Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120311723 | Physical Confirmation For Network-Provided Content - A computer-implemented method includes receiving, from a remote communication device and at a server system, information that indicates a unique identifier for a physical item that corresponds to media content, the identifier differing from identifiers for other physical items that correspond to the same content; associating the received information with an account of a first user of a hosted internet service; and subsequently providing, by the hosted internet service, content that matches the content that corresponds to the physical item, based on a determination that the received information authorizes the first user to obtain the content provided by the hosted internet service. | 12-06-2012 |
20130107129 | Dual Mode Proximity Sensor | 05-02-2013 |
20130276028 | Dual Mode Proximity Sensor - A computer-implemented method for controlling an electronic device including receiving a signal through a light sensor of the device, identifying with a processor of the device whether the received signal originated from a light emitter of the device, and controlling a function of the device, the function selected based on whether the signal is identified as originating from the light emitter of the device or the light emitter separate from the device. | 10-17-2013 |
20130347117 | AUTOMATED ACCOUNTS FOR MEDIA PLAYBACK - Content stored on a server may be selected using a user device and enabled on a central device. The identity of the central device may be authenticated without transmitting user credentials corresponding to the user, user device, user account, etc. A central device identifier can be sent to the server via the user device. An encrypted version of the central device identifier may be returned to the user device and to the central device. The central device can send the encrypted and unencrypted version of the identifier to the server, and the server can transmit the desired content to the remote device based on a comparison of the encrypted and unencrypted identifier. | 12-26-2013 |
20140075075 | Context-Dependent Home Automation Controller and Docking Station - A computer-implemented system includes a dock detector on a mobile computing device arranged to identify a type of docking station to which the device has been physically coupled, the identified docking station type selected from a plurality of docking station types, including a type associated with a light switch. The system also includes a repository of electronically stored user interface profiles that specify different schemes for presentations of information, where each profile corresponds to a type of docking station. The system further includes a user interface selector that is programmed to select, in response to the dock detector determining that the device has been mounted to a docking station of a type associated with a light switch, a first user interface profile from the repository that causes the device to be responsive to input to alter an illumination state of a lighting element associated with the light switch. | 03-13-2014 |
20140112484 | Automatic Detection of Loudspeaker Characteristics - Disclosed is subject matter that proposes a system and method for a media device to automatically detect the characteristics of an attached speaker. Speakers have many different characteristics, for example, power, impedance, frequency response, etc. With knowledge of the speaker characteristics, audio output can be equalized appropriately, and an amplifier of the media device, for example, can prevent exceeding the maximum power handling capability of the speaker. Described is a device and method for retrieving information about the speaker from a memory that is coupled to the speaker. A media device can read the data from the memory over existing speaker wires. Software and/or hardware in the media device can optimize the output to the attached speaker. Accordingly, the media device can interrogate the speaker directly over speaker wire to obtain the characteristics of the speaker. | 04-24-2014 |
20140366102 | AUTOMATED ACCOUNTS FOR MEDIA PLAYBACK - Content stored on a server may be selected using a user device and enabled on a central device. The identity of the central device may be authenticated without transmitting user credentials corresponding to the user, user device, user account, etc. A central device identifier can be sent to the server via the user device. An encrypted version of the central device identifier may be returned to the user device and to the central device. The central device can send the encrypted and unencrypted version of the identifier to the server, and the server can transmit the desired content to the remote device based on a comparison of the encrypted and unencrypted identifier. | 12-11-2014 |
20150027057 | Door State Sensor - Doors such as garage doors can be automated by pushing commands to a removable device attached to the garage door. The state of the door (e.g. whether the door is open or closed) may be obtained from a position sensor located within a removable device. An implementation may indicate, over a wireless network, the state of the door to a user. The user may send a command to a wireless transmitter located within the device to change the state of the door. An implementation may also send a signal to the door to change the state of the door. | 01-29-2015 |