METHOD AND SYSTEM OF PROVIDING A VIRTUAL COMMUNITY FOR PARTICIPATION IN A REMOTE EVENT

• US 20080158373A1
• Filed: 12/27/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Services Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Chu, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,656,440 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/211.14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2542 for selling goods, e.g. TV shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• 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 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/816 involving special video data, e.g 3D video
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An approach is provided for establishing a virtual community for remotely participating in an event. A remote camera set is controlled by a user equipment to view an event from a plurality of viewing perspectives. A virtual community is built to share viewing of the event by multiple participants.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

controlling a remote camera to view an event from a plurality of viewing perspectives; and

participating in a virtual community to share viewing of the event.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

communicating with an online ticket box office to purchase a ticket for the event, wherein the ticket corresponds to a set of digital certificates and maps to the remote camera.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a new ticket for the event by revoking the set of digital certificates, wherein the new ticket maps to another remote camera.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

establishing the virtual community by requesting, over a broadband data network, another user to join the user in viewing the event.

5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising:

establishing a communication session over the data network with the other user during the event.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the remote camera is configured to generate a video feed of the event the method further comprising:

receiving the video feed at a set-top box.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

selecting an audio input among a plurality of audio inputs including a feed from a microphone coupled to the camera.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the remote camera is among a plurality of cameras installed within an arena hosting the event.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the remote camera is controlled indirectly.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein members of the virtual community can exchange respective views of the event.

11. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

establishing common reference to a geological location by projecting a virtual grid over a view field, the virtual grid being independent of the viewing perspectives.

12. A computer-readable storage medium configured to store instructions to execute the method of claim 1.

13. A system comprising:

a control console configured to control a remote camera to view an event from a plurality of viewing perspectives,

wherein the control console is further configured to participate in a virtual community to share viewing of the event.

14. A system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a graphical user interface (GUI) configured to communicate with an online ticket box office to purchase a ticket for the event, wherein the ticket corresponds to a set of digital certificates and maps to the remote camera.

15. A system according to claim 13, wherein the virtual community is established by requesting, over a broadband data network, another user to join the user in viewing the event.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein the control console is further configured to establish a communication session over the data network with the other user during the event.

17. A system according to claim 13, wherein the remote camera is configured to generate a video feed of the event, the system further comprising:

a set-top box configured to receive the video feed.

18. A system according to claim 13, wherein the control console is further configured to select an audio input among a plurality of audio inputs including a feed from a microphone coupled to the camera.

19. A system according to claim 13, wherein the remote camera is among a plurality of cameras installed within an arena hosting the event.

20. A system according to claim 19, wherein the remote camera is controlled indirectly.

21. A system according to claim 13, wherein members of the virtual community can exchange respective views of the event.

22. A method comprising:

receiving a control signal from a user equipment to control a remote camera for viewing an event from a plurality of viewing perspectives as specified by the control signal; and

communicating with a user via the user equipment to build a virtual community for sharing viewing of the event.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein the user equipment is configured to communicate with an online ticket box office to purchase a ticket for the event, wherein the ticket maps to the remote camera.

24. A method according to claim 22, further comprising:

requesting another user over a broadband data network to join the virtual community for viewing of the event,

wherein members of the virtual community can communicate with other ones of the members over the data network during the event.

25. A method according to claim 22, wherein the remote camera is configured to generate a video feed of the event, the method further comprising:

receiving the video feed;

forwarding the video feed to a set-top box within the user equipment; and

transmitting an audio feed from a microphone coupled to the camera, wherein the audio feed is among a plurality of audio feeds that are selectable by the user.

26. A system comprising:

a control module configured to receive a control signal from a user equipment to control a remote camera for viewing an event from a plurality of viewing perspectives as specified by the control signal; and

a virtual community module coupled to the control module and configured to communicate with a user via the user equipment to build a virtual community for sharing viewing of the event.

27. A system according to claim 26, wherein the user equipment is configured to communicate with an online ticket box office to purchase a ticket for the event, wherein the ticket maps to the remote camera.

28. A system according to claim 26, wherein the virtual community module is further configured to request another user over a broadband data network to join the virtual community for viewing of the event, wherein members of the virtual community can communicate with other ones of the members over the data network during the event.

29. A system according to claim 26, wherein the virtual community module is further configured to request another user over a broadband data network to join the virtual community for viewing of the event, wherein members of the virtual community can communicate with other ones of the members over the data network during the event, and referencing a geological location over the viewing field through a common reference virtual grid independent of viewing perspective

30. A system according to claim 26, wherein the remote camera is configured to generate a video feed of the event, the system further comprising:

a video streaming module configured to receive the video feed, and to forward the video feed to a set-top box within the user equipment, wherein the video streaming module is further configured to transmit an audio feed from a microphone coupled to the camera, the audio feed being among a plurality of audio feeds that are selectable by the user.