8416456
`
`September 26, 2023
`
`THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT ANNEXED IS A TRUE COPY FROM THE
`RECORDS OF THIS OFFICE OF THE FILE WRAPPER AND CONTENTS
`OF:
`
`APPLICATION NUMBER: 13/157,821
`FILING DATE: June 10, 2011
`PATENT NUMBER: 8904289
`ISSUE DATE: December 02, 2014
`
`Page 1 of 479
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`Comcast, Ex. 1172
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`

`

`FISH & RICHARDSON P.C.
`
`Frederick P. Fish
`1855-1930
`
`WK. Richardson
`1859-1951
`
`June 10, 2011
`
`Attorney Docket No.: 30160-0002001
`
`Street Address
`6o1 Lexington AVENUE,
`52ND FLoor
`New York, New Yorx
`10022
`
`Mail Address
`P.O. Box 1022
`Minnearous, Minnesota
`§5440-1022
`Telephone
`212 765-$070
`Facsimil
`a
`877 769-7945
`
`Commissioner for Patents
`P.O. Box 1450
`.
`Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
`
`Web Sire
`Presentedforfiling is a new patent application claiming priority from a provisional
`patent application of:
`
`@G
`
`ATLANTA
`
`AUSTIN
`
`BOSTON
`
`DALLAS
`
`DELAWARE
`
`HOUSTON
`
`MUNICH
`
`NEW YORK
`
`SILIGGN VALLEY
`
`SOUTHERN CALIFGRNIA
`
`TYWinN CITIES
`
`WASHINGTON, DC
`
`Applicant: DAVID STROBER
`
`Title:
`
`PLAY CONTROL OF CONTENTON A DISPLAY DEVICE
`
`Assignee:
`
`Enclosed are the following papers, including those required to receive a filing date
`under 37 C.F.R. § 1.53(b):
`
`Pages
`16
`8
`1
`[To be Filed at a Later Date]
`9
`
`Specification
`Claims
`Abstract
`Declaration
`Drawing(s)
`
`Enclosures:
`
`— Application Data Sheet, 4 pages.
`— Newdisclosure information, including:
`Information disclosure statement, 1 pages.
`PTO-1449, 2 pages,
`References, 16 items.
`
`Applicant claims small entity status. See 37 CFR 1.27.
`
`Basic Filing Fee
`Search Fee
`Examination Fee
`Total Claims 43
`
`over 20
`
`23 x $26
`
`$82
`$270
`$110
`$598
`
`Page 2 of 479
`
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`

`

`FisH a RICHARDSON P.c.,
`
`Commissioner for Patents
`June 10, 2011
`Page 2
`
`4x 35110
`
`over 3
`Independent Claims 7
`Fee for Multiple Dependent claims
`Fee for each additional 50 pages of Specification
`and Drawings over 100
`34(total pages)*.75 = 26 - 100/50 =0 x
`Total Filing fee
`
`$440
`
`$0
`
`$0
`
`$1500
`
`The filing fee in the amount of $1500 is being paid concurrently herewith on the
`Electronic Filing System (EFS) by way of Deposit Accountauthorization. Please
`apply all charges or credits to Deposit Account No. 06-1050, referencing Attomey
`Docket No. 30160-0002001.
`
`If this application is found to be incomplete,or if a telephone conference would
`otherwise be helpful, please call the undersigned at (212) 765-5070.
`
`Please direct all correspondenceto the following:
`
`26211
`PTO Customer Number
`
`Respectfully submitted,
`
`Amie
`
`Samuel Borodach
`Reg. No, 38,388
`Enclosures
`SXB/ptr
`3061 7580.doc
`
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`

`

`Attorney Docket No.: 30160-0002001
`
`PLAY CONTROL OF CONTENT ON A DISPLAY DEVICE
`
`CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
`
`This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent
`
`Application No. 61/477,998, filed on April 21, 2011.
`
`BACKGROUND
`
`This disclosure relates to play control of content on a display device. Such
`display devices include, for example, television displays used by consumersin their home
`for viewing videos and other mediathat are either provided from the Webor previously
`stored. In particular, the disclosurerelates to the creation, storage, manipulation and
`
`access of media playlists used in conjunction with display devices and controlof the
`
`display devices.
`
`Web media often is played on computers rather than television displays.
`Althoughit is known to connect a computerto a television set in order to watch Web
`
`media,it 1s difficult to contro! such a system within the typical scenario for television
`watching where the viewer is positioned somedistance from the television. Furthermore,
`although a wireless device can enable the user to control the television from a distance,it
`can be difficult to view a web browserdisplay onthe television set and may interfere
`with normal television program viewing by other persons.
`Given the desire to watch various World Wide Web media on a family’s primary
`television set, and to control this operation from the comfort of one’s couch, there is a
`need to operate a television set or other display remotely from a personal computing
`device, such as a mobile phone. It also is desirable to allow a user to perform a general
`Websearch to locate and capture Web media, andto controla television or other display
`remotely using the personal computing device.
`
`Various aspects of the invention are set forth in the claims.
`
`SUMMARY
`
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`Attorney Docket No.: 30160-0002001
`
`For example, according to one aspect, a system for presenting and controlling
`
`content on a display device includes a network, a server system coupled to the network
`
`and comprising one or moreservers, a display device coupled to the network and having
`a display, and a personal computing device operable to transmit a first message according
`to a specified format over the network to the server system. The server system stores an
`association between the personal computing device and the display device. Thefirst
`message identifies user-selected content and a mediaplayerto play the content. The
`server system is operable, in response to receiving the first message from the personal
`computing device, to provide to the display device a second messageidentifying the user-
`selected content and the media playerto play the content. In response to receiving the
`second message, the display device is operable to obtain a first media player needed to
`play the content, to load the media playerandto present the contenton the display.
`In some implementations, the display device is operable, in response to receiving
`the second message, to obtain the first media player from the content provider only if the
`first media player is not already loadedin the display device.
`
`In some implementations, the personal computing device is operable to transmit a
`message according to a specified format over the network to the server system. The
`message can include a command forcontrolling playing of the content on the display
`device. The server system is operable, in response to receiving the message, to convert
`the commandinto a corresponding commandrecognizable by the media player if the
`command received from the personal computing device is not recognizable by the media
`player. The server system is operable to provideto the display device a message that
`includes the corresponding command, and the display device is operable, in response to
`receiving the message from the server system, to execute the command,
`In some implementations, the personal computing device is, for example, a
`mobile phone, and the display device is a television set. Other personal computing
`devices or display devices can be used in other implementations. The network can
`include, for example, the Internet.
`In some implementations, the server system stores a look-up table that includes a
`synchronization code uniquely associated with the display device. A message from the
`personal computing device can include the synchronization code, and in responseto
`
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`Attomey Docket No.: 30160-0002001
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`receiving the message from persona! computing device, the server system can use the
`
`synchronization code and the look-up table to identify the display device on which the
`
`content is to be played. The synchronization code can be different from an IP address
`
`associated with the display device and/or a media access control address associated with
`
`the display device.
`
`In various implementations, the system can facilitate allowing a personal
`
`computing deviceto be used to select different content to be played on a remote display
`evenif different media players are required to present the different content. The system
`also can allow the user to control how the contentis displayed on the display device using
`the personal computing device. For example, user-initiated play commands can be
`
`passed from the user’s personal computing device, through the server system, to the
`
`display device,
`
`Other aspects, features and advantages will be apparent from the following
`detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the claims.
`
`BRIEF DECSRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`FIG, 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system according to the
`invention.
`
`FIG.2 illustrates various details of the flow of information and signals according
`to some implementations.
`
`FIG, 3 illustrates an example of a transmission code incorporated into a message
`from a personal computing device,
`
`FIG.4 illustrates an example of a look-up table that forms part of a server system.
`FIG.3 illustrates an example of entries in a universal API adapter.
`FIG. 6 is a flow chart showingsteps for display device to load a video player and
`
`video.
`
`code.
`
`used,
`
`FIG. 7A illustrates an example of a display device including a synchronization
`
`FIG. 7Billustrates an example of a synchronization code look-uptable.
`FIGS. 8-13 illustrate examples of various scenarios in which the invention can be
`
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`Attorney Docket No.: 30160-0002001
`
`FIGS. 14A through 14Eillustrate examples of display screens that may appear on
`
`a user’s personal computing device in accordance with the invention.
`
`FIG. 15 illustrates further information that can be stored in the look-uptable in
`
`the server system.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION
`
`As shown in FIG. 1, a system 10 facilitates synchronizing a connection between
`
`two or more devices 20, 22 connected to the Internet 21 or other computer network. The
`
`connection is designed to be made byafirst device (e.g., a personal computing device) 20
`that acts as a controller and a second device (e.g., a television set 22 with a display 23)
`that acts as a receiver to play content selected by a user ofthe first device and to respond
`
`to commandsthat originate at the personal computing device. The personal computing
`device 20 is operable to display an application or web site that contains information and
`
`links to content providers 30 on the Internet 21. The television set 22 is operable to link
`back to a server system 24 from which thetelevision set receives commands. When a
`
`user makes a selection using the personal computing device 20 for particular contentto
`be displayed on the television display 23, a signal is sent through the Internet(or other
`network) 21 to the server system 24. A corresponding commandsignal then is passed
`along to the connectedtelevision set 22, which acts on a transmission code contained
`
`within the signal and performs specified commands. For example, in some scenarios, the
`commandinstructs the television set 22 to access a content provider 30 through the
`
`Internet 21, load a specific media player, load the media player-specific content (e.g., a
`video) and play the content on the television display 23. The user can use the personal
`computing device 20 to control how the content is played onthe television display 23.
`The user may subsequently visit the same or another Website using the personal
`computing device 20 to select different content (e.g., a second video)to be played on the
`television display 23.
`In that case, another signal would be sent throughthe server
`system 24 to the television set 22. A transmission code associated with this command
`
`signalinstructs the television set 22 to load a new mediaplayer (if needed) over the
`Internet and to load the specified videe file to be played onthe display 23. Thus, the
`system 10 allows a personal computing device 20 to be used to select different content to
`
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`Attorney Docket No.: 30/60-0002061
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`be played on a remote display 23 even if different media players are required for the
`
`different content. The user also can control how the contentis displayed (e.g., play,
`
`pause, stop, rewind,fast forward, etc.) on the display 23 using the personal computing
`
`device 20, The user-initiated play commands are passed from the user’s personal
`
`computing device 20, through the server system 24, to the television set 22.
`
`Althoughthe following detailed discussion describes videos as an example of the
`
`type of content to be played on the display 23, the system 10 can be used for other types
`
`of content as well. Thus, depending on the implementation, the content may include one
`
`or more of the following: video, audio,interactive video game, streaming media,
`
`multimedia, images, slides (e.g., a PowerPoint presentation) or other types of dynamic
`
`content. Furthermore,in the following discussion,it is assumed that the personal
`
`computing device 20 is a mobile phonethat includes a display, an internal
`
`microprocessor or other processingcircuitry, a keypad, keyboard, touchscreen, mouse,
`
`trackball, or other device to receive user selections and other input, and a transceiver to
`
`establish communications to the Internet 21 or other communications networks. More
`
`generally, however, the personal computing device 20 can be any type of handheld or
`
`other Internet-enabled personal computing device, including personal computers, e-
`
`books,kiosks, tablets, smart phones, media players, and motion and touch sensory
`interfaces, In some cases, input from the user can be received in forms other than tactile
`
`input (e.g., acoustic or speech).
`
`FIG,2 illustrates further details of the flow of information and signals according
`
`to some implementations. The personal computing device (e.g., mobile phone) 20 is
`
`operable to display an application or web site that contains information and links to
`
`content providers 30 on the Intemet 21. The user operates the mobile phone 20so as to
`start the application or access the website (block 100). In some implementations, a logo
`
`appears on the mobile phone’s display. By selecting the logo, the user causes a menuto
`expand and present various options. The options can include, for example: (i) add new
`
`contentto a playlist, (ii) play a listed item on a secondary device,(iii) play a listed item
`on the mobile phone 20. If the user selects to add new contentto the playlist, the user is
`presented with a screen that allows himto enter user-defined search parameters or 0
`select predefined search parameters to request video data. The search parameters are sent
`
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`from the mobile phone 20 as part of a request for video data that satisfy the search
`parameters (block 102). The request is transmitted via the Internet 21 and through the
`
`server system 24 to the appropriate content provider website. In response, the content
`provider 30 provides metadata (e.g., titles, links to the videos) for one or more video files
`that satisfy the search parameters (block 104). The metadata can be provided to the
`mobile phone 20, for example, in the form of an XMLdata file. Upon receiving the data
`file, the mobile phone 20 displays a list of one or more videos based on the information
`
`received from the content provider 30 (block 106).
`If desired, the user can take oneof several actions, including selecting one of the
`videos from the displayed list to be played on the television display 23 orinitiating a
`command with respect to a video that already has been loaded to the television set 22
`(block 108). The mobile phone 20 then formats andtransmits a messageto the server
`system 24 (block 110). The message from the mobile phone 20 contains a transmission
`code that includes data regarding the user information (e.g., user identification or account
`number), the secondary display it wants to connectto (e.g., television set 22 with display
`23), the location and name ofthe media player for the selected video, the command (e.g.,
`play, pause, rewind,etc.), and the videofile to be acted upon. An example ofthe format
`of a transmission code from the mobile phone 20 to the server system 24isillustrated in
`FIG. 3. Different formats and/or different information may be appropriate for other
`implementations.
`
`The message from the mobile phone 20is transmitted over the Internet 21 andis
`received by the server system 24 (block 112). Based on information in the message from
`the mobile phone 20, the server system 24 verifies that the user has an account (block
`114), and the contents of the message, as well as the date and time of receipt of the
`message, are added to a personal computing device database 32 (block 116) which forms
`part of a switchboard 28. In general, all messages from a particular user’s personal
`computing device 20 are stored in the database 32 corresponding to an accountfor the
`particular user. Thus, the database 32 stores a record of all messages received from a
`user’s personal computing device 20, as well as the user’s identification, an indication of
`the target device 22, an identification of the media player that is required for the selected
`video, and an identification of the selected video.
`
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`The switchboard 28 also includes a look-up table 34 that stores a correspondence
`
`between a particular personal computing device (such as mobile phone 20) and target
`
`devices (e.g., the television set 22} to which the user commandis directed. An example
`
`of the look-up table 28 is illustrated in FIG. 4. In this example, it is assumedthat, at
`
`most, a single connection is established at any given time betweena particular mobile
`
`phone and a display device. However, as explained below, other scenarios are also
`
`possible to establish group connections (e.g., multiple mobile phones connected to the
`
`same display device). The server system 24 performsa target verification (block 118),
`
`which includes checking whether a connectionto a particular display device already is
`
`established for the mobile phone 20 and, if so, checking the identification ofthe display
`
`device. During the target verification, if the look-up table indicatesthat there is no
`
`connection established between the mobile phone 20 anda particular display device, then
`
`the server system 24 sends a message to the mobile phone 20 to promptthe user to
`identify the device on which the video is to be displayed.
`
`A user can identify the device on which the video is to be displayed in one of
`several ways, depending on the implementation. In some implementations, the user can
`select the display device fromalist of devices displayed on the mobile phone 20. Thelist
`can include a field populated with namesor identifications of display devices that
`previously have beeninitialized for connection. Alternatively, the user can select the
`
`display device by entering a synchronization code uniquely associated with the particular
`display device. Asillustrated in FIG. 7A, the synchronization code 48 can be displayed,
`for example, on a splash page ofthe display device as text on the screen or as an image
`such as a QR code and can be entered into the mobile phone 20, for example, manually
`by the user or by scanning the code into the mobile phone. The code can be scanned, for
`example, using optical scanning or RFID techniques, Preferably, the synchronization
`
`code is different from the IP address associated with the device 22. The IP address also
`
`can be different from the media access control (MAC)address associated with the device
`
`22. For example, in some implementations, the synchronization code is generated
`randomly and assigned to the display device 22 each time it connects to the server system
`24. Thus, a particular display device 22 may have an IP address, a MAC address, a web
`or browser cookie, and a synchronization code (“sync code”) assigned to it at any given
`
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`
`time. This information can be stored, for example, in a look-uptable in the server system
`
`24. An example ofentries in such a look-uptable are illustrated in FIG. 7B.
`
`Once the synchronization code is entered into, or captured by, the mobile phone
`
`20, it is sent from the mobile phone 20 to the server system 24, which stores the
`
`information in the look-up table 36 so as to establish a connection between the mobile
`
`phone 20 and the display device 22 through the server system 24.
`
`Once a connection is established between the mobile phone 20 andthe display
`device 22, signals sent from the mobile device 20 to its associated database 32 are copied
`to a database 34 associated with the target device (e.g., television set 24) based on the
`correspondence between the mobile device and the target device listed in the look-up
`table 36 (block 122). Thus, the database 32 entries associated with a particular display
`device(¢.g., television set 24) provide a record of the messages received for that display
`device, as well as an indication ofthe identification of the device that sent each message,
`an indication of the media player required to play the video, and an indication of the
`selected video.
`
`In the illustrated implementation, the commandin the transmission code(see FIG.
`3) contains a JavaScript reference to contro! the media player neededto play the selected
`video. Various types of video players may use different JavaScript commandsto control
`their respective playback. Therefore, in the illustrated implementation, a universal
`adapter 26 is providedto interpret and convert a standard or universal command(e.g.,
`play, pause,etc.) into the specific command recognized by the media player. Each time a
`signal is received from the mobile device 20, the API adapter 26 checks and identifies the
`specific media player that is being requested. Basedonthis information, the system loads
`the appropriate set of protocols or application programming interfaces (APIs) from its
`library and converts the incoming commandsfrom the mobile device 20 into the correct
`
`JavaScript (or other programming) code used by the target device 22 to control the
`specific player (block 120). The server system 24 then copies the converted version of
`the messageto the database 34 associated with the target device 22, as indicated above in
`comnection with block 122.
`
`The universal adapter 26 can be implemented, for example, as a look-uptable.
`Examplesof entries in such a look-uptable areillustrated in FIG. 5. Thus, for a universal
`
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`command “New Video,” the universal adapter 26 provides the corresponding command
`
`for each ofseveral specific media players (e.g., “yt_loadVideo” for YouTube), Similarly,
`
`for a universal command “Pause,” the universal adapter 26 provides the corresponding
`
`command for each of several specific media players (e.g., “pauseVideo” for Ted.com).
`
`Other universal commands and the corresponding command(s) for one of more media
`
`players also can be stored by the universal adapter 26.
`
`The display device 22 periodically checks the entries in the database 34to
`
`determine if there are any new messages/commandsdirectedto it (block 124). For
`
`example, in some implementations, the display device 22 polls the associated database 34
`
`at some predetermined time interval. In some implementations, instead ofthe display
`device 22 periodically checking whether there are any messagesforit in the database 34,
`the server system 24 can push the messagesto the display device 22. In any event, the
`system is arranged so that the display device 22 receives the messages intendedforit.
`Whenthe display device 22 receives a message from the server system 24 (block
`126), the display device executes the message (block 128). In some cases, the media
`
`player required to play the video indicated in the messageis not presently loadedin the
`display device 22. For example, the received command maybe to “play” a particular
`video. As indicated by FIG.6, if the media player needed to play the video is not already
`loaded in the display device 22, the display device 22 requests and obtains a copyofthe
`appropriate media player 40 and a copy of the videofile 42 from a content provider30,
`loads the media player and then presents the video on the display 23 (FIG. 2, block 130).
`Likewise, as indicated by FIG.6, if the appropriate media player already is loaded in the
`display device, but the particular video is not, then the display device 22 requests and
`obtains a copy of the videofile 42 from the content provider 30 and proceeds to play the
`video. To allow the display device 22 to switch between different video players (i-c., to
`load and unload different video players), a software program can be stored onthedisplay
`device and/or the website to establish a secure connection back to the server system 24.
`Once the video is playing on the display device 22, the user of the mobile phone
`20 can control the playing of the video by entering appropriate commands(e.g., pause,
`fast forward, rewind, stop, play, etc.) through the mobile phone. Each commandis
`incorporated into a message including a transmission code (FIG. 3) as described above.
`
`9
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`The message is transmitted to the server system 24, which copies the message into
`database entries associated with the particular display device 22 (i.e., after performing
`any conversion of the command by the API adapter 26). Once the messageis retrieved
`by or sent to the display device 22,the display device proceeds to execute the command.
`The system and methods described here allow a user of a mobile phone or other
`personal computing device to create a playlist based on videos (or other types of content)
`from multiple sources and to play back each video using a single interface that can be
`used to control different media players.
`As mentioned above, the system and methods described abovealso can be used
`with types ofcontent other than video. In thatcase, different types ofuser-initiated
`commands may be available to contro] the content displayed on the display 23. For
`example, for interactive video games,the user-initiated commandscan include control
`commands appropriate for the particular game.
`Although the implementation of FIG. 1 illustrates the display device 22 as a
`television set with a display screen 23, other types of display devices can be used as well
`(¢.g., a laptop or personal computer).
`The systems and methodscan be used in various scenarios to play back videos(or
`other content). Examples of several scenarios that can be implemented using the system
`described above are described in the following paragraphs. For example,a first scenario
`involvesa single user’s smartphone connecting to a single display device (FIG.8). In
`this scenario, the user turns on,for example, her display device(¢.g., personal computer
`with a display monitor), opens up a browserand accesses a website associated with the
`server system 24, The user then clicks on a link that launchesthe software program to
`establish a secure connection back to the server system 24. The software program opens
`a splash page (see FIG. 14A), and a sync-codeis displayed on the monitor. The user then
`opens the appropriate application on her smartphone. In the smartphoneapplication, the
`user accesses a “Connect” screen from which he can select one ofseveral listed display
`devices (see FIG. 14B). Alternatively, the user can enter the sync-code displayed on the
`computer monitor (see FIG. 14B). The user then clicks on a SEND button which causes
`a message including the syne-codeto be sent the server system 24. In response, the
`server system 24 establishes a connection between the user’s smartphone and the selected
`
`10
`
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`display device through a look-up table as described above with respect to FIG. 4. The
`
`user can use a search tool in the smartphoneapplication to find a video. In response to
`
`the search,a list of videos satisfying the search appears on the smartphone(see FIG.
`14C). Whenthe userselects a video from thelist displayed on the smartphone,the
`
`information is provided through the server system 24 to the personal computer. In some
`implementations, a pop-up window may appear on the smartphonelisting one or more
`
`options for the user to take regarding the selected video. Such options can include, for
`example, play the video on the selected display device (e.g., the personal computer), play
`the video on the smartphone,or add the video to the playlist on the smartphone. If the
`user choosesto have the video played on the display device (e.g., the personal computer),
`the personal computer obtains a copy ofthe required video player and the selected video
`from an appropriate content provider over the Internet and begins to play the video on the
`monitor as described previously. In some implementations, a message is displayed on the
`user’s smartphoneindicating that the selected video is playing and providing additional
`information about the selected video (see FIG. 14D). The user can contro! playing of the
`video (e.g., pause, fast forward, rewind, play, etc.) from her smartphone.
`A second scenario involves saving a selected video to a playlist on a single user’s
`smartphone, and subsequently playing the video on a display device (FIG. 9). In this
`scenario, the user opens the appropriate application on his smartphone and searchesfor
`videos using the search tool displayed in the application. Whena list of videosis
`displayed on the smartphonein response to the search request, the user selects one or
`
`more videosto addto his playlist. At that time, or at a later time, the user can connect to
`a display device through the server system 24. To do so, the user openstheplaylist on
`his smartphone and selects a video. The informationis provided through the server
`system 24 to the display device, which obtains a copy of the required video player and
`the selected video from an appropriate content provider over the Internet and beginsto
`play the video. The user can control playing ofthe video (e.g., pause, fast forward,
`rewind, play, etc.) from his smartphone.
`A third scenario involves multiple users’ smartphones anda single display device
`(FIG. 10). For example, a user may want to share and watch videos with a group of
`friends watching together on a single display device. In this situation, the user can access
`
`1]
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`Attomey Docket No.: 36160-0002001
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`the application or website to set up a group and serve as the moderatorfor the group.
`The user then can send out a request to other members ofthe group,or other users can
`send a request to the moderator to join the group. Users can search for other users based,
`for example, on usernameor from a contact list. The moderator then can select a user in
`
`the group to control the display device. FIG. 14E illustrates an example ofa screen on
`the user’s smartphonethat allows the user to connect with other users to form a group and
`to select which memberofthe group controls the display device(e.g., by selecting a
`member of the group from the list “Me, Guest 1, Guest 2, .. .” near the top of the screen).
`Altematively, the moderator can set it up so that control is passed to each memberofthe
`group in turn automatically, or so that the next tum can be determined by consensus of
`the entire group, via some form of voting. Regardless of who has control ofthe display
`device 22, each user in the groupretains control of his own smartphone. The look-up
`table 36 in the server system 24 stores the connectionsestablished between the personal
`computing devices of the users in the group andthe display device (see FIG. 15).
`A fourth scenario involves one user’s smartphone and multiple display devices
`(FIG, 11). In this example, a user opens the application on his smartphoneto establish a
`connection to a first display device and then repeats the process for multiple display
`devices. A list of devices that the user’s smartphoneis connectedto is displayed on the
`smartphone. The user can choose to control all devices simultaneously or oneat a time.
`To do so, the user selects from the list the display device(s) he wants to control. The user
`then can search for videos using his smartphone. In responseto the user selecting a
`particular video, the selected video is played on the selected display device(s).
`A fifth scenario involves multiple users’ smartphones and multiple connected
`display devices (FIG. 12). For example, a user may want to share and watch videos with
`a groupof friends, who maybein different locations each of which has a separate display
`device. Each user establishes a connection from her smartphoneto the display device
`where sheis located. Oneof the users uses the application or web site to establish a
`group, with the user who establishes the group serving as the group moderator. The user
`can send out a request to other users to join the group or other users can send a request to
`the moderatorto join the group.
`In some implementations, users can search for other
`users based on username or from a contactlist. The m