Associating mobile device operated by guest to media device for remotely initiating media device functionality at hospitality establishment

Abstract

A QR code is caused to be displayed on a display device. The QR code encodes therein a URL including an address of an application store website at which a software application for a hospitality establishment can be downloaded by a mobile device, an application identifier for uniquely identifying the software application from other software applications provided by the application store, and a connect code parameter for uniquely identifying a media device with which the mobile device is to be associated. When the mobile device scans the QR code prior to installation of the software application, the mobile device is directed to the URL and the application store website ignores the connect code parameter. When the mobile device scans the QR code after installation of the software application, the software application prevents redirecting the mobile device to the application store website and instead authenticates using the connect code.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for associating a mobile device operated by a guest to a media device for remotely initiating media device functionality at a hospitality establishment, the system comprising:
 a plurality of display devices;   a plurality of media devices; and   one or more computing processors;   wherein, by executing a plurality of software instructions loaded from a storage device, the one or more computing processors are configured to:
 cause a QR code to be displayed on a display device of the plurality of display devices, the QR code encoding therein a uniform resource locator (URL) including an address portion being an application store website at which a software application for use at the hospitality establishment can be downloaded by the mobile device, an application identifier parameter specifying an application identifier for uniquely identifying the software application from a plurality of other software applications provided by the application store website, and a connect code parameter specifying a connect code for uniquely identifying a media device with which the mobile device is to be associated from the plurality of media devices at the hospitality establishment; 
 receive the connect code from the mobile device, wherein, when a camera of the mobile device scans the QR code prior to installation of the software application, the mobile device is directed to the uniform resource locator (URL) to obtain the software application and the application store website ignores the connect code parameter; and, when the camera of the mobile device scans the QR code after installation of the software application, the software application prevents redirecting the mobile device to the application store website and instead attempts authentication by sending the connect code to the one or more computing processors; 
 determine the media device with which the mobile device is to be associated according to the connect code received from the mobile device; and 
 enable remote control functionality between the mobile device and the media device, whereby the mobile device can thereafter remotely initiate one or more functions of the media device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the display device on which the QR code is displayed is located within a particular guest room of the hospitality establishment and the connect code is unique to the particular guest room. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the display device on which the QR code is displayed is coupled to the media device with which the mobile device is to be associated and the connect code is unique to the media device. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more computing processors are within a control server coupled to the media devices via a first local area network installed at the hospitality establishment. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the control server is further coupled to the mobile device via a second local area network installed at the hospitality establishment. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more computing processors are within a set-top box coupled to the display device. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the media device with which the mobile device is to be associated is integrated within the display device on which the QR code is displayed. 
     
     
         8 . A control server for associating a mobile device operated by a guest to a media device for remotely initiating media device functionality at a hospitality establishment, the control server comprising:
 one or more network interfaces for coupling to a plurality of display devices, a plurality of media devices, and the mobile device;   one or more storage devices storing therein a plurality of software instructions; and   one or more processors coupled to the one or more network interfaces and the one or more storage devices;   wherein, by executing the plurality of software instructions loaded from the storage device, the one or more processors are configured to:
 cause a QR code to be displayed on a display device of the plurality of display devices, the QR code encoding therein a uniform resource locator (URL) including an address portion being an application store website at which a software application for use at the hospitality establishment can be downloaded by the mobile device, an application identifier parameter specifying an application identifier for uniquely identifying the software application from a plurality of other software applications provided by the application store website, and a connect code parameter specifying a connect code for uniquely identifying a media device with which the mobile device is to be associated from the plurality of media devices at the hospitality establishment; 
 receive the connect code from the mobile device, wherein, when a camera of the mobile device scans the QR code prior to installation of the software application, the mobile device is directed to the uniform resource locator (URL) to obtain the software application and the application store website ignores the connect code parameter; and, when the camera of the mobile device scans the QR code after installation of the software application, the software application prevents redirecting the mobile device to the application store website and instead attempts authentication by sending the connect code to the control server; 
 determine the media device with which the mobile device is to be associated according to the connect code received from the mobile device; and 
 enable remote control functionality between the mobile device and the media device, whereby the mobile device can thereafter remotely initiate one or more functions of the media device. 
   
     
     
         9 . The control server of  claim 8 , wherein the display device on which the QR code is displayed is located within a particular guest room of the hospitality establishment and the connect code is unique to the particular guest room. 
     
     
         10 . The control server of  claim 8 , wherein the display device on which the QR code is displayed is coupled to the media device with which the mobile device is to be associated and the connect code is unique to the media device. 
     
     
         11 . The control server of  claim 8 , wherein the control server is coupled to the media devices via a first local area network installed at the hospitality establishment. 
     
     
         12 . The control server of  claim 11 , wherein the control server is further coupled to the mobile device via a second local area network installed at the hospitality establishment. 
     
     
         13 . The control server of  claim 8 , wherein the media device with which the mobile device is to be associated is integrated within the display device on which the QR code is displayed. 
     
     
         14 . A method of associating a mobile device operated by a guest to a media device for remotely initiating media device functionality at a hospitality establishment, the method being performed by one or more computing processors and comprising:
 causing a QR code to be displayed on a display device of a plurality of display devices at the hospitality establishment, the QR code encoding therein a uniform resource locator (URL) including an address portion being an application store website at which a software application for use at the hospitality establishment can be downloaded by the mobile device, an application identifier parameter specifying an application identifier for uniquely identifying the software application from a plurality of other software applications provided by the application store website, and a connect code parameter specifying a connect code for uniquely identifying a media device with which the mobile device is to be associated from the plurality of media devices at the hospitality establishment;   receiving the connect code from the mobile device, wherein, when a camera of the mobile device scans the QR code prior to installation of the software application, the mobile device is directed to the uniform resource locator (URL) to obtain the software application and the application store website ignores the connect code parameter; and, when the camera of the mobile device scans the QR code after installation of the software application, the software application prevents redirecting the mobile device to the application store website and instead attempts authentication by sending the connect code to the one or more computing processors;   determining the media device with which the mobile device is to be associated according to the connect code received from the mobile device; and   enabling remote control functionality between the mobile device and the media device, whereby the mobile device can thereafter remotely initiate one or more functions of the media device.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the display device on which the QR code is displayed is located within a particular guest room of the hospitality establishment and the connect code is unique to the particular guest room. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the display device on which the QR code is displayed is coupled to the media device with which the mobile device is to be associated and the connect code is unique to the media device. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the computing server is coupled to the media devices via a first local area network installed at the hospitality establishment. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the computing server is further coupled to the mobile device via a second local area network installed at the hospitality establishment. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more computing processors are within a set-top box coupled to the display device. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the media device with which the mobile device is to be associated is integrated within the display device on which the QR code is displayed.