Mobile electronic device and method for controlling a media player device to play back media

• US 9,886,232 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2014
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Vandeweerd, Sean, Nathwani, Sanjay
• Primary Examiner(s): McCord, Paul
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELJAIEK, ALEXANDER L
• Application Number:
  US14/317,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20150378666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 348180, 381 58, 381 86, 455 412, 455 631, 455 6711, 4552261, 700 94, 709201, 709213, 709231
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• 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 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• 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 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• 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 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

According to embodiments described in the specification, a mobile electronic device and method for controlling a media player device to play back media are provided. The mobile device includes: a network interface; a memory storing first audio data and second audio data; a microphone; and a processor interconnected with the network interface, the memory and the microphone, the processor operating to: transmit, to a media player device via the network interface, a request to initiate a connection between the mobile device and the media player device; send the first audio data over the connection to the media player device for playback by the media player device; detect the playback of the first audio data via the microphone; and in response to detecting playback of the first audio data, send the second audio data over the connection to the player device for playback by the media player device.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

a network interface;

a memory storing first audio data and second audio data, and a database containing a record including a media player device identifier and a corresponding lag time, the corresponding lag time comprising an indication of a time elapsed between a receipt of confirmation from a media player device, identified by the media player device identifier, that a connection is ready and an actual time that the connection is ready for audio playback, a positive lag time indicating that the media player device reports that the connection is ready before it is actually ready for the audio playback, and a negative lag time indicating that the media player device reports that the connection is ready after it is actually ready for the audio playback;

a microphone; and

a processor interconnected with the network interface, the memory and the microphone, the processor operating to;

transmit, to the media player device via the network interface, a request to initiate a connection between the mobile device and the media player device;

responsive to transmitting the request to initiate the connection, receive an identifier of the media player device;

when the identifier is not present in the database and a confirmation has been received from the media player device that the connection is ready;

send the first audio data over the connection to the media player device for playback by the media player device;

detect the playback of the first audio data via the microphone; and

in response to detecting playback of the first audio data, send the second audio data over the connection to the player device for playback by the media player device;

when the identifier matches the media player device identifier present in the database, the confirmation has been received, and the corresponding lag time is positive;

when a period of time has elapsed beginning from when the confirmation was received and having a length equal to the corresponding lag time;

send the second audio data over the connection; and

,

when the identifier matches the media player device identifier present in the database, and the corresponding lag time is negative;

send the second audio data over the connection to the player device for playback by the media player device when the identifier is received and prior to the confirmation being received.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the first audio data comprises a series of discrete tones.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein detecting the playback of the first audio data comprises:

receiving recorded data from the microphone and storing the recorded data; and

comparing at least a portion of the recorded data to the first audio data.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operating to:

when the identifier matches the media player device identifier present in the database, and the corresponding lag time is negative;

send the second audio data over the connection to the player device for playback by the media player device immediately when the identifier is received and prior to the confirmation being received.

5. A method comprising:

in a mobile device having a processor interconnected with a network interface, a memory storing first audio data and second audio data, and a database containing a record including a media player device identifier and a corresponding lag time, and a microphone, the corresponding lag time comprising an indication of a time elapsed between a receipt of confirmation from a media player device, identified by the media player device identifier, that a connection is ready and an actual time that the connection is ready for audio playback, a positive lag time indicating that the media player device reports that the connection is ready before it is actually ready for the audio playback, and a negative lag time indicating that the media player device reports that the connection is ready after it is actually ready for the audio playback, transmitting, from the processor to the media player device via the network interface, a request to initiate a connection between the mobile device and the media player device;

responsive to the transmitting the request to initiate the connection, receiving an identifier of the media player device;

when the identifier is not present in the database and a confirmation has been received from the media player device that the connection is ready;

sending the first audio data over the connection to the media player device for playback by the player device;

detecting, at the processor, the playback of the first audio data via the microphone; and

in response to detecting playback of the first audio data, sending the second audio data over the connection to the media player device for playback by the media player device;

when the identifier matches the media player device identifier present in the database, the confirmation has been received, and the corresponding lag time is positive;

when a period of time has elapsed beginning from when the confirmation was received and having a length equal to the corresponding lag time;

sending the second audio data over the connection; and

,

when the identifier matches the media player device identifier present in the database, and the corresponding lag time is negative;

sending the second audio data over the connection to the player device for playback by the media player device when the identifier is received and prior to the confirmation being received.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first audio data comprises a series of discrete tones.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein detecting the playback of the first audio data comprises:

receiving recorded data from the microphone and storing the recorded data; and

comparing at least a portion of the recorded data to the first audio data.

8. The method claim 5, further comprising:

when the identifier matches the media player device identifier present in the database, and the corresponding lag time is negative;

sending the second audio data over the connection to the player device for playback by the media player device immediately when the identifier is received and prior to the confirmation being received.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program wherein execution of the computer program is for:

in a mobile device having a processor interconnected with a network interface, a memory storing first audio data and second audio data, and a database containing a record including a media player device identifier and a corresponding lag time, and a microphone, the corresponding lag time comprising an indication of a time elapsed between a receipt of confirmation from a media player device, identified by the media player device identifier, that a connection is ready and an actual time that the connection is ready for audio playback, a positive lag time indicating that the media player device reports that the connection is ready before it is actually ready for the audio playback, and a negative lag time indicating that the media player device reports that the connection is ready after it is actually ready for the audio playback, transmitting, from the processor to the media player device via the network interface, a request to initiate a connection between the mobile device and the media player device;

responsive to the transmitting the request to initiate the connection, receiving an identifier of the media player device;

when the identifier is not present in the database and a confirmation has been received from the media player device that the connection is ready;

sending the first audio data over the connection to the media player device for playback by the player device;

detecting, at the processor, the playback of the first audio data via the microphone; and

in response to detecting playback of the first audio data, sending the second audio data over the connection to the media player device for playback by the media player device;

when the identifier matches the media player device identifier present in the database, the confirmation has been received, and the corresponding lag time is positive;

when a period of time has elapsed beginning from when the confirmation was received and having a length equal to the corresponding lag time;

sending the second audio data over the connection; and

,

when the identifier matches the media player device identifier present in the database, and the corresponding lag time is negative;

sending the second audio data over the connection to the player device for playback by the media player device when the identifier is received and prior to the confirmation being received.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first audio data comprises a series of discrete tones.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein detecting the playback of the first audio data comprises:

receiving recorded data from the microphone and storing the recorded data; and

comparing at least a portion of the recorded data to the first audio data.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein execution of the computer program is for:

when the identifier matches the media player device identifier present in the database, and the corresponding lag time is negative;

sending the second audio data over the connection to the player device for playback by the media player device immediately when the identifier is received and prior to the confirmation being received.