Sharing demonstration information by a network connected demonstration device and system

• US 8,845,337 B1
• Filed: 06/22/2011
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Leblang, Jonathan A., Hu, Luhui
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Sam
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alley, Peter J
• Application Number:
  US13/166,731
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 434/365, 434/379, 715/705
• US Class Current: 434/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 25/00 Models for purposes not provided for in G09B23/00, e.g. full-sized devices for demonstration purposes model vehicles, tracks therefor, models in the nature of toys A63H

Abstract

A demonstration device provides a demonstration session for an interactive demonstration. The demonstration device receives a request to share the interactive demonstration along with an identification of at least one of a social network account, an email address or a network location from the user by the demonstration device. The demonstration device shares the interactive demonstration by causing a link to the interactive demonstration to be sent to at least one of the social network account, the email address or the network location.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing, in a demonstration session, an interactive demonstration to a user by a physical demonstration device, wherein the physical demonstration device is a version of a consumer device that demonstrates functionality of the consumer device;

receiving a request to share the interactive demonstration along with an identification of at least one of a social network account, an email address or a web site from the user by the physical demonstration device; and

responsive to the request, sharing, by the physical demonstration device, the interactive demonstration by causing a link to the interactive demonstration to be sent to at least one of the social network account, the email address or the web site;

wherein the link is to a virtual demonstration device that emulates the physical demonstration device, wherein the virtual demonstration device provides an online version of the interactive demonstration that is accessible by a remote computing device, and wherein the demonstration session started on the physical demonstration device is continuable on the virtual demonstration device based on use of the link to access the demonstration session.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving credentials for the social network account based on user interaction with the physical demonstration device; and

using the credentials to post the link to the interactive demonstration onto at least one of the social network account or an associated social network account.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing an additional link to the interactive demonstration to be sent to at least one of the social network account, the email address or the web site, wherein the additional link is for a remote interface to the demonstration session on the physical demonstration device; and

streaming a display output of the physical demonstration device to a demonstration server, wherein the display output is receivable by a user device via the additional link.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a command from the demonstration server, wherein the command was sent to the demonstration server by the user device; and

performing an action on the physical demonstration device based on the command as though the command had originated from the physical demonstration device based on user interaction with the physical demonstration device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

capturing a display output of the physical demonstration device, wherein capturing the display output comprises generating at least one of a screenshot or a video of the display output; and

sharing the captured display output by causing the captured display output or a link to the captured display output to be sent to at least one of the social network account, the email address or the web site.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording a comment of the user by the physical demonstration device, wherein the comment comprises at least one of a voice comment or a text comment; and

sharing the comment by causing the comment or a link to the comment to be sent to at least one of the social network account, the email address or the web site.

7. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device executing a demonstration server, a command to share an interactive demonstration with at least one of a social network account, an email address or a web site from a physical demonstration device, wherein the physical demonstration device is a version of a consumer device that demonstrates functionality of the consumer device, the interactive demonstration comprising a demonstration session that was started on the physical demonstration device;

responsive to the command, sending, to at least one of the social network account, the email address or the web site, a link to the interactive demonstration;

receiving, by the computing device, a request to access the interactive demonstration via the link from a remote computing device; and

continuing the demonstration session based on sending, from the computing device to the remote computing device, data for the demonstration session, wherein the demonstration session comprises demonstration content and device settings of a virtual demonstration device that emulates the physical demonstration device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein sending the data to the remote computing device comprises:

streaming a first display output to the remote computing device, wherein the first display output resembles a second display output of the physical demonstration device;

receiving commands to interact with the interactive demonstration, wherein each of the commands corresponds to a command available on the physical demonstration device; and

performing actions in response to the commands, wherein the actions correspond to actions of the physical demonstration device.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving an additional request to share the interactive demonstration from the remote computing device, the additional request comprising at least one of an additional social network account, an additional email address or an additional web site; and

sending, to at least one of the additional social network account, the additional email address or the additional web site, an additional link to the interactive demonstration.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a review that was generated by the physical demonstration device based on user input with the physical demonstration device, the review comprising at least one of a screen shot, a recorded video, a text comment or a voice comment;

generating a link to the review; and

sharing the review by sending the link to the review to at least one of an additional social network account, an additional email address or an additional web site.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein providing the interactive demonstration to the remote computing device comprises:

starting the virtual demonstration device;

assigning the virtual demonstration device to the remote computing device; and

streaming information to the remote computing device to enable the remote computing device to control the virtual demonstration device.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

establishing a connection between the remote computing device and the physical demonstration device executing the interactive demonstration.

13. A physical demonstration device comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the physical demonstration device is a version of a consumer device that demonstrates functionality of the consumer device, and wherein the processor is configured to;

provide, in a demonstration session, an interactive demonstration to a user;

receive a request to share the interactive demonstration along with an identification of at least one of a social network account, an email address or a web site from the user; and

responsive to the request, share the interactive demonstration by causing a link to the interactive demonstration to be sent to at least one of the social network account, the email address or the web site;

wherein the link is to a virtual demonstration device that emulates the physical demonstration device, wherein the virtual demonstration device provides an online version of the interactive demonstration that is accessible by a remote computing device, and wherein the demonstration session started on the physical demonstration device is continuable on the virtual demonstration device based on use of the link to access the demonstration session.

14. The physical demonstration device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive credentials for accessing the social network account; and

post the link to the interactive demonstration onto at least one of the social network account or an associated social network account using the credentials.

15. The physical demonstration device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

cause an additional link to the interactive demonstration to be sent to at least one of the social network account, the email address or the web site, wherein the additional link is for a remote interface to the demonstration session on the physical demonstration device; and

stream a display output of the physical demonstration device to a demonstration server, wherein the display output is receivable by a user device via the additional link.

16. The physical demonstration device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a command from the demonstration server, wherein the command was sent to the demonstration server by the user device; and

perform an action on the physical demonstration device based on the command as though the command had originated from the physical demonstration device based on user interaction with the physical demonstration device.

17. The physical demonstration device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

capture a display output of the physical demonstration device, wherein capturing the display output comprises generating at least one of a screenshot or a video of the display output; and

share the captured display output by causing the captured display output or a link to the captured display output to be sent to at least one of the social network account, the email address or the web site.

18. The physical demonstration device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

record a comment of the user, wherein the comment comprises at least one of a voice comment or a text comment; and

share the comment by causing the comment or a link to the comment to be sent to at least one of the social network account, the email address or the web site.

19. A demonstration system comprising:

a memory to store instructions for a demonstration server; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured by the instructions to;

receive, from a physical demonstration device, a command to share an interactive demonstration along with a designation of a communication channel to use to share the interactive demonstration, the communication channel comprising one of a social network account, an email address or a web site, wherein the physical demonstration device is a version of a consumer device that demonstrates functionality of the consumer device, the interactive demonstration comprising a demonstration session that was started on the physical demonstration device;

responsive to the command, use the communication channel to share a link to the interactive demonstration;

receive a request to access the interactive demonstration via the link from a remote computing device; and

continue the demonstration session based on sending, to the remote computing device, data for the demonstration session.

20. The demonstration system of claim 19, wherein sending the data to the remote computing device comprises:

streaming a first display output to the remote computing device, wherein the first display output resembles a second display output of the physical demonstration device;

receiving commands to interact with the interactive demonstration, wherein each of the commands corresponds to a command available on the physical demonstration device; and

performing actions in response to the commands, wherein the actions correspond to actions of the physical demonstration device.

21. The demonstration system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a review that was generated by the physical demonstration device based on user input with the physical demonstration device, the review comprising at least one of a screen shot, a recorded video, a text comment or a voice comment;

generate a link to the review; and

share the review by sending the link to the review to at least one of the social network account, the email address or the web site.

22. The demonstration system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to:

start a virtual demonstration device;

load the demonstration session on the virtual demonstration device; and

enable the remote computing device to control the virtual demonstration device.

23. The demonstration system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to:

establish a connection between the remote computing device and the physical demonstration device executing the interactive demonstration.

24. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor of a physical demonstration device, cause the physical demonstration device to perform a method comprising:

providing, in a demonstration session, an interactive demonstration to a user by the processor of the physical demonstration device, wherein the physical demonstration device is a version of a consumer device that demonstrates functionality of the consumer device;

receiving a request to share the interactive demonstration along with an identification of at least one of a social network account, an email address or a web site from the user by the processor; and

responsive to the request, sharing, by the processor, the interactive demonstration by causing a link to the interactive demonstration to be sent to at least one of the social network account, the email address or the web site;

wherein the link is to a virtual demonstration device that emulates the physical demonstration device, wherein the virtual demonstration device provides an online version of the interactive demonstration that is accessible by a remote computing device, and wherein the demonstration session started on the physical demonstration device is continuable on the virtual demonstration device based on use of the link to access the demonstration session.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 24, the method further comprising:

receiving credentials for the social network account; and

posting the link to the interactive demonstration onto at least one of the social network account or an associated social network account based on the credentials.

26. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 24, the method further comprising:

causing an additional link to the interactive demonstration to be sent to at least one of the social network account, the email address or the web site, wherein the additional link is for a remote interface to the demonstration session on the physical demonstration device; and

streaming a display output of the physical demonstration device to a demonstration server, wherein the display output is receivable by a user device via the additional link.

27. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 26, the method further comprising:

receiving a command from the demonstration server, wherein the command was sent to the demonstration server by the user device; and

performing an action on the physical demonstration device based on the command as though the command had originated from the physical demonstration device based on user interaction with the physical demonstration device.

28. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 24, the method further comprising:

generating a user review based on user input, wherein generating the user review comprises at least one of generating a screenshot of a display output of the physical demonstration device, generating a video of the display output, recording a voice comment or recording a text comment; and

sharing the user review by causing the user review or a link to the user review to be sent to at least one of the social network account, the email address or the web site.

29. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving, by the processor, a command to share an interactive demonstration with at least one of a social network account, an email address or a web site from a physical demonstration device, wherein the physical demonstration device is a version of a consumer device that demonstrates functionality of the consumer device, the interactive demonstration comprising a demonstration session that was started on the physical demonstration device;

sending, to at least one of the social network account, the email address or the web site, a link to the interactive demonstration;

receiving, by the processor, a request to access the interactive demonstration via the link from a remote computing device; and

continuing the demonstration session based on sending, from the processor to the remote computing device, data for the demonstration session.

30. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein sending the data to the remote computing device comprises:

streaming a first display output to the remote computing device, wherein the first display output resembles a second display output of the physical demonstration device;

receiving commands to interact with the interactive demonstration, wherein each of the commands corresponds to a command available on the physical demonstration device; and

performing actions in response to the commands, wherein the actions correspond to actions of the physical demonstration device.

31. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 29, the method further comprising:

receiving a review that was generated by the physical demonstration device based on user input with the physical demonstration device, the review comprising at least one of a screen shot, a recorded video, a text comment or a voice comment;

generating a link to the review; and

sharing the review by sending the link to the review to at least one of the social network account, the email address or the web site.

32. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein providing the interactive demonstration to the remote computing device comprises:

starting a virtual demonstration device that emulates the physical demonstration device; and

enabling the remote computing device to control the virtual demonstration device.