Middle partners

• US 8,943,514 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Tran, Dang Van, Zhu, Yingnan, Zheng, Xing, Khoshgozaran, Jaffar
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Lechi
• Application Number:
  US13/244,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20120278821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 719/310, 717/100, 711/200
• US Class Current: 719/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/33 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4508 Management of client data or end-user data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34

Abstract

A method includes retrieving content playing or to be played by a full-app and/or a micro-app. Additional context information is determined for the content. The content is augmented with the additional context information. The augmented context information is sent to a first micro-app for use in retrieving additional content to play or display along with the content.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

downloading a full-app, wherein the full-app is configured to display full-app content and obtain original context based on the full-app content;

downloading a first micro-app, wherein the micro-app is configured to run simultaneously with the full-app content;

intercepting, by the middle partner, the full-app content;

determining additional context information for the full-app content;

augmenting the full-app content and the original context with the additional context information

determining, by the middle partner, additional context information for the content;

augmenting the content and the original context with the additional context information; and

sending the augmented context information to a first micro-app in lieu of the original context for use in retrieving additional content to play or display along with the content;

wherein the middle partner includes a second micro-app that queries an external database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving is performed without indicating to the full-app that retrieving is occurring.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the augmented context information is performed in a manner such that the first micro-app is unaware that the augmented context information is not coming directly from the full-app.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving, determining, augmenting, and sending are performed by a second micro-app, wherein the second micro-app is associated with the middle partner.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining includes querying an external database using original context information embedded in metadata in the content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining includes querying an external database using context information derived for the content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional context information is time-based context information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the time-based context information is utilized to determine a micro-app to launch at a particular running time of the content.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sharing revenue with the middle partner based on the augmented context.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the original context information include environmental context information.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the original context information includes user context information.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the original context information includes device context information.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the original context information is obtained from metadata for the content.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the original context information is deduced by examining the content.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the additional context is deduced by examining the content using one or more of video recognition and audio recognition.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional context information is time-based context information that is obtained based on a particular portion of video content being viewed.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the content comprises one or more of video, audio, text, graphics or photo media.

18. A system comprising:

a processor;

a full-app downloaded from an app store using the processor, wherein the full-app is configured to display full-app content on a display and obtain original context based on the full-app content;

a first micro-app downloaded from the app store using the processor, wherein the micro-app is configured to run simultaneously with the full-app content being displayed on the display;

a middle partner using another processor to;

intercept the full-app content;

determine additional context information for the full-app content;

augment the full-app content and the original context with the additional context information; and

send the augmented context information to the first micro-app in lieu of the original context for use in retrieving additional content to play or display simultaneously with the content,

wherein the middle partner includes a second micro-app that queries an external database.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the additional content is product information.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the additional content includes a map.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the micro-app inserts the additional context into metadata of the content.

22. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

downloading a full-app using the processor, wherein the full-app is configured to display full-app content and obtain original context based on the full-app content;

downloading a first micro-app using the processor, wherein the micro-app is configured to run simultaneously with the full-app content;

means for retrieving, by a middle partner using the processor, full-app content;

means for obtaining original context information for the content;

means for determining, by the middle partner, additional context information for the content;

means for augmenting the content and the original context with the additional context information; and

means for sending the augmented context information to a first micro-app in lieu of the original context for use in retrieving additional content to play or display along with the content,

wherein the middle partner includes a second micro-app that queries an external database.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein a second micro-app inserts the additional context into metadata of the content for the first micro-app to retrieve the additional content related to the additional context.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising the first micro-app one or more of:

retrieves additional content related to the additional context, retrieves one or more products related to the additional context or dynamically adjusts a revenue sharing percentage based on the additional context.

25. A non-transitory program storage device readable by a machine tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method comprising:

downloading a full-app, wherein the full-app is configured to display full-app content and obtain original context based on the full-app content;

downloading a first micro-app, wherein the micro-app is configured to run simultaneously with the full-app content;

intercepting, by the middle partner, the full-app content;

determining, by the middle partner, additional context information for the content;

augmenting the content and the original context with the additional context information; and

sending the augmented context information to a first micro-app in lieu of the original context for use in retrieving additional content to play or display along with the content;

wherein the middle partner includes a second micro-app that queries an external database.