Content navigation module and method

• US 20100005137A1
• Filed: 07/07/2008
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Mezzatesta, Frank JR., McArdle, William, Kalama, Asa
• Granted Patent: US 8,055,784 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/418 External card to be used in combination with the client device, e.g. for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4184 providing storage capabilities, e.g. memory stick
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43078 for seamlessly watching content streams when changing device, e.g. when watching the same program sequentially on a TV and then on a tablet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand

Abstract

There is provided a method for use by a content navigation module for managing delivery of content. The method comprising communicating an identifier contained in the content navigation module with a first computing device to enable the first computing device to receive a selected content from a presentation server over a network; receiving a delivery progress of the selected content from the first computing device periodically; storing the delivery progress of the selected content; losing communication with the first computing device after storing the delivery progress; and communicating the identifier contained in the content navigation module and the delivery progress of the selected content with a second computing device to enable the second computing device to resume receiving the selected content from the server over the network according to the delivery progress of the selected content stored in the content navigation module.

Claims

1. A method for use by a content navigation module for managing delivery of content, the method comprising:

communicating an identifier contained in the content navigation module with a first computing device to enable the first computing device to receive a selected content from a presentation server over a network;

receiving a delivery progress of the selected content from the first computing device periodically;

storing the delivery progress of the selected content;

losing communication with the first computing device after storing the delivery progress of the selected content; and

communicating the identifier contained in the content navigation module and the delivery progress of the selected content stored in the content navigation module with a second computing device to enable the second computing device to resume receiving the selected content from the server over the network according to the delivery progress of the selected content stored in the content navigation module.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface is a wireless interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface is further configured to deliver a desired notification as an alarm relating to a scheduled media presentation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and the second computing devices are each one of a television system, a mobile telephone, a digital media player, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wired or wireless computer, a gaming console, and an automobile entertainment system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the content navigation module is a stick with the interface being a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computing device and the second computing device are the same computing device.

7. A content navigation module for managing delivery of content, the content navigation module comprising:

a memory configured to store an identifier;

an interface configured to communicate the identifier contained in the content navigation module with a first computing device to enable the first computing device to receive a selected content from a presentation server over a network;

the interface further configured to receive a delivery progress of the selected content from the first computing device periodically;

the memory further configured to store the delivery progress of the selected content;

the interface further configured to communicate the identifier contained in the content navigation module and the delivery progress of the selected content stored in the content navigation module with a second computing device to enable the second computing device to resume receiving the selected content from the server over the network according to the delivery progress of the selected content stored in the content navigation module.

8. The content navigation module of claim 7, wherein the interface is a wireless interface.

9. The content navigation module of claim 7, wherein the interface is further configured to deliver a desired notification as an alarm relating to a scheduled media presentation.

10. The content navigation module of claim 7, wherein the first and the second computing devices are each one of a television system, a mobile telephone, a digital media player, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wired or wireless computer, a gaming console, and an automobile entertainment system.

11. The content navigation module of claim 7, wherein the content navigation module is a stick with the interface being a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface.

12. A method for managing delivery of content by a server providing the content over a network, the method comprising:

receiving an identifier over the network from a first computing device, wherein the identifier identifies a content navigation module in communication with the first computing device;

delivering a selected content to the first computing device over the network after receiving the identifier;

associating the selected media content with the identifier;

receiving a termination request from the first computing device over the network caused by a termination of the communication between the first computing device and the content navigation module;

storing a delivery progress of the selected content in response to receiving the termination request;

associating the delivery progress of the selected content with the identifier;

receiving the identifier over the network from a second computing device, wherein the identifier identifies the content navigation module in communication the second computing device;

retrieving the delivery progress of the selected media content stored in the server;

delivering the selected content to the second computing device over the network after receiving the identifier according to the delivery progress associated with the identifier.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the selected content comprises streaming content.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the selected content is one of an entertainment content, a sports content, a news content, an instructional content, an interactive shopping experience, and an interactive game.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first and the second computing devices are each one of a television system, a mobile telephone, a digital media player, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wired or wireless computer, a gaming console, and an automobile entertainment system.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the first computing device and the second computing device are the same computing device.

17. A content navigation module for managing delivery of content, the content navigation module comprising:

a swappable computer readable medium;

a content control application stored on the swappable computer readable medium;

the content control application configured to self-execute when the content navigation module is accessed by a computing device;

the content control application further configured to launch a browser local to the computing device, navigate to a remote media player, and control a selected content provided by the remote media player; and

the content navigation module enabling a user to pause the selected content on a first computing device and resume the selected content on a second computing device.

18. The content navigation module of claim 17, wherein the selected content provided by the remote media player and controlled by the content control application is one of an entertainment content, a sports content, a news content, an instructional content, an interactive shopping experience, and an interactive game.

19. The content navigation module of claim 17, wherein the content control application is further configured to coordinate communication of a desired notification to the user.

20. The content navigation module of claim 17, further comprising an alarm unit for alerting the user.

21. The content navigation module of claim 17, further comprising a content selection control enabling the user to select content utilizing the content navigation module.

22. The content navigation module of claim 17, further comprising stored content residing on the swappable computer readable medium.

23. The content navigation module of claim 17, further comprising a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface for access by the computing device.

24. The content navigation module of claim 17, further comprising a wireless interface for access by the computing device.

25. The content navigation module of claim 24, wherein the content navigation module is configured to remotely control presentation of the selected content by the computing device.