Apparatus and method for detecting a media device
AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
InventorJon Barry
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a mobile device having a controller to detect a location of a user by detecting at least one of a network associated with the user and a location of the mobile device, wherein the location of the user includes a media processor, transmit a request for an audio command intended for the media processor to a server on a communications network after detecting the location of the user, wherein the audio command is transmitted by the server to the media processor, detect an audio signal emitted from the media processor, wherein the audio signal is caused by the audio command, and determine an identity of the media processor by associating the detected audio signal with the media processor. Other embodiments are disclosed.
Claims20
A mobile device, comprising:
- a memory storing computer instructions;
- and
- a controller coupled to the memory, wherein the controller, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising:
- detecting a location of a user by detecting at least one of a network associated with the user and a location of the mobile device, wherein the location of the user includes a media processor;
- transmitting a request for an audio command intended for the media processor to a server on a communications network after detecting the location of the user, wherein the audio command is transmitted by the server to the media processor;
- detecting an audio signal emitted from the media processor, wherein the audio signal is caused by the audio command;
- and
- determining an identity of the media processor by associating the detected audio signal with the media processor,
- wherein
- the audio signal is specific to the media processor,
- the audio command and the audio signal are separate from media content delivered by the media processor, and
- the media processor for which the request is intended is selected in accordance with proximity of the media processor to the mobile device.
A method, comprising:
- receiving at a media processor an audio command from a server on a communications network, wherein the audio command is requested by a mobile device communicatively linked to the server and wherein the audio command is requested after the mobile device determines that a user of the mobile device is located in a vicinity of the media processor, by detecting a location of the user by detecting at least one of a network associated with the user and a location of the mobile device;
- and
- emitting an audio signal after receiving the audio command, wherein the audio signal is detected by the mobile device, and wherein an identity of the media processor is determined by the mobile device based on an association of the audio signal with the media processor,
- wherein
- the audio signal is specific to the media processor,
- the audio command and audio signal are separate from media content delivered by the media processor, and
- the media processor for which the request is intended is selected in accordance with proximity of the media processor to the mobile device.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions which, responsive to being executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
- detecting at a mobile device a location of a user by detecting a network associated with the user and a location of the mobile device, wherein the location of the user includes a media processor;
- transmitting from the mobile device a request for an audio command intended for the media processor to a server on a communications network after detecting the location of the user, wherein the audio command is transmitted by the server to the media processor;
- detecting at the mobile device an audio signal emitted from the media processor, wherein the audio signal is caused by the audio command;
- and
- determining at the mobile device an identity of the media processor by associating the detected audio signal with the media processor,
- wherein
- the audio signal is specific to the media processor,
- the audio command and the audio signal are separate from media content delivered by the media processor, and
- the media processor for which the request is intended is selected in accordance with proximity of the media processor to the mobile device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.