The present disclosure generally relates to the viewing of media content. More particularly, the following discussion relates to systems, methods, and devices for viewing video content relating to application content.
Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the number and type of media content sources that a user typically has access to, including, for example, streaming services, IP video-on-demand, network television programming, media content stored on digital video recorders, and a wide range of other sources. At the same time, the ubiquity of tablet computers, smartphones, and other computing devices has provided increased options for viewing such content.
While it is increasingly popular to view movies, television programs, and the like while simultaneously employing a web browser or other such application to read news items, perform web searches, and the like, the video content and application content are generally not related to each other, and are typically not presented in a way that enhances the user's viewing experience.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved systems, devices, and techniques for viewing video content. These and other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background section.
Several examples of systems, devices, methods, and user interfaces are described for viewing media content. A method in accordance with one embodiment includes displaying video content in a video region of a display; displaying application content in an application region of the display; determining, based on the application content, candidate video content relevant to the application content; determining, in response to user input, selected video content; and displaying the selected video content in the video region of the display.
A video content display system in accordance with one embodiment includes a computing device configured to display video content in a video region of a display and display application content in an application region of the display. The system further includes a media device communicatively coupled to the computing device over a network, the media device including a discovery engine configured to determine, based on the application content, candidate video content relevant to the application content and determine, in response to user input, selected video content. The computing device is configured to display the selected video content in the video region of the display.
A media device in accordance with one embodiment includes a processor and a memory configured to store computer-readable software instructions. The software instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: produce a first user interface; receive a request, via the first user interface, to compile a requested plurality of episodes of a selected media content; determine the availability of the requested plurality of episodes from a plurality of media content sources; compile the requested plurality of episodes; and present a second user interface including a series-order arrangement of the requested plurality of episodes.
Alternate embodiments, aspects and other features are described in more detail herein.
Exemplary embodiments will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements.
Systems and methods are provided for viewing video content (e.g., movies, short videos, and the like) relevant to application content (e.g., the contents of a web browser window being viewed alongside the video content). Briefly, video content is displayed in a video region of a display, while application content is displayed in an application region of the display. Based on the application content, candidate video content relevant to the application content is determined (e.g., via the parsing of text for keywords) and, in response to user input, the selected video content is displayed in the video region of the display. In that regard, the following detailed description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background or the following detailed description.
The systems and methods described herein may be implemented in the context of a wide variety of entertainment devices and systems.
For purposes of explanation, but without limitation, the source device 108 may be alternatively referred to herein as a media device or a placeshifting device, and the destination electronic device 104 may be alternatively referred to herein as a playback device or a client device (or client). The placeshifting system 100 also includes a host server 102 (or host) that communicates or otherwise interacts with the devices 104, 108 over the network 106 to facilitate establishment of a peer-to-peer connection 180 over the network 106, which may be utilized for a placeshifting session.
In one embodiment, as described in further detail below, source device 108 includes a discovery engine 191 including any suitable combination of hardware and/or software configured to locate video content within one or more content sources (e.g., content source 126) relevant to application content (e.g., web browser content) being viewed by a user.
It should be understood that
In practice, the client device 104 may be any device, component, module, hardware and/or the like that is capable of communicating with the server 102 over network 106. For example, depending on the embodiment, client device 104 may be realized as a conventional personal computer, portable computer, a tablet computer, workstation and/or other computing system, a mobile (or cellular) telephone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, a video game player, and/or any other device capable of receiving media programs via the network 106 and presenting audio and/or visual content. In this regard, the client device 104 includes a display device, such as a monitor, screen, or another conventional electronic display, capable of graphically presenting visual content, data, and/or information that is generated or otherwise provided by an application 105, 107 executing on the client 104. The client device 104 may further include a user input device, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touchscreen, or the like, capable of receiving input data and/or other information from the user of the client device 104. The client device 104 also includes a processing system and a data storage element (or memory) that is coupled to or otherwise accessed by the processing system and stores programming instructions that, when read and executed, cause the processing system of the client device 104 to generate one or more applications 105, 107, 109 executing thereon and perform various tasks, functions, processes and/or operations and support the subject matter described herein. The processing system may be realized as any sort of processor, microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor, or any other suitable processing device, or any suitable combination thereof.
The client 104 may reside at a geographic location that is remote or otherwise physically distinct from the geographic location of the media device 108. In this regard, the media device 108 may have an essentially fixed or permanent geographic location, whereas the geographic location of the client 104 may be transient or otherwise variable with respect to the location of the media device 108. For example, the media device 108 may be realized as a Set-Top Box (STB) or a similar device that resides at a user's home for providing media content to the user's television or other home display device 140, while the client 104 is realized as a portable electronic device, such as a mobile phone or other mobile computing device, that moves about with the user.
In the embodiment shown in
With continued reference to
The components in media device 108 may be provided within a common chassis or housing as depicted in
In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
The DVR 110 feature stores recorded programming (e.g., recorded broadcast programming received via receiver 142) on a hard disk drive, memory, a networked server, or other storage medium as appropriate in response to user/viewer programming instructions, wherein the recorded programming may be subsequently viewed via the media device 108, either on display device 140 or client device 104 via network 106. Content stored in DVR 110 may be any sort of file-based programming or other content that is accessible to media device 108. In various embodiments, in addition to storing broadcast programming, the DVR 110 may also store programming received from other sources not illustrated in
The control module 146 is any sort of hardware, circuitry, processing logic and/or other components capable of directing the operations of media device 108. In various embodiments, control module 146 includes software or firmware logic and/or other programming instructions residing in memory and executing on any sort of processing system, such as any sort of processor, microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor or the like. The instructions, when read and executed, cause the control module 146 to perform various tasks, functions, processes and/or operations and otherwise support the subject matter described herein. In various embodiments, the control module 146 is based upon a “system on a chip” (SoC) implementation that incorporates a hybrid microcontroller with memory, input/output and other features to perform the various signal processing and other actions of media device 108. Other embodiments may implement control module 146 and/or the other features of media device 108 with any number of discrete and/or integrated processing components (e.g., any sort of microprocessor or microcontroller), memories, input/output features and/or other features as desired. The control module 146 communicates with the network interface 148 to establish a peer-to-peer connection 180 to the client device 104 over the network 106 and support streaming of media programs (e.g., from the DVR 110 or the receiver 142) to the client device 104 over the network 106 via the peer-to-peer connection 180, as described in greater detail below.
In the embodiment of
In the illustrated embodiment of
While
The user of the client 104 is able to connect to the portal application 138 supported by host 102 via the network 106, for example, by directing the client application 105 to a URL or other network address associated with host 102 and/or portal application 138. In exemplary embodiments, after the user is successfully authenticated by the portal application 138, the host 102 and/or portal application 138 establishes a connection 170 over the network 106 to the media device 108 that is associated with the user. Thereafter, the host 102 and/or the portal application 138 utilizes the connection 170 to obtain, from the media device 108 via the network 106, information about programming stored at the media device 108 and available for placeshifting to the client device 104, such as, for example, a listing of the media programs stored on DVR 110. It should be noted that although
Server 102 is coupled to an electronic program guide 122, which may be realized as a server, a database, or another device operating on the network 106 that maintains information pertaining to current and/or future broadcasts (or airings) of media programs that are available to be received from broadcast source 112 (e.g., by the media device 108 via receiver 142 and/or antenna 152). The server 102 and/or the portal application 138 may obtain information pertaining to current and/or future broadcasts (or airings) of media programs from the electronic program guide 122 and generate or otherwise provide a program guide graphical user interface (GUI) display on the client device 104 (e.g., within client application 105) that indicates media programs that are or will be available for streaming from the media device 108. The user of the client device 104 may manipulate or otherwise utilize the graphical user interface (or the graphical user interface elements contained therein) to select or otherwise identify media programs for streaming to the client device 104 and/or recording to the DVR 110. The user may pause or otherwise stop presentation of the streamed media program and manipulate or otherwise operate the client application 105 to transmit or otherwise provide 412, via the network 106, a request for content to a third-party content source 126 (e.g., a third-party website). The third-party content source 126 responds to the request by transmitting or otherwise providing content to the client device 104 via the network 106.
In the illustrated embodiment of
Having thus given an overview of an exemplary system in which the various embodiments described herein may be employed, an exemplary method will now be generally described in conjunction with
Referring again to
Next, at step 206, the candidate video content is presented to the user, allowing the user to select the desired video content. The selected video content is then displayed within the video region 302, displacing the video that the user had been previously viewing.
Having thus given a general overview of a method in accordance with one embodiment,
Referring to
Many other modifications and enhancements could be provided in a wide array of alternate but equivalent embodiments. The term “exemplary” is used herein to represent one example, instance or illustration that may have any number of alternates. Any implementation described herein as exemplary is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. While several exemplary embodiments have been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of alternate but equivalent variations exist, and the examples presented herein are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. To the contrary, various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described without departing from the scope of the claims and their legal equivalents.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/724,482, filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), on May 28, 2015, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/098,687, filed with the USPTO on Dec. 31, 2014.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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20100082785 | Fein | Apr 2010 | A1 |
20110016000 | Cronshaw | Jan 2011 | A1 |
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20180011613 | Chang | Jan 2018 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20180343500 A1 | Nov 2018 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62098687 | Dec 2014 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 14724482 | May 2015 | US |
Child | 16053444 | US |