Patent Publication Number: US-2023156293-A1

Title: Systems and methods for resuming playback on a next available active device

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The wide availability of digital content has given users many avenues for consuming electronic content. As one example, centralized content playback services such as Netflix® and YouTube® allow consumers to select from and play back content from among large libraries of content. Often, content may also be provided from local storage sources, such as local hard drives. 
     SUMMARY 
     The availability of such content, and the large number of electronic devices available for its playback, mean that consumers may select and play desired content on several different screens. This allows users great flexibility in when and where they may view their content. For example, contemporary users can select desired content from a central service and watch different parts of it on different devices at different times. In particular, users may pause or stop content playback on one device, and resume it on a different device at a later time. 
     Limitations to this process still exist, however. Playback application interfaces still require users to visit the central service (e.g., through an application program), sign in, re-select the particular content they wish played back, and wait until playback begins. This can be an excessively long process that can lead to user frustration. 
     Accordingly, to overcome the problems and limitations of such services and their interfaces, systems and methods are described herein that automatically cue content on devices as they become available for playback. More specifically, a content direction device is placed between content consumption devices and content sources such as providers or locally stored content. The content consumption device itself may store this locally stored content. To the content providers, the content direction device appears effectively as a single content consumption device, receiving streamed content from content providers. The content direction device directs this content stream to a device the user activates, and receives and relays commands such as pause/stop commands. When the user device becomes active and able to receive a stream, the content direction device automatically either directs the content provider to resume the stream or resumes the stream from a local source, whereupon it is transmitted to the next device. In this manner, the user can pause or stop playback on one device, later activate another device, and automatically receive a cued stream of the previously paused/stopped content. No user input is required to open an application or window, or to re-select content. The later device can be, for example, the next device the user activates. 
     Content is transmitted from a content provider or local source to the content direction device, rather than directly to user devices. The content direction device forwards the content stream to user devices. Similarly, commands from the user devices are sent to the content direction device and are passed on to the content provider if necessary. Thus, when a user pauses or stops content playback on a first device, the content direction device receives a pause or stop command marking a consumption endpoint reached by the user. The content direction device then directs the content provider to pause or stop streaming of content. 
     Later, when the user seeks to resume playback on a different device, he or she may activate this different device, whereupon it transitions from a state in which it is unable to receive content, to a state in which it is able to receive content. For example, the device is turned on, boots up, and attaches to a local area network. The content direction device then detects the presence of this new user device on the local area network, or the user device transmits an indication to the content direction device that it is now active and able to receive content streams. In response, the content direction device instructs the content provider or local source to resume the content stream from the previous consumption endpoint, to extend sequentially to its end. The stream is then transmitted to the content direction device, where it is forwarded to the user device and cued there for playback by the user. Thus, users need simply to turn on a different device, and their content is automatically cued for playback. 
     The content direction device may optionally seek to close the current session at the content provider. For example, if a user issues a stop command and powers off his playback device, content providers may close the current session. Thus, in situations when the session should be closed, the content direction device may transmit a close session command to the content provider, to close the content provider&#39;s current streaming session. In this case, receiving an indication that a different device has been activated prompts the content direction device to transmit a resume session command to the content provider, to resume the content consumption session and continue streaming the content. Once the new stream is received, the content direction device then automatically directs the stream to the now-active user device. 
     The content direction device may alternatively not close the content provider&#39;s current session. As one example, if users attempt to resume playback at a different device very soon after shutting down their previous device, or after pausing rather than stopping content on the previous device, content providers may simply keep the same session open, and resume streaming from the same session. In this case, content streamed to the content direction device, and thus to the new user device, is streamed from the same session as before. 
     The content direction device may also seek to first authenticate new devices, to verify that they are permitted for content playback. Authentication is optional and need not necessarily be employed. But when employed, users may enter multiple device identifiers to the content direction device, corresponding to the list of devices which are allowed to receive content. Later, when the user seeks to resume content playback on another device, he or she activates the device, which transmits its own unique identifier to the content direction device. The content direction device compares this identifier to the stored list of device identifiers, and if it finds a match, content is streamed from the content provider to the new device. 
     It is known that many contemporary devices may exist in multiple different modes or states, including sleep modes, power-off states, and the like. Thus, for a user device to transition from a state in which it is unable to receive content to a state in which it is able to receive content, it may simply be powered on. That is, the aforementioned transition may simply be a transition from a power-off state to a power-on state. Alternatively, the transition may be a transition from a state in which the device has not coupled to a network, to one in which it has. This latter case may involve, for example, a waking from a sleep state. Still further, the transition may be a transition from a state in which a content consumption application program has not yet been automatically loaded, to one in which it has. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       The above and other objects and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout, and in which: 
         FIG.  1    shows an exemplary system for resuming content playback on different devices, in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure; 
         FIG.  2    is a block diagram illustration of the system of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  3    is a generalized embodiment of illustrative content consumption devices constructed for use according to embodiments of the disclosure; 
         FIG.  4    is a generalized embodiment of an illustrative content direction device constructed for use according to embodiments of the disclosure; 
         FIG.  5    is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary content resumption process according to embodiments of the disclosure; 
         FIG.  6    is a flowchart illustrating further details of aspects of the exemplary content resumption process of  FIG.  5   ; 
         FIG.  7    is a flowchart illustrating content consumption session closure and resumption within the exemplary content resumption process of  FIG.  5   ; 
         FIG.  8    is a flowchart illustrating content consumption device operation when cueing content according to embodiments of the disclosure; and 
         FIG.  9    is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary device authentication process for use with the content resumption process of  FIG.  5   . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to a method of reducing user effort and wait time when resuming content playback on a different device. Content is automatically cued on the next device that becomes available for playback, without need for the user to open any windows, select any applications, or the like. As one example, a user may choose to watch an episode of a show on Netflix®, on the television (TV) in his home. The user may pause or stop playback of the episode, and perhaps shut off the TV. Sometime later, the user may turn on another content playback device, such as a laptop or phone, whereupon the episode is automatically cued on that device for immediate playback from the point at which the content was last paused or stopped. In this manner, resumption of content playback is shorter and easier, leading to less user frustration and greater content engagement. 
       FIG.  1    shows an exemplary system for resuming content playback on different devices, in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure. System  100  includes a first content consumption device  110 , a content direction device  120 , and a second content consumption device  130 . First and second content consumption devices  110 ,  130  communicate with content direction device  120 , which receives and forwards content streamed from content provider  140 . In other words, content direction device  120  receives content from content provider  140  and transmits it on to the content consumption device  110 ,  130  currently used by a user. 
     In operation of system  100 , a user may be watching, for example, a Netflix® show on first content consumption device  110 , which may be his home TV. The show is streamed from the content provider  140 , e.g., a Netflix® server, to content direction device  120 , which in turn transmits the stream to the user&#39;s home TV. At some point, the user may pause or stop playback, perhaps even turning off the device  110 . The device  110  then transmits a consumption endpoint, corresponding to the point in the content at which playback was paused/stopped, to the content direction device  120 , which forwards the consumption endpoint to the content provider  140  along with a pause/stop command. 
     Some time later, the user turns on his cellular phone, which may be second content consumption device  130 . When the content direction device  120  detects the second content consumption device  130  (as described further below) and determines that it is able to receive streamed content, the content direction device  120  instructs the content provider  140  to resume streaming the Netflix® show. The resulting stream is received and routed to the second content consumption device  130 , where device  130  automatically cues it for playback. In this manner, the user may pause or stop content playback on a first content consumption device  110  and resume it later at a second content consumption device  130 . Content is automatically cued at content consumption device  130  when the device is turned on and becomes able to receive a content stream, thus presenting content to the user faster, reducing wait time, and eliminating the need for the user to manually open applications or select content. 
       FIG.  2    is a block diagram representation of the system of  FIG.  1   , presented for further illustration. Any number of content consumption devices  110  and  130  may be in communication with content direction device  120  through, for example, a local area network  200 . The content direction device  120  is in electronic communication with content provider  140  through communications network  210 . As one example, the content consumption devices  110  and  130 , local area network  200 , and content direction device  120  may all be situated within a local area, e.g., within various rooms of a home or office. The content provider  140  may be a remotely located server at a content provider site, and the communications network  210  may be the public Internet. Alternatively, the content provider  140  may be situated within the local area and may be, for example, a local content storage and streaming application on a local computer including any of the above computing devices, or even a storage and application within the content direction device  120  itself. 
     As above, a user may be watching a show on first content consumption device  110 , at which point the content provider  140  is providing a stream of the show through communications network  210  to content direction device  120 . The content direction device  120  in turn receives this stream and directs it to device  110  over local area network  200 . When the user pauses or stops playback, a pause/stop command is issued back through local area network  200  to content direction device  120 , where it is forwarded to content provider  140  (through communications network  210 ). A consumption endpoint, indicating the point at which playback was halted, may be issued along with the stop/pause command. 
     Later, when the user activates another device such as one of the content consumption devices  130 , the content direction device  120  detects that device  130  has coupled to the local area network  200  and automatically sends a resume command to content provider  140  via communications network  210 . Content provider  140  resumes the stream from the previous consumption endpoint, transmitting it to content direction device  120 . The content direction device  120  then transmits the stream to device  130 , which cues it for playback to the user. 
     The content consumption devices  110 ,  130  may be any devices capable of receiving streamed content and executing playback for users. For example, content consumption devices  110 ,  130  may be digital TVs, laptop computers, smartphones, tablet computers, or the like.  FIG.  3    shows a generalized embodiment of an illustrative user equipment device  300  that may serve as a content consumption device. User equipment device  300  may receive content and data via input/output (hereinafter “I/O”) path  302 . I/O path  302  may provide content (e.g., broadcast programming, on-demand programming, Internet content, content available over a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN), and/or other content) and data to control circuitry  304 , which includes processing circuitry  306  and storage  308 . Control circuitry  304  may be used to send and receive commands, requests, and other suitable data using I/O path  302 . I/O path  302  may connect control circuitry  304  (and specifically processing circuitry  306 ) to one or more communications paths (described below). I/O functions may be provided by one or more of these communications paths, but are shown as a single path in  FIG.  3    to avoid overcomplicating the drawing. 
     Control circuitry  304  may be based on any suitable processing circuitry such as processing circuitry  306 . As referred to herein, processing circuitry should be understood to mean circuitry based on one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, programmable logic devices, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc., and may include a multi-core processor (e.g., dual-core, quad-core, hexa-core, or any suitable number of cores). In some embodiments, processing circuitry may be distributed across multiple separate processors or processing units, for example, multiple of the same type of processing units (e.g., two Intel Core i7 processors) or multiple different processors (e.g., an Intel Core i5 processor and an Intel Core i7 processor). In some embodiments, control circuitry  304  executes instructions for receiving streamed content and executing playback, such as executing application programs that provide interfaces for content providers  140  to stream and display content. 
     Control circuitry  304  may thus include communications circuitry suitable for communicating with a content provider  140  server or other networks or servers. Communications circuitry may include a cable modem, an integrated services digital network (ISDN) modem, a digital subscriber line (DSL) modem, a telephone modem, Ethernet card, or a wireless modem for communications with other equipment, or any other suitable communications circuitry. Such communications may involve the Internet or any other suitable communications networks or paths. In addition, communications circuitry may include circuitry that enables peer-to-peer communication of user equipment devices, or communication of user equipment devices in locations remote from each other. 
     Memory may be an electronic storage device provided as storage  308  that is part of control circuitry  304 . As referred to herein, the phrase “electronic storage device” or “storage device” should be understood to mean any device for storing electronic data, computer software, or firmware, such as random-access memory, read-only memory, hard drives, optical drives, digital video disc (DVD) recorders, compact disc (CD) recorders, BLU-RAY disc (BD) recorders, BLU-RAY 3D disc recorders, digital video recorders (DVR, sometimes called a personal video recorder, or PVR), solid state devices, quantum storage devices, gaming consoles, gaming media, or any other suitable fixed or removable storage devices, and/or any combination of the same. Storage  308  may be used to store various types of content described herein as well as media guidance data described above. Nonvolatile memory may also be used (e.g., to launch a boot-up routine and other instructions). Cloud-based storage may be used to supplement storage  308  or instead of storage  308 . 
     Control circuitry  304  may include video generating circuitry and tuning circuitry, such as one or more analog tuners, one or more MPEG-2 decoders or other digital decoding circuitry, high-definition tuners, or any other suitable tuning or video circuits or combinations of such circuits. Encoding circuitry (e.g., for converting over-the-air, analog, or digital signals to MPEG signals for storage) may also be included. Control circuitry  304  may also include scaler circuitry for upconverting and downconverting content into the preferred output format of the user equipment  300 . Circuitry  304  may also include digital-to-analog converter circuitry and analog-to-digital converter circuitry for converting between digital and analog signals. The tuning and encoding circuitry may be used by the user equipment device to receive and to display, to play, or to record content. The tuning and encoding circuitry may also be used to receive guidance data. The circuitry described herein, including for example, the tuning, video generating, encoding, decoding, encrypting, decrypting, scaler, and analog/digital circuitry, may be implemented using software running on one or more general purpose or specialized processors. Multiple tuners may be provided to handle simultaneous tuning functions (e.g., watch and record functions, picture-in-picture (PIP) functions, multiple-tuner recording, etc.). If storage  308  is provided as a separate device from user equipment  300 , the tuning and encoding circuitry (including multiple tuners) may be associated with storage  308 . 
     A user may send instructions to control circuitry  304  using user input interface  310 . User input interface  310  may be any suitable user interface, such as a remote control, mouse, trackball, keypad, keyboard, touch screen, touchpad, stylus input, joystick, voice recognition interface, or other user input interfaces. Display  312  may be provided as a stand-alone device or integrated with other elements of user equipment device  300 . For example, display  312  may be a touchscreen or touch-sensitive display. In such circumstances, user input interface  310  may be integrated with or combined with display  312 . Display  312  may be one or more of a monitor, a television, a liquid crystal display (LCD) for a mobile device, amorphous silicon display, low temperature poly silicon display, electronic ink display, electrophoretic display, active matrix display, electro-wetting display, electrofluidic display, cathode ray tube display, light-emitting diode display, electroluminescent display, plasma display panel, high-performance addressing display, thin-film transistor display, organic light-emitting diode display, surface-conduction electron-emitter display (SED), laser television, carbon nanotubes, quantum dot display, interferometric modulator display, or any other suitable equipment for displaying visual images. In some embodiments, display  312  may be HDTV-capable. In some embodiments, display  312  may be a 3D display, and the interactive media guidance application and any suitable content may be displayed in 3D. A video card or graphics card may generate the output to the display  312 . The video card may offer various functions such as accelerated rendering of 3D scenes and 2D graphics, MPEG-2/MPEG-4 decoding, TV output, or the ability to connect multiple monitors. The video card may be any processing circuitry described above in relation to control circuitry  304 . The video card may be integrated with the control circuitry  304 . Speakers  314  may be provided as integrated with other elements of user equipment device  300  or may be stand-alone units. The audio component of videos and other content displayed on display  312  may be played through speakers  314 . In some embodiments, the audio may be distributed to a receiver (not shown), which processes and outputs the audio via speakers  314 . 
       FIG.  4    is a generalized embodiment of an illustrative content direction device  120  constructed for use according to embodiments of the disclosure. Here, device  400  may serve as a content direction device. Device  400  may receive content and data via I/O paths  402  and  404 . I/O path  402  may provide content and data to the various content consumption devices  110  and  130 , while I/O path  404  may provide data to, and receive content from, one or more content providers  140 . Like the user equipment device  300 , the device  400  has control circuitry  406  which includes processing circuitry  408  and storage  410 . The control circuitry  406 , processing circuitry  408 , and storage  410  may be constructed, and may operate, similar to the respective components of user equipment device  300 . 
     Storage  410  is a memory that stores a number of programs for execution by processing circuitry  408 . In particular, storage  410  may store a number of device interfaces  412 , content provider interfaces  414 , device identifiers  416 , and data transfer routines  418 . The device interfaces  412  are interface programs for handling the exchange of commands and data with the various content consumption devices  110 ,  130 . Content provider interfaces  414  are interface programs for handling the exchange of commands and content streams with various content providers  140 , and are programmed to exchange commands and content similar to a corresponding application program on a content consumption device  110 ,  130 . A separate interface  414  may exist for each different content provider  140  that has its own format for commands or content. Data transfer module  418  handles routing of content streams from the content providers  140  to the appropriate content consumption devices  110 ,  130 . That is, module  418  contains routines for redirecting content streams received from content providers  140  to specific content consumption devices  110 ,  130 . If content is stored within device  400  itself, it may be stored in storage  410  along with an application program that streams the stored content to a destination specified as below. 
     The device  400  may be any electronic device capable of receiving content streams and transferring them to one or more content consumption devices  110 ,  130 . For example, the device  400  may be a networked in-home smart device connected between a home modem and various content consumption devices  110 ,  130 . The device  400  may alternatively be a laptop computer or desktop computer configured as above. As such, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the device  400  may be any one of the content consumption devices  110 ,  130  or some portion thereof. 
     Operation of the system of  FIG.  2    is now described in connection with  FIG.  5   , which is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary content resumption process according to embodiments of the disclosure. A user may be consuming content on consumption device  110 . At this point, the content provider  140  is streaming the content to content direction device  120  through communications network  210 , and the content direction device  120  is in turn forwarding the stream to device  110  through local area network  200 . The content consumption device  110  may be displaying the content through an application program loaded from its storage  308 . 
     At some point, the user wishes to pause or stop playback from his device  110 . The user may, for example, press a pause or stop button on a remote control, or if the device  110  has a touch screen, the user may press a pause icon on the screen. The device  110  then transmits a pause/stop command to content direction device  120  along with a consumption endpoint, i.e. the point within the content at which playback was halted. The content direction device  120  receives the command and endpoint (Step  500 ), and transmits both the pause/stop command and the consumption endpoint to the content provider  140 . In response, the content provider  140  halts the stream, and may close the current session. 
     While Step  500  describes receiving a separate consumption endpoint and pause/stop command, it is noted that the pause/stop command may also act as a consumption endpoint. That is, the device  110  may send a single command to pause or stop, and the content direction device  120  may determine the consumption endpoint as the point in the content that was reached when the pause/stop command was received. Alternatively, the content direction device  120  may simply receive and relay the pause/stop command without any consumption endpoint, and the content provider  140  may determine the consumption endpoint itself. 
     At some later point, the user may wish to resume playback of the content on a different content consumption device  130 , whereupon the user may activate device  130  by, e.g., turning it on, waking it from sleep mode, or the like. When the device  130  activates and attaches to local area network  200 , the content direction device  120  receives an indication that device  130  has attached and is thus able to receive content. That is, the content direction device  120  receives an indication that device  130  has transitioned from a state in which it was unable to receive content over local area network  200 , to a state in which it is now able to receive content (Step  510 ). 
     Content direction device  120  may be made aware of device  130  in any number of ways. In one embodiment, device  130  may transmit an indicator to content direction device  120  once it attaches to local area network  200 . The indicator may be transmitted by an application program once it is automatically loaded, as further described below. Alternatively, the content direction device  120  may scan the local area network  200  for new devices, detecting device  130  when it attaches. Any method of making content direction device  120  aware of the presence of device  130  on local area network  200  may be employed. 
     Once content direction device  120  receives this indication, it automatically initiates the process of resuming the content stream at the content consumption device  130 , i.e. directing the portion of the content beginning at the consumption endpoint, to the content consumption device  130  (Step  520 ).  FIG.  6    illustrates further details of Step  520 . In particular, content direction device  120  automatically opens or resumes a session with the content provider  140 , selects the content, transmits the previously-received consumption endpoint to the content provider  140  (Step  600 ) and instructs the content provider  140  to begin streaming the content beginning at the consumption endpoint (Step  602 ). In some embodiments, the content provider  140  retains the consumption endpoint it received or determined when the user previously paused/stopped the content. In this case, Step  600  may be omitted and the content direction device  120  may simply instruct the content provider  140  to resume streaming. In other embodiments, streaming may resume from a point near but not precisely at the previous endpoint, e.g., a point within a range of several seconds of the consumption endpoint. Any range is contemplated. 
     In response to receiving the instruction to resume streaming, the content provider  140  transmits the stream through communications network  210  to be received at content direction device  120  (Step  620 ). The content direction device  120  then transmits this received stream to content consumption device  130  (Step  630 ). The content consumption device  130  then cues the streamed content for playback when the user desires. 
     As described above in connection with Step  500  of  FIG.  5   , content providers  140  may close paused or stopped sessions. Such closings may be performed automatically after a predetermined duration of inactivity, for instance. Alternatively, either content consumption device  110  or content direction device  120  may instruct the content provider  140  to close the current session, such as in the case that the content consumption device  110  is turned off. In such cases, embodiments of the disclosure resume sessions when content consumption device  130  becomes available for resuming streaming.  FIG.  7    illustrates in further detail processes undertaken by content direction device  120  in resuming sessions at a content provider  140 . In cases where users desire to close their current session, the content direction device  120  may transmit a close session command to content provider  140 , to close the current session (Step  700 ). This step may be omitted if the user does not send a close session command. Instead, the content provider  140  may simply close the current session automatically. Alternatively, the content provider  140  may be left to close the session itself, for example after a predetermined period of inactivity. 
     Content direction device  120  and content provider  140  then wait (Step  710 ) until the content direction device  120  detects that the content consumption device  130  has attached to the local area network  200  (Step  720 ), whereupon content direction device  120  automatically transmits a resume session command to the content provider  140  (Step  730 ). In response, the content provider  140  resumes the session. Content direction device  120  selects the interrupted content and instructs the content provider  140  to resume the stream from the previous streaming endpoint, whereupon the content provider  140  transmits the stream to content direction device  120 . The content direction device  120  then automatically directs the stream to content consumption device  130  for cueing and playback (Step  740 ). 
       FIG.  8    is a flowchart illustrating further details of operation of content consumption device  130  when cueing content according to embodiments of the disclosure. As above, content is automatically streamed to content consumption device  130  when it becomes able to receive content. In further detail, as soon as the user turns on or otherwise activates content consumption device  130  (Step  800 ), the device  130  executes its boot sequence (Step  810 ). If the device  130  is in sleep mode or some other mode in which it remains powered on but unable to receive or display streamed content, this step may be omitted, and a wake-up or other similar sequence may be performed instead. 
     The device  130  then automatically loads a content consumption application allowing it to display the streamed content (Step  820 ). This application may, for example, be a Netflix® application, or any other application program for playback of content from a particular service. Once the application is loaded, it is programmed to automatically transmit an activation indication and device identifier to the content direction device  120  (Step  830 ). This informs the content direction device  120  of the presence of device  130  on the local area network  200 , and identifies the device  130  for authentication purposes. Authentication is described further below in connection with  FIG.  9   . 
     Authentication is optional in the various embodiments of the disclosure and may be omitted. But after authentication (if it is employed), the content direction device  120  instructs the content provider  140  to resume streaming the particular content, which is streamed to the content direction device  120 . The content direction device  120  forwards the stream to the loaded application of content consumption device  130 , which receives it (Step  840 ) and cues the content for consumption by the user. The application may then transmit a pause command to the content direction device  120  (Step  850 ), so that content playback is paused rather than resumed immediately. This allows the user to resume playback when he or she is ready, rather than being forced to watch resumed content immediately upon activating content consumption device  130 . As with authentication, Step  850  is optional and may be omitted in embodiments in which it is desired to resume playback immediately upon activation of content consumption device  130 . 
     The optional authentication process is now described in connection with  FIG.  9   , which is a flowchart illustrating further details of an exemplary such process. It may be desirable to confirm the identity of devices  130  that join local area network  200 , to ensure that they are authorized to play back content. For example, certain services may allow playback only on devices the user has paid for. As another example, the user may wish to allow playback only on devices he or she owns, and not any other devices that may join local area network  200 . 
     Prior to viewing content, the content direction device  120  may prompt the user to identify those devices that are authorized for content playback. The user enters this information, and it is received at content direction device  120  (Step  900 ). The entered information may be unique device identifiers such as internet protocol (IP) addresses, passwords unique to each device, or the like. 
     At a later time, the user may wish to resume playback on a particular device, as above. Accordingly, when content consumption device  130  attaches to local area network  200  and transmits its unique identifier to content direction device  120  as in Step  830  above, the identifier is received at content direction device  120  (Step  910 ). The content direction device  120  compares this identifier to the identifiers previously received in Step  900  (Step  920 ). If a match is not found, the content consumption device  130  is not authorized to stream content from content provider  140 . The content direction device  120  thus ignores content consumption device  130  and waits for another device to attach to the local area network  200  (Step  930 ). However, if a match is found, the content direction device  120  automatically instructs the content provider  140  to resume the content stream beginning at the previous pause or stop point. Once received, the stream is then forwarded to content consumption device  130  (Step  940 ). Steps  910  and  920  may occur between Steps  510  and  520  of  FIG.  5   , and Step  940  may correspond to Step  520  of  FIG.  5   . That is, the content direction device  120  may authenticate content consumption devices  130  as they appear on the local area network  200 , and successful authentication initiates the process of cueing content at content consumption devices  130 . 
     The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required to practice the methods and systems of the disclosure. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. For example, content playback may be paused and resumed on any user device, at any time. Consumption endpoints may be forwarded by device  120 , or determined by either one of device  120  or content provider  140 . Content direction device  120  may determine the presence of a device  130  by automatically detecting a new device on its local area network, or receiving an indicator from the new device. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the methods and systems of the disclosure and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Additionally, different features of the various embodiments, disclosed or otherwise, can be mixed and matched or otherwise combined so as to create further embodiments contemplated by the disclosure.