System and method for enhanced messaging
First Claim
1. A method of providing an enhanced experience to a communication program user comprising the steps of:
- instantiating a status indicator for a first user, said status indicator indicating media content being experienced by said first user;
associating data with the status indicator; and
providing a second user access to said status indicator and said associated data, via said communication program, so as to enable said second user to selectively experience the media content experienced by said first user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for enhancing the experience of a user using a communication program over the Internet or other network. The system and method according to one embodiment utilizes a user'"'"'s status indicator in a communication program to share content such as music or videos among users. One system and method according to the present invention allows a user to display an indicator and to set an actionable status message which indicates to other users the media content that the first user is experiencing. In another embodiment, a user is given the ability to access content that other users are listening to or viewing at that time. The system and method in an alternate embodiment broadcast metadata about the user'"'"'s content to other users and the other users are able to utilize that metadata to receive and experience the same or similar content that the first user is experiencing.
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Citations
67 Claims
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1. A method of providing an enhanced experience to a communication program user comprising the steps of:
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instantiating a status indicator for a first user, said status indicator indicating media content being experienced by said first user;
associating data with the status indicator; and
providing a second user access to said status indicator and said associated data, via said communication program, so as to enable said second user to selectively experience the media content experienced by said first user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for providing an enhanced experience to a communication program user comprising:
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a first user communication program made available by a service provider;
a second user communication program made available by said service provider;
a messaging server in communication with said first and second programs that receives data associated with a status indicator that indicates media content being experienced by a first user, which indicator is made available to said second user; and
a media server that communicates with the messaging server and selectively sends media content to a second user based on said data after said second user interacts with said indicator. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of broadcasting data associated with media being experienced by a plurality of users of a communication program, the method comprising:
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streaming items of digital content to a plurality of users of a communication program, said plurality of users comprising a first user and other users;
receiving data associated with an item of digital content being experienced by said first user; and
instantiating a status indicator representative of the data, said indicator being displayed to one or more of said other users of the communication program. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method of broadcasting a status indicator associated with media being experienced by a user, the method comprising:
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streaming digital content to a first user of a communication program;
receiving data associated with the first user'"'"'s content;
instantiating a status indicator indicative of the data associated with the first user'"'"'s content; and
broadcasting the status indicator to one or more other users of the communication program. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. An instant messaging user interface comprising:
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a list of selected users and a media player wherein the list of selected users further comprises;
a status indicator for each selected user, which status indicator is representative of media that each selected user is experiencing.
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58. A method of providing an enhanced communication experience comprising the steps of:
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providing access to a downloadable program comprising a user interface that displays a list of other users that a user of said program wishes to be associated with;
instantiating a status indicator for a first user of said program, said status indicator indicating data being experienced by said first user while utilizing said program;
displaying the status indicator to one or more other users associated with said first user; and
dynamically changing said displayed status indicator based on a change in data being experienced by the first user. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61)
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62. An instant messaging computer program operative on computer hardware capable of running said program, said program, when operated by a user, performing the steps of:
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instantiating a user interface comprising a user list portion and a media player portion;
displaying a user identifier in said user list portion identifying a second user of said messaging program using second computer hardware; and
displaying a selectable status indicator adjacent to said user identifier, said status indicator being indicative of second user media being experienced by said second user. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65)
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66. An instant messaging computer program operative on computer hardware capable of running said program, said program when operated by a user performing the steps of:
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instantiating a user interface comprising a user list portion;
displaying a user identifier in said user list portion identifying a second user of said messaging program using second computer hardware; and
displaying a selectable status indicator adjacent to said user identifier, said status indicator being indicative of a webpage being viewed by said second user on said second computer hardware. - View Dependent Claims (67)
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Specification