Services over wireless communication with high flexibility and efficiency
View Patent ↗Generally, according to aspects of the present invention, a media content item may be casted by a user equipment (UE) to another UE over a local area network (LAN). The UE (cast device) may cast a local media content item stored on the cast device to another UE (media playback device) by streaming the local media content item to the media playback device over the LAN, so that the media playback device may play back the local media content item. The cast device may cast an online media content item stored on a remote server to the media playback device by causing the server to stream the online media content item to the media playback device over the Internet, so that the media playback device may play back the online media content item.
1 . A method under control of a smart TV in communication with a smartphone over a wireless local area network, comprising:
establishing a wireless local area network communication with the smartphone in response to being discovered by the smartphone based on a discovery process and being selected as a target media playback device, wherein the discovery process is performed by an OS or app in the smartphone to discover one or more media playback devices including the smart TV over the wireless local area network for selection of one of the discovered media playback devices as the target media playback device to which a media content item is casted from the smartphone;
playing back a second media content item on a display of the smart TV, wherein the second media content item includes a television program represented by TV signals provided through a cable;
receiving, by the smart TV, a cast request for casting of a first media content item from the smartphone over the wireless local area network communication for playback of the first media content item on the display of the smart TV;
determining, by the smart TV in response to receiving the cast request, a layout that defines a size and position of a cast screen on which the casted first media content item is played back with respect to a television screen on which the second media content item is played back based on a confliction, wherein the confliction is only when the casted media content item is a video content item and the second media content is currently displayed on the display of the smart TV, wherein the layout is active when the playback of the first media content item is the video content item and the playback of the second media content item are concurrently in progress;
changing the layout by changing the size or position of the cast screen with respect to the television screen when there is the confliction, in response to a control message issued by the smartphone over the wireless local area network communication after the first media content item is casted, wherein the control message is issued in response to a user interaction with a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the user interaction includes a user selection of icons corresponding to (a) change of the position of the cast screen in an overlap layout mode and (b) change of the size of the cast screen in an sharing layout mode;
(a) in the overlap layout mode, adjusting the cast screen to be smaller than a full-screen size to cause the cast screen to be displayed over the television screen of a substantially full-screen size so that the cast screen is fully visible while the television screen is partly visible on the display of the smart TV, in accordance with the layout; and (b) in the sharing layout mode, adjusting both of the cast screen and the television screen to be smaller than the full-screen size, and arranging the cast screen and the television screen together so that the cast screen and the television screen are both fully visible on the display of the smart TV, in accordance with the layout.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the television program includes a program of at least one selected from a terrestrial broadcasting, a satellite TV, and a cable TV.
3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein changing the layout comprises changing the position of the cast screen with respect to the television screen by selection of one of multiple preset positions of the cast screen in response to the control message, wherein the user interaction includes the user selection of the icon corresponding to the selection of one of the multiple preset positions on the GUI.
4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein changing the layout comprises changing the size of the cast screen with respect to the television screen by selection of one of multiple preset sizes of the cast screen in response to the control message, wherein the user interaction includes the user selection of the icon corresponding to the selection of one of the multiple preset sizes on the GUI.
5 . A smart TV, comprising:
a display;
a processor; and
a memory storing computer program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the smart TV to perform an operation comprising:
establishing a wireless local area network communication with the smartphone in response to being discovered by the smartphone based on a discovery process and being selected as a target media playback device, wherein the discovery process is performed by an OS or app in the smartphone to discover one or more media playback devices including the smart TV over the wireless local area network for selection of one of the discovered media playback devices as the target media playback device to which a media content item is casted from the smartphone;
playing back a second media content item on a display of the smart TV, wherein the second media content item includes a television program represented by TV signals provided through a cable;
receiving, by the smart TV, a cast request for casting of a first media content item from the smartphone over the wireless local area network communication for playback of the first media content item on the display of the smart TV;
determining, by the smart TV in response to receiving the cast request, a layout that defines a size and position of a cast screen on which the casted first media content item is played back with respect to a television screen on which the second media content item is played back based on a confliction, wherein the confliction is only when the casted media content item is a video content item and the second media content is currently displayed on the display of the smart TV, wherein the layout is active when the playback of the first media content item is the video content item and the playback of the second media content item are concurrently in progress;
changing the layout by changing the size or position of the cast screen with respect to the television screen when there is the confliction, in response to a control message issued by the smartphone over the wireless local area network communication after the first media content item is casted, wherein the control message is issued in response to a user interaction with a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the user interaction includes a user selection of icons corresponding to (a) change of the position of the cast screen in an overlap layout mode and (b) change of the size of the cast screen in an sharing layout mode;
(a) in the overlap layout mode, adjusting the cast screen to be smaller than a full-screen size to cause the cast screen to be displayed over the television screen of a substantially full-screen size so that the cast screen is fully visible while the television screen is partly visible on the display of the smart TV, in accordance with the layout; and (b) in the sharing layout mode, adjusting both of the cast screen and the television screen to be smaller than the full-screen size, and arranging the cast screen and the television screen together so that the cast screen and the television screen are both fully visible on the display of the smart TV, in accordance with the layout.
6 . The smart TV according to claim 5 , wherein the television program includes a program of at least one selected from a terrestrial broadcasting, a satellite TV, and a cable TV.
7 . The smart TV according to claim 5 , wherein changing the layout comprises changing the position of the cast screen with respect to the television screen by selection of one of multiple preset positions of the cast screen in response to the control message, wherein the user interaction includes the user selection of the icon corresponding to the selection of one of the multiple preset positions on the GUI.
8 . The smart TV according to claim 5 , wherein changing the layout comprises changing the size of the cast screen with respect to the television screen by selection of one of multiple preset sizes of the cast screen in response to the control message, wherein the user interaction includes the user selection of the icon corresponding to the selection of one of the multiple preset sizes on the GUI.