Providing content via multiple display devices

• US 9,389,745 B1
• Filed: 12/10/2012
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Leatham, Richard Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Linh K
• Application Number:
  US13/709,768
• Time in Patent Office: 1,310 Days
• Field of Search: 715/767, 715/273, 725/46, 725/62, 725/115
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• 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

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for providing content via multiple display devices. Primary content is rendered on a first display device. A secondary display service executed by a second computing device is identified. A directive is sent to the secondary display service to render secondary content on the second display device. The secondary content relates to a current state of the primary content.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying a program, that when executed by at least one computing device, causes the at least one computing device to at least:

generate a listing of a plurality of secondary display services, individual ones of the plurality of secondary display services being executed on a respective one of a plurality of mobile computing devices;

obtain a selection of one of the plurality of secondary display services from the listing, the selection specifying a type of supplemental content to be rendered by the one of the plurality of secondary display services;

obtain primary content from a server;

render the primary content on a primary display device, the primary content including a text entry field;

determine a current state of the primary content;

send a directive to the one of the plurality of secondary display services to render supplemental content of the type specified that is relevant to the current state of the primary content on a secondary display device, wherein the one of the plurality of secondary display services is configured to obtain the supplemental content from the server based at least in part on the directive; and

obtain data entered by way of an on-screen keyboard via a touchscreen interface, the on-screen keyboard being within the supplemental content.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein when executed the program further causes the at least one computing device to at least:

determine an updated state of the primary content; and

send another directive to the one of the plurality of secondary display services to render updated supplemental content of the type specified that is relevant to the updated state of the primary content on the secondary display device.

3. A system, comprising:

a data store; and

a first computing device including a first display device, the first computing device in communication with the data store and the at least one computing device being configured to at least;

render primary content on the first display device, the primary content including a text entry field;

identify a secondary display service executed by a second computing device, the second computing device including a second display device;

send a directive to the secondary display service to render secondary content on the second display device, the secondary content relating to a current state of the primary content; and

obtain data entered by way of an on-screen keyboard via a touchscreen interface, the on-screen keyboard being within the supplemental content.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to at least:

obtain a request to render the primary content on the second display device in place of the secondary content;

send a directive to the second display device to render the primary content in place of the secondary content in response to the request; and

cease rendering of the primary content on the first display device.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to at least:

obtain user input from the secondary display service; and

send a directive to another secondary display service based at least in part on the user input.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the directive specifies a temporal location in the primary content.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to pair with the secondary display service.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the primary content includes a video content feature, and the secondary content includes additional information relevant to a current temporal location in the video content feature.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein the primary content includes a listing of items, the secondary content corresponds to a currently selected item from the listing of items, and the at least one computing device is further configured to obtain a selection of the currently selected item from an input device.

10. The system of claim 3, wherein the primary content describes an item, and the secondary content includes a listing of items similar to the item.

11. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to at least obtain data comprising the primary content from a content server.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the data comprising the primary content configures the at least one computing device to send the directive.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the secondary display service is configured to obtain the secondary content from the content server.

14. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to at least:

obtain data comprising the secondary content from a content server; and

send the data comprising the secondary content to the secondary display service.

15. A method, comprising:

registering, by a first computing device, as a secondary display for a primary display controlled by a second computing device, the first computing device including a display device;

obtaining, by the first computing device, a directive to render secondary content on the secondary display, the secondary content supplementing primary content being rendered on the primary display, the secondary content relating to a current state of the primary content, the primary content including a text entry field;

rendering, by the first computing device, the secondary content on the display device in response to the directive;

obtaining, by the first computing device, data entered by way of an on-screen keyboard via a touchscreen interface, the on-screen keyboard being within the supplemental content; and

sending, by the first computing device, the data to the second computing device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating, by the first computing device, a listing of a plurality of primary display services;

obtaining, by the first computing device, a selection of one of the plurality of primary display services; and

wherein the one of the plurality of primary display services corresponds to the primary display, and registering the secondary display for a primary display is performed in response to obtaining the selection.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising obtaining, by the first computing device, data comprising the secondary content in response to the directive.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the directive is obtained from a server.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

obtaining, by the first computing device, data indicating that the primary content is no longer rendered on the primary display; and

ceasing, by the first computing device, the rendering of the secondary content in response to the data indicating that the primary content is no longer rendered on the primary display.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining, by the first computing device, that communications with the second computing device have been interrupted; and

ceasing, by the first computing device, the rendering of the secondary content in response to determining that communications with the second computing device have been interrupted.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the primary content includes a list of items, and the secondary content includes additional information regarding a selected one of the list of items.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the primary content describes an item, and the secondary content includes a list of items that are similar to the item.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising causing, by the first computing device, the on-screen keyboard from the secondary content to be hidden in response to sending the data to the second computing device.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

detecting, by the first computing device, that connectivity to a local area network is out-of-range; and

ceasing, by the first computing device, rendering of the secondary content on the display device.