device comprises a current position of the presentation of the digital content by the second digital content device;

receiving, by the first digital content device, a request to present the digital content to a user; and

presenting, by the first digital content device, the digital content beginning from the current position.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the digital content comprises at least one of audio content, video content or text.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein each of the first digital content device and the second digital content device comprises a mobile digital content device.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein each of the first digital content device and the second digital content device comprises one of an audio player or a video player.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, further comprising updating the current position of the presentation of the digital content based on the presentation, by the first digital content device, of the digital content.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein establishing the direct wireless communication with the second digital content device comprises detecting, by the first digital content device, the second digital content device.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein detecting, by the first digital content device, the second digital content device comprises detecting a position of the second digital content device within a range of a wireless network.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein detecting, by the first digital content device, the second digital content device comprises detecting a position of the second content device within a range of a wireless communication platform.

22. A mobile device comprising:

at least one processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

establish, by a first digital content device, a direct wireless communication with a second digital content device;

receive, by way of the direct wireless communication with the second digital content device, information regarding presentation of digital content by the second digital content device, wherein the information regarding the presentation of the digital content by the second digital content device comprises a current position of the presentation of the digital content by the second digital content device;

receive, by the first digital content device, a request to present the digital content to a user; and

present, by the first digital content device, the digital content beginning from the current position.

23. The mobile device of claim 22, wherein the digital content further comprises at least one of audio content, image content or text.

24. The mobile device of claim 22, wherein the current position comprises an elapsed time of audio or video.

25. The mobile device of claim 22, wherein the current position comprises a presentation position of audio, video or text.

26. The mobile device of claim 22, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to update the current position of the presentation of the digital content based on the presentation, by the mobile device, of the digital content.

27. The mobile device of claim 26, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to send, by the mobile device, the updated current position of the presentation of the digital content to at least one other device.

28. The mobile device of claim 27, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to detect a disruption in the presentation of the digital content by the mobile device.

29. The mobile device of claim 28, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to update the current position to represent a position of the presentation at the time of the disruption.

30. The mobile device of claim 22, wherein establishing a direct wireless communication with the second device comprises detecting, by the mobile device, the second device.

31. The mobile device of claim 30, wherein detecting, by the mobile device, the second device comprises detecting a position of the second content device within a range of a wireless network.

32. The mobile device of claim 30, wherein detecting, by the mobile device, the second device comprises detecting a position of the second content device within a range of a wireless communication platform.