Content delivery system and method spanning multiple data processing systems

• US 8,938,497 B1
• Filed: 10/03/2009
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zoom Video Communications, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Frank Wang
• Inventors: Wang, Frank C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Haresh N
• Application Number:
  US12/573,106
• Time in Patent Office: 1,935 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709217-228
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811

Abstract

A content delivery system and method for use with plurality of digital multimedia data processing systems and legacy systems spanning across one or more network environments. The system and method enable users with freedom of mobility while maintaining access to the user'"'"'s selected content while the user transitions from one device in one location to a different device in a difference location, substantially without interruption and without the need for user action to turn on and off these target data processing systems. The Instant Invention can provide high bandwidth content delivery solutions based upon hardware and software components by activating a target device while the system is proximate to the target device and, in one embodiment, automatically redirecting the content while the system is proximate to a new target device without user intervention. The target devices include digital multimedia data processing systems and legacy systems including, but not limited to, HDTVs, TV, Personal Computers, digital music systems, printers, radios, and fax machines.

Claims

1. A method of delivering content from a user associated transportable first data processing device comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting content stored in a first storage area of the transportable first data processing device, said selected content including a first portion followed by a second portion wherein the first portion is different from the second portion, and storing an indication of first and second target devices in the first storage area;

(b) transporting the transportable first data processing device to a first location proximate to a first target device at a first time;

(c) in response to detecting the presence of the first target device being proximate to the transportable first data processing device, delivering and rendering the first portion of the selected content to the first target device while the transportable first data processing device is proximate to the first target device;

(d) transporting the transportable first data processing device away from the first location proximate to the first target device at a second time, and in response to detecting the presence of the first target device is no longer being proximate to the transportable first data processing device, without user intervention, suspending the delivery of the first portion of the selected content to the first target device; and

(e) transporting the transportable first data processing device to a second location proximate to a second target device after the second time and in response to detecting the presence of the second target device being proximate to the transportable first data processing device, without user intervention, resuming delivering and rendering the second portion of the selected content to the second target device while the transportable first data processing device is proximate to the second target device.

2. A method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

(a) searching content stored on a storage area accessible by the transportable first data processing device using a search criteria initiated by the transportable first data processing device using the transportable first data processing device;

(b) building a list of matched contents corresponding to the search criteria and storing the list on a storage area accessible by the transportable first data processing device; and

(c) after step (b), using the transportable first data processing device transferring selected content from the list to at least one of the first target device and the second target device.

3. A method of claim 1 further including the steps of transporting the transportable first data processing device back to the first location proximate to the first target device at a third time and in response to detecting the transportable first data processing device being proximate to the first target device, resuming delivering and rendering the selected content which has not been delivered to at least one of the first target device and the second device to the first target device while the transportable first data processing device is again proximate to the first target device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the transportable first data processing device includes a proximity device and the transportable first data processing device using the proximity device detecting the presence of the first target device of the indication of first and second target devices in the first location and the second target device of the indication of first and second target devices in the second location.

5. A method of delivering a selected content accessible from a user associated transportable first data processing device the said method comprising the steps of:

(a) transporting the transportable first data processing device to a first location proximate to a first target device at a first time;

(b) in response to detecting the presence of the first target device being proximate to the transportable first data processing device, delivering and rendering a first portion of the selected content to the first target device only while the transportable first data processing device is proximate to the first target device;

(c) transporting the transportable first data processing device away from the first location proximate to the first target device at a second time, and, in response to detecting the presence of the first target device is no longer being proximate to the transportable first data processing device, without user intervention, suspending the delivery of the first portion of the selected content to the first target device and storing a second portion of the selected content not delivered to the first target device on a storage area accessible to the transportable first data processing device; and

(d) transporting the transportable first data processing device to a second location proximate to a second target device after the second time and in response to detecting the presence of the second target device being proximate to the transportable first data processing device, without user intervention, resuming delivering and rendering the second portion of the selected content including at least the stored content from the transportable first data processing device to the second target device only while the transportable first data processing device is proximate to the second target device where the second portion does not include the first portion.

6. A method of claim 5 further comprising the steps of:

(a) searching content stored on a storage area accessible by the transportable first data processing device using a search criteria initiated by the transportable first data processing device using the transportable first data processing device;

(b) building a list of the contents corresponding to the search criteria and storing the list on a storage area accessible by the transportable first data processing device; and

(c) after step (b), using the transportable first data processing device transferring selected content from the list to one of the first target device and the second target device.

7. A method of claim 5 further including the steps of transporting the transportable first data processing device back to the first location proximate to the first target device at a third time and in response to detecting the transportable first data processing device being proximate to the first target device, resuming delivering and rendering of the stored content from the transportable first data processing device to the first target device while the transportable first data processing device is again proximate to the first target device.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the transportable first data processing device includes a proximity device and the transportable first data processing device using the proximity device detecting the presence of the first target device in the first location and the second target device in the second location.

9. A content delivery system comprising:

(a) a transportable first data processing device comprises a storage area which stores selected content including a first portion followed by a second portion, and an indication of first and second target devices, the first portion of the selected content delivered to the first target device at a first location while the transportable first data processing device is transported proximate to the first target device in the first location;

the second portion different from the first portion of the selected content delivered to the second target device at a second location while the transportable first data processing device is transported proximate to the second target device in the second location;

(b) the first target device at the first location to receive and render at a first time the first portion of the selected content delivered from the transportable first data processing device in response to the transportable first data processing device detecting the presence of the first target device;

when the transportable first data processing device is transported away from the first location and no longer proximate to the first target device at a second time, in response to detecting the transportable first data processing device being no longer proximate to the first target device, the selected content delivery to the first target device is suspended without user intervention; and

(c) the second target device at the second location receiving and rendering the second portion of the selected content delivered from the transportable first data processing device, the second portion of the selected content comprising a portion of the selected content not delivered to the first target device, and in response to the transportable first data processing device detecting the presence of the second target device, without user intervention resuming delivering the second portion of the selected content to the second target device only while the transportable first data processing device is transported proximate to the second target device.

10. The content delivery system of claim 9 wherein at a third time, transporting the transportable first data processing device back to the first location proximate to the first target device and in response to detecting the transportable first data processing device being proximate to the first target device, resuming delivering and rendering the selected content which has not been delivered to at least one of the first target device and the second device to the first target device while the transportable first data processing device is again proximate to the first target device.

11. A system of claim 9 wherein the transportable first data processing device includes a proximity device and the transportable first data processing device uses the proximity device to detect the presence of the first target device of the indication of first and second target devices in the first location and the second target device of the indication of first and second target devices in the second location.

12. A method of content delivery comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting content stored in a storage area of a data processing device, the selected content including a first portion followed by a second portion with the second portion differing from the second portion, and storing in the storage area an indication of first and second target devices;

(b) transporting the data processing device to a first location proximate to the first target device at a first time and delivering and rendering the first portion of the selected content to the first target device using the data processing device while the data processing device is proximate to the first target device;

(c) suspending without user intervention the delivery of the first portion of the selected content to the first target device when the first data processing device is transported away from the first target device at a second time; and

(d) after the second time, without user intervention resuming delivering and rendering the second portion of the selected content not delivered to the first target device using the data processing device while the data processing device is proximate to the second target device at a second location.

13. The method of claim 12, including the steps of transporting the data processing device back to the first location after the step (d), and resuming delivering and rendering to the first target device the selected content not delivered to at least one of the first target device and the second target device using the data processing device.

14. The method of claim 12, including the steps of transporting the data processing device to a third location proximate to a third target device after the step (d), and resuming delivering and rendering to the third target device the selected content not delivered to at least one of the first target device and the second target device using the data processing device.

15. The method of claim 12, further including the steps of accessing the selected content from the storage area outside of the data processing device.

16. The method of claim 12, further including the steps of accessing the selected content from the storage area within the data processing device.

17. A method of claim 12 wherein the data processing device includes a proximity device and the data processing device using the proximity device detecting the presence of the first target device of the indication of first and second target devices in the first location and the second target device of the indication of first and second target devices in the second location.