Comment lock for social network media streaming

• US 10,257,150 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2017
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Christopher Keith Skeene
• Original Assignee: Christopher Keith Skeene
• Inventors: Skeene, Christopher Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Clayton R
• Application Number:
  US15/626,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20180367494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to social network media streaming, and to the sharing of comments about the media content by users of the network. In particular, embodiments of the present invention provide a comment lock module that determines and assigns the locking position of a comment to a position within the media stream, e.g. at a particular time code, and restricts viewing of the comment according to its locking position. Thus, a locked comment allows unrestricted viewing access to a user only after the user watched the video past the position that the comment was locked to. The media content may be categorized and/or filtered to allow the user to focus on consuming and sharing primarily positive inspirational content. Specific embodiments provide default and selectable options for determining and assigning the locking position including automatic options by the system, and optionally interactive selectable options provided by the system'"'"'s GUI that integrates one or more user of the network into determining and assigning the locking position.

Claims

1. A system for locking social network user comments to positions in a media stream, the system comprising the following system components:

a network server configured to stream media to a plurality of client computing devices;

a client computing device which comprises a graphical user interface (GUI) configured to allow a user to communicate with the network server;

a data store configured to store user data, user comments and comment-related data;

a communications means configured to allow exchange of data between server and client computing device;

and a comment lock module configured to determine and assign a locking position to each comment;

wherein the system components are operably connected and are configured to;

providing a media stream to a plurality of users;

receive a comment from one or more user at a specific position of the media stream;

automatically tag each comment to its corresponding position within the media stream;

automatically determine and assign a locking position for each comment;

automatically generate a comment indication for users watching the media stream that indicates that a comment is tagged to a position in the media stream, the comment indication comprising a locking indication,

wherein said locking indication comprises a visual identifier that identifies the type of comment,

wherein the type of comment is selected from the group consisting of a voice comment, a text comment and a video comment,

wherein the visual identifier for each type of comment is visually distinguishable from another visual identifier for a second type of comment;

automatically determine whether the watching user'"'"'s current or past position in the media stream has passed the locking position for a comment;

automatically restrict the viewing of the comment'"'"'s content until the locking position is passed by the watching user;

automatically provide the watching user with one or more option for unrestricted viewing of the comment once the watching user has passed the locking position,

wherein the GUI comprises one or more option for a user to send a link or attached file of a media stream item or content thereof to another user, and the link or file optionally is selected from a filtered category option that comprises Love, Inspirational, Hope, Laughter, and Gratitude.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the comment lock module'"'"'s determination and assignment of the locking position comprises an automatic evaluation of the comment content, the automatic evaluation optionally comprising comparing keywords in the comment content with keyword categories in the data store.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the system further comprises an AI module, and wherein the automatic evaluation of the comment content comprises evaluation of the comment content by the AI module.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the automatic evaluation of the comment content by the AI module comprises the entry of the locking position or locking position related data by one or more individuals, the one or more individuals selected from the group comprising:

commenting user, user, group of users, group of users selected by profile characteristics, group of users with comment lock privileges, moderator, forum moderator, administrator.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the GUI is configured to provide the individual with selectable options to indicate the position that a comment should be locked to.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the GUI comprises a navigation tool configured with user-selectable options for navigating to and between comment tags and comment locking positions within the data stream.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the GUI comprises a navigation tool configured to allow a user to jump to the positions in the media stream to which a comment is tagged to or to its locking position, and upon selection of the comment, display the comment and optionally the media stream starting from the tagged position or the locking position.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the GUI comprises selectable options for a user to restrict comment notifications while consuming a media stream to one or more options, the options including no notifications, notifications from one or more selected individual user, and notifications from one or more group of users.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the content is filtered based on content categories or content similarities to content of positive categories, and wherein the positive categories one or more of Love, Inspirational, Hope, Laughter, and Gratitude.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the GUI comprises one or more option for a user to send a link or attached file of a media stream item or content thereof to another user, and the link or file optionally is selected from a filtered category option that comprises Love, Inspirational, Hope, Laughter, and Gratitude.

11. A computer-implemented method for locking social network user comments to positions in a media stream, wherein each step of the method is performed by a system of operably connected components, and wherein the system components comprise:

a network server configured to stream media to a plurality of client computing devices;

a client computing device which comprises a graphical user interface (GUI) configured to allow a user to communicate with the network server;

a data store configured to store user data, user comments and comment-related data;

a communications means configured to allow exchange of data between server and client computing device; and

a comment lock module configured to determine and assign a locking position to each comment; and

wherein the method steps comprise;

providing a media stream to a plurality of users;

receiving a comment from one or more user at a specific position of the media stream;

automatically tagging each comment to its corresponding position within the media stream;

automatically determining and assigning a locking position for each comment;

automatically generating a comment indication for users watching the media stream that indicates that a comment is tagged to a position in the media stream, the comment indication comprising a locking indication,

wherein said locking indication comprises a visual identifier that identifies the type of comment,

wherein the type of comment is selected from the group consisting of a voice comment, a text comment and a video comment,

wherein the visual identifier for each type of comment is visually distinguishable from another visual identifier for a second type of comment;

automatically determining whether the watching user'"'"'s current or past position in the media stream has passed the locking position for a comment;

automatically restricting the viewing of the comment'"'"'s content until the locking position is passed by the watching user;

automatically providing the watching user with one or more option for unrestricted viewing of the comment once the watching user has passed the locking position,

wherein the GUI comprises one or more option for a user to send a link or attached file of a media stream item or content thereof to another user, and the link or file optionally is selected from a filtered category option that comprises Love, Inspirational, Hope, Laughter, and Gratitude.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining and assigning of the locking position comprises an automatic evaluation of the comment content by the comment lock module, the automatic evaluation of the comment content optionally comprising comparing keywords in the comment content with keyword categories in the data store.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the system further comprises an AI module, and the automatic evaluation of the comment content comprises evaluation of the comment content by the AI module.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the automatic evaluation of the comment content by the AI module comprises the entry of the locking position or locking position related data by one or more individuals, the one or more individuals selected from the group comprising:

commenting user, user, group of users, group of users selected by profile characteristics, group of users with comment lock privileges, moderator, forum moderator, administrator.

15. The method of claim 14, the method further comprising the step of providing an individual with selectable options to indicate the position that a comment should be locked to by the GUI of the system.

16. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising the step of providing a user with a navigation tool configured with user-selectable options for navigating to and between comment tags and comment locking positions within the data stream.

17. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising the step of providing a navigation tool configured to allow a user to jump to the positions in the media stream to which a comment is tagged to or to its locking position, and upon selection of the comment, displaying the comment and optionally the media stream starting from the tagged position or the locking position.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the GUI comprises selectable options for a user to restrict comment notifications while consuming a media stream to one or more options, the options including no notifications, notifications from one or more individual user, and notifications from one or more group of users.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the content is filtered based on content categories or content similarities to content of positive categories, and wherein the positive categories one or more of Love, Inspirational, Hope, Laughter, and Gratitude.