MEDIA CONTENT SYSTEM FOR TRANSFERRING A PLAYBACK MARKER BETWEEN NETWORK-CONNECTED PLAYBACK DEVICES

Number: 20220131918
Published: 2022-04-28
Filed: 2022-01-05
Assignee: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
Inventors: Schneider; Evan
CPC: H04N21/6587; H04N21/4333; G11B27/11; H04N21/8455; H04L65/613; H04N21/2387
Verdict: Set aside playback-state transfer, business/media feature
Source: Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline

Abstract

A system for transferring a playback of media content from a first network-connected playback device to a second network-connected playback device is disclosed. The system includes a processor; a computer-readable non-transitory storage media with instructions that cause the processor to perform operations including: receiving, at a media navigation device, a request to transfer a playback marker of the media content from the first playback device to the second playback device; responsive to receiving the request, stopping a playback of the media content on the first playback device, wherein the playback marker indicates a stop timecode within a timeline associated with the media content at which the playback of the media content is stopped on the first playback device; responsive to the media navigation device being within a predetermined distance to the second playback device, automatically resuming playback of the media content on the second playback device at the stop timecode.

Background

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 120 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/583,138, filed 25 Sep. 2019, entitled “Media Content System for Transferring a Playback Marker Between Network-Connected Playback Devices,” which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. BACKGROUND Field

This disclosure generally relates to the field of audio/visual (“A/V”) equipment. More particularly, the disclosure relates to an A/V system that transfers playback of media content. General Background

With recent advances in technology, media content (e.g., movies, shows, music, etc.) received via the Internet may be consumed through different devices in the same general vicinity. For example, a conventional home network configuration may allow for multiple televisions in the same home to view content received via the Internet. Yet content playback amongst those multiple devices is typically performed in an uncoordinated manner. For example, a user may start streaming a movie on a television in his or her dining room. In the middle of playing back the movie, that user may then want to move to his or her den and continue watching the movie on a television in the den. In some conventional configurations, such a change necessitates the user stopping playback of the movie on the television in the dining room, and restarting playback of the movie on the television in the den from the begi

Claims

1. A system for transferring a playback of media content from a first network-connected playback device to a second network-connected playback device comprising: one or more processing elements; a computer-readable non-transitory storage media encoded with instructions that when executed cause the one or more processing elements to perform operations comprising: receiving, at a media navigation device, a request to transfer a playback marker of the media content from the first network-connected playback device to the second network-connected playback device; responsive to receiving the request, stopping a playback of the media content on the first network-connected playback device, wherein the playback marker indicates a stop timecode within a timeline associated with the media content at which the playback of the media content is stopped on the first network-connected playback device; and responsive to the media navigation device being within a predetermined distance to the second network-connected playback device, automatically resuming playback of the media content on the second network-connected playback device at the stop timecode. || 16. A method comprising: receiving, at a media navigation device, a request to transfer a playback marker of a media content from a first network-connected playback device to a second network-connected playback device; responsive to receiving the request, stopping a playback of the media content on the first network-connected playback device, wherein the playback marker indicates a stop timecode within a timeline associated with the media content at which the playback of the media content is stopped; and responsive to the media navigation device being within a predetermined distance of the second network-connected playback device automatically resuming playback of the media content on the second network-connected playback device at the stop timecode. || 20. A media content system comprising: a receiver configured to: receive, from a user, a request to transfer a playback marker of a media content from a first network-connected playback device to a second network-connected playback device; and a processor configured to: stop a playback of the media content on the first network-connected playback device responsive to receiving the request, wherein the playback marker indicates a stop timecode within a timeline associated with the media content at which the playback of the media content is stopped, and responsive to the receiver being within a predetermined distance of the second network-connected playback device automatically resume the playback of the media content on the second network-connected playback device at the stop timecode.