Method and apparatus for controlling an experiential data stream in a social space

• US 20060112325A1
• Filed: 11/23/2004
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 6, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Smetters, Diana K., Moore, Robert J., Ducheneaut, Nicolas B., Nickell, Eric S., Thornton, James D., Bobrow, Daniel G., Edwards, W. Keith
• Granted Patent: US 7,873,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1831 Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation

Abstract

Apparatus, methods, and program products that enable an audience member of a local device to navigate, by activation of user selectable controls, through an experiential data stream presented on the local device.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a local device comprising:

detecting activation of a social-space related user selectable control;

communicating, responsive to said social-space related user selectable control, a command request to an internal control handler of said local device;

wherein said internal control handler causes said local device to perform an operation responsive to said command request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said operation is selected from one or more of the group consisting of a synchronization operation, a shared social space non-movement operation, a tracking operation, and a present status operation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said operation comprises:

monitoring a first playback position in a time dimension of an experiential data stream on a local device for at least one local audience member;

periodically receiving a second playback position related to said experiential data stream over a control link;

synchronizing said first playback position with said second playback position; and

presenting said experiential data stream responsive to the step of synchronizing.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of synchronizing operates as a context-displayed synchronization, a jump synchronization, or a social-context synchronization.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of synchronizing further comprises:

detecting proximity between said first playback position and an audio trigger position of a commentary audio clip; and

presenting said commentary audio clip.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of synchronizing further comprises tracking said second playback position whereby substantial alignment between said first playback position and said second playback position is maintained.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said operation comprises:

establishing a control link between a remote device and said local device; and

establishing a human communication channel between at least one local audience member and at least one remote audience member.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said operation produces an effect related to a commentary audio clip.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said operation produces an effect related to replacement/additional content.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said operation produces a corresponding effect on both said local device and a remote device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said operation causes the presentation of status information related to a shared social space, said local device, one or more commentary audio clips, or a human communication channel,

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of communicating uses a serial data bus, a parallel data bus, a network, a wireless signal, a wired signal, or a web interface.

13. A computer program product for controlling a local device comprising:

a computer-usable data carrier storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause said computer to perform a method comprising;

detecting activation of a social-space related user selectable control;

communicating, responsive to said social-space related user selectable control, a command request to an internal control handler of said local device;

wherein said internal control handler causes said local device to perform an operation responsive to said command request.

14. The product of claim 13, wherein said operation is selected from one or more of the group consisting of a synchronization operation, a shared social space non-movement operation, a tracking operation, and a present status operation.

15. The product of claim 13, wherein said operation comprises:

monitoring a first playback position in a time dimension of an experiential data stream on a local device for at least one local audience member;

periodically receiving a second playback position related to said experiential data stream over a control link;

synchronizing said first playback position with said second playback position; and

presenting said experiential data stream responsive to the step of synchronizing.

16. The product of claim 15, wherein the step of synchronizing operates as a context-displayed synchronization, a jump synchronization, or a social-context synchronization.

17. The product of claim 15, wherein the step of synchronizing further comprises:

detecting proximity between said first playback position and an audio trigger position of a commentary audio clip; and

presenting said commentary audio clip.

18. The product of claim 15, wherein the step of synchronizing further comprises tracking said second playback position whereby substantial alignment between said first playback position and said second playback position is maintained.

19. The product of claim 13, wherein said operation comprises:

establishing a control link between a remote device and said local device; and

establishing a human communication channel between at least one local audience member and at least one remote audience member.

20. The product of claim 13, wherein said operation produces an effect related to a commentary audio clip.

21. The product of claim 13, wherein said operation produces an effect related to replacement/additional content.

22. The product of claim 13, wherein said operation produces a corresponding effect on both said local device and a remote device.

23. The product of claim 13, wherein said operation causes the presentation of status information related to a shared social space, said local device, one or more commentary audio clips, or a human communication channel,

24. The product of claim 13, wherein the step of communicating uses a serial data bus, a parallel data bus, a network, a wireless signal, a wired signal, or a web interface.

25. An apparatus for controlling a local device comprising:

a social-space related user selectable control;

a communication mechanism configured to communicate, responsive to the social-space related user selectable control, a command request to an internal control handler of said local device;

wherein said internal control handler causes said local device to perform an operation responsive to said command request.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said operation is selected from one or more of the group consisting of a synchronization operation, a shared social space non-movement operation, a tracking operation, and a present status operation.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the synchronization operation is a context-displayed synchronization, a jump synchronization, or a social-context synchronization.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the synchronization operation detects a proximity between said first playback position and an audio trigger position of a commentary audio clip and presents said commentary audio clip.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the tracking operation tracks a second playback position whereby maintaining substantial alignment between said first playback position and said second playback position.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said operation further comprises:

establishing a control link between a remote device and said local device; and

establishing a human communication channel between at least one local audience member and at least one remote audience member.

31. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said operation produces an effect related to a commentary audio clip.

32. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said operation produces an effect related to replacement/additional content.

33. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said operation produces a corresponding effect on both said local device and a remote device.

34. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said operation causes the presentation of status information related to a shared social space, said local device, one or more commentary audio clips, or a human communication channel,

35. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the communication mechanism uses a serial data bus, a parallel data bus, a network, a wireless signal, a wired signal, or a web interface.