Displaying information on a TV remote and video on the TV

• US 9,173,005 B1
• Filed: 12/26/2013
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ilook Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ilook Corporation
• Inventors: Redford, Peter, Chander, Bala
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US14/140,980
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/414.1, 455/556.1, 725/39
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• 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 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

A handheld screen is used as a supplement to a television screen. Specifically, messages are displayed on a handheld screen to supplement a video displayed on a television (TV) screen. Display of social media messages and/or promotional messages on a handheld screen is coordinated with the display of video on the television screen. The social media messages on the handheld screen are selected by a computer system to match a specific video being displayed on the TV screen. The display of social media messages occurs simultaneously or contemporaneously relative to the video display e.g. the two displays are made to overlap in time by the computer system transmitting the social media messages within a predetermined duration of transmission of the video to the television. Display of supplementary information on a handheld screen in a timely manner relative to video display on the TV screen provides a richer viewing experience.

Claims

1. A method of using a computer system that may be coupled to at least a television, the computer system comprising a computer, each of the computer and the television comprising at least a processor and a memory, the method comprising:

using an attribute of a video transmitted to the television, the computer system automatically selecting a social media message that comprises a user name and a text string input by an author identified by said user name; and

within a predetermined duration of transmission of said video, the computer system automatically transmitting said social media message to a handheld device that is co-located with the television in a common room within a building.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the attribute comprises a plurality of keywords associated with the video.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

a keyword in the plurality of keywords identifies an individual or an item shown in the video.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the attribute indicates at least one of;

a rating of the video or a number of times the video has been viewed.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the video is broadcast live.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the video is displayed on demand.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the video is associated with a first keyword;

the social media message is associated with a second keyword; and

the method further comprises the computer system matching the first keyword and the second keyword to one another.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the computer system receiving an association between an identification of the handheld device and an identification of the television.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the computer system automatically selecting a promotional message, said promotional message comprising a name of a product or a service to be sold; and

the computer system automatically transmitting said promotional message to the handheld device.

10. One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions executable to cause performance of a method by a computer system that may be coupled to at least a television, each of the computer and the television comprising at least a processor and a memory, the method comprising:

using an attribute of a video transmitted to the television, the computer system automatically selecting a social media message that comprises a user name and a text string input by an author identified by said user name; and

within a predetermined duration of transmission of said video, the computer system automatically transmitting said social media message to a handheld device that is co-located with the television in a common room within a building.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 10 wherein:

the attribute comprises a plurality of keywords associated with the video.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 11 wherein:

a keyword in the plurality of keywords identifies an individual or an item shown in the video.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 11 wherein:

the attribute indicates at least one of;

a rating of the video or a number of times the video has been viewed.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 11 wherein:

the video is broadcast live.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 11 wherein:

the video is displayed on demand.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 11 wherein:

the video is associated with a first keyword;

the social media message is associated with a second keyword; and

the method further comprises the computer system matching the first keyword and the second keyword to one another.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 11 wherein the method further comprises:

the computer system receiving an association between an identification of the handheld device and an identification of the television.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 11 wherein the method further comprises:

the computer system automatically selecting a promotional message, said promotional message comprising a name of a product or a service to be sold; and

the computer system automatically transmitting said promotional message to the handheld device.

19. A system comprising a computer coupled to at least a television, each of the computer and the television comprising at least a processor and a memory, the system comprising:

means for using an attribute of a video transmitted to the television, the computer system automatically selecting a social media message that comprises a user name and a text string input by an author identified by said user name; and

means, responsive within a predetermined duration of transmission of said video, for automatically transmitting said social media message to a handheld device that is co-located with the television in a common room within a building.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising:

means for automatically selecting a promotional message, said promotional message comprising a name of a product or a service to be sold; and

means for automatically transmitting said promotional message to the handheld device.