IP Library Granted Patent US 9,525,907
Granted Patent B2
US 9,525,907 · App. 14/423,204 · Granted Dec 20, 2016

Hardware device for multimedia transmission

Inventor: Don Macaskill (Los Altos, CA)
Assignee: SmugMug, Inc.
H04N21/43635H04L65/4084H04N21/2393H04N21/4126H04N21/42684H04N21/437H04N21/43632H04N21/43637H04N21/4432
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,525,907
App. No.
14/423,204
Granted
Dec 20, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

Devices and methods for viewing visual content and accompanying methods are provided. Devices include a digital video connector, a power supply and a computing unit which can have software components which are preprogrammed for connecting with a remote server without user interaction to provide visual content. Methods include connecting to a network, connecting to the remote server, receiving visual content from the remote server and displaying that content on a display. The content can be manipulated locally or from a remote site and can be updated continually.

Claims (36)

1. A data transmission device for viewing visual content comprising:

a display;

a digital video connector coupled between the data transmission device and the display; a power supply port; and a computing unit comprising:

a processor; a memory storage unit; one or more wireless devices, wherein at least one of the wireless devices connects to a network; and

a computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, performs the following operation:

connecting with a remote server over the network;

providing one or more network identifiers to the remote server;

providing one or more queries to the remote server to receive visual content, wherein the visual content comprises one or more of photos, rendered graphics, digital images, slideshows, and composites thereof;

providing one or more visual content parameters to the remote server;

providing an interface for connecting with a user device;

uploading the visual content from the remote server to the computing unit;

manipulating the visual content on the remote server in response to input received via the interface communicatively coupled with the user device, wherein the manipulating comprises one or more of cropping, rendering, blurring, rasterizing, or an adjustment; and

displaying the manipulated visual content on the display, wherein the visual content manipulation is displayed in real time simultaneously between the user device and the display.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising one or more connectivity programs for creating a secondary network.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the display is a touchscreen display.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the user device is a touchscreen device.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the digital video connector is a HDMI port.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more wireless devices is a Bluetooth device.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the power supply port is a USB port.

8. A method for providing visual content to a display comprising:

configuring a data transmission device with one or more network identifiers, wherein the data transmission device has one or more device identifiers;

connecting the data transmission device with a remote server using a network, the one or more device identifiers and the one or more network identifiers;

configuring the data transmission device using the remote server, one or more user devices or both;

providing one or more visual content parameters to the remote server;

uploading visual content from the remote server to the data transmission device in response to the visual content parameters, wherein the visual content comprises one or more of photos, rendered graphics, digital images, slideshows, and composites thereof;

manipulating the visual content on the remote server and the data transmission device in response to input received on the one or more user devices, wherein the manipulating comprises one or more of cropping, rendering, blurring, rasterizing, cutting, pasting, making collages, changing a hue, an artistic effect, or an adjustment; and

displaying the manipulated visual content on a display connected to the data transmission device, wherein the visual content manipulation is displayed in real time simultaneously between the user device and the display.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the data transmission device is preconfigured with one or more network identifiers and one or more visual content parameters prior to receipt by an end user.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the user device is a touchscreen device.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the one or more network identifiers is a unique identifier.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the data transmission device connects with the display using an HDMI port.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein visual content is continuously uploaded from the remote server to the data transmission device.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the data transmission device is integrated with the display.

15. The method of claim 8 , further comprising storing visual content on the data transmission device.

16. The method of claim 8 , wherein connecting with a network further comprises: connecting to a user device which has a network connection; and connecting with the network from the user device.

17. The method of claim 8 , wherein the remote server selects the visual content based on at least one of the one or more visual content parameters, at least one of the one or more network parameters or combinations thereof.

Assignments (3)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 30, 2025
From: AWES.ME, INC.
To: AVIDBANK
Reel/Frame 071884/0090 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 30, 2022
From: SMUGMUG, INC.
To: AWES.ME, INC.
Reel/Frame 059554/0609 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 28, 2015
From: MACASKILL, DON
To: SMUGMUG, INC.
Reel/Frame 035728/0205 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61692553 · Aug 23, 2012
Related Publication 20150249860A1 · Sep 3, 2015