Method and system for use in coordinating multimedia devices

• US 8,775,647 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2010
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deluxe 3D LLC (Deluxe Corp.), Deluxe Digital Distribution Inc. (Deluxe Corp.), Deluxe Digital Studios, Inc. (Deluxe Corp.), Deluxe Entertainment Services Inc., Deluxe Laboratories LLC, Deluxe Media Inc., Deluxe One, LLC, Softitler Net, Inc., Deluxe Creative Services Inc. (The Framestore Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Deluxe Media Inc.
• Inventors: Collart, Todd, Lamkin, Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Taha, Shaq
• Application Number:
  US12/842,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20100293598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/15 on receiving information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64753 directed to the client

Abstract

Some embodiments of the present invention provide methods for use in playing back content. Some of these methods access a content package comprising media content to be locally played back; detect, as defined by the content package, whether a remote secondary device is available with which a connection can be established; determine whether an authorization to establish the connection has been confirmed; establish, when the authorization is confirmed, a communication connection; determine, as instructed by the content package and when the communication with the secondary device is established, whether one or more commands are received from the secondary device; and implement, as instructed by the content package and when it is determined that the one or more commands are received from the secondary device, the one or more commands in controlling playback experience of the media content.

Claims

1. A method of playing back multimedia content from a content package, the method comprising:

accessing, locally at a primary device, a content package, where the content package comprises multimedia content and instructions to broadcast a first information relevant to the multimedia content;

determining whether the content package instructs that the first information should be broadcasted;

extracting, from the content package and in response to determining that the content package instructs that the first information should be broadcasted, the first information to be broadcasted;

implementing the instructions from the content package to broadcast the first information;

broadcasting, from the primary device in accordance with the instructions of the content package, the first information to a remote first secondary device;

establishing a communication link with the first secondary device and a remote second secondary device where the second secondary device is different than the first secondary devices;

maintaining distinct state information for at least each of the first secondary device and the second secondary device;

identifying the first information to potentially be communicated by the primary device, where the first information is relevant to playback of the multimedia content;

determining, in response to identifying the first information, a first current state of the first secondary device and a first current state of the second secondary device; and

wherein the broadcasting the first information comprises broadcasting, in response to determining the first current state of the first secondary device, the first information to the first secondary device, and not broadcasting the first information to the second secondary device in response to determining the first current state of the second secondary device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a second information to potentially be communicated, where the second information is relevant to the playback of the multimedia content;

determining, in response to the identifying the second information, a second current state of the first secondary device and a second current state of the second secondary device; and

broadcasting, in response to determining the second current state of the first secondary device and the second current state of the second secondary device, the second information to the first secondary device and the second secondary device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

detecting a first trigger corresponding to the playback of the multimedia content;

wherein the identifying the first information comprises identifying the first information in response to detecting the first trigger and where the first information is relevant to the first trigger.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a service from the content package on the primary device;

announcing the service over a local network; and

receiving, over the local network and in response to the announcement of the service, a reply from each of the first secondary device and the second remote secondary device;

wherein the establishing the communication link comprises establishing, over the local network and in response to the reply to the announcement of the service, a direct communication link with each of at least the first secondary device and the second secondary device.

5. A method of playing back multimedia content from a content package, the method comprising:

accessing, locally at a primary device, a content package, where the content package comprises multimedia content and instructions to broadcast a first information relevant to the multimedia content;

determining whether the content package instructs that the first information should be broadcasted;

extracting, from the content package and in response to determining that the content package instructs that the first information should be broadcasted, the first information to be broadcasted;

implementing the instructions from the content package to broadcast the first information;

broadcasting, from the primary device in accordance with the instructions of the content package, the first information to a remote first secondary device;

implementing, locally at the primary device, a multiple service registration application from the content package;

establishing, through the multiple service registration application, a communication link with the first secondary device;

implementing, locally at the primary device, a first service application from the content package where the first service application provides a first service to the secondary device and comprises the instruction to broadcast the first information;

terminating the first application while maintaining a connection with the first secondary device through the multiple service registration application; and

implementing, locally at the primary device, a second service application from the content package that provides a second service to the secondary device; and

broadcasting, through the connection maintained by the multiple service registration application and in response to an instruction in the second service application, a second information to the first secondary device.

6. A method for use in extending a playback experience of multimedia content, the method comprising:

establishing, through a secondary device, a cooperation and connection with a remote primary device accessing a content package, wherein the content package comprises multimedia content, and wherein the connection provides a communication path between the secondary device and the primary device;

receiving, at the secondary device, a broadcast broadcasted from the primary device;

extracting, from the broadcast, an instruction to be implemented by the secondary device, where the instruction is defined in the content package, and where the instruction instructs the initiation of an application;

identifying the application instructed to be initiated;

activating, at the secondary device, the application where the application corresponds to the content package, and wherein the application corresponds to the multimedia content of the content package;

extracting, from the broadcast, an identification of the multimedia content;

accessing, over a distributed network, a first remote source;

communicating, over the distributed network, the identification of the multimedia content; and

acquiring, from the remote source and over the distributed network, the application, in response to communicating the identification of the multimedia content.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the activating the application comprises:

accessing, over the distributed network, a second remote source;

acquiring, from the second remote source and over the distributed network, additional content directly associated with the content package; and

playing back, locally at the secondary device, the acquired additional content.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the acquiring the additional content comprises communicating, over the distributed network and to the second remote source, the identification of the multimedia content.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the content package comprises a non-transitory, tangible, portable, computer readable storage medium, wherein the content package instructs the broadcast from the primary device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the establishing the cooperation and the connection with the remote primary device comprises establishing the cooperation and the connection with the remote primary device in response to receiving the broadcast.

11. A method of expanding a playback experience beyond a primary device, the method comprising:

accessing locally at a primary device a content package comprising;

multimedia content to be played back at the primary device, and a broadcast application;

determining whether a communication link is known to be established between the primary device and a remote secondary device;

playing back a first portion of the multimedia content in response to determining that the communication link is established;

implementing the broadcast application and broadcasting information to the secondary device, where the information is specific to the first portion of the multimedia content and directs the secondary device to provide access to a first additional content that is dependent upon the information;

preventing the broadcasting of the information to the secondary device in response to determining that the communication link is not established;

initiating playback of a second portion of the multimedia content that is different than the first portion of the multimedia content when the communication link is not established;

establishing, after the initiating playback of the second portion of the multimedia content, a communication link with the remote secondary device;

altering playback of the multimedia content as a result of the established communication link;

wherein the altering the playback of the multimedia content comprises initiating playback of a third portion of the multimedia content that is not available to be playback back without the communication link being established.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the altering the playback of the multimedia content comprises providing additional functionality to the secondary device to control the playback of the multimedia content, where the additional functionality is not available directly through the primary device.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

broadcasting further information specific to the playback of the first portion of the multimedia content to the secondary device, where the further information synchronizes playback of the first additional content at the secondary device with the playback of the first portion of the multimedia content.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving instructions from the secondary device; and

altering playback of the first portion of the multimedia content in accordance with the instructions received from the secondary device.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

implementing, locally on the primary device, an application from the media package;

issuing from the primary device an announcement over a network of a service provided by the application being implemented on the primary device;

receiving, over the network, a reply from the remote secondary device in response to the announcement;

establishing a communication link with the remote secondary device in response to the reply to the announcement; and

altering playback of the multimedia content as a result of the established communication link.