Television service provided social networking service

• US 10,142,700 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Inventors: Garcia Navarro, Carlos
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Saintcyr, Jean Duclos
• Application Number:
  US13/834,916
• Publication Number:
  US 20140282779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,083 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82

Abstract

A social network service for use by a television service provider is disclosed. The social network service allows a subscriber to connect and interact with other subscribers based on program ratings or other criteria. The social network service may comprise correlating program ratings of different subscribers of the social network service in order to suggest possible subscribers to join a first subscriber'"'"'s social network. The social network service may allow for a subscriber or the television service provider to moderate the social network.

Claims

1. A system for providing a social networking service by a television service provider, the system comprising:

a service provider system interfacing with a network and comprising;

one or more processors; and

non-transitory storage media communicatively coupled with and readable by the one or more processors and comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

process information enabling digital identification of a first subscriber of the social networking service;

process a set of indications of program ratings of a plurality of television programs, the set of indications being received, via the network, from a first media device associated with the first subscriber and consequent to one or more selections of a first set of user-selectable options to rate the plurality of television programs provided with a television receiver of the first media device, the first set of user-selectable options output to a first display of the first media device;

receive a communication from the first media device, wherein the communication includes search parameters to be used to perform a correlation of the program ratings of the first subscriber and other program ratings of a plurality of other subscribers of the social networking service;

correlate the program ratings of the first subscriber with the other program ratings of the plurality of other subscribers using the search parameters included in the communication received from the first subscriber;

generate a candidate member list for the first subscriber based on the correlation of the program ratings and the other program ratings, the candidate member list comprising information of a subset of the plurality of other subscribers identified based on the correlation of the program ratings, and the generating the candidate member list comprising forming the information of the subset at least in part by anonymizing personal identifying information corresponding to the subset of the plurality of other subscribers so that the personal identifying information is excluded from the candidate member list and one or more pseudonyms are included in the candidate member list;

cause the candidate member list to be transmitted to the first media device associated with the first subscriber for presentation with the first display along with a second set of one or more user-selectable options corresponding to one or more pseudonyms of the candidate member list;

receive a transmission from the first media device responsive to a selection from the second set of one or more user-selectable options corresponding to the one or more pseudonyms of the candidate member list;

consequent to the transmission, cause an invite-to-join message to be transmitted to a second television receiver associated with a second subscriber from the subset of the plurality of other subscribers so that a third set of one or more user-selectable options corresponding to the invite-to-join message is displayed on a second display communicably coupled with the second television receiver to facilitate the second subscriber joining a social network associated with the first subscriber;

when the invite-to-join message is accepted via the third set of one or more user-selectable options, causing the second subscriber to be added to the social network associated with the first subscriber, and providing hosting for one or more social network service subscribers on a network member list of the first subscriber;

when the invite-to-join message is not accepted via the third set of one or more user-selectable options, not causing the second subscriber to be added to the social network associated with the first subscriber;

expose an organized list of program ratings associated with the first subscriber via an interface of the social networking service to allow editing of the organized list of program ratings associated with the first subscriber, and when, in response to the exposing of the organized list of program ratings associated with the first subscriber via the interface, a transmission is received from a second media device to edit the organized list of program ratings associated with the first subscriber, editing the organized list of program ratings associated with the first subscriber to create a second list of program ratings organized according to one or more different categories accessible via the social networking service; and

based on the second list of program ratings associated with the first subscriber, cause a second invite-to-join message to be transmitted to a communication device associated with the first subscriber and/or a third subscriber.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication received from the first subscriber includes instructions which cause the social networking service to reserve part of the non-transitory storage media for storage of a social network associated to the first subscriber, and to perform social network hosting services.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the program ratings of the first subscriber are organized according to categories selected by the first subscriber.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the search parameters used for the correlation of the program ratings of the first subscriber with the program ratings of the plurality of other subscribers include restricting the correlation to within one or more categories of the program ratings of the first subscriber.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein, responsive to the television service provider receiving an invitee member list from at least one transmitter-receiver of the first subscriber, the instructions cause an invite-to-join message to be transmitted to at least one transmitter-receiver associated with a second subscriber on the invitee member list.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein, upon reception by the television service provider of an accept message from at least one transmitter-receiver associated with the second subscriber, the instructions cause information about the second subscriber to be added to a network member list in a social network of the first subscriber and social network services pertaining to the social network of the first subscriber to be provided for the second subscriber.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein, upon reception by the television service provider of a rejection message from at least one transmitter-receiver associated with the second subscriber, the instructions cause one or more social network services not to be provided for the second subscriber.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein, upon not receiving by the television service provider a response message from at least one transmitter-receiver associated with the second subscriber, the instructions cause one or more social network services not to be provided for the second subscriber.

9. A method for providing a social networking service by a television service provider, the method comprising:

transmitting television broadcast content from a communications and operations subsystem of the television service provider to a plurality of subscriber television receivers;

receiving a communication at the communications and operations subsystem of the television service provider from a first subscriber of the social networking service, wherein the communication includes search parameters to be used to perform a correlation of program ratings of the first subscriber and a plurality of other subscribers of the social networking service;

correlating the program ratings of the first subscriber with the program ratings of the plurality of other subscribers of the social networking service using the search parameters included in the communication received from the first subscriber;

generating a candidate member list for the first subscriber, wherein the candidate member list comprises information of a subset of the plurality of other subscribers, and the subset of the plurality of other subscribers is based on the correlation of the program ratings, and the generating the candidate member list comprising forming the information of the subset at least in part by anonymizing personal identifying information corresponding to the subset of the plurality of other subscribers so that the personal identifying information is excluded from the candidate member list and one or more pseudonyms are included in the candidate member list;

transmitting the candidate member list to at least one transmitter-receiver associated with the first subscriber;

receive a transmission from the at least one transmitter-receiver responsive to a selection from one or more user-selectable options corresponding to the one or more pseudonyms of the candidate member list;

consequent to the transmission, cause an invite-to-join message to be transmitted to a second transmitter-receiver associated with a second subscriber from the subset of the plurality of other subscribers so that a set of one or more user-selectable options corresponding to the invite-to-join message is displayed on a second display communicably coupled with the second transmitter-receiver to facilitate the second subscriber joining a social network associated with the first subscriber;

when the invite-to-join message is accepted via a third set of one or more user-selectable options, cause the second subscriber to be added to the social network associated with the first subscriber, and provide hosting for one or more social network service subscribers on a network member list of the first subscriber;

when the invite-to-join message is not accepted via the third set of one or more user-selectable options, not cause the second subscriber to be added to the social network associated with the first subscriber;

expose an organized list of program ratings associated with the first subscriber via an interface of the social networking service to allow editing of the organized list of program ratings associated with the first subscriber, and when, in response to the exposing of the organized list of program ratings associated with the first subscriber via the interface, a transmission is received from a second media device to edit the organized list of program ratings associated with the first subscriber, editing the organized list of program ratings associated with the first subscriber to create a second list of program ratings organized according to one or more different categories accessible via the social networking service; and

based on the second list of program ratings associated with the first subscriber, cause a second invite-to-loin message to be transmitted to a communication device associated with the first subscriber and/or a third subscriber.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the communication received from the first subscriber includes instructions for the social networking service to reserve a part of a non-transitory storage media for storage of a social network associated to the first subscriber, and to perform social network hosting services.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the program ratings of the first subscriber are organized according to categories selected by the first subscriber.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the search parameters used for the correlation of the program ratings of the first subscriber with the program ratings of the plurality of other subscribers include restricting the correlation to within one or more categories of the program ratings of the first subscriber.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein responsive to the television service provider receiving an invitee member list from at least one transmitter-receiver of the first subscriber, transmitting by the television service provider an invite-to-join message to at least one transmitter-receiver associated with a second subscriber on the invitee member list.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein responsive to the television service provider receiving an accept message from at least one transmitter-receiver associated with the second subscriber, adding information about the second subscriber to a network member list in a social network of the first subscriber and providing social network services pertaining to the social network of the first subscriber for the second subscriber.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein upon reception by the television service provider of a rejection message from at least one transmitter-receiver associated with the second subscriber, not providing one or more social network services for the second subscriber.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein upon not receiving by the television service provider a response message from at least one transmitter-receiver associated with the second subscriber, not providing one or more social network services for the second subscriber.

17. A method, comprising:

receiving a communication from a first subscriber of a social networking service comprising search parameters to be used to perform a correlation of program ratings of the first subscriber and a plurality of other subscribers of the social networking service;

correlating the program ratings of the first subscriber with the program ratings of the plurality of other subscribers of the social networking service using the search parameters included in the communication received from the first subscriber;

generating a candidate member list for the first subscriber comprising information of a subset of the plurality of other subscribers, wherein the subset of the plurality of other subscribers is based on the correlation of the program ratings, and the generating the candidate member list comprising forming the information of the subset at least in part by anonymizing personal identifying information corresponding to the subset of the plurality of other subscribers so that the personal identifying information is excluded from the candidate member list and one or more pseudonyms are included in the candidate member list;

transmitting the candidate member list to at least one transmitter-receiver associated with the first subscriber;

receive a transmission from the at least one transmitter-receiver responsive to a selection from one or more user-selectable options corresponding to the one or more pseudonyms of the candidate member list;

consequent to the transmission, cause an invite-to-join message to be transmitted to a second transmitter-receiver associated with a second subscriber from the subset of the plurality of other subscribers so that a set of one or more user-selectable options corresponding to the invite-to-join message is displayed on a second display communicably coupled with the second transmitter-receiver to facilitate the second subscriber joining a social network associated with the first subscriber;

when the invite-to-join message is accepted via a third set of one or more user-selectable options, cause the second subscriber to be added to the social network associated with the first subscriber, and provide hosting for one or more social network service subscribers on a network member list of the first subscriber;

when the invite-to-join message is not accepted via the third set of one or more user-selectable options, not cause the second subscriber to be added to the social network associated with the first subscriber;

expose an organized list of program ratings associated with the first subscriber via an interface of the social networking service to allow editing of the organized list of program ratings associated with the first subscriber, and when, in response to the exposing of the organized list of program ratings associated with the first subscriber via the interface, a transmission is received from a second media device to edit the organized list of program ratings associated with the first subscriber, editing the organized list of program ratings associated with the first subscriber to create a second list of program ratings organized according to one or more different categories accessible via the social networking service; and

based on the second list of program ratings associated with the first subscriber, cause a second invite-to-loin message to be transmitted to a communication device associated with the first subscriber and/or a third subscriber.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

reserving part of a non-transitory storage media for storage of a social network associated to the first subscriber; and

performing social network hosting services.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

responsive to a television service provider receiving an invitee member list from at least one transmitter-receiver of the first subscriber, causing an invite-to-join message to be transmitted to at least one transmitter-receiver associated with a second subscriber on the invitee member list.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

upon reception by the television service provider of an accept message from the at least one transmitter-receiver associated with the second subscriber, causing the information about the second subscriber to be added to a network member list in the social network of the first subscriber and social networking services pertaining to the social network of the first subscriber to be provided to the second subscriber.