Multiple devices multimedia control

• US 8,799,495 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2008
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Labs Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.), Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wohlert, Randolph, Mahdi, Kaniz
• Primary Examiner(s): LI, GUANG W
• Application Number:
  US12/336,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20100153576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,057 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1059 End-user terminal functionalities specially adapted for real-time communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• 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 21/64322 IP

Abstract

The claimed subject matter provides systems and/or methods that effectuate initiating, transferring, manipulating, and/or maintaining simultaneous real time streaming of multimedia content. The system can include devices and components that synchronize multimedia distribution to disparate user devices, distribute media streams to the disparate user devices, and provide media control over the media streams by the disparate user devices.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory to store executable instructions; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, that facilitates execution of the executable instructions to perform operations, comprising;

receiving, from a first device, selection data representing a set of devices to which multimedia content is to be streamed, wherein the set of devices comprises the first device and the devices of the set of devices are configured to play the multimedia content;

receiving, from the first device, a command to initiate synchronized playback of the multimedia content by the set of devices;

synchronizing distribution of media streams comprising the multimedia content to the devices of the set of devices;

receiving, from at least two devices of the set of devices, at least two other commands, respectively, to control the synchronized playback of the multimedia content by the set of devices;

arbitrating a conflict determined to have arisen between the at least two other commands in response to receiving the at least two other commands within a predetermined window of time; and

directing control of the synchronized playback of the multimedia content by the set of devices comprising applying the at least two other commands to the media streams based on a resolution of the arbitrating.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is an application server of a cellular network that establishes and supports the control of the synchronized playback of the multimedia content.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the devices of the set of devices communicate with the system via different network devices of different access networks to actuate the synchronizing of the distribution, and to communicate the at least two other commands to the system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the synchronizing comprises, in response to the receiving the command, setting up a streaming media session between a source of the multimedia content and the devices to effectuate synchronized streaming of the media streams to the devices.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the arbitrating comprises assigning a priority for the applying of one of the at least two other commands based on an order of receipt of the at least two other commands.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the arbitrating comprises assigning a priority for the applying of one of the at least two other commands based on priority levels respectively associated with the at least two devices from which the at least two other commands were received.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the arbitrating comprises assigning a priority for the applying of one of the at least two other commands based on priority levels respectively associated with the at least two other commands.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the media streams respectively comprise different media components of the multimedia content and the synchronizing further comprises synchronizing distribution of the different media components of the multimedia content to different devices of the set of devices.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the different devices of the set of devices have different multimedia capabilities and are configured to play the different media components of the multimedia content as a function of the different multimedia capabilities, and wherein the different multimedia components comprise audio and video components.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein a first media stream of the media streams comprises an audio component and a second media steam of the media streams comprises a video component, and wherein the synchronizing the distribution further comprises synchronizing distribution of the first media stream to a first device of the set of devices configured to play the audio component and the second media stream to a second device of the set of devices configured to play the video component.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a system comprising a processor, a command from a device of a set of devices to initiate synchronized playback of multimedia content by the set of devices, wherein the devices of the set of devices are configured to play the multimedia content;

synchronizing, by the system, distribution of media streams comprising the multimedia content to the devices of the set of devices;

receiving, by the system, from devices of the set of devices, other commands, respectively, to control the synchronized playback of the multimedia content by the set of devices;

arbitrating a conflict determined to have arisen between the other commands in response to receiving the other commands within a predetermined window of time; and

directing, by the system, control of the synchronized playback of the multimedia content by the set of devices comprising applying the other commands to the media streams based on an outcome of the arbitrating.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the other commands comprises a pause command to pause the synchronized playback of the multimedia content.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the wherein the arbitrating comprises assigning a priority for the applying of one of the other commands based on an order of receipt of the other commands.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the arbitrating comprises assigning a priority for the applying of one of the other commands based on priority levels respectively associated with the devices from which the other commands were received.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein one device of the devices is permitted to issue one of the other commands at a time.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising, transferring, by the system, a control token that enables the devices to communicate the other commands from a first device of the devices to a second device of the devices.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the arbitrating comprises assigning a priority for the applying of one of the second commands based on priority levels respectively associated with the second commands.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein a first media stream of the media streams comprises an audio component and a second media steam of the media streams comprises a video component, and wherein the synchronizing the distribution further comprises synchronizing distribution of the first media stream to a first device of the set of devices configured to play the audio component and the second media stream to a second device of the set of devices configured to play the video component.

19. A computer readable storage device comprising computer executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system to perform operations, comprising:

receiving a first command from a first device of a set of devices to initiate synchronized playback of multimedia content by the set of devices, wherein the set of devices are configured to play the multimedia content;

synchronizing distribution of media streams comprising the multimedia content to the set of devices;

receiving, from the set of devices, second commands to control the synchronized playback of the multimedia content by the set of devices;

arbitrating a conflict arising between the second commands in response to determination that the conflict is present and in response to receiving the second commands within a predetermined window of time; and

directing control of the synchronized playback of the multimedia content by the set of devices by applying the second commands to the media streams based on a resolution of the arbitrating.

20. The computer readable storage device of claim 19, wherein the synchronizing comprises, in response to the receiving the first command, setting up a streaming media session between a source of the multimedia content and the set of devices to effectuate synchronized streaming of the media streams to the set of devices.

21. The computer readable storage device of claim 19, wherein the arbitrating comprises assigning a priority for the applying of one of the second commands based on an order of receipt of the second commands.

22. The computer readable storage device of claim 19, wherein the arbitrating comprises assigning a priority for the applying of one of the second commands based on priority levels respectively associated with the set of devices from which the second commands were received.

23. The computer readable storage device of claim 19, wherein the arbitrating comprises assigning a priority for the applying of one of the second commands based on priority levels respectively associated with the second commands.

24. The computer readable storage device of claim 19, wherein a first media stream of the media streams comprises an audio component and a second media steam of the media streams comprises a video component, and wherein the synchronizing the distribution further comprises synchronizing distribution of the first media stream to a first device of the set of devices configured to play the audio component and the second media stream to a second device of the set of devices configured to play the video component.