# US 11,310,299 B2 · Method, apparatus, and computer program product for controlling content distribution > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,310,299 B2 - Document ID: US11310299B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/088,693 - Filed: 2020-11-04 - Published: 2021-02-25 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2014-08-12 - Assignees: Groupon, Inc. - Applicants: Groupon, Inc. - Inventors: Christopher Powers; Mike Aparicio - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11310299B2 ## CPC - H04L 67/146: Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding - G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising - H04L 12/1895: {for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates} - H04L 65/65: Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP] - H04L 67/55: Push-based network services - G06F 3/14: Digital output to display device {; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units} - G09G 2370/027: Arrangements and methods specific for the display of internet documents - 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 - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00) ## Abstract The method, apparatus, and computer program product provided herein provide for distribution of customized content to displays in a network. A display may receive video content for display from a transceiver device. Channel configurations may be user-configured to include content from any number of sources. Channel content may be generated based on a channel configuration to incorporate identified content and the channel content may be provided to transceiver devices. Alert messages may be pushed to channels, and takeovers of transceiver devices to stream a particular channel may be performed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method for remotely controlling content distribution to at least one transceiver device, the computer-implemented method comprising: receiving a channel configuration comprising at least one uniform resource locator (URL) provided via at least a user interface operative on a user device that is remote from the at least one transceiver device; storing the channel configuration in association with the channel identifier on a content distribution apparatus; receiving an indication of at least one transceiver device selected from a plurality of transceiver devices in a network, wherein the indication indicates the at least one transceiver device is to be associated with the channel identifier; associating the channel identifier with the at least one transceiver device, such that respective channel content generated via the at least one URL comprised by the channel configuration associated with the channel identifier is received by the at least one transceiver device via a network interface, wherein the respective channel content is transmitted by the at least one transceiver device for display; receiving an indication of an alert message, and a plurality of selected channel identifiers selected from a plurality of channel identifiers associated with respective channel configurations; and controlling communication with respective transceiver devices in a network by transmitting the alert message to the plurality of transceiver devices associated with the selected channel identifiers, such the transceiver devices associated with the selected channel identifiers display the alert message. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: causing respective channel content associated with the selected channel identifiers to be updated to include the alert message. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one transceiver device is in data communication with a display and is configured to receive at least one of wired or wireless signals; and wherein associating the channel identifier with the at least one transceiver device comprises causing the generated channel content to be transmitted via the at least one wired or wireless signals for broadcasting on the display. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: generating the channel content based on the channel configuration, wherein the generating the channel content comprises at least one of rendering hypertext markup language or streaming content via a streaming protocol compatible with the at least one transceiver device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the channel configuration further comprises at least two URLs and a respective position and a respective size for each of the at least two URLs with respect to the channel content. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the channel configuration comprises at least two URLs and a respective duration for which each of the two URLs are to be displayed. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises: receiving an indication of local content on a remote user device; causing transmission of the local content to the content distribution apparatus; and associating the local content with the channel configuration. ### Claim 8 An apparatus for remotely controlling content distribution to at least one transceiver device, the apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receive a channel configuration, the channel configuration comprising at least one uniform resource locator (URL) provided via at least a user interface operative on a user device that is remote from the at least one transceiver device; store the channel configuration in association with the channel identifier on a content distribution apparatus; receive an indication of at least one transceiver device selected from a plurality of transceiver devices in a network, wherein the indication indicates the at least one transceiver device is to be associated with the channel identifier; associate the channel identifier with the at least one transceiver device, such that respective channel content generated via the at least one URL comprised by the channel configuration associated with the channel identifier is received by the at least one transceiver device via a network interface, wherein the respective channel content is transmitted by the at least one transceiver device for display; receive an indication of an alert message, and a plurality of selected channel identifiers selected from a plurality of channel identifiers associated with respective channel configurations; and control communication with respective transceiver devices in a network by transmitting the alert message to the plurality of transceiver devices associated with the selected channel identifiers, such the transceiver devices associated with the selected channel identifiers display the alert message. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to cause the apparatus to at least: cause respective channel content associated with the selected channel identifiers to be updated to include the alert message. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one transceiver device is in data communication with a display and is configured to receive at least one of wired or wireless signals; and wherein associating the channel identifier with the at least one transceiver device comprises causing the generated channel content to be transmitted via the at least one wired or wireless signals for broadcasting on the display. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to cause the apparatus to at least: generate the channel content based on the channel configuration, wherein the generating the channel content comprises at least one of rendering hypertext markup language or streaming content via a streaming protocol compatible with the at least one transceiver device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the channel configuration further comprises at least two URLs and a respective position and a respective size for each of the at least two URLs with respect to the channel content. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the channel configuration comprises at least two URLs and a respective duration for which each of the two URLs are to be displayed. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to cause the apparatus to at least: receive an indication of local content on a remote user device; cause transmission of the local content to the content distribution apparatus; and associate the local content with the channel configuration. ### Claim 15 A computer program product for remotely controlling content distribution to at least one transceiver device, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions to: receive a channel configuration, the channel configuration comprising at least one uniform resource locator (URL) provided via at least a user interface operative on a user device that is remote from the at least one transceiver device; store the channel configuration in association with the channel identifier on a content distribution apparatus; receive an indication of at least one transceiver device selected from a plurality of transceiver devices in a network, wherein the indication indicates the at least one transceiver device is to be associated with the channel identifier; associate the channel identifier with the at least one transceiver device, such that respective channel content generated via the at least one URL comprised by the channel configuration associated with the channel identifier is received by the at least one transceiver device via a network interface, wherein the respective channel content is transmitted by the at least one transceiver device for display; receive an indication of an alert message, and a plurality of selected channel identifiers selected from a plurality of channel identifiers associated with respective channel configurations; and control communication with respective transceiver devices in a network by transmitting the alert message to the plurality of transceiver devices associated with the selected channel identifiers, such the transceiver devices associated with the selected channel identifiers display the alert message. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions to: cause respective channel content associated with the selected channel identifiers to be updated to include the alert message. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the at least one transceiver device is in data communication with a display and is configured to receive at least one of wired or wireless signals; and wherein associating the channel identifier with the at least one transceiver device comprises causing the generated channel content to be transmitted via the at least one wired or wireless signals for broadcasting on the display. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions to: generate the channel content based on the channel configuration, wherein the generating the channel content comprises at least one of rendering hypertext markup language or streaming content via a streaming protocol compatible with the at least one transceiver device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the channel configuration further comprises at least two URLs and a respective position and a respective size for each of the at least two URLs with respect to the channel content. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the channel configuration comprises at least two URLs and a respective duration for which each of the two URLs are to be displayed.