Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Wyatt Douglas Jackson

Neil Warren Black

John Darren Elliott

Alain Philippe Maillot

Hansen Liou

Kathleen Patricia Mulcahy

Shiraz Jitendra Cupala

Joshua C Zana

Zhangwei Xu

Anthony Vincent Discolo

Michael T Wasson

Baber M Shaikh

Peter J Turcan

Alain P Maillot

Embodiments of the invention provide a companion application that allows users to discover secondary content that supplements primary content that the user is enjoying and to run the secondary content within the application. Examples of primary content include, games, television shows, movies, and music. In one embodiment, a companion application runs on both the primary device, which is the device generating the primary content, and on the companion device. The companion application helps the user discover available secondary content. In addition to discovering secondary content that may be relevant to the user, the companion application includes an application-run environment in which secondary content applications may run.

Media-aware interface

Various embodiments, methods, and systems for communicating via a generic companion-messaging session are provided. The generic companion-messaging session includes a base platform running a base platform application and a companion platform running a companion platform application. An initialization message that automatically pairs the companion platform application and the base platform application is sent from the companion platform to the base platform for a generic companion-messaging session. The companion platform is connected to an encrypted communication channel for the generic companion-messaging session with the base platform. The encrypted communication channel supports bidirectional communication over a plurality of connections. A connection from the plurality of connections is determined for routing a message. The message is routed via a direct connection when the direct connection with the base platform is determined and the message is routed via an indirect connection when the indirect connection with the base platform is determined.

Generic companion-messaging between media platforms

A graphical user interface for use with a computer system including a display and a user selection device for selecting audio files, video files, and image files. A layout engine responds to a format file referenced to the selected audio files, the selected video files and the selected image files. A rendering engine generates journal display data defining a 3D journal image in accordance with the format file, the journal display data being provided to the display and corresponding to a 3D model. A bookshelf engine manages multiple 3D journal images.

Journal display having three dimensional appearance

Growing community of inventors

Bothell, WA, United States of America

Wyatt Douglas Jackson