PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-8918822-B2
Application Number: US-201213627954-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Displaying a synchronized instance of content on a portable electronic device

Abstract:
A method and system are described for displaying a synchronized instance of content on a portable electronic device. In the described embodiments, a selection of streaming content that is being displayed on a fixed display system is received by the portable electronic device. The portable electronic device then determines if the portable electronic device is compatible with the streaming content being received by the fixed display system. If the portable electronic device is compatible with the streaming content being received by the fixed display system, then the portable electronic device requests the synchronized instance of the streaming content and displays it.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for displaying a synchronized instance of streaming content on a portable electronic device, comprising: receiving, at the portable electronic device via a wireless local area network, a selection of streaming content that is being displayed on a fixed display system; determining, at the portable electronic device, if the portable electronic device is compatible with the streaming content being displayed on the fixed display system, wherein determining if the portable electronic device is compatible with the streaming content comprises, when it is determined that the portable electronic device does not have compatibility requirements for determining compatibility, acquiring compatibility requirements from the fixed display system; and if the portable electronic device is compatible with the streaming content being displayed on the fixed display system, then, at the portable electronic device: requesting, from a content source, the synchronized instance of the streaming content for display on the portable electronic device; receiving, from the content source, the synchronized instance of the streaming content; and displaying the synchronized instance of the streaming content on the portable electronic device. 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein if the portable electronic device is not compatible with the streaming content being displayed on the fixed display system, then the method further includes: requesting, on the portable electronic device, the synchronized instance of the streaming content for display on the portable electronic device based on mirroring the fixed display system; and displaying the synchronized instance of the streaming content on the portable electronic device. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein before receiving the selection the method includes: displaying, on the portable electronic device, information related to the streaming content being displayed on the fixed display system, and the streaming content is streamed to the fixed display system using the wireless local area network. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless local area network is based on IEEE 802.11 technology. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining if the portable electronic device is compatible with the streaming content being displayed on the fixed display system includes: determining if the portable electronic device includes an application used to display the streaming content on the fixed display system. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein displaying the synchronized instance of the streaming content on the portable electronic device includes determining a synchronization mismatch between the streaming content that is being displayed on the fixed display system and the synchronized instance of the streaming content being displayed on the portable electronic device. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fixed display system includes a television. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 2 , wherein in response to requesting, on the portable electronic device, the synchronized instance of the streaming content for display on the portable electronic device based on mirroring the fixed display system, the method further includes: receiving, on the portable electronic device, the synchronized instance of the streaming content from the fixed display system using the wireless local area network. 
     
     
       9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by a processing subsystem in a portable electronic device, cause the portable electronic device to perform a method for displaying a synchronized instance of streaming content on the portable electronic device, the method comprising: receiving, on the portable electronic device, a selection of streaming content that is being displayed on a fixed display system; determining if the portable electronic device is compatible with the streaming content being displayed on the fixed display system, wherein determining if the portable electronic device is compatible with the streaming content comprises, when it is determined that the portable electronic device does not have compatibility requirements for determining compatibility, acquiring compatibility requirements from the fixed display system; and if the portable electronic device is compatible with the streaming content being displayed on the fixed display system then, on the portable electronic device,
 requesting, from a content source, the synchronized instance of the streaming content for display on the portable electronic device; and 
 displaying the synchronized instance of the streaming content on the portable electronic device. 
 
     
     
       10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein if the portable electronic device is not compatible with the streaming content being displayed on the fixed display system, then the method further includes:
 requesting, on the portable electronic device, the synchronized instance of the streaming content for display on the portable electronic device based on mirroring the fixed display system and displaying the synchronized instance of the streaming content on the portable electronic device. 
 
     
     
       11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein before receiving the selection the method includes: displaying, on the portable electronic device, information related to the streaming content being displayed on the fixed display system, wherein the portable electronic device is coupled to a local area network, and the streaming content is streamed to the fixed display system using the local area network. 
     
     
       12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , further including:
 in response to requesting the synchronized instance of the streaming content for display on the portable electronic device, receiving the synchronized instance of the streaming content for display on the portable electronic device over a wireless network, wherein the wireless network comprises a network using an IEEE 802.11 standard. 
 
     
     
       13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein displaying the synchronized instance of the streaming content on the portable electronic device includes determining a synchronization mismatch between the streaming content that is being displayed on the fixed display system and the synchronized instance of the streaming content being displayed on the portable electronic device. 
     
     
       14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein in response to requesting, on the portable electronic device, the synchronized instance of the streaming content for display on the portable electronic device based on mirroring the fixed display system, the method further includes:
 receiving, on the portable electronic device, the synchronized instance of the streaming content from the fixed display system using a local area network. 
 
     
     
       15. A method for use in a fixed display system, comprising:
 in the fixed display system, performing operations for: receiving streaming content; 
 generating, based on the streaming content, display data for display on a display screen; receiving a query from a portable electronic device, the query requesting compatibility requirements for displaying the streaming content on the portable electronic device; 
 returning a response to the portable electronic device that comprises the compatibility requirements; 
 receiving a request from the portable electronic device for a synchronized instance of the streaming content for display on the portable electronic device; 
 generating the synchronized instance of the streaming content for display on the portable electronic device; and 
 transmitting the synchronized instance of the streaming content to the portable electronic device for display on the portable electronic device. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the transmitting the synchronized instance of the streaming content to the portable electronic device includes:
 transmitting the synchronized instance of the streaming content from the fixed display system to the portable electronic device using a local area network. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the fixed display system and the portable electronic device are coupled to a local area network, and wherein the method comprises:
 before receiving the request from the portable electronic device, transmitting information to the portable electronic device that is related to the streaming content. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 15 , wherein transmitting information to the portable electronic device that is related to the streaming content includes:
 transmitting information related to at least one of: 
 an application used to display the streaming content on the fixed display system; and 
 an identifier for the streaming content. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 15 , wherein generating the synchronized instance of the streaming content for display on the portable electronic device includes generating the synchronized instance based on information related to a display in the portable electronic device. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the fixed display system is a television or monitor, and wherein the display screen is included within the fixed display system. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the fixed display system is a set-top box, video game console, digital video disk (DVD) player, or Digital Video Recorder (DVR). 
     
     
       22. A portable electronic device for displaying a synchronized instance of streaming content, comprising: a display subsystem; and a processing subsystem coupled to the display subsystem, wherein the processing subsystem performs one or more operations for:
 receiving a selection of streaming content that is being displayed on a fixed display system; determining if the portable electronic device is compatible with the streaming content being displayed by the fixed display system, wherein determining if the portable electronic device is compatible with the streaming content comprises, when it is determined that the portable electronic device does not have compatibility requirements for determining compatibility, acquiring compatibility requirements from the fixed display system; and 
 when the portable electronic device is compatible with the streaming content being displayed on the fixed display system, 
 requesting, from a content source, the synchronized instance of the streaming content; and 
 displaying the synchronized instance of the streaming content using the display subsystem. 
 
     
     
       23. The portable electronic device of  claim 22 , wherein, when the portable electronic device is not compatible with the streaming content being displayed on the fixed display system, the processing subsystem performs one or more operations for:
 requesting, from the fixed display system, the synchronized instance of the streaming content for display based on mirroring the streaming content being displayed on the fixed display system; and 
 displaying the synchronized instance of the streaming content using the display subsystem. 
 
     
     
       24. The portable electronic device of  claim 22 , wherein, when determining if the portable electronic device is compatible with the streaming content being displayed on the fixed display system, the processing subsystem performs one or more operations for:
 determining if the portable electronic device includes an application used to display the streaming content on the fixed display system. 
 
     
     
       25. The portable electronic device of  claim 22 , wherein, when displaying the synchronized instance of the streaming content using the display subsystem, the processing subsystem performs one or more operations for:
 determining a synchronization mismatch between the streaming content that is being displayed on the fixed display system and the synchronized instance of the streaming content being displayed using the display subsystem. 
 
     
     
       26. The portable electronic device of  claim 23 , wherein, responsive to requesting, from the fixed display system, the synchronized instance of the streaming content for display, the processing subsystem performs one or more operations for: receiving the synchronized instance of the streaming content from the fixed display system using a local area network.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     The described embodiments relate to displaying content on a portable electronic device. More specifically, the described embodiments relate to displaying a synchronized instance of content on a portable electronic device. 
     2. Related Art 
     When a group of people gather to watch a television program or a movie at home, at some point during the viewing someone may chose to temporarily leave the viewing area (e.g., to prepare food). Often, when someone leaves the viewing area during the presentation, the remaining viewers may decide to either stop the showing (e.g., pause it) and wait for the person to return, or let the presentation continue so that the person leaving the viewing area misses some of the show. Each choice has undesirable consequences that may result in an unsatisfactory user experience. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  presents a block diagram illustrating a portable electronic device in accordance with described embodiments. 
         FIG. 2  presents a block diagram illustrating a fixed display system in accordance with described embodiments. 
         FIG. 3  presents a block diagram illustrating an operating system, an application and subsystems of a portable electronic device in accordance with described embodiments. 
         FIG. 4  presents a block diagram illustrating a network environment including a local area network and a wide area network (WAN) in accordance with described embodiments. 
         FIG. 5  presents a flowchart illustrating a process for displaying a synchronized instance of content on a portable electronic device in accordance with described embodiments. 
         FIG. 6  presents a block diagram illustrating a network environment depicting a content stream from a source through a WAN and a local area network to a fixed display system in accordance with described embodiments. 
         FIG. 7  presents a block diagram illustrating a network environment depicting a content stream and a synchronized content stream, each streaming from a source through a WAN and a local area network to, respectively, a fixed display system and a portable electronic device in accordance with described embodiments. 
         FIG. 8  presents a block diagram illustrating a network environment depicting a content stream streaming from a source through the Internet and a local area network to a fixed display system and synchronized mirrored content stream streaming from the fixed display system to the portable electronic device through the local area network in accordance with described embodiments. 
         FIG. 9  presents a block diagram illustrating a network environment including a content stream source communicating on a local area network in accordance with described embodiments. 
         FIG. 10  presents a block diagram illustrating a network environment depicting a content stream from a content stream source through a LAN to a fixed display system in accordance with described embodiments. 
         FIG. 11  presents a block diagram illustrating a network environment depicting a content stream and a synchronized content stream, each streaming from a content stream source through a local area network to, respectively, a fixed display system and a portable electronic device in accordance with described embodiments. 
         FIG. 12  presents a block diagram illustrating a network environment depicting a content stream streaming from a content stream source through a local area network to a fixed display system and synchronized mirrored content stream streaming from the fixed display system to the portable electronic device through the local area network in accordance with described embodiments. 
     
    
    
     In the figures, like reference numerals refer to the same figure elements. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the described embodiments, and is provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements. Various modifications to the described embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the described embodiments. Thus, the described embodiments are not limited to the embodiments shown, but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. 
     The data structures and code described in this detailed description are typically stored on a computer-readable storage medium, which may be any device or medium that can store code and/or data for use by a portable electronic device and/or fixed display system with computing capabilities. For example, the computer-readable storage medium can include volatile memory or non-volatile memory, including flash memory, random access memory (RAM, SRAM, DRAM, RDRAM, DDR/DDR2/DDR3 SDRAM, etc.), magnetic or optical storage mediums (e.g., disk drives, magnetic tape, CDs, DVDs), or other mediums capable of storing data structures or code. Note that, in the described embodiments, the computer-readable storage medium does not include non-statutory computer-readable storage mediums such as transmission signals. 
     The methods and processes described in this detailed description can be included in hardware modules. For example, the hardware modules can include, but are not limited to one or more application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chips, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), other programmable-logic devices, dedicated logic devices, and microcontrollers. When the hardware modules are activated, the hardware modules perform the methods and processes included within the hardware modules. In some embodiments, the hardware modules include one or more general-purpose circuits that are configured by executing instructions (program code, firmware, etc.) to perform the methods and processes. 
     The methods and processes described in the detailed description section can be embodied as code and/or data that can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium as described above. When a device (e.g., a portable electronic device or fixed display system) with computing capabilities reads and executes the code and/or data stored on the computer-readable storage medium, the device performs the methods and processes embodied as data structures and code and stored within the computer-readable storage medium. For example, in some embodiments, a processing subsystem can read the code and/or data from a memory subsystem that comprises a computer-readable storage medium and can execute code and/or use the data to perform the methods and processes. 
     In the following description, we refer to “some embodiments.” Note that “some embodiments” describes a subset of all of the possible embodiments, but does not always specify the same subset of embodiments. 
     Overview 
     The described embodiments perform operations for displaying, on a portable electronic device, a synchronized instance of the content that is being displayed on a fixed display system. In described embodiments, the portable electronic device can include any portable electronic device that can receive and display a content stream, including but not limited to a smartphone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer or a netbook computer. A fixed display system may be a device such as a set-top box, network-enabled DVD player, an Apple TV, a Google TV, a Roku Streaming Player, a digital video recorder (DVR), a video game console (such as an Xbox 360), a network-enabled digital video disk (DVD) player, and/or any other device that is capable of receiving streaming content and communicating the streaming content to a separate display device (such as a television set or monitor) for display. In such an instance, the fixed display system may be connected (via a wired or wireless connection) to the separate display device. As another example, a fixed display system may be a device such as a network-enabled television that itself includes both (a) a display screen (such as an LCD screen) and (b) components for receiving streaming content and displaying the content on the display screen. Note that in each case the fixed display system is generally not meant to be picked-up and moved (e.g., other than to adjust the display for viewing) while streaming content is actively displayed. 
     During operation, a group of people may sit in a room with the fixed display system and begin watching a movie or other content. Then, during the viewing when someone decides to leave the room (e.g., to prepare a snack), the other viewers must either pause the viewing while they all wait for the departed viewer to return, or let the presentation continue and the returning viewer may miss some of the presentation. 
     In described embodiments, when a viewer decides to leave the viewing area, the viewer uses a portable electronic device (e.g., a smartphone or tablet computer) to find the content stream currently being viewed. Note that in some embodiments, the portable electronic device may be configured so that it searches for and finds available content streams in the background and has them ready for presentation to a user when prompted, without having to begin a search only when the user prompts it. For example, the portable electronic device may determine which content streams are currently being displayed and accessible to the portable electronic device using a service discovery protocol. 
     The viewer then selects the content stream and the portable electronic device requests information about the content stream from the fixed display system. The fixed display system then responds with information about the content stream. The information may include, but is not limited to, the source of the content stream (e.g., Netflix), the name of the content (e.g., a unique identifier for the movie being played), and a timestamp related to the current position in the content stream. Note that in some embodiments, the portable electronic device may use a service discovery protocol to obtain some or all of the information about the content stream prior to the selection of the content stream by the user. 
     The portable electronic device receives the selection of the content stream from the user and determines if it can access a synchronized version of the content stream directly from the source (e.g., Netflix). This process may involve steps such as determining if the portable device has (or has access to) any applications or other software that may be required to play the content, checking connectivity to the Internet, and determining if the portable electronic device has access to a valid user account to access the content. Then, if the portable electronic device determines that it can play the content stream, it requests a synchronized content stream from the content source. 
     If the portable electronic device determines that it cannot request and receive the synchronized content stream from the content source (e.g., Netflix), for example, because the user does not have a Netflix account or the portable electronic device does not have the necessary application(s), then the portable electronic device may request a synchronized instance of the content stream from the fixed display system based on mirroring. When requesting the synchronized mirrored instance of content stream from the fixed display system, the portable electronic device may also notify the fixed display system of the resolution of the display on the portable electronic device. The fixed display system then generates a mirror image of the content stream being displayed on the fixed display and begins streaming the mirrored content stream to the portable electronic device. 
     Portable Electronic Device 
       FIG. 1  presents a block diagram illustrating portable electronic device  100  in accordance with described embodiments. Portable electronic device  100  includes processing subsystem  102 , memory subsystem  104 , networking subsystem  106 , and display subsystem  108  all coupled together and communicating through bus  110 . 
     Processing subsystem  102  includes one or more devices configured to perform computational operations. For example, processing subsystem  102  can include one or more microprocessors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), microcontrollers, and/or programmable-logic devices. 
     Memory subsystem  104  includes one or more devices for storing data and/or instructions for processing subsystem  102 , networking subsystem  106 , and display subsystem  108 . For example, memory subsystem  104  can include any type of computer-readable storage medium such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), and/or other types of memory. In addition, memory subsystem  104  can include mechanisms for controlling access to the memory. In some embodiments, memory subsystem  104  includes a memory hierarchy that comprises one or more caches coupled to a memory in portable electronic device  100 . In some of these embodiments, one or more of the caches is located in processing subsystem  102  and/or display subsystem  108 . 
     In some embodiments, memory subsystem  104  is coupled to one or more high-capacity mass-storage devices (not shown). For example, memory subsystem  104  can be coupled to a magnetic or optical drive, a solid-state drive, or another type of mass-storage device. In these embodiments, memory subsystem  104  can be used by portable electronic device  100  as fast-access storage for often-used data, while the mass-storage device is used to store less frequently used data. 
     Networking subsystem  106  includes one or more devices configured to couple to and communicate on a wired and/or wireless network (i.e., to perform network operations). For example, networking subsystem  106  can include a Bluetooth™ networking system, a cellular networking system (e.g., a 3G/4G network such as UMTS, LTE, etc.), a universal serial bus (USB) networking system, a Wi-Fi networking system, a networking system based on the standards described in IEEE 802.11, an Ethernet networking system, and/or another networking system. Networking subsystem  106  includes processors, controllers, radios/antennas, sockets/plugs, and/or other devices used for coupling to, communicating on, and handling data and events for each supported networking system. 
     Display subsystem  108  includes one or more devices for outputting visual information. For example, display subsystem  108  can include any type of display technology such as light emitting diode (LED), organic light emitting diode (OLED), liquid crystal display (LCD) (such as thin film transistor (TFT), and/or other types of display technology. In addition, display subsystem  108  can include mechanisms for controlling processing data, and/or other information for display. Note that in some embodiments, display subsystem  108  may also include an audio subsystem for producing sound, for example for use in conjunction with a visual display (e.g., for the audio portion of a video being displayed on display subsystem  108 ). In some embodiments, one or more memory caches and/or processing systems or other hardware modules are located in display subsystem  108 . 
     Processing subsystem  102 , memory subsystem  104 , networking subsystem  106 , and display subsystem  108  are coupled together using bus  110 . Bus  110  is an electrical, optical, or electro-optical connection that the subsystems can use to communicate commands and data among one another. Although only one bus  110  is shown for clarity, different embodiments can include a different number or configuration of electrical, optical, or electro-optical connections among the subsystems. 
     Although shown as separate subsystems in  FIG. 1 , in some embodiments, some or all of a given subsystem can be integrated into one or more of the other subsystems in portable electronic device  100 . Although alternative embodiments can be configured in this way, for clarity we describe the subsystems separately. 
     Portable electronic device  100  can be (or can be included in) any device with at least one display subsystem and one networking subsystem. For example, portable electronic device  100  can be (or can be included in) a laptop computer, a media player, a subnotebook/netbook, a tablet computer, a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smartphone, a toy, a controller, or another portable device. 
     Although we use specific subsystems to describe portable electronic device  100 , in alternative embodiments, different subsystems may be present in portable electronic device  100 . For example, portable electronic device  100  may include one or more additional processing subsystems  102 , memory subsystems  104 , networking subsystems  106 , and/or display subsystems  108 . Additionally, one or more of the subsystems may not be present in portable electronic device  100 . Moreover, in some embodiments, portable electronic device  100  may include one or more additional subsystems that are not shown in  FIG. 1 . For example, portable electronic device  100  may also include, without limitation, a data collection subsystem, an alarm subsystem, an audio subsystem, and/or an input/output (I/O) subsystem. 
     Fixed Display System 
       FIG. 2  presents a block diagram illustrating fixed display system  200  in accordance with described embodiments. Fixed display system  200  includes processing subsystem  202 , memory subsystem  204 , networking subsystem  206 , and fixed display subsystem  208  all coupled together and communicating through bus  210 . 
     Processing subsystem  202  includes one or more devices configured to perform computational operations. For example, processing subsystem  202  can include one or more microprocessors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), microcontrollers, and/or programmable-logic devices. 
     Memory subsystem  204  includes one or more devices for storing data and/or instructions for processing subsystem  202 , networking subsystem  206 , and fixed display subsystem  208 . For example, memory subsystem  204  can include any type of computer-readable storage medium such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), and/or other types of memory. In addition, memory subsystem  204  can include mechanisms for controlling access to the memory. In some embodiments, memory subsystem  204  includes a memory hierarchy that comprises one or more caches coupled to a memory in fixed display system  200 . In some of these embodiments, one or more of the caches is located in processing subsystem  202  and/or fixed display subsystem  208 . 
     In some embodiments, memory subsystem  204  is coupled to one or more high-capacity mass-storage devices (not shown). For example, memory subsystem  204  can be coupled to a magnetic or optical drive, a solid-state drive, or another type of mass-storage device. In these embodiments, memory subsystem  204  can be used by fixed display system  200  as fast-access storage for often-used data, while the mass-storage device is used to store less frequently used data. 
     Networking subsystem  206  includes one or more devices configured to couple to and communicate on a wired and/or wireless network (i.e., to perform network operations). For example, networking subsystem  206  can include a Bluetooth™ networking system, a cellular networking system (e.g., a 3G/4G network such as UMTS, LTE, etc.), a universal serial bus (USB) networking system, a Wi-Fi networking system, a networking system based on the standards described in IEEE 802.11, an Ethernet networking system, and/or another networking system. Networking subsystem  206  includes processors, controllers, radios/antennas, sockets/plugs, and/or other devices used for coupling to, communicating on, and handling data and events for each supported networking system. 
     Fixed display subsystem  208  includes one or more devices for outputting visual information. For example, fixed display subsystem  208  can include any type of fixed display implemented in any technology such as light emitting diode (LED), organic light emitting diode (OLED), liquid crystal display (LCD) (such as thin film transistor (TFT), cathode ray tube (CRT) and/or other types of display technology. Note that a fixed display need not be mechanically, electrically or otherwise fixed in one position, but is a display that is ordinarily not picked-up and moved (other than to adjust for viewing) while actively playing content. Examples of fixed displays include, but are not limited to, a flat screen television, a desktop computer monitor, a projection television or theatre system, and display systems that are built into furniture or otherwise affixed or mounted to a wall or other fixture. 
     Additionally, fixed display subsystem  208  can include mechanisms for processing data, and/or other information for display. Fixed display subsystem  208  may also include an audio subsystem for producing sound, for example, for use in conjunction with a visual display (e.g., for the audio portion of a video being displayed on fixed display subsystem  208 ). In some embodiments, one or more memory caches and/or processing systems or other hardware modules are located in fixed display subsystem  208 . 
     Processing subsystem  202 , memory subsystem  204 , networking subsystem  206 , and fixed display subsystem  208  are coupled together using bus  210 . Bus  210  is an electrical, optical, or electro-optical connection that the subsystems can use to communicate commands and data among one another. Although only one bus  210  is shown for clarity, different embodiments can include a different number or configuration of electrical, optical, or electro-optical connections among the subsystems. 
     Although shown as separate subsystems in  FIG. 2 , in some embodiments, some or all of a given subsystem can be integrated into one or more of the other subsystems in fixed display system  200 . Although alternative embodiments can be configured in this way, for clarity we describe the subsystems separately. 
     Although we use specific subsystems to describe fixed display system  200 , in alternative embodiments, different subsystems may be present in fixed display system  200 . For example, fixed display system  200  may include one or more additional processing subsystems  202 , memory subsystems  204 , networking subsystems  206 , and/or fixed display subsystems  208 . Additionally, one or more of the subsystems may not be present in fixed display system  200 . Moreover, in some embodiments, fixed display system  200  may include one or more additional subsystems that are not shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     Additionally, in some embodiments, some or all of the subsystems in fixed display system  200  may be implemented in physically separated devices that communicate with each other using networking subsystems similar to networking subsystem  206 . For example, in some embodiments, a processing subsystem, memory subsystem and networking subsystem may be located in one device (e.g., an Apple TV device, a desktop computer, a game console, a media player, or any other device that can receive streaming content and transmit it for display on a fixed display subsystem) which is connected (e.g., by a universal serial bus (USB) cable, high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) cable, or other wired or wireless connection) to another separate display device (e.g., a flat screen television) that includes its own processing subsystem, memory subsystem, networking subsystem and a fixed display subsystem (e.g., that includes the flat screen display screen). 
     Operating System 
       FIG. 3  presents a block diagram illustrating operating system  302  in accordance with the described embodiments. In some embodiments, operating system  302  is stored (as program code) in memory subsystem  104  and executed by processing subsystem  102 . 
     Generally, operating system  302  serves as an intermediary between system hardware in portable electronic device  100  (e.g., subsystems  102 - 108 ) and applications executed by processing subsystem  102 , such as applications  304 - 306  (which can be, for example, an email application, a web browser, a game application, and a streaming content application). For example, operating system  302  can be, but is not limited to, the iOS operating system or OS X operating system, both from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.; Windows Phone from Microsoft Corporation; Android from the Open Handset Alliance; the FreeBSD operating system from The FreeBSD Foundation of Boulder, Colo.; or another operating system. Operating systems and their general functions are known in the art and hence are not described in detail. 
     To manage the transfer of packets to and from applications in portable electronic device  100  using an appropriate interface in networking subsystem  106 , operating system  302  maintains one or more network protocol stacks (not shown) that each includes a number of logical layers. For example, the operating system can maintain an Internet protocol stack, which includes the link, Internet, transport, and application layers. As another example, the operating system can maintain a protocol stack based on the OSI model, which includes the application, presentation, session, transport, network, data-link, and physical layers. At corresponding layers of the protocol stack, the operating system includes control mechanisms and data structures for performing the functions associated with the layer. The functions associated with each of the layers in the protocol stack are known in the art and hence are not described in detail. 
     Network Environment 
       FIG. 4  presents a block diagram illustrating a network environment including a local area network (LAN) and a wide area network (WAN) in accordance with described embodiments. In network environment  400 , portable electronic device  100 , fixed display system  200  and gateway  404  communicate using LAN  402 , and gateway  404  and content stream source  408  are connected through WAN  406 . 
     LAN  402  may be any local area network implemented using any technology and any set of one or more protocols. For example, LAN  402  may include a local area network using a combination of wired and wireless infrastructure implementing Ethernet standards and wireless standards such as those found in the IEEE 802.11 standards, or any other standard or combination of standards that may be used on a LAN. 
     Gateway  404  is a gateway between LAN  402  and WAN  406 . Gateway  404  may also include a router and other functionality to support LAN  402  and its connection to WAN  406  (e.g., a modem to connect to WAN  406 ). WAN  406  may be any wide area network such as the Internet and/or a cellular network system (e.g., a 3G/4G network such as UMTS, LTE, etc.) or any combination of WANs. Content stream source  408  can be any source of content that can stream the content through WAN  406 , gateway  404  and LAN  402  to fixed display system  200  for display on fixed display subsystem  208 . Examples of content stream source  408  include but are not limited to Netflix, and iCloud from Apple Inc. For example, the content stream from content stream source  408  may first pass through WAN  406  (e.g., the Internet) to a cellular networking system (e.g., a 4G network) to a smartphone (e.g., an iPhone) which acts as gateway  404  and implements a personal hotspot (e.g., using the 802.11 standard) and transmits the content stream to fixed display system  200  (e.g., an Apple TV device connected to a flat screen TV by a USB cable). 
     Displaying Synchronized Instance of Content 
       FIG. 5  presents a flowchart illustrating a process displaying a synchronized instance of content on a portable electronic device in accordance with described embodiments. The operations shown in  FIG. 5  are performed by a portable electronic device, such as portable electronic device  100  and a fixed display system, such as fixed display system  200  operating in a network environment such as network environment  400 . The process displayed in  FIG. 5  will be discussed with reference to  FIGS. 6-12  below. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a network environment similar to network environment  400 , in which content stream  602  from content stream source  408  is transmitted through WAN  406 , gateway  404  and LAN  402  to fixed display system  200  in accordance with described embodiments. For example, a user may be watching a movie that is streaming from Netflix (content stream source  408 ) through the Internet (WAN  406 ) to a wireless residential gateway that includes a modem, router and wireless access point (gateway  404 ) to a wireless home network (LAN  402 ) to an Apple TV device connected to a flat screen TV (fixed display system  200  including fixed display subsystem  208 ). 
     The process of  FIG. 5  may begin when a user desires to leave the room in which the fixed display subsystem (e.g., the flat screen TV) is located. Using portable electronic device  100 , the user selects the content stream being displayed on fixed display system  200 . Note that portable electronic device  100  may determine which content streams are available for selection on portable electronic device  100  using a service discovery protocol. For example, each fixed display system (including fixed display system  200 ) capable of announcing the content stream it is receiving may register the content stream as available for portable electronic device  100 . In some embodiments, portable electronic device  100  may use a service discovery protocol to poll fixed display systems (including fixed display system  200 ) on LAN  402  to determine which ones have available content streams. The user then selects content stream  602 . 
     When portable electronic device  100  receives the selection of content stream  602  (step  502 ), portable electronic device  100  determines if it is compatible with the content stream (step  504 ). For example, in some embodiments, as part of the service discovery protocol, fixed display system  200  includes information about which applications and permissions are required to receive content stream  602 , and fixed display system  200  may also include information related to the content being played (e.g., a unique identifier for the content), the current progress (e.g., how much of the movie has elapsed), the current time and/or a unique identifier for content stream  602  (e.g., that allows content stream source  408  to uniquely identify content stream  602 ). 
     For example, if content stream source  408  requires a user account or other permission in order to be able to stream content (e.g., a Netflix account) and content stream  602  requires an application (e.g., application  304  in  FIG. 3  which may be a Netflix app) in order to be displayed on portable electronic device  100 , then portable electronic device  100  determines if it has all of the requirements (e.g., accounts/authorization, application). In some embodiments, if at step  502  portable electronic device  100  does not know the requirements, portable electronic device  100  may send a query to fixed display system  200  to determine the requirements (and/or additionally to retrieve information related to the content ID and current progress of the content and/or a content stream ID that identifies content stream  602 ). Portable electronic device  100  may also, if necessary, ask the user for information related to any required accounts and authorizations (e.g., determine if the user has an account, and/or ask for a username and/or password if they are not otherwise available to portable electronic device  100 ). 
     At step  504 , if portable electronic device  100  determines that it is compatible with content stream  602  (e.g., meets all of the requirements necessary to be able to request, receive and display a synchronized content stream from content stream source  408 ), then the process continues to step  506 . At step  506 , portable electronic device  100  sends a request to content stream source  408  that includes the information required to request a synchronized content stream. In some embodiments, the information may include the content ID, current progress and any required permission and requests a synchronized content stream. In some embodiments, the information may include a content stream ID that identifies content stream  602  to content stream source  408  so that a synchronized content stream can be generated.  FIG. 7  presents a block diagram illustrating a network environment depicting content stream  602  and synchronized content stream  702 , each streaming from content stream source  408  through WAN  406 , gateway  404 , and LAN  402  to portable electronic device  100 . 
     At step  508  the synchronized content stream is displayed on portable electronic device  100 . Note that in some embodiments, the initial synchronization of synchronized content stream  702  is based on the information from fixed display system  200  about the content progress of content stream  602 . Portable electronic device  100  may request the content progress from fixed display system  200  just prior to sending the request to content stream source  408 . Also, in some embodiments, portable electronic device  100  may continue to request content synchronization information from fixed display system  200  even after beginning to display synchronized content stream  702  in order to ensure that synchronized content stream  702  maintains synchronization with content stream  602  (e.g., so the two streams do not become unsynchronized by varying transmission delays or because, for example, users of fixed display system  200  pause, rewind or otherwise modify the normal stream rate of content stream  602 ). 
     In some embodiments, when fixed display system  200  is informed by portable electronic device  100  that it has requested synchronized content stream  702 , fixed display system  200  may periodically send synchronization information to portable electronic device  100  to help ensure synchronization. In some embodiments the synchronization of content stream  602  and synchronized content stream  702  may occur at content stream source  408 . For example, when portable electronic device  100  requests synchronized content stream  702  from content stream source  408 , it may inform content stream source  408  that the requested stream is a synchronized content stream and that it should maintain synchronization with content stream  602 . 
     Returning to  FIG. 5 , at step  504  if portable electronic device  100  determines that it is not compatible with content stream  602  (e.g., it does not have the necessary permission or application(s) to receive and view synchronized content stream  702  from content stream source  408 , then the process continues to step  510 . At step  510 , portable electronic device  100  requests a synchronized instance of content stream  602  based on mirroring fixed display system  200  as depicted in  FIG. 8 . 
       FIG. 8  presents a block diagram illustrating a network environment similar to network environment  400  in which content stream  602  is streaming from content stream source  408  through WAN  406 , gateway  404  and LAN  402  to fixed display system  200 . Fixed display system  200  then generates a synchronized content stream, mirrored content stream  802 , based on mirroring content stream  602 . Content stream  602  may be mirrored based on replicating the display information being used to display content stream  602  on fixed display subsystem  208 . The mirrored content stream may also be scaled by fixed display system  200  based on information (e.g., display size, display resolution, etc.) about the display (i.e., in display subsystem  108 ) on portable electronic device  100 , which may be sent as part of the request for mirrored content stream  802 . Mirrored content stream  802  is then transmitted by fixed display system  200  through LAN  402  to portable electronic device  100 . Then, at step  512 , the synchronized mirrored instance of content stream  602  is displayed on portable electronic device  100 . 
     Note that in some embodiments, as discussed above, fixed display subsystem  208  may be implemented in a physically separate device from other subsystems of fixed display system  200 . In these embodiments, fixed display subsystem  208  may be coupled to the other subsystems of fixed display system  200  using a cable or other connection (e.g., HDMI cable, USB cable, etc.), while mirrored content stream  802  may be transmitted from fixed display system  200  through LAN  402  (e.g., using an IEEE 802.11 standard) to portable electronic device  100 . For example, in some of these embodiments, fixed display system  200  may include an Apple TV device coupled to a television using an HDMI cable. The Apple TV device may be wirelessly connected to LAN  402  through a Wi-Fi networking system in its networking subsystem, and it may be connected to the television over the HDMI cable through an HDMI receptacle in the Apple TV device. When content stream  602  is received wirelessly by the Apple TV device across LAN  402 , it is converted into a format for output to the television and sent to the television over the HDMI cable. Additionally, the Apple TV device generates mirrored content stream  802  based on content stream  602  and wirelessly transmits mirrored content stream  802  using the Wi-Fi networking system across LAN  402  to portable electronic device  100 . 
       FIGS. 9-12  depict another embodiment in accordance with the process described in  FIG. 5 .  FIG. 9  presents a block diagram illustrating network environment  900  including portable electronic device  100 , fixed display system  200  and content stream source  902  all communicating on LAN  402 . 
     Content stream source  902  may be any source of content that can stream content to fixed display system  200  using LAN  402 . For example, content stream source  902  may include, but is not limited to, a network-enabled DVD player, a network-enabled game console, a network-enabled DVR, a network-enabled set-top box, a network-enabled server (e.g., a media server), a network-enabled computer (e.g., desktop, laptop, or subnotebook/netbook), or any other network-enabled device that can stream content to a fixed display system. 
       FIG. 10  presents a block diagram illustrating network environment  900  with content stream  1002  streaming from content stream source  902  through LAN  402  to fixed display system  200  in accordance with described embodiments. For example, content stream source  902  may be a media server streaming a movie (content stream  1002 ) to an Apple TV device attached to a flat screen TV (combined to comprise fixed display system  200 ). Then, when a user viewing the content stream on fixed display system  200  desires to leave the viewing area, the user selects content stream  1002  on portable electronic device  100 . As discussed above, portable electronic device  100  may be made aware of the available content streams using any desired method including a service discovery protocol. In some embodiments, the service discovery protocol may continually alert portable electronic device  100  to the available content streams, and in some embodiments, the service discovery protocol may allow portable electronic device  100  to query for available content streams. 
     When content stream  1002  is selected, portable electronic device  100  receives the selection (step  502 ). Portable electronic device  100  then determines if it is compatible with content stream  1002  and therefore can receive and display a synchronized content stream from content stream source  902  (step  504 ). If portable electronic device  100  determines that it is compatible, then it requests a synchronized instance of the content stream (step  506 ) as displayed in  FIG. 11  and displays the synchronized instance of the content stream on portable electronic device  100 . 
       FIG. 11  presents a block diagram illustrating network environment  900  depicting content stream  1002  and synchronized content stream  1102 , each streaming from content stream source  902  through LAN  402  to, respectively, fixed display system  200  and portable electronic device  100  in accordance with described embodiments. Note that, as discussed above, portable electronic device  100  may attempt to synchronize synchronized content stream  1102  with content stream  1002  even after synchronized content stream  1102  begins streaming. In some embodiments, portable electronic device  100  may periodically synchronize synchronized content stream  1102  with content stream  1002  using information received from fixed display system  200  as part of the service discovery protocol. Furthermore, in some embodiments, content stream source  902  may synchronize synchronized content stream  1102  and content stream  1002  as they are generated and streamed so that, for example, if content stream  1002  is paused or rewound, then synchronized content stream  1102  will maintain its synchronization at the source (i.e., content stream source  902 ). For example, in some embodiments, synchronized content stream  1102  may be generated by duplicating content stream  1002  in content stream source  902 . 
     If portable electronic device  100  is not compatible with content stream  1002  as streamed from content stream source  902  (step  504 ), then as discussed above, portable electronic device  100  requests a synchronized instance of streaming content based on mirroring fixed display system  200  (step  510 ). Fixed display system  200  generates the synchronized instance of content stream  1002  for display on portable electronic device  100  based on mirroring fixed display system  200 , and portable electronic device  100  displays the synchronized mirrored instance of the content stream (step  512 ).  FIG. 12  presents a block diagram illustrating network environment  900  depicting content stream  1002  streaming from content stream source  902  through LAN  402  to fixed display system  200  and synchronized mirrored content stream  1202  streaming from fixed display system  200  to portable electronic device  100  through LAN  402 . 
     The foregoing descriptions of embodiments have been presented only for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the forms disclosed. Accordingly, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. Additionally, the above disclosure is not intended to limit the embodiments. The scope of the embodiments is defined by the appended claims.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20120926
Publication Date: 20141223
Grant Date: 20141223
Priority Date: 20120926
Inventors: VAROGLU DEVRIM
DAVE SWAPNIL R.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H04N21/43076", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N21/4126", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N21/4126", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N21/43076", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N21/4333", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N21/8547", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N21/8455", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N21/8352", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N21/6587", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N21/4122", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N21/8455", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N21/6587", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N21/47202", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N21/47202", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N21/8547", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N21/4333", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N21/4122", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N21/8352", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 50340277