SYNCHRONOUS DELIVERY OF MEDIA CONTENT AND REAL-TIME COMMUNICATION FOR ONLINE DATING

• US 20080209075A1
• Filed: 10/23/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shamma, David A.
• Application Number:
  US11/877,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20080209075A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and system for facilitating online dating between users including real-time communication and the viewing of synchronized media objects. The method and system provide a framework for the synchronous display of images (e.g., of a photo book), web content, or time-based media objects (e.g., video or audio files) between two remote devices. The method further includes controlling the display of media objects in response to a user entered command with a first device, and causing communication of the user entered command (e.g., play, pause, skip, next, etc.) to a second device for synchronizing the display of the media objects with the first and second devices. The first and second devices may communicate via real-time communication applications, such as an IM or VoIP application, which may be displayed in a common window as the media objects.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for facilitating synchronous display of a media object between two user devices communicating within an online dating environment, the method comprising:

controlling the display of a media object in response to a user entered command with a first device; and

causing communication of the user entered command to a second device for synchronizing the display of the media object with the first and second devices, wherein the first and second devices are in communication via a real-time communication application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing the display of an interface for a real-time communication application.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing the display of a real-time communication interface and the media object within a common window on the first device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time communication application includes an instant messaging application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time communication application includes a VoIP application.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing communication of a metric associated with the user entered command and the media object.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the media object comprises a video.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the media object comprises a set of images.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the media object comprises a web page.

10. Apparatus for facilitating synchronous display of a media object with multiple devices in an online dating environment, the apparatus comprising:

control logic for controlling the display of a media object in response to a user entered command with a first device;

communication logic for causing communication of the user entered command to a second device for synchronizing the display of the media object with the first and second devices; and

logic for facilitating communication between the first and second user devices via a real-time communication application.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising logic for displaying a real-time communication interface and the media object with the first device.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the real-time communication application includes an instant messaging application.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the real-time communication application includes a VoIP application.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the media object comprises a video.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the media object comprises a set of images.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the media object comprises a web page.

17. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for facilitating synchronous display of a media object with multiple devices, the instructions for causing the performance of the method comprising:

causing the display of an interface on a first device for displaying a media object and a real-time communication application interface;

controlling the display of a media object in response to a user entered command with the first device; and

causing communication of the user entered command to a second device for synchronizing the display of the media object with the first and second devices.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising program code operable for displaying a real-time communication interface and the media object within a common window of the first device.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the real-time communication application includes an instant messaging application.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the real-time communication application includes a VoIP application.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the media object comprises a video.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the media object comprises a set of images.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the media object comprises a web page.