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.
148 Citations
34 Claims
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1-16. -16. (canceled)
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17. A communications network having a plurality of interconnected users, comprising:
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a user interface associated with each user, wherein the user interface is for displaying video programming content and instant messaging (IM) content, and wherein at least some of the displayed IM content relates to the displayed video programming content; and
a survey server for receiving data relating to IM content displayed by the user interface, wherein the server may be used to aggregate IM content data so that video programming activity by multiple users may be tracked at the server. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A communications network, comprising:
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a instant messaging (IM) server for use in exchanging IM content between a plurality of users connected to the communications network;
a plurality of user interface devices, each associated with one of the users and each for simultaneously displaying video programming content and instant messaging (IM) content, some of the IM content relating to the video programming content; and
a survey server for receiving data relating to IM content displayed at each user interface, wherein the server may be used to aggregate instant messaging content data from the plurality of users so that video programming activity by the users can be tracked at the survey server.
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33. In a communications network, a method for surveying users on the network, comprising:
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providing a user interface for each of the users, the user interface including a display device;
displaying video programming content and instant messaging (IM) content at the display device of each user interface, some of the IM content relating to the video programming content; and
providing a survey server for capturing and aggregating IM content displayed at the display device of each user interface, so that video programming activity of the users can be tracked at the survey server.
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34. A communications network having a plurality of interconnected users, comprising:
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user interface means associated with each user, for use in displaying video programming content and instant messaging (IM) content, wherein the IM content may relate to the video programming content; and
survey server means for receiving data relating to IM content displayed at each user interface, wherein the server may be used to aggregate instant messaging content data from the users so that video programming activity by the users can be tracked at the server.
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Specification