Methods and devices for terminal control

• US 9,846,685 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2013
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Dyer, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US14/099,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20140095965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 715201, 715203
• 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, by a server, a status request from a first terminal, the status request being configured to obtain information about a first currently running multimedia application running on a second terminal, the information comprising application identification and one or more first playback attributes of the first currently running multimedia application,

requesting, by the server, the information from the second terminal in accordance with the status request, wherein the second terminal determines whether the first currently running multimedia application is playing a first multimedia file on the second terminal,

receiving, by the server, the information requested from the second terminal,

sending, by the server, the information requested from the second terminal to the first terminal, wherein when the first currently running multimedia application is playing the first multimedia file, the information requested from the second terminal does not include the first multimedia file,

after sending the information to the first terminal, receiving a control request from the first terminal, the control request comprising one or more second playback attributes of the first currently running multimedia application,

sending, by the server, the control request to the second terminal, and

controlling, by the second terminal, the first currently running multimedia application in accordance with the one or more second playback attributes, wherein the first currently running multimedia application plays a second multimedia file, the second multimedia file comprising at least video data, on the second terminal in accordance with the one or more second playback attributes, and the first terminal does not play the second multimedia file locally on the first terminal,

wherein controlling, by the second terminal, the first currently running multimedia application in accordance with the one or more second playback attributes further comprises;

determining if an original playback attribute of the first currently running multimedia application is the second multimedia file being stored online and one of the one or more second playback attributes is the second multimedia file being stored locally, an initiating, by the second terminal, downloading of the second multimedia file and storing the second multimedia file locally upon receiving the control request when it is determined that the original playback attribute of the first currently running multimedia application is the second multimedia file being stored online and one of the one or more second playback attributes is the second multimedia file being stored locally.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising, after receiving the status 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 terminal control method according to claim 2, further comprising:

sending, by the first terminal, a first login information of a first user account to the server, and

sending, by the second terminal, a second login information of a second user account to the server,

wherein verifying that the first terminal has authority to obtain the information further comprising;

verifying, by the server, that the first user account and the second user account are associated based on the first login information and the second login information.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein verifying that the first terminal has authority to obtain the information further comprises:

according to the identification information of the first terminal or a login information of the first terminal, determining a privilege level associated with the first terminal, and

according to the privilege level, determining whether a part or all of information requested by the status request is authorized,

wherein the information obtained by the server is the authorized information in accordance with the status request.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising:

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

requesting to obtain, by the server, the information about the second currently running multimedia application from the first terminal in accordance with the second status request, and

sending, by the server, the information about the second currently running multimedia application requested from the first terminal to the second terminal.

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

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

sending the second control request to the first terminal, and

controlling, by the first terminal, the second currently running multimedia application in accordance with the one or more second playback attributes in the second control request.

7. The terminal control method according to claim 1, further comprising:

after the first terminal receives the information about the first currently running multimedia application, displaying, on the first terminal, a current playback progress of a media played by the first currently running multimedia application on the second terminal according to the one or more first playback attributes included in the received information, and

adjusting, by the first terminal, the displayed current playback progress of the media according to a user command,

wherein the one or more second playback attributes of the first currently running multimedia application in the control request includes the adjusted current play back progress of the media.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if an original playback attribute of the first currently running multimedia application is a right to play the second multimedia file being unpaid, and one of the one or more second playback attributes is the right to play the second multimedia file being paid, the second terminal initiates purchasing the right to play of the second multimedia file upon receiving the control request.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if an original playback attribute of the first currently running multimedia application is an existing comment on the second multimedia file, and one of the one or more second playback attributes is a new comment on the second multimedia file, posting, by the second terminal, the new comment of the second multimedia file to a corresponding website upon receiving the control request.

10. A network server comprising at least a processor and a plurality of program modules to be executed by the processor, the plurality of program modules comprising:

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

a synchronization information returning module, configured to request the second terminal to obtain the information from the second terminal in accordance with the status request, and to send the information to the first terminal, wherein the second terminal determines whether the first currently running multimedia application is playing a first multimedia file on the second terminal, and when the first currently running multimedia application is playing the first multimedia file, the information requested from the second terminal does not include the first multimedia file,

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

a synchronization control request sending module, configured to send the control request to the second terminal, wherein the second terminal controls the first currently running multimedia application in accordance with the one or more second playback attributes in the control request, wherein the first currently running multimedia application plays a second multimedia file, the second multimedia file comprising at least video data on the second terminal in accordance with the one or more second playback attributes, and the first terminal does not play the second multimedia file locally on the first terminal,

wherein the synchronization control request sending module further determines if an original playback attribute of the first currently running multimedia application is the second multimedia file being stored online and one of the one or more second playback attributes is the second multimedia file being stored locally, the second terminal initiates downloading of the second multimedia file and storage of the second multimedia file locally upon receiving the control request when it is determined that the original playback attribute of the first currently running multimedia application is the second multimedia file being stored online and one of the one or more second playback attributes is the second multimedia file being stored locally.

11. The network server of claim 10, the plurality of program modules further comprising:

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

12. A terminal control method implemented by a computing device, comprising:

sending a status request to a terminal for obtaining information about a first currently running multimedia application running on the terminal through a server, the information comprising application identification and one or more first playback attributes of the first currently running multimedia application, wherein the server requests the terminal to send the information about the first currently running application, and receives the information from the terminal, and wherein the terminal determines whether the first currently running multimedia application is playing a first multimedia file on the terminal, and when the first currently running multimedia application is playing the first multimedia file, the information received by the server does not include the first multimedia file,

receiving the information from the terminal sent by the server, and

displaying, on the computing device, the information about the first currently running multimedia application,

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

sending a control request to the terminal, the control request comprising the one or more second playback attributes of the first currently running multimedia application, wherein the terminal receives the control request and controls the first currently running multimedia application in accordance with the one or more second playback attributes in the control request,

wherein the first currently running multimedia application plays a second multimedia file, the second multimedia file comprising at least video data, on the terminal in accordance with the one or more second playback attributes, and the computing device does not play the second multimedia file locally on the computing device, and

determining if an original playback attribute of the first currently running multimedia application is a right to play the second multimedia file being unpaid and one of the one or more second playback attributes is a right to play the second multimedia file being paid, the second terminal initiates purchasing the right to play of the second multimedia file upon receiving the control request when it is determined that the original playback attribute of the first currently running multimedia application is the right to play the second multimedia file being unpaid and one of the one or more second playback attributes is the right to play the second multimedia file being paid.

13. The method of claim 12 comprising:

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

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

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

14. The method of claim 13 comprising, after receiving the second status 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.

15. The method of claim 13 comprising, after sending the information about the second currently running multimedia application to the terminal,

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

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

16. The method of claim 15, comprising, after receiving the second 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.

17. A terminal control method implemented by a computing device, comprising:

receiving a status request sent by a terminal through a server, the status request being configured to obtain information about a first currently running multimedia application on the computing device, the information comprising application identification and one or more first playback attributes of the first currently running multimedia application,

generating the information in accordance with the status request,

determining whether the first currently running multimedia application is playing a first multimedia file on the computing device, wherein when the first currently running multimedia application is playing the first multimedia file, the generated information does not include the first multimedia file,

sending the information to the terminal through the server, wherein the server receives the information from the computing device and sends the information to the terminal,

after sending the information to the terminal, receiving a control request from the terminal, the control request comprising one or more second playback attributes of the first currently running multimedia application, and

controlling the first currently running multimedia application in accordance with the one or more second playback attributes in the control request, wherein the first currently running multimedia application plays a second multimedia file, the second multimedia file comprising at least video data, on the computing device in accordance with the one or more second playback attributes, and the terminal does not play the second multimedia file locally on the terminal,

wherein controlling, by the second terminal, the first currently running multimedia application in accordance with the one or more second playback attributes further comprises;

determining if an original playback attribute of the first currently running multimedia application is an existing comment on the second multimedia file and one of the one or more second playback attributes is a new comment on the second multimedia file, posting, by the second terminal, the new comment of the second multimedia file to a corresponding website upon receiving the control request when it is determined that the original playback attribute of the first currently running multimedia application is the existing comment on the second multimedia file and one of the one or more second playback attributes is the new comment on the second multimedia file.

18. The method of claim 17 comprising, after receiving the status request from the terminal and before sending the information to the terminal,

verifying that the terminal has authority to obtain the information.

19. The method of claim 17, comprising, after receiving the control request from the terminal and before controlling the first currently running multimedia application,

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

20. The method of claim 17 comprising:

sending a second status request to the terminal to obtain information about a second currently running multimedia application on the terminal, the information comprising application identification and one or more first 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 second playback attributes of the second currently running multimedia application in accordance with one or more user commands, and

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