Second screen methods and arrangements

摘要

The present technology concerns cell phones and similar devices, and their use in conjunction with media content (electronic and physical) and other systems (e.g., televisions, digital video recorders, and electronic program directories). Some aspects of the technology particularly concern “second screen” applications that sense a television program being watched by a user, and present menus of complementary content on the phone touchscreen from which the user can select. This complementary content can include other video content, associated web pages, opportunities to buy merchandise related to the program, etc. This complementary content can be identified by a provider of the television program, or can be identified otherwise (e.g., by crowd-sourcing). In some embodiments, the phone instructs a remote DVR to record content of interest for later viewing. The technology also provides features for making TV watching a social experience—involving remote friends. A great number of other arrangements and details are also disclosed.

主权项

1. A method comprising the acts:
transforming data sampled from an audio-visual program content of a first type, rendered by a first device to a user, by a watermark extraction process executing on a hardware processor, to yield watermark payload data, said watermark extraction process including the acts:
discerning a watermark calibration signal in the sampled data;adjusting the sampled data in accordance with the discerned watermark calibration signal;extracting a series of raw bits by demodulating the adjusted sample data with a carrier signal, said raw bits redundantly encoding a watermark payload; anddecoding the watermark payload data from the extracted series of raw bits; submitting said watermark payload data to a database and, in response, obtaining metadata about said audio-visual program content; using said metadata, identifying plural alternative sources for audio-visual program content of said first type; selecting between said identified plural alternative sources based on stored rule data; and arranging for user viewing of the audio-visual program content of said first type, from said selected source.