Google Inc.

Ramona Bobohalma

Daniel Danciu

Oliver Heckmann

Alin Sinpalean

Jasmine Kent

Yaniv Bernstein

Tom Jaspers

Andreea Chelaru

Daniel William Kaemmerer

Sana Mithani

Julien Marchand

Alexander Taboriskiy

Jasmine Langridge

The subject matter of the present disclosure can be implemented by, among other things, a remote control device configured to receive an identifier, present a plurality of controllable devices for selection on a display of the remote control device, and receive a selection of two or more controllable devices via the user interface. Using the identifier, a session with the two or more controllable devices is generated and performances of a same task by the two or more controllable devices are controlled by the remote control device by transmitting a message containing control information and the identifier to a network service.

Network-based remote control

The subject matter of the present disclosure can be implemented by, among other things, a remote control application executed by a mobile device to identify media player devices connected to a network, present the media player devices for selection in a user interface (UI), receive a selection of multiple media player devices via the UI, and receive a unique group identifier associated with the multiple media player devices from a network service. By transmitting a message containing the unique group identifier and control information to the network service, a media playback by the multiple media player devices is controlled by the remote control application.

Network-based synchronous media control on multiple playback devices

The subject matter of the present disclosure can be implemented by, among other things, a network service server system configured to receive a request from a remote control application to authorize the application to be associated with a user account, determine that the user account includes permissions for media player devices, and transmit a unique group identifier associated with multiple of the media player devices to the application. The network service server system is further configured to receive a media playback command from the application that includes the unique group identifier and control information useable by a media player device to control media playback. In response, the network service server system controls a concurrent media playback on the multiple media player devices by transmitting the control information to the multiple media player devices.

Remote control of concurrent media playback on multiple devices via centralized network services

The subject matter of the present disclosure can be implemented by, among other things, a network service server system configured to receive authorizations from a remote control application to associate media player devices that are connected to different local area networks with a user account, receive a request from the application to group multiple of the media player devices, and transmit a unique group identifier associated with the multiple media player devices to the application in response. In response to receiving a media playback command that includes the unique group identifier and control information usable by a media player device to control media playback, the network services transmits the control information to the multiple media player devices to control a media playback by the multiple media player devices.

Remote control of media playback on devices distributed across disparate networks

Mechanisms for presenting media content items using multiple devices are provided. In some embodiments, methods for presenting media content are provided that include: detecting an offer to initiate a purchase of a content item being presented using the media device, wherein the media device has not been authenticated with a content service that provides the content item; in response to detecting the offer to initiate the purchase of the content item when the media device has not been authenticated with the content service that provides the content item, causing the media device to be discoverable by one or more mobile devices that are connected to a same local area network as the media device; encoding offer data corresponding to the detected offer to initiate the purchase of the content item; in response to receiving a status request from a mobile device that is connected to the same local area network as the media device, transmitting the encoded offer data associated with the purchase of the content item to the mobile device, wherein the encoded offer data causes a payment user interface to be presented on the mobile device; receiving a cast request from the mobile device to cast the content item on the media device; and in response to the cast request, executing a receiver application on the media device that accepts the cast request from the mobile device and causes the content item to be presented using the media device.

Methods, systems, and media for presenting media content items using multiple devices

The subject matter of the present disclosure can be implemented in, among other things a computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions for causing a programmable processor to receive, by a server, a first message from a remote control that is distinct from and external to the server, wherein the first message includes a remote control identifier and control information for controlling one or more functions of at least one device other than the remote control. The instructions also cause the programmable processor to retrieve, by the server, a controlled device identifier that uniquely identifies a controlled device that is distinct from and external to the server. The instructions also cause the programmable processor to send a second message from the server to the controlled device identified by the controlled device identifier to control an operation of the controlled device.

The present disclosure describes methods and systems for an automatic device discovery. A registration request is transmitted to register a media device with a server, the registration request comprising a device identifier associated with the media device. A discovery request is caused to be issued to allow client devices previously registered with the server and connected to the first network to discover the media device, wherein the discovery request is to cause at least a subset of the client devices previously registered with the server and connected to the first network to initiate discovery of the media device without requesting permission from a user of a respective client device to initiate the discovery of the media device, wherein the at least the subset of the client devices includes two or more client devices each associated with an auto-connect status. An identifier of each of the one or more client devices that are previously registered with the server and connected to a first network and an indication of whether each of the one or more client devices has discovered the media device are received, wherein each of the plurality of client devices is associated with a registration identifier pertaining to the first network.

Reverse discovery and pairing of client devices to a media device

The present disclosure describes methods and systems for an automatic device discovery and connection protocol via a multi-device experience server. The server may register user devices and associate them with a local network. Upon receiving a request from a media device on the local network, the server may trigger a user device to automatically discover and connect to the media device, increasing speed of discovery and connections, reducing required user control and direction, and enhancing connectivity and communications between the devices, providing new channels for interaction.

A computer-implemented method for pairing multimedia devices is provided herein. The method may include operations of detecting a connection between a first-screen device and a pairing service, the first-screen device connecting to the pairing service through a local network and of generating a pairing code that is valid for a pairing session. The method may further include sending a request to a push notification server to send a push notification comprising the pairing code to a second-screen device, receiving the pairing code from the second-screen device, and associating the first-screen device and the second-screen devices as paired devices.

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Zurich, Switzerland

Ramona Bobohalma