# US 2014/0195653 A1 · Connected-media end user experience using an overlay network

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- Number: US 2014/0195653 A1
- Document ID: US20140195653A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/148,849
- Filed: 2014-01-07
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-07
- Assignees: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
- Applicants: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Kristofer Alexander; Andrew F. Champagne; F. Thomson Leighton; Robert Neville; William Law
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140195653A1

## CPC

- H04L 65/1094: Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
- H04L 67/10: in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46)
- H04L 65/612: for unicast
- H04N 21/2181: {comprising remotely distributed storage units, e.g. when movies are replicated over a plurality of video servers (distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097)}
- H04N 21/2225: Local VOD servers
- H04N 21/2365: Multiplexing of several video streams
- H04N 21/4122: {additional display device, e.g. video projector (digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423)}
- H04N 21/4347: {Demultiplexing of several video streams}
- H04N 21/6125: {involving transmission via Internet (transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82)}
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

An Internet infrastructure delivery platform (e.g., operated by a service provider) provides an overlay network (a server infrastructure) that is used to facilitate “second screen” end user media experiences. In this approach, first media content, which is typically either live on-demand, is being rendered on a first content device (e.g., a television, Blu-Ray disk or other source). That first media content may be delivered by servers in the overlay network. One or multiple end user second content devices are then adapted to be associated with the first content source, preferably, via the overlay network, to facilitate second screen end user experiences (on the second content devices).

## Claims

### Claim 1

Apparatus associated with an overlay network, comprising:
one or more hardware processors;
computer memory associated with the one or more hardware processors and in which are stored computer program instructions executable by the one or more hardware processors, the computer program instructions comprising:
first program code to receive updates from a first content source, at least one update identifying first media content, and data identifying a temporal location within the first media content; and
second program code (i) to receive one or more event requests from a second content source distinct from the first content source, at least one event request seeking an event identifier associated with second content capable of being rendered at the second content source in synchronization with the first media content being rendered on the first content source, and (ii) in response, to return to the second content source the event identifier, the event identifier being an instruction to the second content source to render the second content.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the computer program instructions further include:
third program code to receive a content request that includes the event identifier and, in response, to serve the second content to the second content source for rendering at the second content source in synchronization with rendering of the first media content on the first content source.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the computer program instructions further include:
fourth program code to serve the first media content to the first content source.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the first content source is a media player, and the second content source is one of: an Internet browser, a browser plug-in, and a mobile app.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus as described in claim 4, wherein the media player is a software-based media player that includes program code to generate the synchronous updates.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the first program code and the second program code are co-located in an edge server of the overlay network.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the first program code and the second program code are executed in first and second distinct edge servers of the overlay network.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the at least one synchronous update is passed as a set of parameters in a request.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the at least one event request is passed as a set of parameters in a request.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the at least one event request also includes data associated with a role.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The apparatus as described in claim 10, wherein the role is one of: an authenticated user, and an unauthenticated guest.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The apparatus as described in claim 11, wherein the at least one synchronous event request that includes data associated with an authenticated user role includes a content change request with respect to the first content source.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The apparatus as described in claim 12, wherein the computer program instructions further include:
fifth program code to receive and store the content change request, and to selectively serve the content change request to the first content source upon receipt of a next synchronous update from the first content source.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The apparatus as described in claim 13 wherein the content change request is served to the first content source as a response payload to the next synchronous update.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The apparatus as described claim 12 wherein the content change request is one of: an instruction to alter the temporal location within the first media content, an instruction to pause, resume, fast-forward, rewind or terminate rendering of the first media content, and an instruction to initiate rendering of new media content.

### Claim 16

A method, operative in association with an overlay network, comprising:
receiving updates from a first content source, at least one update identifying first media content, and data identifying a temporal location within the first media content;
receiving one or more event requests from a second content source distinct from the first content source, at least one event request seeking an event identifier associated with second content capable of being rendered at the second content source in synchronization with the first media content being rendered on the first content source;
in response to receipt of the at least event request, returning to the second content source the event identifier, the event identifier being an instruction to the second content source to render the second content.
wherein at least one of the receiving and returning steps is carried out in software executing in a hardware element.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method as described in claim 16 further including receiving a content request that includes the event identifier and, in response, serving the second content to the second content source for rendering at the second content source in synchronization with rendering of the first media content on the first content source.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method as described in claim 16 further including serving the first media content to the first content source.

### Claim 19

A computer program product in a non-transitory computer-readable medium to:
receive updates from a first content source, at least one update identifying first media content, and data identifying a temporal location within the first media content;
receive one or more event requests from a second content source distinct from the first content source, at least one event request seeking an event identifier associated with second content capable of being rendered at the second content source in synchronization with the first media content being rendered on the first content source;
in response to receipt of the at least event request, return to the second content source the event identifier, the event identifier being an instruction to the second content source to render the second content.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The method as described in claim 16 wherein the first media content is one of: live, and on-demand content, and further including associating multiple second content sources with the first content source.