US 8,789,086 B2 · Method and apparatus for content playback using multiple IPTV devices

Abstract

An apparatus and method for resuming playback of media content from more than one Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) device. The playback of a media asset or media content typically contains an asset ID and a start time. Based on the architecture of a second display device (e.g., a second IPTV device) the IPTV system determines the identity of an account and its associated IPTV devices. When a user pauses an asset, the system sends the asset identification (ID) and the stop time to a server operatively coupled to the system. The next time (within a predefined duration) the user requests the same asset ID, the pause time and the asset ID are returned. Using the pause time and the asset ID, the user can resume playback of the asset.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

an electronic storage device storing:
a list of IPTV devices associated with each of one or more authenticated users;
a content list comprising asset identification information for each IPTV device in the list of IPTV devices;
a network interface for receiving:
user authentication information;
asset identification information;
and
an interruption command that includes offset information that represents a time interval from a user initiated pause time of an asset,
wherein when a server receives an execution command specifying the asset identification information, the server sends content information for execution as a function of the offset information,
wherein the server sends content identification information so that content is played back starting at a predetermined time before the pause time.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

13/077,525Filed 31 Mar 2011 · us provisional application

Priority

11 Feb 2011

Published

US 2012/0210343 A116 Aug 2012

Granted

22 Jul 2014

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

H04N 21/6125
Specially adapted to the downstream path of the transmission network: involving transmission via Internet
H04N 21/25875
Management of end-user data: involving end-user authentication
H04N 21/47202
End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content…: for…
H04N 21/4753
End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. personal identification number [PIN], preference data: for user identification, e.g. by…

Method and apparatus for content playback using multiple IPTV devices

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for content playback using multiple IPTV devices

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14