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: 13/245,001
`FILING DATE: September 26, 2011
`PATENT NUMBER: 8356251
`ISSUE DATE: January 15, 2013
`
`Page 1 of 651
`
`Charter Ex. 1178
`
`

`

`FisH & RICHARDSON P.C.
`
`Frederick P. Fish
`1855-1930
`
`W.K. Richardson
`1859-1951
`
`September 26, 2011
`
`Attorney Docket No.: 30160-0002002
`
`Commissionerfor Patents
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
`
`Presented forfiling is a new continuation patent applicationof:
`
`Applicant: DAVID STROBER
`
`Street Address
`601 LexINGVON AVENUE,
`52ND FLOOR
`NewYork, New York
`10022
`
`Mail Address
`P.O. Box 1022
`MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
`5§440-1022
`Telephone
`212 765-5070
`
`Facsimile
`877 769-7945
`
`Web Site
`mem
`
`S
`
`ATLANTA
`
`AUSTIN
`
`BOSTON
`
`DALLAS
`
`DELAWARE
`
`HOUSTON
`
`MUNICH
`
`NEW YORK
`
`SILICON VALLEY
`
`SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
`
`TWIN CITIES
`
`Title:
`
`PLAY CONTROL OF CONTENTON A DISPLAY DEVICE
`
`Assignee:
`
`Enclosedare the following papers, including those required to receive a filing date
`under 37 C.F.R. § 1.53(b):
`
`Specification
`Claims
`Abstract
`Declaration
`Drawing(s)
`
`Pages
`16
`6
`1
`2
`9
`
`WASHINGTON, DC
`
`Enclosures:
`
`— Application Data Sheet, 4 pages.
`— Information disclosure statement, | page.
`PTO-1449, 2 pages.
`— Request for Prioritized Examination.
`
`Applicant claims small cntity status. Sec 37 CFR 1.27.
`
`Basic Filing Fee
`Search Fee
`
`Examination Fee
`Request for Prioritized Examination
`Publication Fee
`Track 1 processing fee
`
`Page 2 of 651
`
`$95
`$310
`
`$125
`$2400
`$300
`$130
`
`Page 2 of 651
`
`

`

`FisH & RICHARDSON P.Cc.
`
`Commissioner for Patents
`September 26, 2011
`Page 2
`
`7x $30
`0x $125
`
`over 20
`Total Claims 27
`over 3
`Independent Claims 3
`Fee for Multiple Dependent claims
`Fee for each additional 50 pages of Specification
`and Drawings over 100
`32(total pages)*.75 = 24 - 100/50 =0x
`Total Filing fee
`
`$210
`$0
`$0
`
`$0
`
`$3570
`
`Thetotal filing fee in the amount of $3570is being paid concurrently herewith on the
`Electronic Filing System (EFS) by way of Deposit Account authorization.
`
`Please apply all necessary charges or any credits to Deposit Account No. 06-1050,
`referencing Attorney Docket No. 30160-0002002.
`
`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,
`
`/Samuel Borodach/
`
`Samuel Borodach
`Reg. No. 38,388
`Enclosures
`SXB/ptr
`30639199.doc
`
`Page 3 of 651
`
`Page 3 of 651
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`

`

`Attorney's Docket No.: 30160-0002001
`
`COMBINED DECLARATION AND POWER OF ATTORNEY
`
`As a below named inventor, I hereby declare that:
`
`Myresidence, post office address and citizenship are as stated below next to my name,
`
`T believe I am the original,first and sole inventor(if only one nameislisted below) or an original, first and
`joint inventor (if plural namesare listed below) of the subject matter which is claimed and for which a patent is
`sought on the invention entitled PLAY CONTROL OF CONTENT ON A DISPLAY DEVICE,the specification of
`which:
`
`is attached hereto.
`[]
`
`[X] was filed on_
`June 10, 201]
`as Application Serial No.
`13/157,821
`[]
`was described and claimed in PCT International Application No.
`and as amended under PCT Article 19 on
`
`filed on
`
`Thereby state that ] have reviewed and understandthe contents of the aboveidentified specification,
`includingthe claims, as amended by any amendmentreferred b above.
`
`T acknowledge the duty to disclose to the United States Patent and Trademark Office all information known
`to me to be material to patentability as defined in 37 CFR 1.56, including for continuationin-part applications,
`material information which became available between the filing date of the prior application and the national or PCT
`International filing date of the continuationin-part application.
`
`Thereby claim the benefit under Title 35, United States Code, §119(e)(1) of any United States provisional
`application(s) listed below:
`
`U.S. Serial No.
`61/477,998
`
`Filing Date
`April 21, 2011
`
`Status
`
`Pending
`
`Thereby claim the benefit under Title 35, United States Code, §120 of any United States application(s}
`listed below and, insofar as the subject matter of each ofthe claimsof this application is not disclosed in the prior
`United States application in the manner providedby the first paragraph of Title35, United States Code, §112, 1
`acknowledge the duty to disclose all information I now to be material to patentability as defined in Title 37, Code
`of Federal Regulations, §1.56(a) which became available betweenthefiling date of the prior application and the
`national or PCT internationalfiling date of this application:
`
`U.S. Serial No.
`
`Filing Date
`
`Status
`
`Thereby claim foreign priority benefits under Title35, United States Code, §119 of any foreign
`application(s) for patent or inventor’s certificate or of any PCT international application(s) designating at least one
`country other than the United States of Americalisted below and havealso identified below any foreign application
`for patent or inventor's certificate or any PCT international application(s) designating at least one country other than
`the United States of America filed by me on the same subject matter having a filing date before that of the
`application(s) of which priority is claimed:
`
`Country
`
`Application No.
`
`Filing Date
`
`Priority Claimed
`[] Yes
`[] No
`[] Yes
`[] No
`
`Page 4 of 651
`
`Page 4 of 651
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`

`

`Attorney's Docket No.: 30160-0002001
`
`Combined Declaration and Power of Attorney
`Pape 2 of 2 Pages
`
`] hereby appoint the following attorneys and/or agents to prosecute this application and to transact all
`business in the Patent and Trademark Office connected therewith: all attorneys and/or patent agents associated
`with FTO Customer No. 26211,
`
`Direct all telephonecalls to SAMUEL BORODACHat telephone number(212) 765-5070,
`
`Direct all correspondence to the following:
`
`26211
`PTO Customer Number
`
`I hereby declare that al! statements made herein of my own knowledge are true end that all statements made
`on information and belief are believed to be true: and further that these statements were made with the knowledge
`that willfulfalse statements and the like so made are punishable by fine or imprisonment, or both, under Section
`FOOL of Title 18 ofthe United States Code and that such will! faise statements may jeopardize the validity of the
`application or any patents issued thereon.
`
`.
`
`Date
`
`Zot
`
`ft
`
`Full Name of inventor; DAVID STROBER {nventor’s Signature:
`
`Residence Address:
`Citizenship:
`Post Office Address:
`
`Rye,
`U.S.
`6 Davis Avenue B22
`Rye, NY 10580
`
`30621079.doo
`
`Page 5 of 651
`
`Page 5 of 651
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`

`

`Attorney Docket No.: 30160-0002002
`
`PLAY CONTROL OF CONTENT ON A DISPLAY DEVICE
`
`CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
`
`This application is a continuation of U.S. Application No. 13/157,821, filed on
`
`June 10, 2011, which in turn claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent
`
`Application No. 61/477,998, filed on April 21, 2011.
`
`10
`
`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 media that are either provided from the Weborpreviously
`
`stored. In particular, the disclosure relates to the creation, storage, manipulation and
`
`15
`
`access of media playlists used in conjunction with display devices and control of the
`
`display devices.
`
`Web media often is played on computers rather than television displays.
`
`Although it is known to connect a computer to a television set in order to watch Web
`
`media, it is difficult to control such a system within the typical scenario for television
`
`20
`
`watching where the vieweris 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 on the television set and mayinterfere
`
`with normaltelevision program viewing by other persons.
`
`Given the desire to watch various World Wide Web media on a family’s primary
`
`25
`
`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, and to control a television or other display
`
`remotely using the personal computing device.
`
`30
`
`Various aspects of the invention are set forth in the claims.
`
`SUMMARY
`
`1
`
`Page 6 of 651
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`

`

`Attorney Docket No.: 30160-0002002
`
`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 opcrable to transmit a first message according
`
`to a specified format over the network to the server system. The server system stores an
`
`association betwecn the personal computing device and the display device. Thefirst
`
`messageidentifies user-selected content and a media playerto play the content. The
`
`server system is operable, in responsc to recciving the first message from the personal
`
`computing device, to provide to the display device a second message identifying the user-
`
`10
`
`selected content and the media player to play the content. In response to recciving the
`
`second message,the display device is operable to obtain a first media player needed to
`
`play the content, to load the media player and to present the content on 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
`
`15
`
`first media player is not already loaded in the display device.
`
`In some implementations, the personal computing device is operable to transmit a
`
`message accordingto a specified format over the network to the server system. The
`
`message can include a commandfor controlling playing of the content on the display
`
`device. The server system is operable, in response to receiving the message, to convert
`
`20
`
`the commandinto a corresponding commandrecognizable by the media playerif the
`
`commandreceived from the personal computing device is not recognizable by the media
`
`player. The server system is operable to provide to the display device a messagethat
`
`includes the corresponding command,andthe display device is operable, in response to
`
`receiving the message from the server system, to execute the command.
`
`25
`
`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
`
`30
`
`synchronization code uniquely associated with the display device. A message from the
`
`personal computing device can include the synchronization code, and in responseto
`
`Page 7 of 651
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`Attorney Docket No.: 30160-0002002
`
`receiving the message from personal 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 mcdia access control address associated with
`
`the display device.
`
`In various implementations, the system can facilitate allowing a personal
`
`computing device to be usedto select different content to be played on a remote display
`
`even if different media players are required to present the different content. The system
`
`also can allow the user to control how the content is displayed on the display device using
`
`10
`
`the personal computing device. For cxample, uscr-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.
`
`15
`
`BRIEF DECSRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`FIG. | is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system accordingto the
`
`invention.
`
`FIG. 2 illustrates various details of the flow of information and signals according
`
`20
`
`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 formspart of a server system.
`
`FIG.5 illustrates an example of entries in a universal API adapter.
`
`25
`
`FIG.6 is a flow chart showing steps for display device to load a video player and
`
`video.
`
`code.
`
`FIG. 7Aillustrates an example of a display device including a synchronization
`
`FIG. 7B illustrates an example of a synchronization code look-uptable.
`
`30
`
`FIGS. 8-13 illustrate examples of various scenarios in which the invention can be
`
`used.
`
`Page 8 of 651
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`Attorney Docket No.: 30160-0002002
`
`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-up table in
`
`the server system.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION
`
`As shownin FIG. 1, a system 10 facilitates synchronizing a connection between
`
`two or more devices 20, 22 connected to the Internet 21 or other computer nctwork. The
`
`connection is designed to be made bya first device (e.g., a personal computing device) 20
`
`10
`
`that acts as a controller and a second device (c.g., a television sct 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 website that contains information and
`
`links to content providers 30 on the Internet 21. The television set 22 is operable to link
`
`15
`
`back to a server system 24 from whichthe television set recetves commands. When a
`
`user makesa selection using the personal computing device 20 for particular content to
`
`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 connected television set 22, which acts on a transmission code contained
`
`20
`
`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 on the television display 23.
`
`25
`
`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 through the server
`
`system 24 to the television set 22. A transmission code associated with this command
`
`signal instructs the television set 22 to load a new mediaplayer (if needed) over the
`
`30
`
`Internet and to load the specified video file to be played on the display 23. Thus, the
`
`system 10 allows a personal computing device 20 to be used to select different content to
`
`Page 9 of 651
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`Attorney Docket No.: 30160-0002002
`
`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 uscr-initiated play commandsare passed from the user’s personal
`
`computing device 20, through the server system 24, to the television set 22.
`
`Although the following detailed discussion describes vidcos as an example ofthe
`
`type of content to be played on the display 23, the system 10 can be usedfor other types
`
`of content as well. Thus, depending on the implementation, the content may include onc
`
`or more of the following: video, audio, interactive video game, streaming media,
`
`10
`
`multimedia, images, slides (c.g., a PowerPoint presentation) or other types of dynamic
`
`content. Furthermore, in the following discussion,it is assumedthat the personal
`
`computing device 20 is a mobile phonethat includes a display, an internal
`
`microprocessoror other processing circuitry, a keypad, keyboard, touchscreen, mouse,
`
`trackball, or other device to receive user selections and other input, and a transceiver to
`
`15
`
`establish communicationsto 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 formsother than tactile
`
`20
`
`input (e.g., acoustic or speech).
`
`FIG. 2 illustrates further details of the flowof information and signals according
`
`to some implementations. The personal computing device (e.g., mobile phone) 20 is
`
`operable to display an application or website that contains information and links to
`
`content providers 30 on the Internet 21. The user operates the mobile phone 20 so as to
`
`25
`
`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 menu to
`
`expand andpresent various options. The options can include, for example: (1) add new
`
`content to 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 content to the playlist, the useris
`
`30
`
`presented with a screen that allows him to enter user-defined search parameters or 0
`
`select predefined search parameters to request video data. The search parametersare sent
`
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`Attorney Docket No.: 30160-0002002
`
`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 web site. In response, the content
`
`provider 30 provides mctadata(c.g., titles, links to the vidcos) for one or more videofiles
`
`that satisfy the search parameters (block 104). The metadata can be provided to the
`
`mobile phone 20, for cxample, in the form of an XML datafile. Upon recciving the data
`
`file, the mobile phone 20 displays a list of one or more videos based on the information
`
`reccived from the content provider 30 (block 106).
`
`If desired, the user can take one of several actions, including selecting one of the
`
`10
`
`videos from the displaycdlist to be played on the television display 23 or initiating a
`
`command with respect to a video that already has been loadedto the television set 22
`
`(block 108). The mobile phone 20 then formats and transmits a message to 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
`
`15
`
`number), the secondary display it wants to connect to (e.g., television set 22 with display
`
`23), the location and nameof the media playerfor the selected video, the command(e.g.,
`
`play, pause, rewind, etc.), and the video file to be acted upon. An exampleof the format
`
`of a transmission code from the mobile phone 20 to the server system 24is illustrated in
`
`FIG. 3. Different formats and/or different information may be appropriate for other
`
`20
`
`implementations.
`
`The message from the mobile phone 20is transmitted over the Internet 21 and is
`
`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 timeof receipt of the
`
`25
`
`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 account for 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
`
`30
`
`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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`Attorney Docket No.: 30160-0002002
`
`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 between a 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 connectedto the
`
`samedisplay device). The server system 24 performsa target verification (block 118),
`
`which includes checking whether a connectionto a particular display device already is
`
`10
`
`established for the mobile phone 20 and,if so, checking the identification of the display
`
`device. During the target verification, if the look-up table indicates that 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 whichthe videois to be displayed.
`
`15
`
`A user can identify the device on whichthe videois 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 includea field populated with namesor identifications of display devices that
`
`previously have beeninitialized for connection. Alternatively, the user can select the
`
`20
`
`display device by entering a synchronization code uniquely associated with the particular
`
`display device. As illustrated in FIG. 7A, the synchronization code 48 can be displayed,
`
`for example, on a splash page of the 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
`
`25
`
`example, using optical scanning or RFID techniques. Preferably, the synchronization
`
`codeis 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
`
`30
`
`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”) assignedto it at any given
`
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`Attorney Docket No.: 30160-0002002
`
`time. This information can be stored, for example, in a look-up table in the server system
`
`24. An example ofentries in such a look-up table 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 phone20 to the server system 24, which storcs 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 scnt from the mobile device 20 to its associated database 32 are copicd
`
`to a database 34 associated with the target device (e.g., television set 24) based on the
`
`10
`
`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 (e.g., television set 24) provide a record of the messages receivedfor 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
`
`15
`
`selected video.
`
`In the illustrated implementation, the commandin the transmission code (see FIG.
`
`3) contains a JavaScript reference to control the media player needed to play the selected
`
`video. Various types of video players may use different JavaScript commandsto control
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`their respective playback. Therefore, in the illustrated implementation, a universal
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`20
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`adapter 26 is provided to interpret and convert a standard or universal command(e.g.,
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`play, pause, etc.) into the specific command recognized by the media player. Each time a
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`signal is received from the mobile device 20, the API adapter 26 checks and identifies the
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`specific media player that is being requested. Based on this information, the system loads
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`the appropriate set of protocols or application programminginterfaces (APIs) from its
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`25
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`library and converts the incoming commandsfrom the mobile device 20 into the correct
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`JavaScript (or other programming) code used bythe target device 22 to control the
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`specific player (block 120). The server system 24 then copies the converted version of
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`the message to the database 34 associated with the target device 22, as indicated abovein
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`connection with block 122.
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`30
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`The universal adapter 26 can be implemented, for example, as a look-uptable.
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`Examplesof entries in such a look-uptable are illustrated in FIG. 5. Thus, for a universal
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`Attorney Docket No.: 30160-0002002
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`command “New Video,”the universal adapter 26 provides the corresponding command
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`for each of several specific media players (e.g., “yt_loadVideo” for YouTube). Similarly,
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`for a universal command “Pause,” the universal adapter 26 provides the corresponding
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`commandfor cach of several specific media players (c.g., “pauscVidco” for Ted.com).
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`Other universal commandsand the corresponding command(s) for one of more media
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`playcrs also can be stored by the universal adapter 26.
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`The display device 22 periodically checks the entries in the database 34 to
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`determine if there are any new messages/commandsdirccted to it (block 124). For
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`example, in some implementations, the display device 22 polls the associated database 34
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`10
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`at some predetermined time interval. In some implementations, instcad of the display
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`device 22 periodically checking whether there are any messagesforit in the database 34,
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`the server system 24 can push the messagesto the display device 22. In any event, the
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`system is arranged so that the display device 22 receives the messages intendedforit.
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`Whenthe display device 22 receives a message from the server system 24 (block
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`15
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`126), the display device executes the message (block 128). In some cases, the media
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`player required to play the video indicated in the messageis not presently loaded in the
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`display device 22. For example, the received command maybeto “play”a particular
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`video. As indicated by FIG. 6, if the media player neededto play the videois not already
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`loaded in the display device 22, the display device 22 requests and obtains a copy ofthe
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`20
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`appropriate media player 40 and a copy ofthe videofile 42 from a content provider30,
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`loads the media player and then presents the video on the display 23 (FIG. 2, block 130).
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`Likewise, as indicated by FIG. 6, if the appropriate media player already is loaded in the
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`display device, but the particular video is not, then the display device 22 requests and
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`obtains a copy of the video file 42 from the content provider 30 and proceedsto play the
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`25
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`video. To allow the display device 22 to switch between different video players (i.c., to
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`load and unload different video players), a software program can be stored on the display
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`device and/or the web site to establish a secure connection backto the server system 24.
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`Once the video is playing on the display device 22, the user of the mobile phone
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`20 can control the playing of the video by entering appropriate commands(e.g., pause,
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`30
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`fast forward, rewind, stop, play, etc.) through the mobile phone. Each commandis
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`incorporated into a messageincluding a transmission code (FIG. 3) as described above.
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`Attorney Docket No.: 30160-0002002
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`The messageis transmitted to the server system 24, which copies the message into
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`database entries associated with the particular display device 22 (i.c., after performing
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`any conversion of the command by the API adapter 26). Once the messageis retrieved
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`by or sent to the display device 22, the display device procceds to execute the command.
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`The system and methods described here allowa user of a mobile phoneor other
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`personal computing device to create a playlist based on videos(or other types of content)
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`from multiple sources and to play back each video using a single interface that can be
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`uscd to control different media players.
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`As mentioned above, the system and methods described above also can be used
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`10
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`with types of content other than video. In that casc, different typcs of uscr-initiated
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`commands maybe available to control the content displayed on the display 23. For
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`example, for interactive video games, the user-initiated commands can include control
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`commands appropriate for the particular game.
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`Although the implementation of FIG. | illustrates the display device 22 as a
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`15
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`television set with a display screen 23, other types of display devices can be used as well
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`(e.g., a laptop or personal computer).
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`The systems and methods can be used in various scenarios to play back videos (or
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`other content). Examples of several scenarios that can be implemented using the system
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`described aboveare described in the following paragraphs. For example, a first scenario
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`20
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`involves a single user’s smartphone connectingto a single display device (FIG. 8). In
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`this scenario, the user turns on, for example, her display device (e.g., personal computer
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`with a display monitor), opens up a browser and accesses a website associated with the
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`server system 24. The user then clicks on a link that launches the software program to
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`establish a secure connection back to the server system 24. The software program opens
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`25
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`a splash page (see FIG. 14A), and a sync-codeis displayed on the monitor. The user then
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`opens the appropriate application on her smartphone. In the smartphoneapplication, the
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`user accesses a “Connect” screen from which he can select one of severallisted display
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`devices (see FIG. 14B). Alternatively, the user can enter the sync-code displayed on the
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`computer monitor (see FIG. 14B). The user then clicks on a SEND button which causes
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`30
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`a message including the sync-codeto be sent the server system 24. In response,the
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`server system 24 establishes a connection between the user’s smartphone and the selected
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`10
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`Attorney Docket No.: 30160-0002002
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`display device through a look-up table as described above with respect to FIG. 4. The
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`user can use a search tool in the smartphone application to find a video. In response to
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`the search, a list of videos satisfying the search appears on the smartphone(see FIG.
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`14C). Whenthe user selects a vidco from the list displayed on the smartphone, the
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`information is provided through the server system 24 to the personal computer. In some
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`implementations, a pop-up window may appcar on the smartphonelisting onc or morc
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`options for the user to take regarding the selected video. Such options can include, for
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`example, play the vidco on the selected display device (c.