System and method for allowing users to engage in a "movie theater" viewing experience in a distributed environment

• US 20060271960A1
• Filed: 08/01/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Kane, Brenda, Jacoby, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US11/497,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20060271960A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/258 Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/63 Control signaling related to video distribution between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients or between remote clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing real-time session protocols H04L65/1101; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method comprises retrieving a profile of a given user, the given user having a given-user device; identifying a buddy of the given user, the buddy having a buddy device; delivering a synchronization request to the buddy device; enabling the buddy to accept or reject the synchronization request; and delivering the content item substantially simultaneously to the given-user and the buddy device if the buddy accepted the synchronization request.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

retrieving a profile of a given user, the given user having a given-user device;

identifying a buddy of the given user, the buddy having a buddy device;

delivering a synchronization request to the buddy device;

enabling the buddy to accept or reject the synchronization request; and

delivering the content item substantially simultaneously to the given-user and the buddy device if the buddy accepted the synchronization request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the buddy comprises:

identifying one or more instant messaging applications to which the given user subscribes as indicated in the profile;

identifying other users from the one or more instant messaging applications; and

enabling the given user to select one of the other users as the buddy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the buddy comprises:

retrieving one or more characteristics of the given user as indicated in the profile;

examining one or more other-user profiles to identify one or more other users with similar characteristics; and

designating another user with similar characteristics as the buddy.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the given user and the buddy to select a given content item.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the selecting includes voting.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the selecting includes giving one of the given user and the buddy control'"'"'of content item selection.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a communication channel between the given user and the buddy during at least a portion of the delivery.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the communication channel comprises an instant messaging session.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a start time for initiating the delivering of the content item.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the selecting includes selecting a clock time.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the selecting includes enabling one of the given user and the buddy to initiate the delivering of the content item.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the selecting includes selecting a count-down time.

13. A system comprising:

a content store for storing content items;

a given-user device of a given user;

an other-user device of another user; and

a content distribution server coupled to the given-user device, to the other-user device and to the content store, and operative to retrieve a profile of a given user, identify the other user as a buddy of the given user, deliver a synchronization request to the other-user device, enable the other user to accept or reject the synchronization request, retrieve a given content item from the content store, and deliver the given content item substantially simultaneously to the given-user and the other-user device if the other user accepted the synchronization request.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the content distribution server is operative to identify one or more instant messaging applications to which the given user. subscribes as indicated in the profile, and to identify one of the other users in the one or more instant messaging applications as the buddy.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the content distribution server is operative to retrieve one or more characteristics of the given user as indicated in the profile, to examine one or more other-user profiles to identify one of the other users with similar characteristics, and to designate the one other user with the similar characteristics as the buddy.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the content distribution server is operative to enable the given user and the buddy to select the given content item from the content items stored in the content store.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the content distribution server is operative to enable voting of the given user and the other user to select the given content item.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the content distribution server is operative to give one of the given user and the buddy control of content item selection.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the content distribution server is operative to provide a communication channel between the given user and the buddy during at least a portion of the delivery.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the communication channel comprises an instant messaging session.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the content distribution server is operative to enable selection of a start time for initiating the delivering of the content item.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the content distribution server is operative to enable selection of a clock time.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the content distribution server is operative to enable one of the given user and the buddy to initiate the delivering of the content item.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the content distribution server is operative to enable selection of a count-down time.

25. A content delivery system comprising:

retrieving means for retrieving a profile of a given user, the given user having a given-user device;

identifying means for identifying a buddy of the given user, the buddy having a buddy device;

first delivering means for delivering a synchronization request to the buddy device;

enabling means for enabling the buddy to accept or reject the synchronization request; and

second delivering means for delivering the content item substantially simultaneously to the given-user and the buddy device if the buddy accepted the synchronization request.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the retrieving means includes a profile component.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the identifying means includes a messaging component.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the first delivering means, the enabling means and the second delivering means each include a portion of a TV application component.