System and method for app discovery, installation, and usage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11960871-B2
Application number	US-202117406667-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2021
Priority date	Aug 19, 2021
Publication date	Apr 16, 2024
Grant date	Apr 16, 2024

Abstract

A system and method functions to make an app as installed on a smart device usable to access a service, such as a media streaming service. A presence of a counterpart to the app as installed on an appliance within a home network which includes the smart device is detected. A user credential, such as a username and password combination, that is associated with the counterpart to the app is then identified. The user credential is caused to be automatically associated with the app as installed on the smart device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving from an appliance within a home network which includes a smart device a data that identifies a first app installed on the appliance;
using the received data that identifies the first app installed on the appliance to cause a second app to be automatically installed on the smart device; and
using the received data that identifies the first app installed on the appliance and an identifier for the home network to automatically cause a user credential for a service that is associated with the first app installed on the appliance to be automatically associated with the second app installed on the smart device whereupon the user credential will be verifiable by the service upon a subsequent usage of the second app installed on the smart device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the service comprises a media streaming service.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the user credential comprises a username and password combination associated with a cable service provider.

4. The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the user credential comprises a username and password combination associated with the media service provider.

5. The method as recited in claim 2 , further comprising storing in a memory of a server device associated with the service a correspondence between the user credential and second app installed on the smart device.

6. The method as recited in claim 2 , further comprising storing in a memory of the smart device the user credential and a correspondence between the user credential and the second app installed on the smart device.

7. A method, comprising:
detecting by a smart device, via use of a media data received from an appliance within a home network which includes the smart device, a presence of a first app installed on the appliance;
using by the smart device an IP protocol extension to automatically retrieve from the appliance a user credential that is associated with the first app installed on the appliance; and
causing the user credential for a service that is associated with the first app installed on the appliance to be automatically associated with a second app installed on the smart device whereupon the user credential will be verifiable by the service upon a subsequent usage of the second app installed on the smart device.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the smart device uses automatic content recognition to detect the presence of the first app installed on the appliance.

9. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the smart device uses optical content recognition to detect the presence of the first app installed on the appliance.

10. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the service comprises a media streaming service.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the user credential comprises a username and password combination associated with a cable service provider.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the user credential comprises a username and password combination associated with a media streaming service provider.

13. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the user credential is retrieved from a password manager service associated with the appliance.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein the appliance comprises a smart phone.

15. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein the appliance comprises a tablet computer device.

16. A smart device, comprising:
a processing device programmed to detect, via use of a media data received from an appliance within a home network which includes the smart device, a presence of a first app installed on the appliance; use an IP protocol extension to automatically retrieve from the appliance a user credential that is associated with the first app installed on the appliance; and
cause the user credential for a service that is associated with the first app installed on the appliance to be automatically associated with a second app installed on the smart device whereupon the user credential will be verifiable by the service upon a subsequent usage of the second app installed on the smart device.

17. The smart device as recited in claim 16 , wherein the smart device is further programmed to use automatic content recognition to detect the presence of the counterpart to the app installed on the appliance.

18. The smart device as recited in claim 16 , wherein the smart device if further programmed to use optical content recognition to detect the presence of the counterpart to the app installed on the appliance.

19. The smart device as recited in claim 16 , wherein the service comprises a media streaming service.

Assignees

• Universal Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Arling Paul D
• Hatambeiki Arsham

Classifications

• G06F8/65 Primary

  Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title

• H04L12/2803

  Home automation networks · CPC title

• H04L63/083

  using passwords (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226) · CPC title

• H04L65/60

  Network streaming of media packets · CPC title

• H04L67/34

  involving the movement of software or configuration parameters  (network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416) · CPC title