US 12,754,954 B2Granted

Systems and methods for controlling content playback using remote server systems

AssigneeTouchstream Technologies, Inc.

InventorDavid Strober

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A system for controlling playback of various types of content includes a first computing device that provides a unique identifier to a second computing device to establish an association there between. By virtue of the established association, the second computing device can send one or more messages to the first computing device, the one or more messages referencing a piece of content associated with a first media playing element of a plurality of media playing elements, and one or more commands corresponding to the first media playing element. The first computing device can select the first media playing element based on the received one or more messages, and control how the first media playing element plays the referenced piece of content utilizing the one or more commands.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A server system for controlling content presentation on televisions, comprising:

a first server system, comprising:
at least one processor;
and
at least one memory containing executable instructions;
where the at least one processor is configured by the executable instructions to:
receive, via the Internet, a message containing:
a command concerning loading a specific media player on a target device, where the target device is a television and the command includes an identifier for the specific media player;
and
user account information;
perform target verification using the user account information;
when target verification is successful:
interpret the command concerning loading the specific media player on the target device and convert the command concerning loading the specific media player on the target device into a specific command recognizable to the television;
and
direct the television to load the specific media player by sending the specific command to the television via the Internet;
at least one database server capable of maintaining a database in which a connection between a personal computing device and the television is recorded, where:
the database comprises at least one table in which connections between a group of personal computing devices and the television are recorded;
and
the connection between the personal computing device and the television is recorded in the database as a connection between a group of personal computing devices comprising the personal computing device and the television;
and
a second server system configured to:
receive, via the Internet, a message sent by the personal computing device;
verify that the connection between the personal computing device and the television is recorded within the database;
and
generate the message received by the first server system in response to receipt of the message sent by the personal computing device.

21 more elements

A server system for controlling content presentation on televisions, comprising:

a first server system, comprising:
at least one processor;
and
at least one memory containing executable instructions;
where the at least one processor is configured by the executable instructions to:
receive, via the Internet, a message containing:
a command concerning loading a specific media player on a target device, where the target device is a television and the command includes:
an identifier for the specific media player;
and
an identifier of user-selected content;
and
user account information;
perform target verification using the user account information;
when target verification is successful:
interpret the command concerning loading the specific media player on the target device and convert the command concerning loading the specific media player on the target device into a specific command recognizable to the television;
and
direct the television to load the specific media player and play the user-selected content by sending the specific command to the television via the Internet, where the specific command is capable of causing the television to load the specific media player by establishing a secure Internet connection with a server system of an appropriate content provider and obtain the specific media player via the secure Internet connection;
at least one database server capable of maintaining a database in which a connection between a personal computing device and the television is recorded, where:
the database comprises at least one table in which connections between a group of personal computing devices and the television are recorded;
and
the connection between the personal computing device and the television is recorded in the database as a connection between a group of personal computing devices comprising the personal computing device and the television;
and
a second server system configured to:
receive, via the Internet, a message sent by the personal computing device;
verify that the connection between the personal computing device and the television is recorded within the database;
and
generate the message received by the first server system in response to receipt of the message sent by the personal computing device.

24 more elements

A server system for controlling content presentation on target devices, comprising:

a first server system, comprising:
at least one processor;
and
at least one memory containing executable instructions;
where the at least one processor is configured by the executable instructions to:
receive, via the Internet, a message containing:
a command concerning content playback that identifies a target device;
and
user account information;
perform target verification using the user account information;
when target verification is successful:
interpret the command concerning content playback and convert the command concerning content playback into a specific command recognizable to the target device;
and
direct content playback on the target device by sending the specific command to the target device via the Internet;
at least one database server capable of maintaining a database in which a connection between a personal computing device and the target device is recorded, where:
the database comprises at least one table in which connections between a group of personal computing devices and the target device are recorded;
and
the connection between the personal computing device and the target device is recorded in the database as a connection between a group of personal computing devices comprising the personal computing device and the target device;
and
a second server system configured to:
receive, via the Internet, a message sent by the personal computing device;
verify that the connection between the personal computing device and the television is recorded within the database;
and
generate the message received by the first server system in response to receipt of the message sent by the personal computing device.

21 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 19/281,466Filed 25 Jul 2025 · continuation
Priority: 21 Apr 2011
Published: US 2025/0355936 A120 Nov 2025
Granted: 6 Oct 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

G06F 16/74
Of video data: browsing; Visualisation therefor
G06F 9/452
Execution arrangements for user interfaces: remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation
G06F 16/951
Retrieval from the web: indexing; Web crawling techniques
G06F
Computing and data processing

Family

Application61/477,998Us provisional application · filed 21 Apr 2011
Application13/157,821Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 10 Jun 2011
Application13/532,546Parent of this continuation · filed 25 Jun 2012
US 8,904,289 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 2 Dec 2014
Application15/687,249Parent of this continuation · filed 25 Aug 2017
US 9,767,195 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 19 Sep 2017
Application16/917,095Parent of this continuation · filed 30 Jun 2020
US 11,048,751 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Jun 2021
Application17/396,446Parent of this continuation · filed 6 Aug 2021
US 11,086,934 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 10 Aug 2021
Application17/962,654Parent of this continuation · filed 10 Oct 2022
US 11,475,062 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 18 Oct 2022
Application18/107,088Parent of this continuation · filed 8 Feb 2023
US 11,860,938 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 2 Jan 2024
US 2025/0355936 A1Pre-grant publication · published 20 Nov 2025
US 12,530,402 B2Parent of this continuation
Application13/532,546Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2012/0272147 A1Published application
US 2013/0031478 A1Published application
US 2017/0351757 A1Published application
US 2020/0334291 A1Published application
US 2021/0365495 A1Published application
US 2023/0034960 A1Published application
US 2023/0185849 A1Published application
US 12,754,954 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.