# US 12,184,438 B2 · System and method for controlling playback or recording of media assets based on a state of a secondary device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,184,438 B2 - Document ID: US12184438B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/386,297 - Filed: 2023-11-02 - Published: 2024-05-09 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2018-12-17 - Assignees: Adeia Guides Inc. - Applicants: Adeia Guides Inc. - Inventors: Sean Matthews - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12184438B2 ## CPC - H04L 12/2814: {Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network (arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08)} - H04N 21/43: Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware {(real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00)} - H04L 12/2803: {Home automation networks} - H04L 12/2812: {describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content (retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95)} - H04L 12/282: {based on user interaction within the home (receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204)} - H04L 12/2829: {involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered} - H04N 21/2387: Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play - H04N 21/433: Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Systems and methods are described herein for controlling playback and/or recording of media assets at a media device based on the state of a secondary device. Specifically, while displaying a media asset, a media device receives a signal from the secondary device indicating a change of state of the secondary device. The media device displays a notification of the signal, and the user can interact with the notification. If the user interacts with the notification for more than a threshold amount of time, the media device may begin recording the media asset. Once the user has finished interacting with the notification, the media device may stop recording and the user can see content that they may have missed by reviewing the recorded portion of the media asset. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for establishing a communication path between devices in an Internet-of-Things (IoT) environment, the method comprising: detecting that a state of an IoT device has changed from a first state to a second state; receiving, at a first device, a data packet from a second device while the state of the IoT device is in the second state; determining, at the first device, that the data packet is addressed to the IoT device; and in response to determining, at the first device, that the data packet is addressed to the IoT device, establishing, via the first device, a communication path communicatively coupling the second device and the IoT device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is an IoT controller device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the communication path comprises: connecting the first device and the IoT device via a first connection; and connecting the first device and the second device via a second connection. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising: bridging the first connection and the second connection to form a direct connection between the IoT device and the second device; and transmitting one or more communication packets between the IoT device and the second device via the direct connection. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting media data from the IoT device via the communication path, wherein the media data is associated with the second state and comprises at least one of audio data or video data captured via the IoT device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: requesting an acknowledgment from at least one of the IoT device or the second device; and in response to receiving the acknowledgment before reaching a timeout threshold, establishing the communication path. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the data packet is addressed to the IoT device comprises: accessing destination information of the data packet; and determining whether the destination information identifies the IoT device as a destination of the data packet. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is currently presenting a media asset, the method further comprising, in response to detecting that the state has changed to the second state, buffering the media asset. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the data packet from the second device to the IoT device via the communication path. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the IoT device is a smart home device, and wherein the second device is a smart home hub. ### Claim 11 A system for establishing a communication path between devices in an Internet-of-Things (IoT) environment, the system comprising: communications circuitry configured to establish the communication path between two or more devices; and control circuitry configured to: detect that a state of an IoT device has changed from a first state to a second state; receive, at a first device, a data packet from a second device while the state of the IoT device is in the second state; determine, at the first device, that the data packet is addressed to the IoT device; and in response to determining, at the first device, that the data packet is addressed to the IoT device, establish, via the first device using the communications circuitry, a communication path communicatively coupling the second device and the IoT device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the first device is an IoT controller device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry, when establishing the communication path, is configured to: connect, via the communications circuitry, the first device and the IoT device via a first connection; and connect, via the communications circuitry, the first device and the second device via a second connection. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to: bridge the first connection and the second connection to form a direct connection between the IoT device and the second device; and transmit one or more communication packets between the IoT device and the second device via the direct connection. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to transmit media data from the IoT device via the communication path, wherein the media data is associated with the second state and comprises at least one of audio data or video data captured via the IoT device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to: request an acknowledgment from at least one of the IoT device or the second device; and in response to receiving the acknowledgment before reaching a timeout threshold, establish the communication path. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry, when determining that the data packet is addressed to the IoT device, is configured to: access destination information of the data packet; and determine whether the destination information identifies the IoT device as a destination of the data packet. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the first device is currently presenting a media asset, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to, in response to detecting that the state has changed to the second state, buffer the media asset. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to transmit the data packet from the second device to the IoT device via the communication path. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the IoT device is a smart home device, and wherein the second device is a smart home hub.