IP Library Granted Patent US 11,023,547
Granted Patent B2
US 11,023,547 · App. 16/008,987 · Granted Jun 1, 2021

Systems and methods for tethering devices

Inventors: Olivier Chalouhi (Mountain View, CA); Daren Gill (Concord, MA); Sankar Ardhanari (Windham, NH); Jordan Leonard Davis (San Jose, CA); Christopher Thun (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
G06F16/9535G06F3/0482G06F3/04817G06F16/435G06N5/04G06Q30/00G06Q30/0241G06Q50/01H04M1/72412H04M1/72448H04M1/72469
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,023,547
App. No.
16/008,987
Granted
Jun 1, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods are described herein for controlling mobile devices with user equipment devices. A user equipment device may detect a mobile device is within a predetermined proximity to the user equipment device by establishing a bi-directional communication. The user equipment device may determine an input/output option of the mobile device. The input/output option may be a microphone, a cellular Internet connection, a camera, or any other sensor and/or actuator of the mobile device. The user equipment device may generate for display an icon corresponding to the input/output option of the mobile device.

Claims (38)

1. A method for controlling a television with a portable computing device, the method comprising:

detecting, using a television, that a mobile portable computing device is within a predetermined proximity to the television;

establishing, using the television, bi-directional communication with the portable computing device;

in response to establishing the bi-directional communication with the portable computing device, extracting, from the mobile portable computing device by the television, a device profile that is associated with the portable computing device and that comprises a plurality of data that indicates a plurality of input/output (I/O) options, respectively, offered by the portable computing device;

determining, using the television, an I/O option of the plurality of I/O options corresponding to a functionality of the portable computing device to capture voice commands using a microphone;

causing, using the television, the portable computing device to capture a voice command via the I/O option;

receiving, over the bi-directional communication, with the television a result of capturing the voice command; and

performing, using the television, a media guidance application operation using the result received from the mobile portable computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining an accessibility of the I/O option based on the established bi-directional communication; and

generating for display an icon to indicate the accessibility of the I/O option.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communicating further comprises controlling, with the television, the I/O option.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating for display an icon corresponding to the I/O option, wherein the icon is selectable to extend a functionality of the television with the I/O option.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising receiving a user selection of the icon corresponding to the I/O option, and in response to receiving the user selection of the icon with the television, automatically communicating data with the I/O option.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the icon generated for display indicates a type of the I/O option.

7. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the icon generated for display indicates whether the I/O option is accessible.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the I/O option further comprises requesting information associated with a type of the I/O option from a user of the portable computing device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the television and the portable computing device operate in a master-slave architecture.

10. A system for controlling a television with portable computing devices, the system comprising:

control circuitry of the television configured to:

detect a portable computing device is within a predetermined proximity to the television;

establish bi-directional communication with the portable computing device;

in response to establishing the bi-directional communication with the portable computing device, extract, from the portable computing device by the television, a device profile that is associated with the portable computing device and comprises a plurality of data that indicates a plurality of input/output (I/O) options, respectively, offered by the portable computing device;

determine an I/O option of the plurality of I/O options corresponding to a functionality of the portable computing device to capture voice commands using a microphone;

cause the portable computing device to capture a voice command via the I/O option;

receive, over the bi-directional communication, with the television a result of capturing the voice command; and

perform, using the television, a media guidance application operation using the result received from the portable computing device.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine an accessibility of the I/O option based on the established bi-directional communication; and

generate for display an icon to indicate the accessibility of the I/O option.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to communicate data by controlling the I/O option.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display an icon corresponding to the I/O option, wherein the icon is selectable to extend functionality of the television with the I/O option.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to receive a user selection of the icon corresponding to the I/O option.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to: in response to receiving the user selection of the icon with the television, automatically communicate data with the I/O option.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the icon generated for display indicates a type of the I/O option.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the icon generated for display indicates whether the I/O option is accessible.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine the I/O option by requesting information associated with a type of the I/O option from a user of the portable computing device.

19. The system of claim 10 , wherein the user equipment television device and the mobile portable computing device operate in a master-slave architecture.

Assignments (7)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 2, 2024
From: ROVI GUIDES, INC.
To: ADEIA GUIDES INC.
Reel/Frame 069085/0697 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; TIVO SOLUTIONS, INC.; VEVEO, INC.
Reel/Frame 053481/0790 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: HPS INVESTMENT PARTNERS, LLC
To: ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; TIVO SOLUTIONS, INC.; VEVEO, INC.
Reel/Frame 053458/0749 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 1, 2020
From: ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; TIVO SOLUTIONS INC.; VEVEO, INC.; INVENSAS CORPORATION; INVENSAS BONDING TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; TESSERA, INC.; TESSERA ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DTS, INC.; PHORUS, INC.; IBIQUITY DIGITAL CORPORATION
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053468/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 25, 2019
From: ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; TIVO SOLUTIONS, INC.; VEVEO, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 051110/0006 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 22, 2019
From: ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; TIVO SOLUTIONS, INC.; VEVEO, INC.
To: HPS INVESTMENT PARTNERS, LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 051143/0468 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 21, 2018
From: CHALOUHI, OLIVIER; GILL, DAREN; ARDHANARI, SANKAR; DAVIS, JORDAN LEONARD; THUN, CHRISTOPHER
To: ROVI GUIDES, INC.
Reel/Frame 046170/0925 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 14696011 · Apr 24, 2015
Provisional Application 62098077 · Dec 30, 2014
Related Publication 20180300416A1 · Oct 18, 2018
Cited By (2)
US 12,626,603 US 12,707,245