Interactive Media Display Across Devices

• US 20080276279A1
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Baluja, Shumeet, Seth, Rohan, Gossweiler, Richard C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,966,638 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44226 on social networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8193 dedicated tools, e.g. video decoder software or IPMP tool
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 : by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes identifying a computer-based portable program module, automatically altering code in the portable program module to permit display of the module on a television-based display so that the displayed module has a substantially similar appearance on the television-based display as on a computer display, and providing the altered code for execution on a processor connected to a television-based display.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of sharing media content, comprising:

receiving, from a viewer of a television, a command for display of a friend list;

displaying indicators for a plurality of friends associated with a user, and receiving a selection of one or more friends from the plurality of friends; and

causing an indicator of a media program playing on the television to be sent to accounts associated with the one or more friends.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicators for a plurality of friends each comprise a name of a friend and an image associated with the friend.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising contacting a social networking site to obtain information identifying the plurality of friends.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator of a media program comprises a URL pointing to the a file of the program.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically generating a message to a mobile device associated with the viewer, obtaining a text-based response to the message, and sending information from the response to accounts associated with the one or more friends, along with the indicator of the media program.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a plurality of programs recommended by friends of the viewer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the programs are displayed as icons in shelves organized by friends.

8. A computer-implemented method of obtaining media content, comprising:

receiving, from a viewer of a television, a command for display of recommended media content;

identifying one or more friends associated with a user of a system and displaying representations of content recommended by the one or more friends; and

causing media content recommended by the one or more friends to be displayed on the television.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying indicators for a plurality of friends associated with a user and receiving a selection of one or more friends from the plurality of friends, and displaying representations of content recommended only by the selected friends.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the representations of content recommended by the one or more friends are displayed in one or more shelves.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the representations of content recommended by the one or more friends are displayed in a single shelf, and other recommendation are displayed in one or more other shelves.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein causing the media content to be displayed includes causing bumper content to be displayed between adjacent pieces of media content.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the bumper content comprises previews of following media files.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving a skip input from a user while bumper content is being displayed, and in response, causing a media file associated with the bumper content to be skipped.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the bumper content comprises advertisements.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein causing media content to be displayed comprises accessing streaming media over the internet and providing the streaming media for display on the television.

17. A computer-implemented method of sharing network-accessible media content, comprising:

displaying in a media sharing application one or more objects illustrating acquaintances of a user or groups associated with the user;

receiving from a first user a selection placing a media program on one of the objects associated with a second user or a group of users; and

providing information about the pointer to a central media repository for indicating a recommendation of the media program by the first user to the second user or the group of users.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying, in response to a selection of one of the objects by the first user, a list of media programs recommended by the first user to a user or group of users corresponding to the object, or by the user or group of users corresponding to the object to the first user.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising automatically uploading the media program to the central media repository if the media programmed is determined not to be available to the second user or group of users.

20. A computer-implemented media recommendation system, comprising:

a computing device-related client operating a media sharing application that displays a list of friends, groups, or devices, and permits a user to drop media program indicators on the friends, groups, or devices to recommend the programs;

a media programming repository storing information from the media sharing application that indicates media programs that have been recommended by users to other users; and

a television-related client device programmed to receive from the media programming repository programs or pointers to programs that have been recommended by one or more users.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the television-related client device and the media programming repository cooperate to automatically download media programs recommended to the television-related client device by a user corresponding to the television-related client device.