Patent ID: 9621960
Date: 2017-04-11
CPC Classifications: H04N

Claim:
1. A computer-implemented method for enabling a mobile device having a mobile application associated with a television receiver to participate in selection of television programming for presentation by a display device external the mobile device, comprising: scanning, by the television receiver, a predetermined distance from the television receiver at periodic intervals for mobile devices for which an indication of selection of particular television programming for presentation by the display device has not been received; automatically establishing, by the television receiver, a communication link from the television receiver to a mobile device identified by the scanning; sending, by the television receiver, to the mobile device a listing of a plurality of instances of television programming including programming currently being displayed by the display device and additional television programming currently available though not presently being displayed; receiving, at the television receiver from the mobile device, an indication of selection of particular television programming for presentation by the display device; determining, by the television receiver based on the indication of selection, whether a collective indication of selection tally of the particular television programming is greater than a collective indication of selection tally of other television programming; and outputting by the television receiver the particular television programming for presentation by the display device when the particular television programming has a collective indication of selection tally greater than a collective indication of selection tally of other television programming, wherein the mobile application comprises a proprietary mobile application made available by an owner of the television receiver.