Exchange of content consumption-related information between networked devices

• US 10,135,902 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rothschild, Keith Alan, Karach, Slavisha, Raza, Muhammad Asif
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Dhairya A
• Application Number:
  US13/843,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20140280762A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,076 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

Content information networks may be provided that may each include a plurality of content consumption devices. One or more of the content consumption devices within a content information network may be capable of serving as a content consumption hub device that coordinates the receipt and dissemination of content consumption event information pertaining to content consumption events from and to various content consumption devices within the content information network. The content consumption hub device may further communicate, to various content consumption devices within its network, content-related information relating to content consumed on content consumption devices within its network and/or devices outside of its network. The content consumption hub device may be configured to receive content-related information from one or more content information hubs. The content consumption hub device may also receive content consumption event information from a content consumption platform.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a content consumption hub device comprising one or more processors, from a content consumption device content consumption event information, the content consumption event information comprising;

one or more characteristics of a content consumption event associated with the content consumption device wherein the one or more characteristics comprises event classification information identifying a type or classification of a content consumption device action associated with the content consumption event, and

one or more temporal content location identifiers identifying one or more portions of content associated with the content consumption event;

determining that the content consumption hub device and the content consumption device are associated with a first content information network of a partial virtual mesh network of devices, the partial virtual mesh network comprising the first content information network and a second content information network;

designating the content consumption device to serve as a back-up content consumption hub device based at least in part on a connection quality between the content consumption hub device and one or more content information hubs degrading below a threshold level;

communicating, by the content consumption hub device to the one or more content information hubs and based at least in part on the content consumption event information, a request for information associated with content identified in the content consumption event information;

receiving, by the content consumption hub device from the one or more content information hubs, the information associated with the content; and

communicating, by the content consumption hub device to the content consumption device and based at least in part on determining that the content consumption hub device and the content consumption device are associated with the first content information network, the information associated with the content, wherein at least a portion of the information associated with the content is communicated to the content consumption device based at least in part on device capabilities associated with the content consumption device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the content comprises metadata associated with the content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the content comprises a link to other content related to the content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

i) the content consumption event information is received by the content consumption hub device from the content consumption device via one or more additional content consumption devices forming at least part of the partial virtual mesh network, or

ii) the content consumption event information is communicated by the content consumption hub device to the content consumption device via the one or more additional content consumption devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the content consumption device is a first content consumption device, the content consumption event information is first content consumption event information, the content consumption event is a first content consumption event, the content identified in the first content consumption event is first content, and the information associated with the first content is first information, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the content consumption hub device from a second content consumption device, second content consumption event information identifying one or more characteristics of a second content consumption event associated with the second content consumption device;

communicating, by the content consumption hub device to the one or more content information hubs and based at least in part on the second content consumption event information, a request for second information associated with second content identified in the second content consumption event information;

receiving, by the content consumption hub device from the one or more content information hubs, the second information; and

communicating, by the content consumption hub device to the second content consumption device, the second information.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising at least one of:

communicating, by the content consumption hub device to the first content consumption device, at least one of;

i) the second content consumption event information or ii) the second information, or

communicating, by the content consumption hub device to the second content consumption device, at least one of;

i) the first content consumption event information or ii) the first information.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the second content consumption device is associated with the partial virtual mesh network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the request is a first request, and wherein the partial virtual mesh network is a first partial virtual mesh network, further comprising:

communicating, by the content consumption hub device to the one or more content information hubs, a second request for information associated with third content consumed on one or more content consumption devices associated with a second partial virtual mesh network;

receiving, by the content consumption hub device from the one or more content information hubs, the information associated with the third content; and

communicating, by the content consumption hub device to at least one of;

i) the first content consumption device or ii) the second content consumption device, the information associated with the third content.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the partial virtual mesh network comprises a plurality of communication links associated with a plurality of communication standards.

10. A content consumption hub device, comprising:

at least one memory storing computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

receive, from a content consumption device, content consumption event information, the content consumption event information comprising;

one or more characteristics of a content consumption event associated with the content consumption device wherein the one or more characteristics comprises event classification information identifying a type or classification of a content consumption device action associated with the content consumption event, and

one or more temporal content location identifiers identifying one or more portions of content associated with the content consumption event;

determine that the content consumption hub device and the content consumption device are associated with a first content information network of a partial virtual mesh network of devices, the partial virtual mesh network comprising the first content information network and a second content information network;

designate the content consumption device to serve as a back-up content consumption hub device based at least in part on a connection quality between the content consumption hub device and one or more content information hubs degrading below a threshold level;

communicate, to the one or more content information hubs and based at least in part on the content consumption event information, a request for information associated with content identified in the content consumption event information;

receive, from the one or more content information hubs, the information associated with the content; and

communicate, to the content consumption device and based at least in part on determining that the content consumption hub device and the content consumption device are associated with the first content information network, the information associated with the content, wherein at least a portion of the information associated with the content is communicated to the content consumption device based at least in part on device capabilities associated with the content consumption device.

11. The content consumption hub device of claim 10, wherein the information associated with the content comprises at least one of:

i) metadata associated with the content, or

ii) link to other content related to the content.

12. The content consumption hub device of claim 10, wherein at least one of:

i) the content consumption event information is received by the content consumption hub device from the content consumption device via one or more additional content consumption devices forming at least part of the partial virtual mesh network, or

ii) the content consumption event information is communicated by the content consumption hub device to the content consumption device via the one or more additional content consumption devices.

13. The content consumption hub device of claim 10, wherein the content consumption device is a first content consumption device, the content consumption event information is first content consumption event information, the content consumption event is a first content consumption event, the content identified in the first content consumption event is first content, and the information associated with the first content is first information, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive, from a second content consumption device, second content consumption event information identifying one or more characteristics of a second content consumption event associated with the second content consumption device;

communicate, to the one or more content information hubs and based at least in part on the second content consumption event information, a request for second information associated with second content identified in the second content consumption event information;

receive, from the one or more content information hubs, the second information; and

communicate, to the second content consumption device, the second information.

14. The content consumption hub device of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to perform at least one of:

communicate, to the first content consumption device, at least one of;

i) the second content consumption event information or ii) the second information, or

communicate, to the second content consumption device, at least one of;

i) the first content consumption event information or ii) the first information.

15. The content consumption hub device of claim 13, wherein the second content consumption device is associated with the partial virtual mesh network.

16. The content consumption hub device of claim 15, wherein the request is a first request, and wherein the partial virtual mesh network is a first partial virtual mesh network, further comprising:

communicating, by the content consumption hub device to the one or more content information hubs, a second request for information associated with third content consumed on one or more content consumption devices associated with a second partial virtual mesh network;

receiving, by the content consumption hub device from the one or more content information hubs, the information associated with the third content; and

communicating, by the content consumption hub device to at least one of;

i) the first content consumption device or ii) the second content consumption device, the information associated with the third content.

17. A method, comprising:

identifying, by a content consumption device comprising one or more processors, a content consumption event associated with the content consumption device;

generating, by the content consumption device, content consumption event information, the content event information comprising;

one or more characteristics of the content consumption event wherein the one or more characteristics comprises event classification information identifying a type or classification of a content consumption device action associated with the content consumption event, and

one or more temporal content location identifiers identifying one or more portions of content associated with the content consumption event;

communicating, by the content consumption device to a content consumption hub device, the content consumption event information;

determining the content consumption hub device and the content consumption device are associated with a first content information network of a partial virtual mesh network of devices, the partial virtual mesh network comprising the first content information network and a second content information network;

serving, by the content consumption device, as a back-up content consumption hub device based at least in part on a connection quality between the content consumption hub device and one or more content information hubs degrading below a threshold level;

receiving, by the content consumption device from the content consumption hub device and based at least in part on determining that the content consumption hub device and the content consumption device are associated with the first content information network, information associated with content identified in the content consumption event information; and

presenting, by the content consumption device, at least a portion of the information associated with the content to a user of the content consumption device, wherein the at least a portion of the information associated with the content is presented to the user of the content consumption device based at least in part on device capabilities associated with the content consumption device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein presenting at least a portion of the information associated with the content to the user comprises:

presenting, by the content consumption device, the at least a portion of the information associated with the content concurrently with a presentation of the content.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein generating the content consumption event information comprises:

generating, by the content consumption device, the content consumption event information based at least in part on one or more user settings associated with the user of the content consumption device.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the information associated with the content comprises at least one of:

i) metadata associated with the content,

ii) other content relating to the content, or

iii) an indication of content being consumed on one or more other content consumption devices.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the content consumption device is a first content consumption device, further comprising:

receiving, by the first content consumption device from the content consumption hub device, information associated with additional content consumed on a second content consumption device; and

presenting, by the content consumption device, at least a portion of the information associated with the additional content to the user of the first content consumption device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the content consumption event is a first content consumption event, the content consumption event information is first content consumption event information, and the content identified in the first content consumption event information is first content, and wherein the information associated with the additional content comprises at least one of:

i) second content consumption event information identifying one or more characteristics of a second content consumption event associated with the second content consumption device, or

ii) information associated with second content identified in the second content consumption event information.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the second content consumption device is associated with the partial virtual mesh network.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the second content consumption device forms at least part of a second partial virtual mesh network different from the partial virtual mesh network.

25. A content consumption device, comprising:

at least one memory storing computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

identify a content consumption event associated with the content consumption device;

generate content consumption event information identifying one or more characteristics of the content consumption event wherein the one or more characteristics comprises event classification information identifying a type or classification of a content consumption device action associated with the content consumption event;

generate one or more temporal content location identifiers identifying one or more portions of content associated with the content consumption event;

communicate, to a content consumption hub device, the content consumption event information;

determine that the content consumption hub device and the content consumption device are associated with a first content information network of a partial virtual mesh network of devices, the partial virtual mesh network comprising the first content information network and a second content information network;

serve, by the content consumption device, as a back-up content consumption hub device based at least in part on a connection quality between the content consumption hub device and one or more content information hubs degrading below a threshold level;

receive, from the content consumption hub device and based at least in part on determining that the content consumption hub device and the content consumption device are associated with the first content information network, information associated with content identified in the content consumption event information; and

present at least a portion of the information associated with the content to a user of the content consumption device, wherein the at least a portion of the information associated with the content is presented based at least in part on device capabilities associated with the content consumption device.

26. The content consumption device of claim 25, wherein, to present the at least a portion of the information associated with the content, the at least one processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

present the at least a portion of the information associated with the content concurrently with a presentation of the content.

27. The content consumption device of claim 25, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

generate the content consumption event information based at least in part on one or more user settings associated with the user of the content consumption device.

28. The content consumption device of claim 25, wherein the content consumption device is a first content consumption device, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive, from the content consumption hub device, information associated with additional content consumed on a second content consumption device; and

present at least a portion of the information associated with the additional content to the user of the first content consumption device.

29. The content consumption device of claim 28, wherein the content consumption event is a first content consumption event, the content consumption event information is first content consumption event information, and the content identified in the first content consumption event information is first content, and wherein the information associated with the additional content comprises at least one of:

i) second content consumption event information identifying one or more characteristics of a second content consumption event associated with the second content consumption device, or

ii) information associated with second content identified in the second content consumption event information.

30. The content consumption device of claim 28, wherein the second content consumption device is associated with the partial virtual mesh network.

31. The content consumption device of claim 28, wherein the second content consumption device forms at least part of a second partial virtual mesh network different from the partial virtual mesh network.

32. A content information network, comprising:

a plurality of content consumption devices, wherein at least one of the content consumption devices is a content consumption hub device, and wherein the content consumption hub device comprises;

at least one memory storing computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

identify content consumption event information, the content consumption event information comprising;

one or more characteristics of a content consumption event associated with a content consumption device of the plurality of content consumption devices wherein the one or more characteristics comprises event classification information identifying a type or classification of a content consumption device action associated with the content consumption event, and

one or more temporal content location identifiers identifying one or more portions of content associated with the content consumption device;

designate the content consumption device as a back-up content consumption hub device based at least in part on a connection quality between the content consumption hub device and one or more content information hubs degrading below a threshold level;

communicate, to the one or more content information hubs and based at least in part on the content consumption event information, a request for information associated with content identified in the content consumption event information;

determine that the content consumption hub device and at least one of the plurality of content consumption devices are associated with a first content information network of a partial virtual mesh network of devices, the partial virtual mesh network comprising the first content information network and a second content information network;

receive, from the one or more content information hubs and based at least in part on determining that the content consumption hub device and the at least one of the plurality of content consumption devices are associated with the first content information network, the information associated with the content; and

communicate, to one or more of the plurality of content consumption devices, the information associated with the content, wherein at least a portion of the information associated with the content is communicated to the one or more of the plurality of content consumption devices based at least in part on device capabilities associated with the one or more of the plurality of content consumption devices.