Content synchronization apparatus and method

• US 9,277,283 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2011
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Cho, Jeong-Mi, Jeong, So-Young, Kim, Jeong-Su
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Application Number:
  US13/217,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20120177067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,650 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/329, 370/386, 370/503
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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 21/43076 of the same content streams on multiple devices, e.g. when family members are watching the same movie on different devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43079 of additional data with content streams on multiple devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4725 using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots details of information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12

Abstract

A content synchronization apparatus is provided. The content synchronization apparatus includes a communication unit configured to communicate with a device that the content synchronization apparatus can synchronize content with, a control unit configured to, in response to a synchronization command to share current content being played by the device being received, share the current content by acquiring the current content and state information corresponding to the current content through the communication unit, synchronize the current content with the device using the current content and the state information, and configure a display screen based on the results of the synchronization of the current content with the device, and an output unit configured to display the configured display screen.

Claims

1. A content synchronization apparatus, comprising:

a communication unit configured to communicate with a device with which the content synchronization apparatus can synchronize content;

a control unit configured to share current content being played by the device by acquiring the current content and state information corresponding with the current content through the communication unit, synchronize the current content with the device using the current content and the state information, and configure a display screen based on the results of the synchronization of the current content; and

an output unit configured to display the configured display screen,

wherein the control unit is further configured to acquire augmented reality information corresponding to the current content, and select and display the acquired augmented reality information as personalized augmented reality information for a particular user of the content synchronization apparatus, the augmented reality information comprising interaction information that interact with a user or other devices to control the content or to share the augmented reality information.

2. The content synchronization apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit acquires the augmented reality information corresponding with the current content from the device, and, in response to augmented reality information that can interact with the user of the content synchronization apparatus being selected from the acquired augmented reality information, performs a predefined operation corresponding to the selected augmented reality information.

3. The content synchronization apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a storage unit configured to store user profile information corresponding to the user of the content synchronization apparatus, user preference information corresponding to the user of the content synchronization apparatus, or a combination thereof,

wherein the control unit selects and displays the personalized augmented reality information from the acquired augmented reality information using the user profile information, the user preference information, or a combination thereof and configures a display screen including the current content and the selected personalized augmented reality information.

4. The content synchronization apparatus of claim 2, wherein the communication unit communicates with an augmented reality (AR) supporting server, which provides augmented reality information corresponding a plurality of content items, and the control unit acquires additional augmented reality information corresponding to the current content from the AR supporting server using acquired content metadata and configures the display screen by rendering the additional augmented reality information with the current content.

5. The content synchronization apparatus of claim 2, wherein the acquired augmented reality information comprises playback control information for controlling the playback of the current content, and the control unit, in response to reception of a user input signal for selecting the playback control information, controls the playback of the current content.

6. The content synchronization apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control unit, in response to reception of a synchronization command to share content being played by the content synchronization apparatus with the device, transmits the content being played by the content synchronization apparatus and state information and augmented reality information corresponding to the content being played by the content synchronization apparatus to the device.

7. The content synchronization apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit acquires content metadata corresponding with the current content from the device and acquires the current content from another device than the device using the content metadata, the content metadata being used to search for the current content.

8. The content synchronization apparatus of claim 7, wherein the content metadata comprises a web address corresponding to the current content, broadcast channel information corresponding to a broadcast channel from which the current content can be received, or a combination thereof.

9. The content synchronization apparatus of claim 8, further comprising an image acquisition unit configured to capture an image,

wherein the control unit in a case in which the reception of the synchronization command in response to an image being captured by the image acquisition unit, acquires content metadata corresponding to the current content by analyzing the captured image.

10. The content synchronization apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit executes an application that can interact with the user of the content synchronization apparatus in parallel with the synchronization of the current content.

11. The content synchronization apparatus of claim 10, wherein the application that can interact with the user of the content synchronization apparatus comprises an internet search application, a social networking application, or a combination thereof.

12. The content synchronization apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to detect the device within a synchronization range of the content synchronization apparatus and control the communication unit to access the device.

13. A content synchronization method, comprising:

receiving a synchronization command to share current content being played by a device;

sharing the current content by acquiring the current content and state information corresponding to the current content;

synchronizing the current content with the device using the current content and the state information; and

acquiring augmented reality information corresponding to the current content; and

selecting and displaying the acquired augmented reality information as personalized augmented reality information for a particular user of a content synchronization apparatus,

wherein the augmented reality information comprises interaction information that interact with a user or other devices to control the content or to share the augmented reality information.

14. The content synchronization method of claim 13, further comprising:

acquiring content metadata corresponding to the current content from the device; and

directly acquiring the current content from another device other than the device using the content metadata.

15. The content synchronization method of claim 14, wherein the directly acquiring the current content comprises, in response to the current content being real-time broadcast content, acquiring the current content by receiving the real-time broadcast content from a broadcast network using the content metadata.

16. The content synchronization method of claim 13, further comprising, in parallel with the synchronizing the current content, executing an application that can be interacted with by the user.

17. The content synchronization method of claim 13, further comprising, in response to reception of a synchronization command to share the current content with another device, transmitting the current content and state information and the augmented reality information corresponding to the current content to the another device.

18. The content synchronization method of claim 13, further comprising acquiring the augmented reality information corresponding to the current content from the device,

wherein the synchronizing the current content comprises synchronizing the current content with the device using the current content, the state information, and the augmented reality information.

19. The content synchronization method of claim 18, wherein the personalized augmented reality information is selected based on user profile information, user preference information, or a combination thereof.

20. The content synchronization method of claim 18, wherein the augmented reality information comprises playback control information for controlling the playback of the current content and the content synchronization method further comprises, in response to reception of a user input signal for selecting the playback control information, controlling the playback of the current content.

21. A content synchronization apparatus, comprising:

a synchronization unit configured to acquire current content being played by a device and state information corresponding to the current content by recognizing the current content and the state information, and to synchronize the current content with the device using the current content and the state information; and

an output unit configured to output the synchronized content,

wherein the synchronization unit is further configured to acquire augmented reality information corresponding to the current content, and select and display the acquired augmented reality information as personalized augmented reality information for a particular user of the content synchronization apparatus, the augmented reality information comprising interaction information that interact with a user or other devices to control the content or to share the augmented reality information.

22. The content synchronization apparatus of claim 21, further comprising an image acquisition unit configured to capture an image of a content execution screen corresponding to the current content,

wherein the synchronization unit recognizes the current content and the state information by performing object extraction, pattern recognition, character recognition on the content execution screen, or a combination thereof.

23. The content synchronization apparatus of claim 21, further comprising an audio input unit configured to receive an audio signal corresponding to the current content,

wherein the synchronization unit extracts feature information from the received audio signal and recognizes audio data corresponding to the feature information.

24. The content synchronization apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a storage unit configured to store at least one content item,

wherein the synchronization unit acquires the recognized current content by searching through the storage unit.

25. The content synchronization apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a communication unit configured to communicate with a content providing server, which searches for content using content metadata and provides content,

wherein the synchronization unit acquires the current content from the content providing server via the communication unit.

26. A content synchronization apparatus, comprising:

a detection unit configured to detect another device in response to the other device being located within a synchronization range;

a control unit configured to share current content being played by the other device, state information corresponding with the current content, and augmented reality information corresponding with the current content, in response to detecting of the other device being located within the synchronization range; and

a reception unit configured to receive the current content, the state information, and the augmented reality information from the other device,

wherein the control unit is further configured to select and display the acquired augmented reality information as personalized augmented reality information for a particular user of the content synchronization apparatus, the augmented reality information comprising interaction information that interact with a user or other devices to control the content or to share the augmented reality information.

27. The content synchronization apparatus of claim 26, wherein the state information includes information about the content.

28. The content synchronization apparatus of claim 26, wherein the augmented reality information includes information that is capable of being provided with the content.