US 10,897,648 B2 · Method and apparatus for identifying a single user requesting conflicting content and resolving said conflict

Abstract

Systems and methods for automatically determining when a single party is playing or requesting conflicting content on two different devices, and resolving the conflict accordingly. Systems automatically identify when a single user is playing back a content stream on one device, then requests another content stream on another device. If the two content streams conflict, the conflict is automatically resolved in a number of ways, including by automatically pausing or redirecting one of the content streams. Conflict identification may also be carried out with the assistance of an added state flag that indicates a device or stream that has audio priority in a conflict. Thus, for example, when one user requests two conflicting content streams, and only one stream is associated with the conditional audio enabled flag, audio of the flagged stream may be played, while the other stream is muted.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of identifying a user requesting playback of multiple content streams, the method comprising:

determining, from a list of users, an active user playing a first content stream on a first device;
detecting a request for a second content stream on a second device;
determining whether the active user initiated the request for the second content stream;
if the active user initiated the request for the second content stream, determining whether a conflict exists between the first content stream on the first device and the second content stream on the second device, wherein the determining whether the conflict exists comprises determining whether the first content stream and the second content stream are of a same content type;
and
if the conflict exists, resolving the conflict by pausing or redirecting one of the first content stream and the second content stream.

3 more elements

A system for identifying a user requesting playback of multiple content streams, the system comprising:

a storage device;
and
control circuitry configured to:
determine, from a list of users, an active user playing a first content stream on a first device;
detect a request for a second content stream on a second device;
determine whether the active user initiated the request for the second content stream;
if the active user initiated the request for the second content stream, determine whether a conflict exists between the first content stream on the first device and the second content stream on the second device, wherein the determining whether the conflict exists comprises determining whether the first content stream and the second content stream are of a same content type;
and
if the conflict exists, resolve the conflict by pausing or redirecting one of the first content stream and the second content stream.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for identifying a single user requesting conflicting content and resolving said conflict

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for identifying a single user requesting conflicting content and resolving said conflict

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20