Providing supplemental content for a second screen experience

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12474820-B2
Application number	US-202016851814-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2020
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

Computing devices, computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions, methods, and systems for discovering, organizing, and presenting supplemental content are disclosed. A discovery system may be used to discover an item, such as a supplemental content presentation application, which, when launched may present supplemental content to a user while the user is consuming primary content. The supplemental content presentation application may also present a timeline that users may interact with to view different portions of the supplemental content. The timeline may also be modified by adding markers along the timeline so that when a marker is selected, a particular piece of supplemental content is presented.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
determining, by a computing device and based on information indicating selection of a content item for output via a first screen device, one or more applications related to the content item; causing output, via the first screen device, of the content item and an icon, wherein the icon is associated with a first application of the one or more applications; and in response to a selection of the icon via the first screen device, sending, to a second screen device different from the first screen device, a signal instructing the second screen device to:
retrieve, from a location indicated by the signal, the first application; and
launch the first application.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, based on occurrence of a particular event of a plurality of sequential events associated with the content item, one or more additional applications related to the particular event; and sending an additional icon for output via the first screen device, wherein the additional icon is configured to, after being selected, cause a download, or launch, of at least one of the one or more additional applications at the second screen device.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting, based on one or more factors, a plurality of applications; and sending a plurality of icons to be output via the first screen device, wherein each of the plurality of icons corresponds to one of the plurality of applications, wherein at least one of the plurality of applications is configured to output supplemental content via at the second screen device contemporaneously with an output of the content item via the first screen device.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending item description information corresponding to the icon, wherein the item description information comprises a preview of features of the first application.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, based on information indicating an input to the second screen device via the launched first application, a social media post for display via the first screen device, wherein the social media post is based on input received via the second screen device.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, based on information indicating an input to the second screen device via the launched first application, a positional marker for display via the first screen device.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending a listing, of a plurality of content items, for output by the first screen device, wherein the listing comprises a portion of a program guide listing for outputting the icon and wherein the information indicating the selection of the content item indicates the selection of the content item from the listing of the plurality of content items.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the causing output of the icon is based on a current time position in the output of the content item.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the causing output causes the icon to appear adjacent to the content item on the first screen device.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the icon is associated with a hypertext link; and launching the first application comprises launching, on the second screen device, a browser to load content associated with the hypertext link.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the signal comprises instructions to:
retrieve, from the location, an executable file associated with the first application, and execute the executable file to launch the first application.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection of the icon comprises a click of a cursor or press of a button; and
wherein the signal is configured to cause the second screen to automatically retrieve and launch the first application without further user input.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein sending the signal is based on the second screen device not comprising the first application.

14 . An apparatus comprising:
one or more processors; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the apparatus to:
determine, based on information indicating selection of a content item for output via a first screen device, one or more applications related to the content item;
cause output, via the first screen device, of the content item and an icon, wherein the icon is associated with a first application of the one or more applications; and
in response to selection of the icon via the first screen device, send, to a second screen device different from the first screen device, a signal instructing the second screen device to:
retrieve, from a location indicated by the signal, the first application; and
launch the first application.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further configure the apparatus to:
determine, based on occurrence of a particular event of a plurality of sequential events associated with the content item, one or more additional applications related to the particular event; and send an additional icon for output via the first screen device, wherein the additional icon is configured to, after being selected, cause a download, or launch, of at least one of the one or more additional applications at the second screen device.

16 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further configure the apparatus to:
select, based on one or more factors, a plurality of applications; and send a plurality of icons to be output via the first screen device, wherein each of the plurality of icons corresponds to one of the plurality of applications, wherein at least one of the plurality of applications is configured to output supplemental content via the second screen device contemporaneously with an output of the content item via the first screen device.

17 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further configure the apparatus to:
send item description information corresponding to the icon, wherein the item description information comprises a preview of features of the first application.

18 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further configure the apparatus to:
receive, based on information indicating an input to the second screen device via the launched first application, a social media post for display via the first screen device, wherein the social media post is based on input received via the second screen device.

19 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further configure the apparatus to:
receive, based on information indicating an input to the second screen device via the launched first application, a positional marker for display via the first screen device.

20 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further configure the apparatus to:
send a listing of a plurality of content items for output via the first screen device, wherein the listing comprises a portion of a program guide listing for outputting the icon and wherein the information indicating the selection of the content item indicates the selection of the content item from the listing of the plurality of content items.

Assignees

• Comcast Cable Comm Llc

Inventors

• Carney John
• Thomson Greg
• Ahrens Don
• Gravante Justin
• Evans Andrew
• Mclaughlin Jill

Classifications

• H04N21/41265

  having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device (unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204) · CPC title

• H04N21/43079

  of additional data with content streams on multiple devices · CPC title

• H04N21/233

  Processing of audio elementary streams {(monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58)} · CPC title

• H04N21/23418

  involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics (television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59) · CPC title

• H04N21/6582

  Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number (arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38) · CPC title