Multifunction multimedia device

• US 9,521,453 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2009
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Gharaat, Amir H., Barton, James M., Patel, Mukesh K.
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, TRUONG V
• Application Number:
  US12/631,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20110066663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,566 Days
• Field of Search: 707/618, 707/621
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0244 Optimization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/422 Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42201 biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4415 using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/442 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/29; arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information H04H60/35; monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; monitoring in wireless networks H04W24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/79 Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording

Abstract

A method for interpreting messages, user-defined alert conditions, voice commands and performing an action in response is described. A method for annotating media content is described. A method for presenting additional content associated with media content identified based on a fingerprint is described. A method for identifying that an advertisement portion of media content is being played based on a fingerprint derived from the media content is described. A method of one media device recording particular media content automatically in response to another media device recording the particular media content is described. A method of concurrently playing media content on multiple devices is described. A method of publishing information associated with recording of media content is described. A method of deriving fingerprints by media devices that meet an idleness criteria is described. A method of loading, modifying, and displaying a high definition frame from a frame buffer is described. A method of recording or playing media content identified based on fingerprints is described.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, during playing of particular video content by a first media device associated with a first user, a request to post information for display on a social networking website, the information identifying the particular video content;

in response to the request, sending information to the social networking website that associates the first user with the particular video content;

identifying, within the social networking website, a social networking group that is associated with the particular video content;

based on the playing of the particular video content by the first media device associated with the first user, adding the first user to the social networking group that is associated with the particular video content;

sending a list of other media content recorded by the first media device associated with the first user for display on the social networking website, the social networking website also displaying lists of media content recorded by media devices associated with other users within the social networking group.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the other users within the social networking group are associated with devices that have recorded or played the particular video content.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the social networking website is configured to display each user associated with the social networking group on a single web page.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the information associating the first user with the particular video content further comprises a fee charged to the first user for playing the particular video content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associating the first user with the particular video content further includes one or more of:

a timestamp, a place depicted in a scene of the particular video content, an object depicted in the scene, or a person in the scene.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to input associated with the first user that selects a link for different media content from a given list of media content recorded by a given user within the social networking group, recording the different media content at the first media device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating a discussion forum for the two or more users within the social networking group, including the first user, associated with multiple devices that are synchronously playing the particular media content.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause performance of steps comprising:

receiving, during playing of particular video content by a first media device associated with a first user, a request to post information for display on a social networking website, the information identifying the particular video content;

in response to the request, sending information to the social networking website that associates the first user with the particular video content;

identifying, within the social networking website, a social networking group that is associated with the particular video content;

based on the playing of the particular video content by the first media device associated with the first user, adding the first user to the social networking group that is associated with the particular video content;

sending a list of other media content recorded by the first media device associated with the first user for display on the social networking website, the social networking website also displaying lists of media content recorded by media devices associated with other users within the social networking group.

9. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the other users within the social networking group are associated with devices that have recorded or played the particular video content.

10. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, the steps further comprising:

wherein the information associating the first user with the particular video content further comprises a fee charged to the first user for playing the particular video content.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the social networking website is configured to display each user associated with the social networking group on a single web page.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the information associating the first user with the particular video content further includes one or more of:

a timestamp, a place depicted in a scene of the particular video content, an object depicted in the scene, or a person in the scene.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, the steps further comprising, responsive to input associated with the first user that selects a link for different media content from a given list of media content recorded by a given user within the social networking group, recording the different media content at the first media device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, the steps further comprising initiating a discussion forum for the two or more users within the social networking group, including the first user, associated with multiple devices that are synchronously playing the particular media content.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that receives, during playing of particular video content by a first media device associated with a first user, a request to post information for display on a social networking website, the information identifying the particular video content;

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that in response to the request, sends information to the social networking website that associates the first user with the particular video content;

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that identifies, within the social networking website, a social networking group that is associated with the particular video content;

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that, based on the playing of the particular video content by the first media device associated with the first user, adds the first user to the social networking group that is associated with the particular video content;

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that sends a list of other media content recorded by the first media device associated with the first user for display on the social networking website, the social networking website also configured to displaying lists of media content recorded by media devices associated with other users within the social networking group.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the other users within the social networking group are associated with devices that have recorded or played the particular video content.

17. The apparatus of claim 15,

wherein the information associating the first user with the particular video content further comprises a fee charged to the first user for playing the particular video content.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the social networking website is configured to display each user associated with the social networking group on a single web page.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the information associating the first user with the particular video content further includes one or more of:

a timestamp, a place depicted in a scene of the particular video content, an object depicted in the scene, or a person in the scene.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a subsystem that, responsive to input associated with the first user that selects a link for different media content from a given list of media content recorded by a given user within the social networking group, records the different media content at the first media device.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a subsystem that initiates a discussion forum for the two or more users within the social networking group, including the first user, associated with multiple devices that are synchronously playing the particular media content.