IP Library Granted Patent US 9,826,347
Granted Patent B2
US 9,826,347 · App. 14/151,467 · Granted Nov 21, 2017

Methods and systems for content consumption

Inventors: Andrew Larkin (Philadelphia, PA); Franklyn Athias (Cherry Hill, NJ)
Assignee: COMCAST CABLE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
H04W4/02H04L67/06H04L67/148H04L67/18H04W4/023H04W4/008
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,826,347
App. No.
14/151,467
Granted
Nov 21, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and systems for content consumption are described. One method comprises providing content to a first device, receiving a command to provide the content to a second device, determining the second device from a plurality of devices based on a proximity metric, and providing the content to the second device. The command can indicate a switch point, specify one or more non-transferable devices and block the direction of content transfer between certain devices.

Claims (59)

1. A method comprising:

transmitting at least a first portion of content to a first device;

receiving a command to transmit the content to another device;

determining a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) for the first device;

determining a RSSI for each of a plurality of devices, the plurality of devices comprising at least one transferable device and at least one non-transferable device;

determining, from the plurality of devices, a second device having a RSSI with a least difference from the RSSI of the first device;

determining, based a determination that the second device is a transferable device, the second device as the another device;

and

transmitting at least a second portion of the content to the second device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the second device as the another device comprises determining the second device as the another device based on GPS coordinates.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the second device as the another device based on the GPS coordinates comprises:

determining a GPS location for the first device;

determining a GPS location for each of the plurality of devices;

determining which device of the plurality of devices has a GPS location closest to the GPS location for the first device; and

identifying the device of the plurality of devices closest to the first device as the second device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-transferable device is designated as non-transferable based on a user designation.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the command to transmit the content to the another device comprises a direction associated with the command, and wherein the at least one non-transferable device is designated as non-transferable based on the direction associated with the command.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-transferable device is designated as non-transferable based on a type of the first device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-transferable device is designated as non-transferable based on a type of the second device.

8. A method comprising:

receiving a request to switch content from being delivered to a first device to being delivered to another device;

receiving a switch point;

determining a RSSI for the first device;

determining a RSSI for each of a plurality of devices comprising at least one transferable device and at least one non-transferable device;

determining a second device from the plurality of devices having a RSSI with a least difference from the RSSI of the first device;

determining, based on a determination that the second device is a transferable device, the second device as the another device;

and

causing the content to be delivered to the second device at the switch point.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the switch point indicates a point in time in the content being delivered at which the content should begin to be delivered to the second device.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining the second device as the another device comprises determining the second device as the another device based on GPS coordinates.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the second device as the another device based on GPS coordinates comprises:

determining a GPS location for the first device;

determining a GPS location for each of the plurality of devices;

determining which device of the plurality of devices has a GPS location closest to the GPS location for the first device; and

determining the device of the plurality of devices closest to the first device as the second device.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one non-transferable device is designated as non-transferable based on a user designation.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the request to switch content comprises a direction associated with the request, and wherein the at least one non-transferable device is designated as non-transferable based on the direction associated with the request.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one non-transferable device is designated as non-transferable based on a type of the first device.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one non-transferable device is designated as non-transferable based on a type of the second device.

16. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory comprising processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:

receive a request to switch content from being delivered to a first device to being delivered to another device;

determine a content type of the content;

receive a switch point;

determine a RSSI for the first device;

determine a RSSI for each of a plurality of devices comprising at least one transferable device and at least one device non-transferable device;

determine a second device from the plurality of devices having a RSSI with a least difference from the RSSI for the first device;

determine, based on the content type and a determination that the second device is a transferable device, the second device as the another device;

and

cause the content to be delivered to the second device at the switch point.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to determine the second device as the another device comprise processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to determine the second device as the another device based on GPS coordinates.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to determine the second device as the another device based on GPS coordinates comprise processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:

determine a GPS location for the first device;

determine a GPS location for each of the plurality of devices;

determine which device of the plurality of devices has a GPS location closest to the GPS location for the first device; and

determine the device of the plurality of devices closest to the first device as the second device.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the at least one non-transferable device is designated as non-transferable based on a type of the first device.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the at least one non-transferable device is designated as non-transferable based on a type of the second device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 9, 2014
From: LARKIN, ANDREW; ATHIAS, FRANKLYN
To: COMCAST CABLE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 031932/0503 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150195675A1 · Jul 9, 2015