Enhanced information on mobile device for viewed program and control of internet TV device using mobile device

• US 8,863,196 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2011
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Patil, Abhishek, Sampathkumaran, Sriram, Balasubramanian, Guru Prashanth, Saha, Dipendu, Jain, Meeta, Asam, Aravind Babu, Hong, Seungwook
• Primary Examiner(s): HUYNH, AN SON PHI
• Application Number:
  US13/248,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20120137329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,111 Days
• Field of Search: 348/734, 725/53, 725/63, 725/110, 725/112
• US Class Current: 725/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42216 for quick navigation, e.g. through an EPG
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739

Abstract

The user of an Internet TV device can control the Internet TV device using a mobile device such as a smart phone. The smart phone also obtains program information from the Internet TV device and sends the information to a server as a search term, presenting supplemental program information received from the server on the display of the mobile device so that a person can browse the supplemental information without disturbing viewers of the Internet TV device. The mobile device can also grab a link related to the program from the Internet TV device and use that link as a recommendation to friends on social networking sites.

Claims

1. Audio video display device (AVDD) comprising:

processor configured for controlling a display; and

non-transitory computer memory with instructions executable by the processor to configure the processor for;

presenting a user interface (UI) on the display of the AVDD prompting a user to select whether to allow the AVDD to be wirelessly controlled from a mobile control device (MCD), the UI including a first selector selectable to deny control of the AVDD to all MCDs, a second selector selectable to permit control of the AVDD using any MCD executing device discovery and authentication in accordance with discovery protocols recognized by the AVDD, and a third selector selectable to permit control of the AVDD only from MCDs made by a particular manufacturer or running a particular operating system; and

responsive to a discovery signal from an MCD not authorized to control the AVDD, recognizing the discovery signal but not responding to it such that the AVDD remains hidden from the MCD.

2. The AVDD of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor configure the processor to provide program information to the MCD to enable the MCD to obtain supplemental information related to a program being presented on the AVDD and to browse the supplemental information transparently to the AVDD so as not to disturb viewers of the AVDD.

3. The AVDD of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor configure the processor to provide a network link to the MCD, the network link related to a program being presented on the AVDD, to enable the MCD to send the link to social networking friends of a user of the MCD to recommend the program to the friends.