Playlist bookmarking

• US 9,167,302 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2010
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Nijim, Yousef Wasef
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): NEWLIN, TIMOTHY R
• Application Number:
  US12/868,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20120054808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,881 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists

Abstract

Playlist bookmarking may be provided. First, a content program from a playlist may be displayed on a first user device. The content program may then be paused and a time stamp may be placed in the playlist at a point where the content program was paused. Next, the time stamped playlist may be transmitted to a server. At a second user device, the time stamped playlist may be received from the server and the content program may be displayed from the playlist from the point in the content program corresponding to the time stamp.

Claims

1. A method for providing play list bookmarking, the method comprising:

displaying, on a first user device, a content program from a playlist, wherein displaying, on the first user device, the content program comprises displaying, on the first user device, the content program saved on the first user device;

pausing a display of the content program;

placing a time stamp in the playlist at a point where the display of the content program was paused;

transmitting the time stamped playlist to a second user device from the first user device, wherein the time stamped playlist is transmitted from the first user device to the second user device without being transmitted through an intermediary device, over at least one of the following;

a local wired network and a wireless network;

synchronizing a local playlist at a the second user device with the time stamped playlist received from the first user device, wherein synchronizing the local playlist comprises synchronizing in response to a request from a user to continue display of the content program on the second user device; and

displaying, on the second user device, the content program from the synchronized playlist from the point in the content program corresponding to the time stamp, wherein displaying, on the second user device, the content program comprises;

displaying, on the second user device, the content program saved on the second user device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying, on the first user device, the content program from the playlist comprises displaying, on the first user device comprising one of the following:

a mobile device, a personal computer, and a television in conjunction with a set-top box and digital video recorder.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying, on the first user device, the content program comprises displaying, on the first user device, the content program comprising a video on demand program received from a video on demand server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying, on the second user device, the content program from the playlist comprises displaying, on the second user device comprising one of the following:

a mobile device, a personal computer, and a television in conjunction with a set-top box and digital video recorder.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying, on the second user device, the content program comprises displaying, on the second user device, the content program comprising a video on demand program received from a video on demand server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein pausing the content program comprises pausing the content program in response to user input received at the first user device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying, on the second user device, the content program comprises displaying, on the second user device, the content program in response to user input received at the second user device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after displaying, on the second user device, the content program from the playlist from the point in the content program corresponding to the time stamp, rewinding the content program from the point in the content program corresponding to the time stamp in response to user input.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after displaying, on the second user device, the content program from the playlist from the point in the content program corresponding to the time stamp, fast forwarding the content program from the point in the content program corresponding to the time stamp in response to user input.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronizing the local playlist on the second user device comprises synchronizing the local playlist on the second user device on a regular basis with the time stamped playlist on a server.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the local playlist in response to continuance of display of the content program on the second device; and

synchronizing the time stamped playlist on a server with the local playlist of the second user device on a regular basis.

12. A system for providing play list bookmarking, the system comprising:

a first user device comprising;

a first memory storage, and

a first processing unit coupled to the first memory storage, wherein the first processing unit is operative to;

display a content program from a playlist on a first device, wherein the first processing unit being operative to display the content program saved on the first device,

stop the display of the content program in response to a first input from a user,

place a time stamp in the playlist at a point where the display of the content program was stopped, and

transmit the time stamped playlist to a second user device, wherein the time stamped playlist is transmitted from the first user device to the second user device without being transmitted through an intermediary device, over at least one of the following;

a wired network and a wireless network; and

the second user device comprising;

a second memory storage; and

a second processing unit coupled to the second memory storage, wherein the second processing unit is operative to;

receive the time stamped playlist from the first user device in response to a request from the user to continue the display of the content program on a second user device,

synchronize a local playlist on the second user device with the received time stamped playlist, and

display, in response to a second user input, the content program from the synchronized playlist from the point in the content program corresponding to the time stamp, wherein the second processing unit being operative to display the content program saved on the second user device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first user device comprises one of the following:

a mobile device, a personal computer, a television, a set-top box, and digital video recorder.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the first processing unit being operative to display the content program comprises the first processing unit being operative to display the content program comprising a video on demand program received from a video on demand server.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the second user device comprises one of the following:

a mobile device, a personal computer, a television, a set-top box, and digital video recorder.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the second processing unit being operative to display the content program comprises the second processing unit being operative to display the content program comprising a video on demand program received from a video on demand server.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the second processing unit is further operative to, after displaying the content program from the playlist from the point in the content program corresponding to the time stamp, one of rewind and fast forward the content program from the point in the content program corresponding to the time stamp.

18. A computer-readable storage device that stores a set of instructions which when executed perform a method for providing play list bookmarking, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

generating a time stamped playlist on a first user device, the time stamped playlist comprising a time stamp in the time stamped playlist at a point where a content program in the time stamped playlist was one of the following;

stopped by a user viewing the content program and paused by the user viewing the content program, wherein the content program is saved on the first user device; and

transmitting the time stamped playlist to a second user device from the first user device, wherein the time stamped playlist is transmitted from the first user device to the second user device without being transmitted through an intermediary device, over at least one of the following;

a wired network and a wireless network, in response to a user request to continue a display of the content program on the second user device, wherein the second user device is configured to display the content program saved on the second user device, and wherein the second user device is further configured to;

receive the time stamped playlist,

synchronize a local playlist on the second user device with the received time stamped playlist, and

display the content program from the point of the time stamp, wherein displaying the content program from the point of the time stamp comprises at least one of;

a rewinding of the content program from the point in the content program corresponding to the time stamp, and a fast forwarding of the content program from the point in the content program corresponding to the time stamp.