Methods and systems for controlling media display in a smart media display environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10958974-B2
Application number	US-201816179579-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2018
Priority date	Jan 20, 2016
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

A method is implemented on a casting device to enable a follow-me mode in which the casting device controls display of media content on an output device coupled to the casting device. The casting device detects a client device associated with the casting device, and determines a proximity of the client device. In accordance with a determination that the client device is within a proximity threshold of the casting device, the casting device receives content information associated with content recently accessed by the client device, obtains the content from a content source in accordance with the content information, and outputs the obtained content to an output device in accordance with the content information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for implementing a follow-me mode on casting devices, the system comprising:
a first casting device that includes a hardware processor and an imaging device, wherein the hardware processor:
receives, using the imaging device, imaging information corresponding to a smart media display environment that includes the first casting device and a plurality of casting devices;
processes the imaging information to obtain proximity information associated with a user in the smart media display environment;
determines, from the proximity information, that the user is within a proximity threshold of the first casting device;
upon determining that the user is within the proximity threshold of the first casting device:
receives content information associated with a media content item that was accessed by a second casting device from the plurality of casting devices in the smart media display environment;
retrieves the media content item from a content source based on the received content information;
determines that an output device connected to the first casting device is currently in an inactive mode in which the output device is inhibited from presenting media content and switches the output device from the inactive mode to an active mode in which the output device is capable of presenting media content; and
causes the media content item to continue being presented on the output device connected to the first casting device in accordance with the received content information.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first casting device is coupled to a display input of the output device.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the proximity information corresponds to a client device that is associated with the user in the smart media display environment and wherein the hardware processor further associates both the first casting device and the client device with a user account of an application, wherein the content information is stored in a memory of a remote server associated with the user account of the application, and the first casting device receives the content information from the remote server.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the content information includes information indicating where display of the media content item has been stopped.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor further:
determines that the user is no longer within the proximity threshold of the first casting device; and
causes the media content item to stop being presented on the output device connected to the first casting device in response to determining that the user is no longer within the proximity threshold of the first casting device.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the hardware processor further:
generates a token indicating where the media content item stopped being presented on the output device connected to the first casting device based on the determination that the user is no longer within the proximity threshold of the first casting device; and
transmits the token to a server device for updating the content information associated with the media content item.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the hardware processor further, in response to determining that the user is no longer within the proximity threshold of the first casting device, causes the output device to be powered off.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the hardware processor further, in response to determining that the user is no longer within the proximity threshold of the first casting device, inhibits the media content item from being retrieved from the content source.

9. The system of claim 5 , wherein the hardware processor further, in response to determining that the user is no longer within the proximity threshold of the first casting device, causes the media content item to be paused from being presented on the output device connected to the first casting device.

10. The system of claim 5 , wherein the hardware processor further, in response to determining that the user is no longer within the proximity threshold of the first casting device, causes an audio device associated with the output device to be muted.

11. The system of claim 5 , wherein the hardware processor further, in response to determining that the user is no longer within the proximity threshold of the first casting device, causes the output device to reduce an output volume associated with the presentation of the media content item.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor further determines that the follow-me mode is associated with a subset of a plurality of users, wherein the subset of the plurality of users includes the user.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor further determines that the follow-me mode is associated with a subset of a plurality of media applications, wherein the subset of the plurality of media applications includes a first application configured to access the media content item accessed by the second casting device.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor further:
determines a current time associated with the first casting device; and
determines whether the determination that the user is within the proximity threshold of the first casting device should be performed based on the current time and based on a predetermined schedule.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proximity information indicates that a first user and a second user are within the proximity threshold of the first casting device and wherein the hardware processor further:
determines that the first user has a priority over the second user; and
retrieves the content information associated with a user account corresponding to the first user.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the content information includes at least one of output position, output quality, and output volume.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the smart media display environment includes a plurality of smart home devices and wherein the first casting device receives the proximity information from one of the plurality of smart home devices.

18. A method for implementing a follow-me mode on casting devices, the method comprising:
receiving, using an imaging device of a first casting device, imaging information corresponding to a smart media display environment that includes the first casting device and a plurality of casting devices;
processing, using a hardware processor of the first casting device, proximity information associated with a user in the smart media display environment;
determining, using the hardware processor of the first casting device, from the proximity information, that the user is within a proximity threshold of the first casting device;
upon determining that the user is within the proximity threshold of the first casting device:
receiving, using the hardware processor of the first casting device, content information associated with a media content item that was accessed by a second casting device from the plurality of casting devices in the smart media display environment;
retrieving, using the hardware processor of the first casting device, the media content item from a content source based on the received content information;
determining, using the hardware processor of the first casting device, that an output device connected to the first casting device is currently in an inactive mode in which the output device is inhibited from presenting media content and switches the output device from the inactive mode to an active mode in which the

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Glazier Adam
• Shekel Tomer

Classifications

• H04N21/485 Primary

  End-user interface for client configuration · CPC title

• H04N21/4524 Primary

  involving the geographical location of the client (retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00) · CPC title

• H04N21/4436

  Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver (power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418) · CPC title

• H04N21/4432

  Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server (resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57) · CPC title

• H04N21/44227

  Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network (configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811) · CPC title