Method and apparatus for sharing internet assets or content URLs via a second display device
A user can share Internet assets or content URLs via a second display device with other Internet content service users. Thus, the other users will be able to view the same content on their own internet protocol televisions (IPTV), as first display devices, without the need to search for the content in the content providing service. When the shared content is URLs, the recipient can even preview the content from the URL on the second display device before sending it to the recipient's internet protocol television (IPTV).
1. A control display device for an IPTV content providing system having one or more IPTVs (internet protocol TVs) as first display devices, the control display device comprising:
a storing device stores a list of IPTV recipients for sharing contents, the recipients being associated with the IPTV content providing system;
a content browsing device browses contents in the IPTV content providing system;
a sending device sends a share request to a server and sends therewith at least one IPTV recipient from the list of IPTV recipients for sharing contents;
a receiving device receives notification from the server that content is available for sharing on the IPTV recipient's IPTV device; and
a forwarding device forwards only a request to share the content to the server and not the content itself, and the server transmits the content, via a control display device of the IPTV recipient, to one of the first display devices of the IPTV recipient to display the content, wherein the server transmits the content based solely on the request and without an IPTV recipient interaction;
wherein when content to be shared is IPTV content, the control display device of the IPTV recipient lacks authentications necessary to preview the content on the control display device of the IPTV recipient before the control display device of the IPTV recipient sends the content to the IPTV recipient's first display device which is independent of the control display device.
2. The control display device according to claim 1 , wherein the content to be shared includes (a) internet content having content URL's and (b) content only available to IPTV devices using IPTV protocol.
3. The control display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein when content to be shared are internet content URLs, the control display device of the IPTV recipient is capable of previewing the content on the control display device of the IPTV recipient before the control display device of the IPTV recipient sends the content to the IPTV recipient's first display device.
4. The control display device according to claim 1 , wherein the server is a content provider server.
5. The control display device according to claim 1 , further comprising a playback device which plays content when the shared content is a content URL.
6. The control display device according to claim 1 , wherein the control display device being one of a cell phone, laptop computer and a personal computer.