METHODS AND DEVICES FOR TERMINAL CONTROL

• US 20140095965A1
• Filed: 12/06/2013
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tencent Technology Company Limited (Tencent Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: Tencent Technology Company Limited (Tencent Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: LI, Lie Qiang
• Granted Patent: US 9,846,685 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/12 Use of codes for handling textual entities
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43076 of the same content streams on multiple devices, e.g. when family members are watching the same movie on different devices

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses methods and devices for terminal control. The method comprises: sending a request from a first terminal to a server to obtain information about a multimedia application currently running on a second terminal, the information comprising application identification and one or more playback attributes of the multimedia application; displaying on the first terminal the information about the multimedia application currently running on the second terminal; generating by the first terminal one or more new playback attributes of the currently running multimedia application, and sending from the first terminal to the second terminal via the server a synchronization control request comprising the one or more new playback attributes, thereby allowing the second terminal to control the multimedia playback of the multimedia application based on the one or more new playback attributes in the synchronization control request. The present disclosure can allow one to use one terminal in the Internet to control the multimedia playback on another terminal. This can accomplish the combination of hardware advantages of both terminals and can increase the efficiency of playback control.

Claims

1. A terminal control method comprising:

receiving a synchronization request from a first terminal, the synchronization request being configured to obtain information about a currently running multimedia application, the information comprising application identification and one or more playback attributes of the currently running multimedia application,

obtaining the information from a second terminal in accordance with the synchronization request, and

sending the information to the first terminal.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising, after receiving the synchronization request from the first terminal and before sending the information to the first terminal,

verifying that the first terminal has authority to obtain the information.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising, after sending the information to the first terminal,

receiving a synchronization control request from the first terminal, the synchronization control request comprising one or more new playback attributes of the currently running multimedia application, and

sending the synchronization control request to the second terminal, thereby allowing the second terminal to control the currently running multimedia application in accordance with the one or more new playback attributes.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising:

receiving a second synchronization request from the second terminal, the second synchronization control request being configured to obtain information about a second currently running multimedia application, the information comprising application identification and one or more playback attributes of the second currently running multimedia application,

obtaining the information about the second currently running multimedia application from the first terminal in accordance with the second synchronization request, and

sending the information about the second currently running multimedia application to the second terminal.

5. The method of claim 4 comprising, after sending the information about the second currently running multimedia application to the second terminal,

receiving a second synchronization control request from the second terminal, the second synchronization control request comprising one or more new playback attributes of the second currently running multimedia application, and

sending the second synchronization control request to the first terminal, thereby allowing the first terminal to control the second currently running multimedia application in accordance with the one or more new playback attributes in the second synchronization control request.

6. A terminal control method comprising:

sending a synchronization request to a terminal to obtain information about a currently running multimedia application, the information comprising application identification and one or more playback attributes of the currently running multimedia application,

receiving the information from the terminal, and

displaying the information.

7. The method of claim 6 comprising, after displaying the information,

generating one or more new playback attributes of the currently running multimedia application in accordance with one or more user commands;

and

sending a synchronization control request to the terminal, the synchronization control request comprising the one or more new playback attributes, thereby allowing the terminal to control the currently running multimedia application in accordance with the one or more new playback attributes in the synchronization control request.

8. The method of claim 6 comprising:

receiving a second synchronization request from the terminal, the second synchronization request being configured to obtain information about a second currently running multimedia application, the information comprising application identification and one or more playback attributes of the second currently running multimedia application,

generating the information about the second currently running multimedia application in accordance with the second synchronization request, and

sending the information about the second currently running multimedia application to the terminal.

9. The method of claim 8 comprising, after receiving the second synchronization request from the terminal and before sending the information about the second currently running multimedia application to the terminal,

verifying that the terminal has authority to obtain the information.

10. The method of claim 8 comprising, after sending the information about the second currently running multimedia application to the terminal,

receiving a second synchronization control request from the terminal, the second synchronization control request comprising one or more new playback attributes of the second currently running multimedia application, and

controlling the second currently running multimedia application in accordance with the one or more new playback attributes in the second synchronization control request.

12. The method of claim 11 comprising, after receiving the second synchronization control request from the terminal and before controlling the second currently running multimedia application,

verifying that the terminal has authority to control the second currently running multimedia application.

13. A terminal control method comprising:

receiving a synchronization request from a terminal, the synchronization request being configured to obtain information about a currently running multimedia application, the information comprising application identification and one or more playback attributes of the currently running multimedia application,

generating the information in accordance with the synchronization request, and

sending the information to the terminal.

14. The method of claim 13 comprising, after receiving the synchronization request from the terminal and before sending the information to the terminal,

verifying that the terminal has authority to obtain the information.

15. The method of claim 13 comprising, after sending the information to the terminal,

receiving a synchronization control request from the terminal, the synchronization control request comprising one or more new playback attributes of the currently running multimedia application, and

controlling the currently running multimedia application in accordance with the one or more new playback attributes in the synchronization control request.

16. The method of claim 15 comprising, after receiving the synchronization control request from the terminal and before controlling the currently running multimedia application,

verifying that the terminal has authority to control the currently running multimedia application.

17. The method of claim 13 comprising:

sending a second synchronization request to the terminal to obtain information about a second currently running multimedia application, the information comprising application identification and one or more playback attributes of the second currently running multimedia application,

receiving the information about the second currently running multimedia application,

displaying the information about the second currently running multimedia application,

generating one or more new playback attributes of the second currently running multimedia application in accordance with one or more user commands, and

sending a second synchronization control request to the terminal, the second synchronization control request comprising the one or more new playback attributes of the second currently running multimedia application, thereby allowing the terminal to control the second currently running multimedia application in accordance with the one or more new playback attributes in the second synchronization control request.

18. A network server comprising:

a synchronization request receiving module, configured to receive a synchronization request from a first terminal, the synchronization request being configured to obtain information about a currently running multimedia application, the information comprising application identification and one or more playback attributes of the currently running multimedia application, and

a synchronization information returning module, configured to obtain the information from a second terminal in accordance with the synchronization request, and to send the information to the first terminal.

19. The network server of claim 18 comprising:

a synchronization control request receiving module, configured to receive a synchronization control request from the first terminal, the synchronization control request comprising one or more new playback attributes of the currently running multimedia application, and

a synchronization control request sending module, configured to send the synchronization control request to the second terminal, thereby allowing the second terminal to control the currently running multimedia application in accordance with the one or more new playback attributes in the synchronization control request.

20. The network server of claim 19 comprising:

a synchronization control request verification module, configured to verify, in accordance with the synchronization control request, whether the first terminal has authority to control the currently running multimedia application.