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U.S. Patent: 10,846,031


Patent Title

Software application for a mobile device to wirelessly manage or wirelessly setup an output system or output device for service

Meta Information

Issued Date: Nov 24, 2020
Inventor: William Ho Chang et al
External Links: UPSTO, Google Patents

Technical Fields

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Abstract

Output systems (e.g., television controllers, audio output devices, display devices) for accessing digital content from a service provided by one or more servers over the Internet are herein disclosed and enabled. To receive and play the digital content, the output system may obtain authentication information for accessing the service, receive a list of digital content that are available from the service for selection at the output system, receive output data from the service related to the selected digital content, and then play either audio data or video data, which is related to the received output data, at an output device coupled to the output system. The output system may further implement a discovery operation for a client device (e.g., smart phone or information pad), which is in the same network as the output system, to wirelessly discover the output system for providing output service to the client device.

U.S. Patent: 10,846,031

Sample Claim

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having recorded therein software that is executable at a mobile information apparatus to wirelessly set up an output system for providing output service to the mobile information apparatus, the output system includes wireless communication circuitry for wireless communication, and the output system is associated with at least an output device for output of digital content, and the output system is a separate device from the mobile information apparatus, the mobile information apparatus comprises: a touch sensitive screen interface for interacting with a user, memory for storing at least part of the software, one or more processors, and one or more wireless communication units that include one or more radio frequency link controllers for wireless communication; and wherein, when the one or more processors included in the mobile information apparatus execute at least part of the software at the mobile information apparatus, the mobile information apparatus:
(1) wirelessly discovers, using the one or more wireless communication units of the mobile information apparatus, the output system, the wireless discovery of the output system is based, at least in part, on physical proximity between the mobile information apparatus and the output system;
(2) displays, on the touch sensitive screen interface of the mobile information apparatus, a user interface item or icon related to the output system wirelessly discovered in (1) for user selection;
(3) obtains, using the touch sensitive screen interface of the mobile information apparatus and from the user, at least an indication of a selection of the user interface item or icon, related to the output system wirelessly discovered in (1) and displayed on the touch sensitive screen interface in (2);
(4) wirelessly provides, using the one or more wireless communication units of the mobile information apparatus, security information or authentication information, from the mobile information apparatus to the output system that is wirelessly discovered in (1) and selected in (3), the security information or the authentication information is to facilitate, at least in part, the mobile information apparatus to access services provided by the output system.
(5) wirelessly establishes, using the one or more wireless communication units of the mobile information apparatus, a wireless communication link between the mobile information apparatus and the output system that is wirelessly discovered in (1), the wireless communication link being a direct short range wireless communication link or a wireless local area network communication link, and the wireless establishing of the wireless communication link is based, at least in part, on the mobile information apparatus having obtained the indication of the selection of the user interface item or icon in (3); and wherein the mobile information apparatus wirelessly accesses the services, which is provided by the output system, over the wireless communication link wirelessly established in (5), based on having wirelessly provided the security information or the authentication information from the mobile information apparatus to the output system in (4).