Media asset streaming over network to devices

• US 9,037,683 B1
• Filed: 02/24/2013
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTF Casting LLC
• Original Assignee: Koji Yoden
• Inventors: Yoden, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Kenny
• Application Number:
  US13/775,193
• Time in Patent Office: 814 Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast

Abstract

Streaming of a media asset from a cloud server computer to a media playback device is disclosed. In an embodiment, a list of media assets stored in the cloud server computer is sent over network from the cloud server computer to a portable device. In another embodiment, the list is transferred via close-range communication to the portable device from the media playback device which received the list from the cloud server computer over network. In the embodiments, a media asset is started streaming over network from the cloud server computer to the media playback device responsive to selection of one of the listed media assets at the portable device. In some embodiments, streaming is redirected from the portable device to the media playback device responsive to a user'"'"'s operation or in case of disconnection.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing, in a computer-readable medium, a database associating a mobile device with one or more media playback devices, wherein the mobile device and the media playback devices are identified by discrete IP addresses on the Internet;

listing thumbnails of media contents stored on a server, on a graphical user interface of the mobile device, based on media content information received from the server in communication with the mobile device over the Internet, wherein the server is identified by a discrete IP address different from the IP addresses of the mobile device and the media playback devices on the Internet;

in response to a first user input on the graphical user interface, determining one of the mobile device and the media playback devices as a streaming destination with reference to the database, wherein the first user input includes selection of one of the listed thumbnails;

(a) upon determining the mobile device to be the streaming destination, streaming a media content corresponding to the selected thumbnail from the server to the mobile device over the Internet while streaming nothing from the server to any of the media playback devices over the Internet, whereas (b) upon determining one of the media playback devices to be the streaming destination, streaming the media content corresponding to the selected thumbnail from the server to the determined media playback device over the Internet while streaming progress information from the server to the mobile device in parallel to the streaming of the media content, wherein the progress information is indicative of progress of the streaming of the media content within a duration of the media content; and

(a) playing back the streamed media content on the graphical user interface of the mobile device when the streaming is directed to the mobile device, whereas (b) displaying the progress on the graphical user interface of the mobile device based on the progress information while playing back the streamed media content at the media playback device when the streaming is directed to the media playback device.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

(a) in response to a second user input on the graphical user interface of the mobile device on which the streamed media content is being played back during the streaming of the media content directed to the mobile device, changing the streaming destination from the mobile device into one of the media playback devices, whereas (b) in response to a third user input on the graphical user interface of the mobile device on which the progress is being displayed during the streaming of the media content directed to the determined media playback device, changing the streaming destination from the determined media playback device into one of the mobile device and media playback devices other than the determined media playback device.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the changing the streaming destination in response to the third user input includes:

listing media playback devices other than the determined media playback device in the database, on the graphical user interface of the mobile device; and

in response to selection of one of the listed media playback devices, determining the selected media playback device to be the streaming destination.

4. A method according to claim 2, further comprising associating discrete directions of gesture with the media playback devices, wherein the second user input includes a user'"'"'s gesture in one of the associated directions on the graphical user interface of the mobile device, and

wherein the changing the streaming destination in response to the second user input includes changing the streaming destination from the mobile device into a media playback device associated with the direction of gesture of the second user input.

5. A method according to claim 2, further comprising associating discrete direction of gesture with the media playback devices and the mobile device, wherein the third user input includes a user'"'"'s gesture in one of the associated directions on the graphical user interface of the mobile device, and

wherein the changing the streaming destination in response to the third user input includes changing the streaming destination from the determined media playback device into the mobile device or one of the media playback devices associated with the direction of gesture of the third user input.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

during the streaming of the media content directed to the media playback device, continuously monitoring communication between the mobile device and the server; and

in response to determining that the communication is not active between the mobile device and the server over the Internet as a result of the continuous monitoring, stopping the streaming of the media content directed to the media playback device as well as stopping the streaming of the progress information directed to the mobile device.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

during the streaming of the media content directed to the media playback device, continuously monitoring communication between the media playback device and the server; and

in response to determining that the communication is not active between the media playback device and the server over the Internet as a result of the continuous monitoring, stopping the streaming of the media content directed to the media playback device as well as stopping the streaming of the progress information directed to the mobile device, and then changing the streaming destination from the media playback device into the mobile device.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

during the streaming of the media content directed to the media playback device, continuously monitoring communication between the mobile device and the media playback device; and

in response to determining that the communication is not active between the mobile device and the media playback device as a result of the continuous monitoring, stopping the streaming of the media content directed to the media playback device as well as stopping the streaming of the progress information directed to the mobile device.

9. A computer product embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer program product including instructions which, when executed by a processor of a mobile device, cause the mobile device to perform operations comprising:

holding, in a memory of the mobile device, a database associating a mobile device with one or more media playback devices, wherein the mobile device and the media playback devices are identified by discrete IP addresses on the Internet;

listing thumbnails of media contents stored on a server, on a graphical user interface, based on media content information received from the server in communication with the mobile device, wherein the server is identified by a discrete IP address different from the IP addresses of the mobile device and the media playback devices on the Internet;

receiving a first user input on the graphical user interface, wherein the first user input including selection of one of the listed thumbnails;

in response to the first user input, determining one of the mobile device and the media playback devices as a streaming destination with reference to the database, wherein the first user input includes selection of one of the listed thumbnails;

(a) upon determining the mobile device to be the streaming destination, requesting the server to direct streaming of a media content corresponding to the selected thumbnail to the mobile device, so as to cause the server to stream the media content to the mobile device over the Internet while streaming nothing to any of the media playback devices over the Internet, whereas (b) upon determining one of the media playback devices to be the streaming destination, requesting the server to direct streaming of the media content to the determined media playback device, so as to cause the server to stream the media content to the determined media playback device over the Internet while streaming progress information to the mobile device in parallel to the streaming of the media content, wherein the progress information is indicative of progress of the streaming of the media content within a duration of the media content; and

(a) playing back the streamed media content on the graphical user interface when the streaming is directed to the mobile device, whereas (b) displaying the progress on the graphical user interface based on the progress information when the streaming is directed to the media playback device.

10. A computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the requesting the server to direct streaming of the media content to the mobile device includes establishing connection with the server over the Internet, and sending the request for the streaming to the server via the Internet connection, and

wherein the requesting the server to direct streaming of the media content to the determined media playback device includes establishing a close-range wireless connection with the determined media playback device, and sending the request for the streaming to the determined media playback device via the close-range wireless connection to cause the determined media playback device to forward the request to the server.

11. A computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the playing back the streamed media content on the graphical user interface includes establishing connection with the server over the Internet, and receiving the streamed media content via the Internet connection, and

wherein the displaying the progress on the graphical user interface includes establishing a close-range wireless connection with the determined media playback device, and receiving the progress information via the close-range wireless connection from the media playback device.

12. A computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

(a) in response to a second user input on the graphical user interface on which the streamed media content is being played back during the streaming of the media content directed to the mobile device, changing the streaming destination from the mobile device into one of the media playback devices, whereas (b) in response to a third user input on the graphical user interface on which the progress is being displayed during the streaming of the media content directed to the determined media playback device, changing the streaming destination from the determined media playback device into one of the mobile device and media playback devices other than the determined media playback device.

13. A computer program product according to claim 12, wherein the changing the streaming destination in response to the third user input includes:

listing media playback devices other than the determined media playback device in the database, on the graphical user interface; and

in response to selection of one of the listed media playback devices, determining the selected media playback device to be the streaming destination.

14. A computer program product according to claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise associating discrete directions of gesture with the media playback devices,

wherein the second user input includes a user'"'"'s gesture in one of the associated directions on the graphical user interface of the mobile device, and

wherein the changing the streaming destination in response to the second user input includes changing the streaming destination from the mobile device into a media playback device associated with the direction of gesture of the second user input.

15. A computer program product according to claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise associating discrete direction of gesture with the media playback devices and the mobile device,

wherein the third user input includes a user'"'"'s gesture in one of the associated directions on the graphical user interface of the mobile device, and

wherein the changing the streaming destination in response to the third user input includes changing the streaming destination from the determined media playback device into the mobile device or one of the media playback devices associated with the direction of gesture of the third user input.

16. A media playback device, comprising:

communication circuitry;

a processor; and

a memory storing a computer program including instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the media playback device to perform operations comprising;

receiving a streaming request from a mobile device identified by an IP address different from an IP address of the media playback device, through the communication circuitry wherein the streaming request is generated by the mobile device following the steps of;

listing thumbnails of media contents stored on a server, on a graphical user interface of the mobile device, based on media content information received from the server in communication with the mobile device, wherein the server is identified by an IP address different from the IP addresses of the mobile device and the media playback device; and

in response to a user input made on the graphical user interface wherein the user input includes selection of one of the listed thumbnails, generating the streaming request for streaming of a media content corresponding to the selected thumbnail;

in response to the reception of the streaming request, establishing Internet connection with the server through the communication circuitry;

requesting the server for streaming of the media content via the established connection;

playing back the media content streamed from the server in response to the request; and

in parallel to the playback of the media content, forwarding progress information to the mobile device through the communication circuitry, wherein the progress information is indicative of progress of the streaming of the media content within a duration of the media content.

17. A media playback device according to claim 16, further comprising:

during the playback of the streamed media content, continuously monitoring communication with the mobile device through the communication circuitry; and

in response to determining that the communication is not active with the mobile device through the communication circuitry, stopping the playback of the streamed media content.