US 11812091

US Patent 11812091 Information:

• Title: Multimedia player displaying operation panel depending on contents
• Assignee: Maxell Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoshihiro Machida, Nobuhiro Tsutsumi, Kouji Kamogawa
• Filing Date: July 19, 2022
• Issue Date: November 7, 2023
• Abstract: A digital content operating apparatus includes a communication unit, a user operation interface, a display, and a controller. The communication unit interacts with an external device that displays digital content. The user operation interface receives user input to control the digital content. The display shows either a linear content operation panel or an interactive content operation panel. The controller manages the user operation interface based on information about the digital content being displayed. The linear and interactive content operation panels are displayed alternatively as the user operation interface on the display.

Independent Claims Overview:

The patent contains two independent claims, Claim 1 and Claim 14, both directed to a digital content reproducing apparatus.

Independent Claim 1:
This claim describes a digital content reproducing apparatus comprising:

1. Network communication circuitry: Receives digital content and related information from an external server.
2. Decoder: Decodes the received digital content.
3. Display: For presenting content.
4. Controller: Manages the reproduction of decoded digital content and its display.
   • The controller is configured to alternatively display either a first operation panel (with linear operation buttons for reproduction functions) or a second operation panel (with interactive operation buttons for interactive functions with the server), alongside the reproduced content.
   • The "related information" includes:
     • Time-related information: Defines a period during which the digital content and interactive buttons are displayed.
     • Panel-related information: Determines whether the first (linear) or second (interactive) operation panel should be displayed.
   • The controller's logic dictates that:
     • During the time specified by the time-related information, interactive operation buttons are displayed.
     • Outside of this specified time, either linear or interactive operation buttons are displayed based on the panel-related information.

Independent Claim 14:
This claim is similar to Claim 1 but specifically targets a scenario where the external server is a video on demand (VOD) server. It describes a digital content reproducing apparatus comprising:

1. Network communication circuitry: Receives digital content and related information from a VOD server.
2. Decoder: Decodes the received digital content.
3. Display: For presenting content.
4. Controller: Manages the reproduction of decoded digital content and its display.
   • The controller is configured to display either linear operation buttons (for reproduction functions) or interactive operation buttons (for interactive functions with the VOD server), alongside the reproduced content.
   • The "related information" includes:
     • Time-related information: Defines a period during which the digital content and interactive buttons are displayed.
     • Panel-related information: Determines whether linear or interactive operation buttons should be displayed.
   • The controller's logic dictates that:
     • During the time specified by the time-related information, interactive operation buttons are displayed.
     • Outside of this specified time, either linear or interactive operation buttons are displayed based on the panel-related information.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
A search of CAFC 2026 dockets for patent number 11812091 did not return any specific results for this patent number. The search results provided general information about CAFC cases in 2026, including several intellectual property and patent infringement cases, but none explicitly mentioning US patent 11812091. Therefore, there is no authoritative information at this time to indicate active litigation concerning this specific patent in the CAFC dockets for 2026.