# US 10,320,864 B2 · System and method for providing supplemental information related to media content > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,320,864 B2 - Document ID: US10320864B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/479,088 - Filed: 2017-04-04 - Published: 2017-09-28 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2011-08-19 - Assignees: Redbox Automated Retail, LLC - Applicants: Redbox Automated Retail, LLC - Inventors: Imran Maskatia; Jason Rubinstein - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10320864B2 ## CPC - H04L 65/403: Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences (data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15) - G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising - G06Q 30/0601: Electronic shopping [e-shopping] - G06Q 30/0645: Rental transactions; Leasing transactions - H04N 21/25891: {being end-user preferences (retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18)} - H04N 21/4112: {having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities} - H04N 21/4126: {The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones} - H04N 21/42684: {Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID (network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00)} - H04N 21/43074: {of additional data with content streams on the same device, e.g. of EPG data or interactive icon with a TV programme} - H04N 21/4622: {Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet (web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859)} - H04N 21/84: Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors {(systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73)} - H04N 21/8455: {involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A method of providing supplemental information synchronized with a piece of media content being played and related to a current state of the piece of media content being played is provided. The supplemental information may be transmitted to an electronic device in synchronization with the playing of the piece of media content on an audio/visual display interface. The method includes receiving identifying information from the electronic device and/or the audio/visual display interface, storing the identifying information in an active device table, receiving a viewing initiation notification, and transmitting the supplemental information to the electronic device in response to the viewing initiation notification. The electronic device may also transmit a request to begin playing the piece of media content. Transmission of the supplemental information may be paused, stopped, or resumed in synchronization with the piece of media content being played. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of providing supplemental information related to a piece of media content comprising live media content, the method comprising: receiving a viewing initiation notification at a processor, the viewing initiation notification comprising a live content notification from one or more of a first electronic device or a second electronic device, the live content notification indicating that viewing of the live media content has started on the second electronic device; in response to receiving the live content notification, determining an identification of the live media content; determining a current state of the live media content based on the identification; and in response to determining the current state of the live media content: retrieving the supplemental information, based on the identification and the current state of the live media content; and transmitting the supplemental information from the processor to the first electronic device in synchronization with the live media content being played, wherein the supplemental information is related to the current state of the live media content. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving first identifying information at the processor from the first electronic device, the first identifying information comprising a first unique customer identifier; storing the first identifying information in an active device table; receiving second identifying information at the processor from the second electronic device, the second identifying information comprising a second unique customer identifier wherein the second unique customer identifier has previously been associated with a customer; storing the second identifying information in the active device table; and comparing the first and second identifying information to one another; wherein retrieving the supplemental information and transmitting the supplemental information are performed in response to determining the current state of the live media content and a determination that the first unique customer identifier corresponds to the second unique customer identifier. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the current state comprises an elapsed time of the piece of media content being played; and transmitting comprises: retrieving the supplemental information, based on the elapsed time; and transmitting the supplemental information to the first electronic device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting comprises: receiving the current state of the piece of media content being played from the second electronic device, wherein the current state comprises one or more of an elapsed time, a chapter identification, a subtitle setting, or a language setting; retrieving the supplemental information, based on the current state; and transmitting the supplemental information to the first electronic device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the viewing initiation notification comprises: receiving metadata for identifying the piece of media content; and determining the identification of the piece of media content based on the metadata. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1: wherein receiving the viewing initiation notification comprises: retrieving a transaction history from a customer profile database in communication with the processor; and determining the identification of the piece of media content based on the transaction history; and wherein transmitting comprises: retrieving the supplemental information, based on the identification; and transmitting the supplemental information to the first electronic device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein: receiving the first identifying information comprises: periodically receiving a first keep-alive signal from the first electronic device; and maintaining the first identifying information in the active device table, in response to the first keep-alive signal; and receiving the second identifying information comprises: periodically receiving a second keep-alive signal from the second electronic device; and maintaining the second identifying information in the active device table, in response to the second keep-alive signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: removing the first identifying information from the active device table, if the first keep-alive signal is not received from the first electronic device within a first predetermined duration; and removing the second identifying information from the active device table, if the second keep-alive signal is not received from the first electronic device within a second predetermined duration. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the viewing initiation notification comprises receiving the viewing initiation notification at the processor from the first electronic device, wherein the viewing initiation notification indicates that the piece of media content has been manually started on the second electronic device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a viewing ending notification at the processor, the viewing ending notification indicating stoppage of the piece of media content being played on the second electronic device; and in response to receiving the viewing ending notification, stopping transmission of the supplemental information to the first electronic device. ### Claim 11 A method of providing supplemental information related to a piece of media content comprising live media content, the method comprising: receiving a viewing initiation request at a processor from an electronic device, the viewing initiation request comprising a live content notification from one or more of the electronic device or an audio/visual display interface, the live content notification indicating a request to begin play of the live media content on the audio/visual display interface; transmitting a play request to the audio/visual display interface, in response to the viewing initiation request; in response to receiving the live content notification, determining an identification of the live media content; determining a current state of the live media content based on the identification; and in response to determining the current state of the live media content: retrieving the supplemental information, based on the identification and the current state of the live media content; and transmitting the supplemental information from the processor to the electronic device in synchronization with the live media content being played, wherein the supplemental information is related to the current state of the live media content. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving first identifying information at the processor from the electronic device, the first identifying information comprising a first unique customer identifier; storing the first identifying information in an active device table; receiving second identifying information at the processor from the audio/visual display interface, the second identifying information comprising a second unique customer identifier wherein the second unique customer identifier has previously been associated with a customer; storing the second identifying information in the active device table; and comparing the first and second identifying information to one another; wherein retrieving the supplemental information and transmitting the supplemental information are performed in response to determining the current state of the live media content and a determination that the first unique customer identifier corresponds to the second unique customer identifier. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein: the current state comprises an elapsed time of the piece of media content being played; and transmitting the supplemental information comprises: retrieving the supplemental information, based on the elapsed time; and transmitting the supplemental information to the electronic device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting the supplemental information comprises: receiving the current state of the piece of media content being played from the audio/visual display interface, wherein the current state comprises one or more of an elapsed time, a chapter identification, a subtitle setting, or a language setting; retrieving the supplemental information, based on the current state; and transmitting the supplemental information to the electronic device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the viewing initiation request comprises: receiving metadata for identifying the piece of media content; and determining the identification of the piece of media content based on the metadata. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11: wherein receiving the viewing initiation request comprises: retrieving a transaction history from a customer profile database in communication with the processor; and determining the identification of the piece of media content based on the transaction history; and wherein transmitting the supplemental information comprises: retrieving the supplemental information, based on the identification; and transmitting the supplemental information to the electronic device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein: receiving the first identifying information comprises: periodically receiving a first keep-alive signal from the electronic device; and maintaining the first identifying information in the active device table, in response to the first keep-alive signal; and receiving the second identifying information comprises: periodically receiving a second keep-alive signal from the audio/visual display interface; and maintaining the second identifying information in the active device table, in response to the second keep-alive signal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: removing the first identifying information from the active device table, if the first keep-alive signal is not received from the electronic device within a first predetermined duration; and removing the second identifying information from the active device table, if the second keep-alive signal is not received from the electronic device within a second predetermined duration. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11: wherein receiving the viewing initiation request further comprises: determining the identification of the live media content, in response to the live content notification; and determining the current state of the live media content based on the identification; and wherein transmitting the supplemental information comprises: retrieving the supplemental information, based on the identification and the current state of the live media content; and transmitting the supplemental information to the electronic device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving a viewing ending request at the processor from the electronic device, the viewing ending request comprising a request to stop the piece of media content being played on the audio/visual display interface; transmitting a stoppage request to the audio/visual display interface, in response to the viewing ending request; and stopping transmission of the supplemental information to the electronic device, in response to the viewing ending request.