TRANSITIONING VIDEO BETWEEN TELEVISION AND TABLET COMPUTER OR THE LIKE

• US 20130191757A1
• Filed: 01/23/2012
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Smith, Robert Todd, Stark, James C.
• Granted Patent: US 10,389,778 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/748
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• 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 21/4222 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 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82

Abstract

A plurality of icons are displayed on a companion device having a touch screen interface; the icons can be manipulated by the touch screen interface, and each of the plurality of icons represents a different one of a plurality of audiovisual assets which can be viewed on an external audiovisual device. An input gesture on the touch screen interface is obtained from a user of the companion device, wherein a given one of the icons is flicked in a manner associated with the external audiovisual device. Responsive to the obtaining of the gesture, a signal is dispatched from the companion device. The signal causes the external audiovisual device to access a given one of the plurality of audiovisual assets associated with the given one of the icons. Techniques for other than touch screen devices, and techniques to obtain programs on the companion device, are also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

displaying, on a companion device having a touch screen interface, a plurality of icons, which can be manipulated by said touch screen interface, each of said plurality of icons representing a different one of a plurality of audiovisual assets which can be viewed on an external audiovisual device;

obtaining, from a user of said companion device, an input gesture on said touch screen interface, wherein a given one of said icons is flicked in a manner associated with said external audiovisual device; and

responsive to said obtaining of said gesture, dispatching a signal from said companion device, said signal causing said external audiovisual device to access a given one of said plurality of audiovisual assets associated with said given one of said icons.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising downloading an application onto said companion device, wherein said displaying, obtaining, and dispatching step are carried out, at least in part, by executing said application on said companion device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said downloading comprises downloading from an on-line application store maintained by a manufacturer of said companion device, and wherein said application comprises a native application.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

said external audiovisual device accesses said given one of said plurality of audiovisual assets associated with said given one of said icons over a hybrid fiber coaxial network via a radio frequency quadrature amplitude modulation scheme;

said user of said companion device has a data subscription over said hybrid fiber coaxial network; and

said downloading comprises downloading from a web application server via said data subscription of said user, said application comprising a web application.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining, from said user of said companion device, an indication, on said touch screen interface, that said user wishes to focus on said given one of said icons; and

responsive to said indication that said user wishes to focus on said given one of said icons, displaying on said companion device a screen with additional details regarding said given one of said plurality of audiovisual assets associated with said given one of said icons;

wherein said input gesture is obtained from said screen with said additional details.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said input gesture is obtained from a screen showing said plurality of icons.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining, at said companion device, from a network address resolver at a remote location, a network address of said external audiovisual device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said dispatching of said signal from said companion device comprises dispatching from said companion device to said external audiovisual device over a premises network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of icons comprises a first plurality of icons and said external audiovisual device is one of a plurality of external audiovisual devices, further comprising:

displaying, on said companion device, a second plurality of icons, each of said second plurality of icons representing a different one of said plurality of external audiovisual devices with which said companion device can be associated; and

obtaining, at said companion device, a selection from said user, said selection specifying a given one of said plurality of external audiovisual devices to be currently associated with said companion device;

wherein said signal is dispatched to said given one of said plurality of external audiovisual devices selected to be currently associated with said companion device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein in said displaying step, said external audiovisual devices are collocated with said companion device.

11. A method comprising the steps of:

displaying, on a companion device, a plurality of icons, each of said plurality of icons representing a different one of a plurality of audiovisual assets which can be viewed on an external audiovisual device;

obtaining, at said companion device, from a network address resolver at a remote location, a network address of said external audiovisual device;

obtaining, from a user of said companion device, a selection of a given one of said icons; and

responsive to said selection, dispatching a signal from said companion device, to said network address of said external audiovisual device, to cause said external audiovisual device to access a given one of said plurality of audiovisual assets associated with said given one of said icons.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein in said displaying step, said external audiovisual device is collocated with said companion device and wherein, in said dispatching step, said signal is dispatched over a premises network.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising downloading an application onto said companion device, wherein said displaying step, said obtaining steps, and said dispatching step are carried out, at least in part, by executing said application on said companion device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said downloading comprises downloading from an on-line application store maintained by a manufacturer of said companion device, and wherein said application comprises a native application.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein:

said external audiovisual device accesses said given one of said plurality of audiovisual assets associated with said given one of said icons over a hybrid fiber coaxial network via a radio frequency quadrature amplitude modulation scheme;

said user of said companion device has a data subscription over said hybrid fiber coaxial network; and

said downloading comprises downloading from a web application server via said data subscription of said user, said application comprising a web application.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

obtaining, at said companion device, from a network address resolver at a remote location, a network address of said external audiovisual device;

wherein;

said dispatching of said signal from said companion device comprises dispatching from said companion device to said external audiovisual device over said premises network.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein said plurality of icons comprises a first plurality of icons and said external audiovisual device is one of a plurality of external audiovisual devices, further comprising:

displaying, on said companion device, a second plurality of icons, each of said second plurality of icons representing a different one of said plurality of external audiovisual devices with which said companion device can be associated, said external audiovisual devices being collocated with said companion device; and

obtaining, at said companion device, a selection from said user, said selection specifying a given one of said plurality of external audiovisual devices to be currently associated with said companion device;

wherein said signal is dispatched to said given one of said plurality of external audiovisual devices selected to be currently associated with said companion device.

18. A method comprising the steps of:

displaying, on a companion device, a plurality of icons, each of said plurality of icons representing a different one of a plurality of external audiovisual devices with which said companion device can be associated;

obtaining, at said companion device, a selection from a user thereof, said selection specifying a given one of said plurality of external audiovisual devices to be currently associated with said companion device;

displaying, on said companion device, data about a program currently playing on said given one of said external audiovisual devices that is currently associated with said companion device;

obtaining, at said companion device, an indication from a user thereof, that said user desires to watch, on said companion device, said program currently playing on said given one of said external audiovisual devices that is currently associated with said companion device; and

responsive to said indication, playing, on said companion device, said program currently playing on said given one of said external audiovisual devices that is currently associated with said companion device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, in said step of displaying said plurality of icons, said external audiovisual devices are collocated with said companion device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

obtaining, at said companion device, from a network address resolver at a remote location, a network address of at least said given one of said external audiovisual devices that is currently associated with said companion device;

wherein said displaying, on said companion device, of said data about said program currently playing on said given one of said external audiovisual devices that is currently associated with said companion device, comprises;

said companion device communicating with a web service on at least said given one of said external audiovisual devices that is currently associated with said companion device to determine an identity of said program currently playing on said given one of said external audiovisual devices that is currently associated with said companion device; and

said companion device communicating with a remote metadata service to obtain enhanced data about said program currently playing on said given one of said external audiovisual devices that is currently associated with said companion device, said enhanced data not being available on said given one of said external audiovisual devices that is currently associated with said companion device; and

wherein said playing, on said companion device, of said program currently playing on said given one of said external audiovisual devices that is currently associated with said companion device comprises said companion device requesting, via a data connection to an external content data network, streaming of said program currently playing on said given one of said external audiovisual devices in a form for display on said companion device.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising downloading an application onto said companion device, wherein said displaying steps and said obtaining steps are carried out, at least in part, by executing said application on said companion device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said downloading comprises downloading from an on-line application store maintained by a manufacturer of said companion device.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein:

said external audiovisual device accesses said given one of said plurality of audiovisual assets associated with said given one of said icons over a hybrid fiber coaxial network via a radio frequency quadrature amplitude modulation scheme;

said user of said companion device has a data subscription over said hybrid fiber coaxial network; and

said downloading comprises downloading from a web application server via said data subscription of said user.

24. An article of manufacture comprising a computer program product, said computer program product comprising:

a tangible computer-readable recordable storage medium, storing in a non-transitory manner computer readable program code, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to display, on a companion device having a touch screen interface, a plurality of icons, which can be manipulated by said touch screen interface, each of said plurality of icons representing a different one of a plurality of audiovisual assets which can be viewed on an external audiovisual device;

computer readable program code configured to obtain, from a user of said companion device, an input gesture on said touch screen interface, wherein a given one of said icons is flicked in a manner associated with said external audiovisual device; and

computer readable program code configured to, responsive to said obtaining of said gesture, dispatch a signal from said companion device, said signal causing said external audiovisual device to access a given one of said plurality of audiovisual assets associated with said given one of said icons.

25. An article of manufacture comprising a computer program product, said computer program product comprising:

a tangible computer-readable recordable storage medium, storing in a non-transitory manner computer readable program code, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to display, on a companion device, a plurality of icons, each of said plurality of icons representing a different one of a plurality of audiovisual assets which can be viewed on an external audiovisual device;

computer readable program code configured to obtain, at said companion device, from a network address resolver at a remote location, a network address of said external audiovisual device;

computer readable program code configured to obtain, from a user of said companion device, a selection of a given one of said icons; and

computer readable program code configured to, responsive to said selection, dispatch a signal from said companion device, to said network address of said external audiovisual device, to cause said external audiovisual device to access a given one of said plurality of audiovisual assets associated with said given one of said icons.

26. An article of manufacture comprising a computer program product, said computer program product comprising:

a tangible computer-readable recordable storage medium, storing in a non-transitory manner computer readable program code, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to display, on a companion device, a plurality of icons, each of said plurality of icons representing a different one of a plurality of external audiovisual devices with which said companion device can be associated;

computer readable program code configured to obtain, at said companion device, a selection from a user thereof, said selection specifying a given one of said plurality of external audiovisual devices to be currently associated with said companion device;

computer readable program code configured to display, on said companion device, data about a program currently playing on said given one of said external audiovisual devices that is currently associated with said companion device;

computer readable program code configured to obtain, at said companion device, an indication from a user thereof, that said user desires to watch, on said companion device, said program currently playing on said given one of said external audiovisual devices that is currently associated with said companion device; and

computer readable program code configured to, responsive to said indication, play, on said companion device, said program currently playing on said given one of said external audiovisual devices that is currently associated with said companion device.

27. A method comprising the steps of:

providing, to a companion device, from a web service executing on an external audiovisual device, an identity of a program currently playing on said external audiovisual device;

obtaining, from said companion device, at said external audiovisual device, an indication that said program currently playing on said external audiovisual device is to be streamed to said companion device; and

responsive to said indication, streaming said program currently playing on said external audiovisual device to said companion device.