Continuous digital content presentation across multiple devices

• US 9,712,371 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Andrews, III, Hoyet Harrison, Spurgat, Jeffrey Jonathan, Gladwin, Stephen Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Obaid, Fateh M
• Application Number:
  US13/612,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20130080582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,769 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/88 which are wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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

Abstract

A digital audio gateway device for use in a wireless network of digital audio playback devices. The gateway device is wirelessly linked to one or more digital audio playback devices to provide a gateway to the Internet for the digital audio playback devices. In addition to functioning as a gateway, the device provides additional functionality and may act as a cache of digital audio data for the various digital audio players connected in the wireless network and may also act to automatically update digital audio content on the audio players, synchronize digital audio content and playlists between the digital audio players and continue automatically or upon user request a particular playlist as the user moves from one digital audio player to another.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a user associated with a first digital content device, a request to present digital content to the user;

receiving, at the first digital content device, information associated with a presentation of the digital content by a second digital content device associated with the user, wherein the information associated with the presentation of the digital content by the second digital content device comprises a current position; and

presenting, by the first digital content device, the digital content beginning from the current position of the presentation of the digital content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital content comprises at least one of audio content or video content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first digital content device comprises an audio player or a video player.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second digital content device comprises an audio player or a video player.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first digital content device comprises a computer, a handheld player, an automotive player, a stand-alone player, a rack player or a television.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second digital content device comprises a computer, a handheld player, an automotive player, a stand-alone player, a rack player or a television.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the current position of the presentation of the digital content comprises a position other than a start point of the presentation.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the current position of the presentation of the digital content based on the presentation, by the first digital content device, of the digital content.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending, by the first digital content device, the updated current position to at least one other device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a disruption in the presentation of the digital content by the first digital content device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein detecting a disruption in the presentation of the digital content comprises detecting a communication signal loss.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising updating the current position to represent a position of the presentation at the time of the disruption.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

reestablishing a connection with the communication signal; and

upon reestablishing the connection with the communication signal, presenting, by the first digital content device, the digital content beginning from the updated current position.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform steps comprising:

receiving, from a user associated with a first digital content device, a request to present digital content to the user;

receiving information associated with a presentation of the digital content by a second digital content device associated with the user, wherein the information associated with the presentation of the digital content by the second digital content device comprises a current position of the presentation of the digital content; and

presenting the digital content beginning from the current position.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the digital content comprises at least one of audio content or video content.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein each of the first digital content device and the second digital content device comprises one of an audio player or a video player.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein each of the first digital content device and the second digital content device comprises one of a computer, a handheld player, an automotive player, a stand-alone player, a rack player or a television.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the current position of the presentation of the digital content is a position other than a start point of the presentation.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the step of updating the current position of the presentation of the digital content based on the presentation, by the first digital content device, of the digital content.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the step of sending, by the first digital content device, the updated current position to at least one other device.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the step of detecting a disruption in the presentation of the digital content by the first digital content device.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein detecting a disruption in the presentation of the digital content comprises detecting a communication signal loss.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22, further comprising updating the current position to represent a position of the presentation at the time of the disruption.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, further comprising instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the step of resuming, after the disruption, the presentation of the digital content beginning from the updated current position.

25. A mobile device comprising:

at least one processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

receive, from a user associated with the mobile device, a request to present digital content to the user;

receive information associated with a presentation of the digital content by a second device associated with the user, wherein the information associated with the presentation of the digital content by the second device comprises a current position of the presentation of the digital content; and

present, by the mobile device, the digital content beginning from the current position.

26. The mobile device of claim 25, wherein the digital content comprises at least one of audio content or video content.

27. The mobile device of claim 25, wherein each of the first mobile device and the second device comprises an audio player or a video player.

28. The mobile device of claim 25, wherein the current position of the presentation of the digital content is a position other than a start point of the presentation.

29. The mobile device of claim 25, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to update the current position of the presentation of the digital content based on the presentation, by the mobile device, of the digital content.

30. The mobile device of claim 29, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to send, by the mobile device, the updated current position of the presentation of the digital content to at least one other device.

31. The mobile device of claim 25, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to detect a disruption in the presentation of the digital content by the mobile device.

32. The mobile of claim 31, wherein detecting a disruption in the presenting the digital content comprises detecting a communication signal loss.

33. The mobile device of claim 32, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to update the current position to represent a position of the presentation at the time of the disruption.

34. The mobile device of claim 33, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

reestablish connection with the communication signal; and

upon reestablishing connection with the communication signal, present the digital content beginning from the updated current position.