Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120233031 | Intelligent Delivery and Acquisition of Digital Assets - Improved techniques and systems for delivery and acquisition of digital assets are disclosed. The techniques and systems are especially suitable and useful for delivering digital assets (e.g., media assets) that are available for acquisition and electronic delivery from online stores to electronic devices. In accordance with one aspect, when a digital asset is acquired form an online store via an electronic device associated with a user, the digital asset can be arranged for delivery to a number of other of electronic devices also associated with the user. It will be appreciated that the digital asset can be delivered and acquired without requiring explicit user input or instruction in accordance with another aspect. Other aspects of the techniques and systems include customization of configuration and user interfaces that are provided to facilitate acquisition of digital assets in a more efficient manner. | 09-13-2012 |
20120310762 | Remote Storage of Acquired Data at Network-Based Data Repository - Improved techniques and systems for storage, delivery and acquisition of digital assets are disclosed. The techniques and systems are suitable and useful for storing, delivering and accessing digital assets (e.g., media assets) that have been acquired from online stores to electronic devices. The techniques and systems are also suitable and useful for storing, delivering and accessing digital assets that have been acquired from other than from online stores. The digital assets can include media assets and/or non-media assets. | 12-06-2012 |
20120310896 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR MULTI-PHASE RESTORE - Methods and apparatus to identify at least a first portion and a second portion of resources to restore to a device are described. The first portion of the resources may be restored atomically to the device before the second portion of the resources. The device may not respond to at least one user input during the restoration of the first portion of the resources. If the restoring of the first portion is successful, the second portion of the resources may be restored. The device may respond to the user input during the restoring of the second portion of the resources. | 12-06-2012 |
20120311069 | Regulated Access to Network-Based Digital Data Repository - Improved techniques and systems for storage, delivery and acquisition of digital assets are disclosed. The techniques and systems are suitable and useful for storing, delivering and accessing digital assets (e.g., media assets) that have been acquired from online stores. The techniques and systems are also suitable and useful for storing, delivering and accessing digital assets that have been acquired from other than from online stores. Regardless, the digital assets become accessible from a network-based digital data repository (e.g., cloud data storage) via electronic devices (e.g., user devices) and thus usable by the electronic devices. In one embodiment, subsequent access to the digital assets from the network-based digital data repository by electronic devices can be limited through use of a limited set of assignable slots. The digital assets can include media assets and/or non-media assets. | 12-06-2012 |
20120311080 | Management of Downloads from a Network-Based Digital Data Repository - Improved techniques and systems for storage, delivery and acquisition of digital assets stored in cloud data storage. Cloud data storage can be provided by a cloud data repository that is capable of storing digital data for various users. A given user can access cloud data storage from any of his/her authorized client devices via a network. A given client device can access not only locally stored digital assets but also remotely stored digital assets from cloud data storage. In one embodiment, downloads of digital asserts resident in cloud data storage to client devices can be managed for improved efficiency and/or performance. For example, remotely stored digital assets that have been downloaded from cloud data storage can be cached in local storage. By caching certain digital assets, performance can be improved because the digital assets, although not formally stored locally, can be available locally from cache storage. | 12-06-2012 |
20120311366 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR POWER STATE BASED BACKUP - Methods and apparatus that receive, at a wireless device, power through wire or inductive pad are described. The received power is monitored to back up data from the device to a server in a network through an OTA (over the air) wireless interface. The data is transmitted to the server to back up the data on the device. While backing up the data, whether the power has been removed from the device is determined. The backing up of the data in the device can be terminated automatically and without user request, in response to the determination that the power has been removed. | 12-06-2012 |
20120323868 | MANAGEMENT OF DOWNLOADS FROM A NETWORK-BASED DIGITAL DATA REPOSITORY BASED ON NETWORK PERFORMANCE - Improved techniques and systems for storage, delivery and acquisition of digital assets stored in cloud data storage. Cloud data storage can be provided by a cloud data repository that is capable of storing digital data for various users. A given user can access cloud data storage from any of his/her authorized client devices via a network. A given client device can access not only locally stored digital assets but also remotely stored digital assets from cloud data storage. In one embodiment, downloads of digital assets resident in cloud data storage to client devices can be managed in view of available network performance. As one example, digital assets of differing quality levels can be downloaded in a manner dependent on network performance. As another example, locally stored digital assets of reduced quality can be upgraded (e.g., replaced) by higher quality versions in a manner dependent on network performance. | 12-20-2012 |
20120323944 | MANAGEMENT OF NETWORK-BASED DIGITAL DATA REPOSITORY - Improved techniques and systems for storage, delivery and acquisition of digital assets are disclosed. The techniques and systems are suitable and useful for storing, delivering and accessing digital assets (e.g., media assets) that have been acquired from online stores. The techniques and systems are also suitable and useful for storing, delivering and accessing digital assets that have been acquired from other than from online stores. Regardless, the digital assets become accessible from a network-based digital data repository (e.g., cloud data storage) via electronic devices (e.g., user devices) and thus usable by the electronic devices. The digital assets can include media assets and/or non-media assets. | 12-20-2012 |
20130086003 | MERGING PLAYLISTS FROM MULTIPLE SOURCES - The present technology resolves playlist version conflicts resulting from modifications made to a playlist version, stored on a client device and in a cloud locker, when the client device and the cloud locker are in a disconnected state. The present technology is a heuristic for determining how to resolve such version conflicts. Upon reconnection of the client and cloud locker, the server, associated with cloud locker attempts to reconcile any version discrepancies resulting from user-initiated changes. In one embodiment, when the server determines that one of the playlists on the client or server is a superset of the other, the superset is selected and saved to both the client and cloud locker, while the subset version is deleted. | 04-04-2013 |
20130086408 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR POWER STATE BASED BACKUP - Methods and apparatus that receive, at a wireless device, power through wire or inductive pad are described. The received power is monitored to back up data from the device to a server in a network through an OTA (over the air) wireless interface. The data is transmitted to the server to back up the data on the device. While backing up the data, whether the power has been removed from the device is determined. The backing up of the data in the device can be terminated automatically and without user request, in response to the determination that the power has been removed. | 04-04-2013 |
20130124696 | APPLICATION PRODUCTS WITH IN-APPLICATION SUBSEQUENT FEATURE ACCESS USING NETWORK-BASED DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM - An improved system, device and method for accessing features of digital products with assistance from a content distribution system are disclosed. Third-party content can be submitted to and distributed by the content distribution system. In other words, the third-party content can be hosted (and distributed) by the content distribution system. A download interface can facilitate application programs operating on a client device to locally request and receive downloads from the content distribution system. Typically, a user of a client device would purchase an application program and then sometime later, using the application program, also purchase supplemental content for use with the application program. Once the supplemental content is purchased, it needs to be downloaded to the client device. Download policies are used to manage the download of supplemental content. | 05-16-2013 |
20130311871 | UTILIZING A SECONDARY APPLICATION TO RENDER INVITATIONAL CONTENT - Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for utilizing a secondary application to render invitational content. Primary content rendered by a web browser can be embedded with a command requesting that a secondary application be executed. The secondary application can be executed in a secured sand box environment and configured to render invitational content in a second window above the primary content. The secondary application can be known and trusted by the operating system to gather sensitive data used to select appropriate invitational content. Further, data can be included in the command requesting that the secondary application be executed. The invitational content can be associated with secondary views that can be rendered without affecting the primary content. The secondary application can collect data to render the secondary view, such as the exact point selected, which is used to render graphical transition effects leading to the secondary view. | 11-21-2013 |
20130325745 | Providing Feedback via a Social Network from a Media Distribution Platform - A method to provide information about media products available through a media distribution platform enables users of the media distribution platform to communicate information about media products via social network messages. Upon selection of an option by a user to communicate information about a media product via a social network message, the media distribution platform generates a pre-filled social network message that includes an identifier of the media product. In addition to allowing information about media products to be communicated via the social network, the media product identifier also enables the media distribution platform to retrieve information about a media product's popularity as indicated by the number of social network messages that include the identifier. This information can be utilized to enhance and personalize user media product recommendations through the media distribution platform. | 12-05-2013 |
20130326606 | AUTHENTICATION AND NOTIFICATION HEURISTICS - Server-side authentication of user accounts by using multiple authentication tokens and transmission of update statement to users for updates to applications installed on their devices. Prompting users that updates are available upon determining that a threshold event has occurred and if requisite network and situational conditions exist. Batching and sending notifications or requests for authentications that are required for each application update that is currently ready for download. | 12-05-2013 |
20130346478 | UNIFIED PLAYBACK POSITION - Improved techniques for interacting with media content so as to provide a unified experience of media content across different client devices in a client-server environment are disclosed. Media content may be displayed on first display of a first client device. Using a server computer, a status of the media content may be communicated from the first client device to a second client device. The media content may be displayed on a second display of the second client device, in accordance with the status of the media content from the first client device. | 12-26-2013 |
20140074663 | INTEGRATING PURCHASE HISTORY AND METADATA ACROSS DEVICES - The technology relates to synchronizing purchase information and metadata across devices. The system maintains a server listing of items purchased from an online store and associated with a user account, each item in the server listing of items being associated with a respective first hash value. Then, the system receives, from a client device, a client listing of items purchased from the online store representing a last known listing of items purchased from the online store and associated with the user account, each item in the client listing of items being associated with a respective second hash value. Next, the system determines a difference between the respective first hash value and the respective second hash value. Based on the difference, the system sends, to the client device, metadata identifying items present in the server listing of items that are not in the client listing of items. | 03-13-2014 |
20140074783 | SYNCHRONIZING METADATA ACROSS DEVICES - The technology relates to synchronizing user metadata across devices. The system maintains a collection of incremental metadata changes for a collection of media items, for each media item represented in the collection, storing a media item identifier and a value, wherein the value is an incremental user metadata change for a respective media item. Next, the system receives, from a client device, a request for a metadata sync, the request comprising a last metadata version update number indicative of a last metadata sync received by the client device. The system then sends, to the client device, a metadata update associated with a version update number subsequent to the last metadata version update number indicative of the last metadata sync received by the client device. | 03-13-2014 |
20140074959 | CLIENT SIDE MEDIA STATION GENERATION - To generate a media station, a client device can receive a candidate media item playlist and media playback rules corresponding to the media station. When a new media item is needed for the media station, the client device can apply the media playback rules to a next media item in the list of candidate media items. The playback rules can be used to determine whether the next media item is currently eligible for playback. Additionally, the client device can receive a candidate invitational content item playlist and invitational content playback rules corresponding to the media station. In response to detecting an invitational content triggering action, the client device can apply the invitational content item rules to the candidate invitational content item playlist to select at least one invitational content item to present in the media stream. | 03-13-2014 |
20140101548 | CONCURRENTLY PRESENTING INTERACTIVE INVITATIONAL CONTENT AND MEDIA ITEMS WITHIN A MEDIA STATION THROUGH THE USE OF BUMPER CONTENT - A media channel can include a mix of media items and invitational content packages. At some point during the playback of the media channel, an invitational content package can be presented. In response to detecting the occurrence of an interactive segment triggering event during the presentation of the invitational content package, an invitational content interactive segment and a next media item can be simultaneously presented. This can be accomplished by splitting the media channel into multiple streams, such as an audio stream and a visual stream, and presenting an element of the interactive segment within a first stream and an element of the media item within a second stream. To decrease the likelihood that a user may equate the invitational content with the media item, a bumper content item, such as audio that says, “now back to the music,” can be presented just prior to playback of the media item. | 04-10-2014 |
20140123005 | USER INTERFACE FOR STREAMING MEDIA STATIONS WITH VIRTUAL PLAYBACK - User interfaces for a streaming media system can replicate aspects of broadcast media systems. Icons representing streaming media stations region can be arranged in a scrollable array, and a visual indicator presented to identify the current station's icon. Some or all of the station icons can be “dynamic” icons that virtually play tracks by updating artwork and/or progress indicators even when a different station is current. Information about previously played tracks can be presented in a history region adjacent to a region presenting information about a current track, and an animated transition can move the current track's information to the history region when the current track finishes playing. | 05-01-2014 |
20140172539 | MEDIA STATION WITH CUSTOM BUMPER - Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for providing a custom bumper within a media station. A custom bumper can be created using gathered bumper creation data and a bumper template. Bumper creation data can be any data regarding the media station and can be used to populate an appropriate bumper template. The populated template is a completed custom bumper customized based on the bumper creation data. Further, rewards can be awarded to encourage desired user interactions. Upon a determination that a desired user interaction has occurred a predetermined number of times, a reward can be awarded. The reward can be making available a previously unavailable media item. Bumper creation data indicating the remaining number of times the user interaction has to be performed to achieve the reward to be awarded can be used to create a custom bumper. | 06-19-2014 |
20140266637 | BROADCAST CONTROL AND ACCRUED HISTORY OF MEDIA - Pairing a portable electronic device with a media device that is playing media, providing control to the portable device, displaying information about the media being played on the portable electronic device, and providing a link to the media asset in an online store. Discovering that a media device that is currently publically playing media, receiving a media signal encoded with metadata describing the media being played, and displaying an accrued history of various instances of media items that have been overheard during a public play session as a list of media items associated with metadata describing the media items. | 09-18-2014 |
20140282755 | MEDIA PLAYBACK ACROSS MULTIPLE DEVICES - Pausing and resuming playback of a media item across a group of devices that belong to a user. A server maintains a media queue that includes playback records that contain a unique media item identifier and a bookmark position. When a pause instruction is received on a client device, the pause instruction is transmitted to the server as a playback record. The server in turn transmits the received playback record to other client devices within a group of client devices that belong to the user account of the client device. | 09-18-2014 |
20140298414 | BROWSING REMOTE CONTENT USING A NATIVE USER INTERFACE - The disclosed technology relates to receiving media signals from a media device and rendering a user interface that is native to the device receiving the media signals based on information encoded in the media signals. The device receiving the media signal interprets information received from the media device describing media content and semantic information describing a type of interface page, and displays the content based on the semantic information in a graphical user interface (GUI) on the electronic device based on the interpretation. | 10-02-2014 |
20140317303 | APPLICATION LAUNCHING IN CONJUNCTION WITH AN ACCESSORY - An application can be launched in response to a launch request from an accessory. For example, the mobile computing device can determine whether it is in a state that allows launching of an application and/or can determine whether the application or application type requested in the launch command is available for launching. In response to the request, and if the mobile computing device is capable, the mobile computing device can launch the application. The mobile computing device can also send a positive acknowledgment message to the accessory indicating that the application may be launched. An open communication session message may also be sent to the accessory. In response thereto the accessory can open a communication session and interoperate with the application. | 10-23-2014 |
20140365895 | DEVICE AND METHOD FOR GENERATING USER INTERFACES FROM A TEMPLATE - An electronic device is configured to receive a first request to display a user interface of a first third-party application on a respective display that is in communication with the device. The device is further configured to, in response to receiving the request, obtain a first user-interface template configured to be used by a plurality of third-party applications, and request, from the first application, one or more values for populating the first template. The device is also configured to receive, from the first application, while the first application is running on the device, a first set of values for populating the first template; populate the first template with the first set of values; generate a first user interface for the first application using the first template populated with the first set of values; and send information to the respective display that enables the first user interface to be displayed. | 12-11-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120310783 | CONTEXT SENSITIVE ENTRY POINTS - Various methods for opening an online media store are disclosed. In one aspect, a media player can determine contextual data (e.g., category information, performer information, genre associated with the media, etc.) associated with the media selected or displayed by a user of the media player. The media player can provide the contextual data to an online media store. The online media store can be opened to a context sensitive entry point based on the contextual data. In some implementations, the context sensitive entry point can display content associated with the category of the media previously displayed by the media player. | 12-06-2012 |
20120311443 | DISPLAYING MENU OPTIONS FOR MEDIA ITEMS - A graphical user interface is presented on a display of a system showing a list of media item descriptions. The system can receive a first input from a user selecting a media item description from the displayed list. Responsive to receiving the first input, the system can display a menu on the user interface. The menu can include one or more icons selectable by the user. Each icon indicates an action that can be performed on a media item associated with the selected media item description. The system can receive a second input from the user selecting an icon from the one or more icons included in the menu. Responsive to receiving the second input, the system can perform the action associated with the selected icon on the selected media item. The system performs the action on the selected media item without disrupting the currently playing media item. | 12-06-2012 |
20120311500 | Graphical User Interfaces for Displaying Media Items - Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) for a digital media player application are disclosed. In one aspect, a GUI is generated that presents a “histogram view” of digital media items of a digital media source. The histogram view associates visual representations of the digital media items with a media attribute, such as associating songs with a recording artist who recorded the songs. In another aspect, a GUI is generated that presents a “stack view” including stacks of visual representations of digital media items that are associated with a media attribute, such as a playlist or artist. The stacks of visual representations can be scrubbed by a user (e.g., using a touch gesture) to select digital media items in the stack for playback. | 12-06-2012 |
20120330641 | TRANSLATING A SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATION OF A LINGUAL PHRASE INTO A REPRESENTATION IN A DIFFERENT MEDIUM - Translating a symbolic representation of a lingual phrase is disclosed. An internal representation that expresses output information in a namespace language used to name a plurality of output files is received. The internal representation is matched to one or more of said output files comprising data usable to provide a sensory perceptible output that communicates the output information in a target symbolic communication system. | 12-27-2012 |
20120330642 | TRANSLATING PHRASES FROM ONE LANGUAGE INTO ANOTHER USING AN ORDER-BASED SET OF DECLARATIVE RULES - Translating a phrase from one language into another using an order-based set of declarative rules is disclosed. Information to be communicated as sensory perceptible output is received. An ordered set of rules is applied to generate a representation that expresses the information in a manner that embodies applicable communication system rules of a target symbolic communication system in which the information is to be communicated. | 12-27-2012 |
20140142955 | Encoding Digital Media for Fast Start on Digital Media Players - Systems, methods and computer program products are disclosed for encoding digital media for fast start on digital media players. In some implementations, a set of frames at the beginning of a digital media file or stream are encoded at a first bitrate (e.g., a constant low bitrate), and subsequent frames of the digital file or stream are encoded at a second, bitrate that may be higher than the first bitrate. | 05-22-2014 |
20140176811 | Adaptive Media Content Scrubbing on a Remote Device - Systems and techniques are disclosed for controlling, from a mobile device, media content stored on the mobile device to a media client for presentation on a display device. Data can be provided from the mobile device to the media client for identifying the location of the media content and a playback time. Based on the data, the media client can obtain a portion of the media content associated with the playback time. Also, playback of the media content on the display device can be controlled by a user of the mobile device. | 06-26-2014 |
20140223423 | Automatic Updating of Applications - In some implementations, a mobile device can be configured to automatically download and install updates to applications installed on the mobile device. In some implementations, the automatic updates can be performed based on how the mobile device is connected to a network that provides access to the application updates. In some implementations, the automatic updates can be performed based on whether the mobile device has previously downloaded applications or application updates from a caching server. In some implementations, indicia can be presented on a graphical user interface of the mobile device to indicate which applications have been updated. In some implementations, an application update can be downloaded while the corresponding application is in use by the user. The application can be installed when the application is no longer being used by the user. | 08-07-2014 |
20140364056 | Controlling a Media Device Using a Mobile Device - Techniques for automatically configuring and controlling a digital media device are described. A digital media device can be configured or controlled by a mobile device, e.g., a smart mobile phone. When the digital media device is being configured, the digital media device can broadcast a signal, indicating that the digital media device is requesting configuration information from a mobile device. A mobile device located in proximity of the digital media device, upon detecting the signal, can perform various security checks to determine that the request is legitimate, and then open a communication channel with the digital media device. The mobile device can provide user preferences of the mobile device, as well as credentials for accessing and downloading remote content, to the digital media device through the communication channel. Upon receiving the configuration information, the digital media device can use parameters in the configuration information as its settings. | 12-11-2014 |