Companion device services based on the generation and display of visual codes on a display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9578366-B2
Application number	US-201213463413-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2012
Priority date	May 3, 2012
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes launching an application on a first device. The application allows the first device to trigger a service based on a program being played on a second device. The first device captures a visual code being displayed in association with the program being played on the second device. The visual code includes encoded information for program ID information associated with the program being played on the second device and timing information associated with the program being played on the second device. The method determines the program ID information and the timing information from the encoded information included in the visual code and then triggers the service for the application using the timing information and the program ID information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
launching an application on a first device, wherein the application allows the first device to trigger a service based on a program being played on a second device;
causing the second device to, in response to user input entered at the first device while the program is being played on the second device, generate a visual code associated with the program being played on the second device and display the visual code;
capturing, at the first device, the visual code being displayed by the second device, wherein the visual code includes encoded information for determining program ID information associated with the program being played on the second device and timing information associated with the program being played on the second device, and wherein the visual code is configured at least in part for creating a bookmark for a media segment of the program;
determining the program ID information and the timing information from the encoded information included in the captured visual code; and
triggering the service for the application using the determined timing information and the determined program ID information, wherein the service comprises creating the bookmark based at least in part on the determined timing information and the determined program ID information.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein triggering the service comprises sending the determined timing information and the determined program ID information to a server that is configured to provide the service.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the determined program ID information is for a different version of the program being played on the second device, and
triggering the service comprises sending a request for the different version of the program using the program ID information.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
using the determined timing information to determine a media segment corresponding to the determined timing information for the different version of the program;
requesting the media segment using the determined program ID information;
receiving the media segment; and
playing the media segment at the first device.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
requesting the different version of the program using the determined program ID information;
receiving a media segment, wherein the media segment is currently being delivered by a live version of the program being played on the second device; and
playing the media segment at the first device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the program ID information and the timing information comprises:
sending the visual code to a decoding server for decoding of the encoded information; and
receiving the program ID information for the program and the timing information from the decoding server.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the program ID information and the timing information comprises:
sending the visual code to a decoding server for decoding of the encoded information, wherein the decoding server determines the program ID information associated with the program and the timing information associated with the program and triggers the service on behalf of the first device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the triggering the service comprises storing the bookmark to allow playback of the program using the determined timing information using the bookmark.

9. An apparatus comprising:
one or more computer processors; and
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for controlling the one or more computer processors to be operable for:
launching, on a first device, an application, wherein the application triggers a service based on a program being played on a second device;
causing the second device to, in response to user input entered at the first device while the program is being played on the second device, generate a visual code associated with the program being played on the second device and display the visual code;
capturing, at the first device, the visual code being displayed by the second device, wherein the visual code includes encoded information for program ID information associated with the program being played on the second device and timing information associated with the program being played on the second device, and wherein the visual code is configured at least in part for creating a bookmark for a media segment of the program;
determining the program ID information and the timing information from the encoded information included in the captured visual code; and
triggering the service for the application using the determined timing information and the determined program ID information, wherein the service comprises creating the bookmark based at least in part on the determined timing information and the determined program ID information.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein triggering the service comprises sending the determined timing information and the determined program ID information to a server that is configured to provide the service.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:
the determined program ID information is for a different version of the program being played on the second device, and
triggering the service comprises sending a request for the different version of the program using the determined program ID information.

Assignees

• Baum Kevin L
• Emeott Stephen P
• Ishtiaq Faisal
• Google Technology Holdings LLC

Inventors

• Baum Kevin L
• Emeott Stephen P
• Ishtiaq Faisal

Classifications

• H04N21/4307

  Synchronising the rendering of multiple content streams or additional data on devices, e.g. synchronisation of audio on a mobile phone with the video output on the TV screen · CPC title

• H04N21/4788

  communicating with other users, e.g. chatting {(arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104)} · CPC title

• H04N21/4126

  The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones · CPC title

• H04N21/41407

  embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop (constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57) · CPC title

• H04N21/4622

  Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet (web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859) · CPC title