System and method for app discovery, installation, and usage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12217047-B2
Application number	US-202418443743-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2024
Priority date	Aug 19, 2021
Publication date	Feb 4, 2025
Grant date	Feb 4, 2025

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 performed by a smart device, comprising:
receiving from an appliance within a home network which includes the smart device a media stream that was caused to be retrieved from a media streaming service via use of a first app installed on the appliance;
using a data contained within the received media stream to determine an identity of the media streaming service; and
using the determined identity of the media streaming service and an identifier for the home network to automatically cause a user credential for the media streaming service to be automatically associated with a second app installed on the smart device whereupon the user credential will be verifiable by the media streaming service upon a subsequent usage of the second app installed on the smart device to access the media streaming service.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the user credential comprises a username and password combination associated with a cable service provider.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the user credential comprises a username and password combination associated with the media service provider.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising storing in a memory of a server device associated with the media service provider a correspondence between the user credential and second app installed on the smart device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , 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.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the data contained within the received media stream is provided to an automatic content recognition module to determine the identity of the media streaming service.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the data contained within the received media stream is provided to a character recognition module to determine the identity of the media streaming service.

8. A method performed by a smart device, comprising:
receiving from an appliance within a home network which includes the smart device a media stream that was caused to be retrieved from a media streaming service via use of a first app installed on the appliance;
using a data contained within the received media stream to determine an identity of the media streaming service;
using an IP protocol extension to automatically retrieve from the appliance a user credential that is associated with the determined identity of the media streaming service; and
causing the user credential for the media streaming service to be automatically associated with a second app installed on the smart device whereupon the user credential will be verifiable by the media streaming service upon a subsequent usage of the second app installed on the smart device to access the media streaming service.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the data contained within the received media stream is provided to an automatic content recognition module to determine the identity of the media streaming service.

10. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the data contained within the received media stream is provided to a character recognition module to determine the identity of the media streaming service.

11. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the user credential comprises a username and password combination associated with a cable service provider.

12. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the user credential comprises a username and password combination associated with a media streaming service provider.

13. The method as recited in claim 8 , 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 receive from an appliance within a home network which includes the smart device a media stream that was caused to be retrieved from a media streaming service via use of a first app installed on the appliance; use a data contained within the received media stream to determine an identity of the media streaming service; use an IP protocol extension to automatically retrieve from the appliance a user credential that is associated with the determined identity of the media streaming service; and cause the user credential for the media streaming service to be automatically associated with a second app installed on the smart device whereupon the user credential will be verifiable by the media streaming service upon a subsequent usage of the second app installed on the smart device to access the media streaming service.

17. The smart device as recited in claim 16 , wherein the programming causes the data contained within the received media stream to be provided to an automatic content recognition module to determine the identity of the media streaming service.

18. The smart device as recited in claim 16 , wherein the programming causes the data contained within the received media stream to be provided to a character recognition module to determine the identity of the media streaming service.

19. The smart device as recited in claim 16 , wherein the user credential comprises a username and password combination associated with a cable service provider.

20. The smart device as recited in claim 16 , wherein the user credential comprises a username and password combination associated with a media streaming service provider.

21. The smart device as recited in claim 16 , wherein the user credential is retrieved from a password manager service associated with the appliance.

Assignees

• Universal Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Arling Paul D
• Hatambeiki Arsham

Classifications

• H04L67/34

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

• H04W12/068

  using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications · CPC title