Methods and devices for terminal control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9846685-B2
Application number	US-201314099826-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2013
Priority date	Aug 29, 2012
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses methods and devices for terminal control. The method comprises: sending a request from a first terminal to a server to obtain information about a multimedia application currently running on a second terminal, the information comprising application identification and one or more playback attributes of the multimedia application; displaying on the first terminal the information about the multimedia application currently running on the second terminal; generating by the first terminal one or more new playback attributes of the currently running multimedia application, and sending from the first terminal to the second terminal via the server a synchronization control request comprising the one or more new playback attributes, thereby allowing the second terminal to control the multimedia playback of the multimedia application based on the one or more new playback attributes in the synchronization control request. The present disclosure can allow one to use one terminal in the Internet to control the multimedia playback on another terminal. This can accomplish the combination of hardware advantages of both terminals and can increase the efficiency of playback control.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A terminal control method comprising:
receiving, by a server, a status request from a first terminal, the status request being configured to obtain information about a first currently running multimedia application running on a second terminal, the information comprising application identification and one or more first playback attributes of the first currently running multimedia application,
requesting, by the server, the information from the second terminal in accordance with the status request, wherein the second terminal determines whether the first currently running multimedia application is playing a first multimedia file on the second terminal,
receiving, by the server, the information requested from the second terminal,
sending, by the server, the information requested from the second terminal to the first terminal, wherein when the first currently running multimedia application is playing the first multimedia file, the information requested from the second terminal does not include the first multimedia file,
after sending the information to the first terminal, receiving a control request from the first terminal, the control request comprising one or more second playback attributes of the first currently running multimedia application,
sending, by the server, the control request to the second terminal, and
controlling, by the second terminal, the first currently running multimedia application in accordance with the one or more second playback attributes, wherein the first currently running multimedia application plays a second multimedia file, the second multimedia file comprising at least video data, on the second terminal in accordance with the one or more second playback attributes, and the first terminal does not play the second multimedia file locally on the first terminal,
wherein controlling, by the second terminal, the first currently running multimedia application in accordance with the one or more second playback attributes further comprises: determining if an original playback attribute of the first currently running multimedia application is the second multimedia file being stored online and one of the one or more second playback attributes is the second multimedia file being stored locally, an initiating, by the second terminal, downloading of the second multimedia file and storing the second multimedia file locally upon receiving the control request when it is determined that the original playback attribute of the first currently running multimedia application is the second multimedia file being stored online and one of the one or more second playback attributes is the second multimedia file being stored locally.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising, after receiving the status request from the first terminal and before sending the information to the first terminal,
verifying that the first terminal has authority to obtain the information.

3. The terminal control method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
sending, by the first terminal, a first login information of a first user account to the server, and
sending, by the second terminal, a second login information of a second user account to the server,
wherein verifying that the first terminal has authority to obtain the information further comprising: verifying, by the server, that the first user account and the second user account are associated based on the first login information and the second login information.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein verifying that the first terminal has authority to obtain the information further comprises:
according to the identification information of the first terminal or a login information of the first terminal, determining a privilege level associated with the first terminal, and
according to the privilege level, determining whether a part or all of information requested by the status request is authorized,
wherein the information obtained by the server is the authorized information in accordance with the status request.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising:
receiving, by the server, a second status request from the second terminal, the second status request being configured to obtain information about a second currently running multimedia application, the information comprising application identification and one or more first playback attributes of the second currently running multimedia application,
requesting to obtain, by the server, the information about the second currently running multimedia application from the first terminal in accordance with the second status request, and
sending, by the server, the information about the second currently running multimedia application requested from the first terminal to the second terminal.

6. The method of claim 5 comprising, after sending the information about the second currently running multimedia application to the second terminal,
receiving a second control request from the second terminal, the second control request comprising one or more second playback attributes of the second currently running multimedia application,
sending the second control request to the first terminal, and
controlling, by the first terminal, the second currently running multimedia application in accordance with the one or more second playback attributes in the second control request.

7. The terminal control method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
after the first terminal receives the information about the first currently running multimedia application, displaying, on the first terminal, a current playback progress of a media played by the first currently running multimedia application on the second terminal according to the one or more first playback attributes included in the received information, and
adjusting, by the first terminal, the displayed current playback progress of the media according to a user command,
wherein the one or more second playback attributes of the first currently running multimedia application in the control request includes the adjusted current play back progress of the media.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
if an original playback attribute of the first currently running multimedia application is a right to play the second multimedia file being unpaid, and one of the one or more second playback attributes is the right to play the second multimedia file being paid, the second terminal initiates purchasing the right to play of the second multimedia file upon receiving the control request.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
if an original playback attribute of the first currently running multimedia application is an existing comment on the second multimedia file, and one of the one or more second playback attributes is a new comment on the second multimedia file, posting, by the second terminal, the new comment of the second multimedia file to a corresponding website upon receiving the control request.

10. A network server comprising at least a processor and a plurality of program modules to be executed by the processor, the plurality of program modules comprising:
a synchronization request receiving module, configured to receive a status request from a first terminal, the status request being configured to obtain information about a first currently running multimedia application on a second terminal, the information comprising application identification and one or more first playback attributes of the first currently running multimedia application, and
a synchronization information returning module, configured to request the second terminal to obtain the information from the second terminal in accordance with the status request, and to send the information

Assignees

• Tencent Tech Shenzhen Co Ltd

Inventors

• Li Lie Qiang

Classifications

• G06F40/12 Primary

  Use of codes for handling textual entities · CPC title

• H04N21/242

  Synchronisation processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Programme Clock References] {(arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18)} · CPC title

• G11B27/10

  Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel · CPC title

• G06F17/22 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• 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