IP Library Granted Patent US 9,712,371
Granted Patent B2
US 9,712,371 · App. 13/612,837 · Granted Jul 18, 2017

Continuous digital content presentation across multiple devices

Inventors: Jeffrey Jonathan Spurgat (Madison, WI); Stephen Christopher Gladwin (Chicago, IL); Hoyet Harrison Andrews, III (San Antonio, TX)
Assignee: FACEBOOK, INC.
H04L29/06H04H60/88H04L65/1026H04L65/1036H04L67/04H04L67/10H04N21/4126H04L29/06027H04L67/289
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,712,371
App. No.
13/612,837
Granted
Jul 18, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A digital audio gateway device for use in a wireless network of digital audio playback devices. The gateway device is wirelessly linked to one or more digital audio playback devices to provide a gateway to the Internet for the digital audio playback devices. In addition to functioning as a gateway, the device provides additional functionality and may act as a cache of digital audio data for the various digital audio players connected in the wireless network and may also act to automatically update digital audio content on the audio players, synchronize digital audio content and playlists between the digital audio players and continue automatically or upon user request a particular playlist as the user moves from one digital audio player to another.

Claims (49)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a user associated with a first digital content device, a request to present digital content to the user;

receiving, at the first digital content device, information associated with a presentation of the digital content by a second digital content device associated with the user, wherein the information associated with the presentation of the digital content by the second digital content device comprises a current position; and

presenting, by the first digital content device, the digital content beginning from the current position of the presentation of the digital content.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital content comprises at least one of audio content or video content.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first digital content device comprises an audio player or a video player.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second digital content device comprises an audio player or a video player.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first digital content device comprises a computer, a handheld player, an automotive player, a stand-alone player, a rack player or a television.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second digital content device comprises a computer, a handheld player, an automotive player, a stand-alone player, a rack player or a television.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the current position of the presentation of the digital content comprises a position other than a start point of the presentation.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising updating the current position of the presentation of the digital content based on the presentation, by the first digital content device, of the digital content.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising sending, by the first digital content device, the updated current position to at least one other device.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting a disruption in the presentation of the digital content by the first digital content device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein detecting a disruption in the presentation of the digital content comprises detecting a communication signal loss.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising updating the current position to represent a position of the presentation at the time of the disruption.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

reestablishing a connection with the communication signal; and

upon reestablishing the connection with the communication signal, presenting, by the first digital content device, the digital content beginning from the updated current position.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform steps comprising:

receiving, from a user associated with a first digital content device, a request to present digital content to the user;

receiving information associated with a presentation of the digital content by a second digital content device associated with the user, wherein the information associated with the presentation of the digital content by the second digital content device comprises a current position of the presentation of the digital content; and

presenting the digital content beginning from the current position.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the digital content comprises at least one of audio content or video content.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein each of the first digital content device and the second digital content device comprises one of an audio player or a video player.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein each of the first digital content device and the second digital content device comprises one of a computer, a handheld player, an automotive player, a stand-alone player, a rack player or a television.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the current position of the presentation of the digital content is a position other than a start point of the presentation.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , further comprising instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the step of updating the current position of the presentation of the digital content based on the presentation, by the first digital content device, of the digital content.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , further comprising instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the step of sending, by the first digital content device, the updated current position to at least one other device.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , further comprising instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the step of detecting a disruption in the presentation of the digital content by the first digital content device.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21 , wherein detecting a disruption in the presentation of the digital content comprises detecting a communication signal loss.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22 , further comprising updating the current position to represent a position of the presentation at the time of the disruption.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23 , further comprising instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the step of resuming, after the disruption, the presentation of the digital content beginning from the updated current position.

25. A mobile device comprising:

at least one processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

receive, from a user associated with the mobile device, a request to present digital content to the user;

receive information associated with a presentation of the digital content by a second device associated with the user, wherein the information associated with the presentation of the digital content by the second device comprises a current position of the presentation of the digital content; and

present, by the mobile device, the digital content beginning from the current position.

26. The mobile device of claim 25 , wherein the digital content comprises at least one of audio content or video content.

27. The mobile device of claim 25 , wherein each of the first mobile device and the second device comprises an audio player or a video player.

28. The mobile device of claim 25 , wherein the current position of the presentation of the digital content is a position other than a start point of the presentation.

29. The mobile device of claim 25 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to update the current position of the presentation of the digital content based on the presentation, by the mobile device, of the digital content.

30. The mobile device of claim 29 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to send, by the mobile device, the updated current position of the presentation of the digital content to at least one other device.

31. The mobile device of claim 25 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to detect a disruption in the presentation of the digital content by the mobile device.

32. The mobile of claim 31 , wherein detecting a disruption in the presenting the digital content comprises detecting a communication signal loss.

33. The mobile device of claim 32 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to update the current position to represent a position of the presentation at the time of the disruption.

34. The mobile device of claim 33 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

reestablish connection with the communication signal; and

upon reestablishing connection with the communication signal, present the digital content beginning from the updated current position.

Assignments (10)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 20, 2021
From: FACEBOOK, INC.
To: META PLATFORMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 058961/0436 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 9, 2013
From: MUSICNOW, INC.
To: MAYLAND, LLC
Reel/Frame 030976/0508 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 9, 2013
From: MUSICNOW LLC
To: MN ACQUISITION LLC
Reel/Frame 030976/0533 →
MERGER Recorded Aug 9, 2013
From: AOL MUSIC NOW LLC
To: AOL LLC
Reel/Frame 030976/0565 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 9, 2013
From: AOL INC.
To: FACEBOOK, INC.
Reel/Frame 030976/0592 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 9, 2013
From: SPURGAT, JEFFREY JONATHAN; GLADWIN, STEPHEN CHRISTOPHER; ANDREWS III, HOYET HARRISON
To: FULLAUDIO CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 030976/0492 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 9, 2013
From: FULLAUDIO CORPORATION
To: MUSICNOW, INC.
Reel/Frame 030994/0468 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 9, 2013
From: MAYLAND, LLC
To: MUSICNOW LLC
Reel/Frame 030994/0472 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 9, 2013
From: MN ACQUISITION LLC
To: AOL MUSIC NOW LLC
Reel/Frame 030994/0478 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 9, 2013
From: AOL LLC
To: AOL INC.
Reel/Frame 030976/0658 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 13019783 · Feb 2, 2011
Continuation 09858810 · May 16, 2001
Related Publication 20130080582A1 · Mar 28, 2013