System and method of discovery and launch associated with a networked media device

• US 9,716,736 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2015
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samba TV Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Free Stream Media Corporation
• Inventors: Harrison, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Vostal, Ondrej
• Application Number:
  US14/834,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20150365456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 709219
• 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: G06F 21/123 by using dedicated hardware, e.g. dongles, smart cards, cryptographic processors, global positioning systems [GPS] devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/806 Broadcast or multicast traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/201 Multicast operation; Broadcast operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

A method, apparatus and/or system related to discovery and launch system and method. In one embodiment, a method of a mobile device includes accessing a multicast capability of an operating system through an application of the mobile device, determining if there is a similar application locally stored on a networked media device to the application on the mobile device when a multicast message is broadcast to the networked media device communicatively coupled to the mobile device through a local area network, and either populating a table of the operating system of the client device with a list of applications and/or presenting identifiers to the client device to enable a user thereof to select an identifier therethrough.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing a multicast capability of an operating system of a client device, the client device being associated with a user;

discovering, through the client device, at least one other data processing device in an active state of reception of data from the client device through a local area network (LAN) based on the multicast capability accessed in the client device;

wirelessly transmitting, through the client device, a request to the at least one other data processing device discovered to be in the active state of reception of the data from the client device through the LAN, the at least one other data processing device being communicatively coupled to the client device through the LAN, and the request being related to identifying an application residing on the at least one other data processing device;

determining, through the client device, that the application residing on the at least one other data processing device is similar to an application residing on the client device configured to render an audio/visual data stream thereon based on a response to the request; and

at least one of populating a table of the operating system of the client device with a list of applications residing on the at least one other data processing device similar to the application residing on the client device, the applications within the list having identifiers associated therewith and presenting the identifiers to the client device to enable a user thereof select an identifier therethrough.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising wirelessly launching, through the client device, the audio/visual data stream on the at least one other data processing device through the similar application residing thereon across the LAN based on the determination of the similarity of the application, the wireless launching enabling the same user associated with the client device view the audio/visual data stream on the at least one other data processing device.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising wirelessly launching the audio/visual data stream on the similar application residing on the at least one other data processing device based on the populated table of the operating system of the client device comprising the identifier of the similar application residing on the at least one other data processing device.

4. The method of claim 2, comprising:

bookmarking the audio/visual data stream through the application residing on the client device;

storing data related to the bookmarking in at least one of;

the client device and a central server communicatively coupled to the client device through at least one of;

the LAN and another computer network, the central server being configured to serve the audio/visual data stream to the client device; and

leveraging the stored data related to the bookmarking to launch the audio/visual data stream on the similar application residing on the at least one other data processing device.

5. The method of claim 2, comprising:

determining whether the audio/visual data stream is being rendered on the application residing on the client device;

storing data related to a currency of the rendering on the client device on at least one of;

the client device and a central server communicatively coupled to the client device through at least one of;

the LAN and another computer network, the central server being configured to host content related to the audio/visual data stream being rendered on the client device; and

leveraging the stored data related to the currency of the rendering to launch the audio/visual data stream on the similar application residing on the at least one other data processing device.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising communicating at least one of:

a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and an interpretable content identifier to the application residing on the client device such that the wireless launching of the audio/visual data stream on the similar application of the at least one other data processing device is initiated based on data communicated through a corresponding at least one of;

a destination Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the URL and information associated with the interpretable content identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination of the similarity between the application residing on the client device and the application residing on the at least one other data processing device further comprises comparing the application residing on the at least one other data processing device across a registry database residing on at least one of:

the client device and a server external thereto to associate the application residing on the at least one other data processing device with the application residing on the client device.

8. A system comprising:

a LAN;

a client device comprising a processor communicatively coupled to a memory, the client device being associated with a user; and

at least one other data processing device communicatively coupled to the client device through the LAN,

wherein the processor of the client device is configured to execute instructions to;

access a multicast capability of an operating system of the client device,

discover that the at least one other data processing device is in an active state of reception of data from the client device through the LAN based on the access of the multicast capability in the client device,

wirelessly transmit a request related to identifying an application residing on the at least one other data processing device discovered to be in the active state of reception of the data from the client device thereto,

determine that the application residing on the at least one other data processing device is similar to an application residing on the client device configured to render an audio/visual data stream thereon based on a response to the request, and

at least one of populate a table of the operating system of the client device with a list of applications residing on the at least one other data processing device similar to the application residing on the client device, the applications within the list having identifiers associated therewith, and present the identifiers to the client device to enable a user thereof select an identifier therethrough.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor of the client device is further configured to execute instructions to wirelessly launch the audio/visual data stream on the at least one other data processing device through the similar application residing thereon across the LAN based on the determination of the similarity of the application to enable the same user associated with the client device view the audio/visual data stream on the at least one other data processing device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor of the client device is configured to execute instructions to wirelessly launch the audio/visual data stream on the similar application residing on the at least one other data processing device based on the populated table of the operating system of the client device comprising the identifier of the similar application residing on the at least one other data processing device.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor of the client device is configured to execute instructions to:

bookmark the audio/visual data stream through the application residing on the client device,

store data related to the bookmarking in at least one of;

the client device and a central server communicatively coupled to the client device through at least one of;

the LAN and another computer network, the central server being configured to serve the audio/visual data stream to the client device, and

leverage the stored data related to the bookmarking to launch the audio/visual data stream on the similar application residing on the at least one other data processing device.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor of the client device is configured to execute instructions to:

determine whether the audio/visual data stream is being rendered on the application residing on the client device,

store data related to a currency of the rendering on the client device on at least one of;

the client device and a central server communicatively coupled to the client device through at least one of;

the LAN and another computer network, the central server being configured to host content related to the audio/visual data stream being rendered on the client device, and

leverage the stored data related to the currency of the rendering to launch the audio/visual data stream on the similar application residing on the at least one other data processing device.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor of the client device is further configured to execute instructions to communicate at least one of:

a URL and an interpretable content identifier to the application residing on the client device such that the wireless launching of the audio/visual data stream on the similar application of the at least one other data processing device is initiated based on data communicated through a corresponding at least one of;

a destination IP address associated with the URL and information associated with the interpretable content identifier.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor of the client device is configured to execute instructions to determine the similarity between the application residing on the client device and the application residing on the at least one other data processing device based on comparing the application residing on the at least one other data processing device across a registry database residing on at least one of:

the client device and a server external thereto to associate the application residing on the at least one other data processing device with the application residing on the client device.

15. A non-transitory medium, readable through a client device associated with a user and comprising instructions embodied therein that are executable through the client device, comprising :

instructions to access a multicast capability of an operating system of the client device;

instructions to discover, through the client device, at least one other data processing device in an active state of reception of data from the client device through a LAN based on the multicast capability accessed in the client device;

instructions to wirelessly transmit, through the client device, a request to the at least one other data processing device discovered to be in the active state of reception of the data from the client device through the LAN, the at least one other data processing device being communicatively coupled to the client device through the LAN, and the request being related to identifying an application residing on the at least one other data processing device;

instructions to determine, through the client device, that the application residing on the at least one other data processing device is similar to an application residing on the client device configured to render an audio/visual data stream thereon based on a response to the request; and

instructions to at least one of populate a table of the operating system of the client device with a list of applications residing on the at least one other data processing device similar to the application residing on the client device, the applications within the list having identifiers associated therewith, and present the identifiers to the client device to enable a user thereof select an identifier therethrough.

16. The non-transitory medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions to wirelessly launch, through the client device, the audio/visual data stream on the at least one other data processing device through the similar application residing thereon across the LAN based on the determination of the similarity of the application to enable the same user associated with the client device view the audio/visual data stream on the at least one other data processing device.

17. The non-transitory medium of claim 16, comprising instructions to wirelessly launch the audio/visual data stream on the similar application residing on the at least one other data processing device based on the populated table of the operating system of the client device comprising the identifier of the similar application residing on the at least one other data processing device.

18. The non-transitory medium of claim 16, comprising instructions to:

bookmark the audio/visual data stream through the application residing on the client device;

store data related to the bookmarking in at least one of;

the client device and a central server communicatively coupled to the client device through at least one of;

the LAN and another computer network, the central server being configured to serve the audio/visual data stream to the client device; and

leverage the stored data related to the bookmarking to launch the audio/visual data stream on the similar application residing on the at least one other data processing device.

19. The non-transitory medium of claim 16, comprising instructions to:

determine whether the audio/visual data stream is being rendered on the application residing on the client device;

store data related to a currency of the rendering on the client device on at least one of;

the client device and a central server communicatively coupled to the client device through at least one of;

the LAN and another computer network, the central server being configured to host content related to the audio/visual data stream being rendered on the client device; and

leverage the stored data related to the currency of the rendering to launch the audio/visual data stream on the similar application residing on the at least one other data processing device.

20. The non-transitory medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions to communicate at least one of:

a URL and an interpretable content identifier to the application residing on the client device such that the wireless launching of the audio/visual data stream on the similar application of the at least one other data processing device is initiated based on data communicated through a corresponding at least one of;

a destination IP address associated with the URL and information associated with the interpretable content identifier.