System and method for simultaneously displaying video programming and instant messaging
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Instant messaging (IM) and TV programming are displayed simultaneously on a TV screen. An instant messaging window on the screen displays posted messages and identifies the TV program (if any) being currently viewed by each user posting messages. An icon accompanying a message can be selected by a message recipient to permit a telephone call to be automatically dialed and completed to the message sender. Video files attached to sent messages include a key which may be compared to a key at the destination, so that the video file may be viewed by the recipient only if the there is a match. Data collected at a server managing the instant messaging may be used to monitor message, television and telephone activity, as well as demographic data associated with the IM users.
80 Citations
30 Claims
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1-16. -16. (Cancelled)
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17. A method for communicating between two instant messaging (IM) users over a communications network, wherein one user is a subscriber to programming content, and wherein the one user is assigned one or more security keys in order to access the programming content, the method comprising:
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creating an IM message to be sent from the one user to a second user;
attaching a file to the IM message, the attached file comprising at least a portion of the programming content and a security key associated with the programming content;
receiving the message and attached file at the second user; and
comparing a security key at the second user with the security key in the attached file, and permitting access to the programming content only if the security key at the second user corresponds to the security key in the attached file. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A communications network, comprising:
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a communications channel for carrying communications over the internet; and
a gateway providing an interface between a user and the network, wherein the gateway includes;
an instant messaging (IM) application for permitting the user to communicate via messages transmitted over the internet to other users connected to the network, wherein such messages may include attachments; and
a decryption function for decrypting programming content in response to the presence of a security key at the gateway, the security key associated with the programming content;
wherein the gateway may attach a file to a message sent from the user to at least one of the other users on the network, the attached file including at least a portion of the programming content and the security key associated with the programming content, so that the other user receiving the message and attached file may access the programming content in the attached file only if such other user has a security key corresponding to the security key in the attached file. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A display system for use in a communications network, comprising:
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a display device; and
plural display windows at the display device, comprising a first display window for displaying video programming content and a second display window for displaying content from an instant messaging (IM) application;
wherein a user at the display system is a subscriber to video programming content for display at the display system, and such user is assigned one or more associated security keys in order to access the video programming content; and
wherein such user may send an attachment to a remote user using the IM application, the attachment comprising a video data file comprising the video programming content, and the security key associated with the video programming content so that video programming content in the video data file is displayed to the remote user only if the remote user has a security key matching the security key associated with the video programming content. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. In a communications network having a plurality of users and a user interface associated with each user, the user interface comprising:
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display means; and
gateway means for simultaneously displaying multiple content to the user at the display means, including first window means for displaying video programming content at a first display window at said display means, and second window means for simultaneously displaying content from an instant messaging (IM) application at a second window at said display means;
wherein the gateway means stores a security code associated with the video programming content and used to provide access to the video programming content; and
wherein the IM application permits an IM message having an attached file to be sent by the user at the user interface to a remote user, with the attached file comprising the video programming content and the security code, so that the remote user may access the video programming content in the attached file if the remote user has a security code corresponding the security code in the attached file.
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Specification