Synchronous delivery of media content in a collaborative environment

• US 10,333,999 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2015
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Match Group, LLC (Match Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Match Group, LLC (Match Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shamma, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Bryan
• Application Number:
  US14/966,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20160099987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40

Abstract

An apparatus and method for facilitating a synchronous display of a time-based media object (e.g., a video or audio file) with a remote device is provided. In one example, the apparatus comprises control logic for controlling the display of a media object in response to a user entered command with a first device, and communication logic for causing communication of the user entered command (e.g., play, pause, skip, etc.) and a metric (e.g., time or frame reference) associated with the media object to a second device for synchronizing the display of the media object with the first and second devices. The first and second devices may communicate via peer-to-peer communications, for example, in a collaborative or social application such as an IM application. Further, the apparatus may include various devices such as a personal computer, mobile phone device and/or mobile personal entertainment device, DVR, or the like.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

control logic that, when executed by at least one processor associated with the apparatus, generates an estimate of a communication time between a first device and a second device and delays control of a display of a media object based on a command received at the first device via an Instant Messaging application, wherein an amount of time by which the control logic delays the control of the display of the media object on the first device is based on the estimate of the communication time between the first device and the second device;

communication logic that, when executed by the at least one processor associated with the apparatus, causes communication of the command and a destination time associated with the media object to the second device; and

wherein the control logic synchronizes the display of the media object with the first device and the second device by causing the first device and the second device to advance the media object by different time values to reach the destination time.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control logic delaying the control of the display of the media object comprises the control logic executing the command only after the amount of time has lapsed.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the amount of time is equal to the estimate of the communication time.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication logic, when executed by the at least one processor, further transmits a ping to the second device and receives a response to the ping, and the control logic, when executed by the at least one processor, further generates the estimate of the communication time based on a difference between a first time at which the ping was transmitted and a second time at which the response was transmitted.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control logic causing the first device and the second device to advance the media object by different time values to reach the destination time comprises the control logic advancing, on the apparatus, the media object by a first time value to reach the destination time, and causing, on the second device, the media object to advance by a second time value to reach the destination time.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication logic transmits the command via a communication channel of a collaborative application.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication logic transmits the command via a communication channel of the Instant Messaging application.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a Digital Video Recorder.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication logic is further for receiving another command and a metric from the second device, wherein the control logic further controls the display of the media object with the first device based on the another command and the metric.

10. A method comprising:

receiving a command at a first device via an Instant Messaging application, the first device comprising a display, and the command being operable to control a media object on the display;

generating, by the first device, an estimate of a communication time between the first device and a second device;

delaying, by the first device, control of the media object on the display, wherein an amount of time by which the control of the media object on the display is delayed is based on the estimate of the communication time between the first device and the second device;

transmitting, by the first device, the command and a destination time associated with the media object to the second device; and

synchronizing the media object on the display of the first device with the second device by causing the first device and the second device to advance the media object by different time values to reach the destination time.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the delaying the control of the media object on the display comprises executing, by the first device, the command only after the amount of time has lapsed.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the amount of time is equal to the estimate of the communication time.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting, by the first device, a ping to the second device;

receiving, by the first device, a response to the ping; and

generating, by the first device, the estimate of the communication time based on a time difference between a first time at which the ping was transmitted and a second time at which the response was transmitted.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the causing the first device and the second device to advance the media object by different time values to reach the destination time comprises:

advancing, on the first device, the media object by a first time value to reach the destination time, and causing, on the second device, the media object to advance by a second time value to reach the destination time.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the command is transmitted via a communication channel of a collaborative application.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the command is transmitted via a communication channel of the Instant Messaging application.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the first device and the second device is a Digital Video Recorder.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, by the first device, another command and a metric from the second device; and

controlling, by the first device, the media object on the display based on the another command and the metric.