System and method of providing video content commentary

• US 20090007200A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stead, Larry, Amento, Brian, Harrison, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,230,458 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/100
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• 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 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A method of providing video content commentary is disclosed that includes sending video content to a first set-top box device at a first time, where the first set-top box device is associated with a first subscriber. The method also includes receiving data corresponding to a comment submitted by the first subscriber. The comment relates to a particular portion of the video content. Further, the method includes sending the video content to a second set-top box device at a second time, where the second set-top box device is associated with a second subscriber. The video content sent to the second set-top box device includes a graphical representation of the comment.

Claims

1. A method of providing video content commentary, the method comprising:

sending video content to a first set-top box device at a first time, the first set-top box device associated with a first subscriber;

receiving data corresponding to a comment submitted by the first subscriber, wherein the comment relates to a particular portion of the video content; and

sending the video content to a second set-top box device at a second time, the second set-top box device associated with a second subscriber;

wherein the video content sent to the second set-top box device includes a graphical representation of the comment that relates to the particular portion of the video content.

2. The method, as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving a request for the video content from the second set-top box device, and wherein the graphical representation of the comment is communicated for display together with the particular portion of the video content.

3. The method, as recited in claim 2, further comprising determining that the first subscriber is associated with a user profile of the second subscriber before sending the video content to the second set-top box device.

4. The method, as recited in claim 3, further comprising inserting the graphical representation of the comment into the video content sent to the second set-top box device in response to determining that the first subscriber is associated with the user profile of the second subscriber.

5. The method, as recited in claim 3, wherein the user profile is associated with the video content.

6. A method of providing video content commentary, the method comprising:

sending data associated with a user profile of a first subscriber from a first set-top box device to a server, the user profile including an identification of a second subscriber associated with a second set-top box device;

receiving a video content selection from the first subscriber at the first set-top box device;

sending a request for the selected video content from the first set-top box device to the server; and

receiving the selected video content at the first set-top box device with data corresponding to a comment associated with the second subscriber, wherein the comment relates to a previous viewing of the video content.

7. The method, as recited in claim 6, further comprising sending interest profile data to a display device coupled to the set-top box device, wherein the interest profile data is adapted to temporarily appear overlaying the video content and the interest profile data indicates similarities and differences between comments submitted by the first subscriber and comments submitted by the second subscriber, wherein each of the comments relates to a respective portion of the video content.

8. The method, as recited in claim 7, wherein the interest profile data is sent to the display device in response to a command received at the first set-top box device from a remote control device.

9. The method, as recited in claim 6, further comprising sending data corresponding to a representation of a virtual audience to a display device coupled to the set-top box device, wherein the representation of the virtual audience is adapted to appear overlaying the video content and includes at least an avatar associated with the second subscriber.

10. The method, as recited in claim 9, further comprising sending data corresponding to a graphical representation of the comment to the display device, wherein the graphical representation of the comment is adapted to appear overlaying the video content and is adapted to appear in conjunction with the avatar of the second subscriber.

11. The method, as recited in claim 9, wherein a representation of the virtual audience includes avatars associated with each of a plurality of additional subscribers, wherein each of the plurality of additional subscribers is associated with a respective set-top box device.

12. The method, as recited in claim 11, wherein the user profile includes identifications associated with each of the plurality of additional subscribers.

13. The method, as recited in claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of subscribers is synchronously viewing the video content with the first subscriber, has previously viewed the video content, or any combination thereof.

14. The method, as recited in claim 13, wherein an avatar associated with a particular additional subscriber indicates that the particular additional subscriber is viewing the video content synchronously with the first subscriber.

15. The method, as recited in claim 9, wherein the user profile includes first subscriber personal data.

16. The method, as recited in claim 15, wherein the first subscriber personal data includes name, location of residence, age, gender, favorite television shows, favorite movies, hobbies, other personal information, or any combination thereof.

17. The method, as recited in claim 16, further comprising sending an audience member request from the first set-top box device to the server, wherein the audience member request includes at least a portion of the first subscriber personal data.

18. The method, as recited in claim 17, further comprising receiving, at the first set-top box device, an identification relating to a recommended subscriber associated with a respective set-top box device, wherein the recommended subscriber is associated with personal data matching the first subscriber personal data included in the audience member request.

19. The method, as recited in claim 18, wherein an avatar associated with the recommended subscriber is included in the representation of the virtual audience.

20. A system to provide video content commentary, the system comprising:

a processor and a memory accessible to the processor, the memory including;

a video content module executable by the processor to send video content to a first set-top box device at a first time and to send the video content to a second set-top box device at a second time; and

a video content comment module executable by the processor to;

receive data from the first set-top box device corresponding to a first comment submitted by the first subscriber, wherein the first comment relates to a particular portion of the video content; and

produce a graphical representation of the first comment;

wherein the video content sent to the second set-top box device includes the graphical representation of the first comment that relates to the particular portion of the video content.

21. The system, as recited in claim 20, further comprising a data storage device communicating with the processor to store the data corresponding to the first comment.

22. The system, as recited in claim 20, wherein the video content comment module is executable by the processor to receive one or more additional first comments from the first set-top box device, the additional one or more first comments relating to a plurality of additional portions of the video content.

23. The system, as recited in claim 20, wherein the video content comment module receives a second comment related to the particular portion of the video content from the second set-top box device and produces a graphical representation of the second comment.

24. The system, as recited in claim 23, wherein the video content comment module is executable by the processor to identify a third subscriber that is viewing the video content synchronously with the second subscriber, wherein the third subscriber is associated with a third set-top box device.

25. The system, as recited in claim 24, wherein the video content sent to the third set-top box device includes the graphical representation of the first comment during the particular portion of the video content and the graphical representation of the second comment during the particular portion of the video content.

26. A set-top box device, comprising:

a data storage device; and

a processor and a memory accessible to the processor, wherein the memory includes;

a video content selection module executable by the processor to receive a video content selection from a subscriber associated with the set-top box device; and

a video content control module executable by the processor to;

send a request for the selected video content from the set-top box device to a server; and

receive the selected video content at the set-top box device with data corresponding to a second subscriber comment, wherein the second subscriber comment relates to a previous viewing of the video content.

27. The set-top box, as recited in claim 26, further comprising a video content comment module executable by the processor to receive a first subscriber comment entered by the first subscriber via an input device communicating with the set-top box device.

28. The set-top box device, as recited in claim 27, wherein data corresponding to the first subscriber comment includes a verbal expression entered by the first subscriber via the input device.

29. The set-top box device, as recited in claim 27, wherein data corresponding to the first subscriber comment includes an interest expression entered by the first subscriber via the input device, wherein the interest expression indicates approval of a particular portion of the video content, disapproval of the particular portion of the video content, a significance relating to the particular portion of the video content, a rating of the particular portion of the video content, or any combination thereof.

30. The set-top box device, as recited in claim 29, wherein data corresponding to the verbal expression and the interest expression are sent from the set-top box device to a display device coupled to the set-top box device, wherein the verbal expression and the interest expression are each adapted to temporarily appear overlaying the video content.

31. A computer-readable medium having instructions to cause a processor to execute a method comprising:

sending video content to a first set-top box device at a first time, the first set-top box device associated with a first subscriber;

receiving data corresponding to a comment submitted by the first subscriber, wherein the comment relates to a particular portion of the video content; and

sending the video content to a second set-top box device at a second time, the second set-top box device associated with a second subscriber;

wherein the video content sent to the second set-top box device includes a graphical representation of the comment that relates to the particular portion of the video content.

32. The computer-readable medium, as recited in claim 31, wherein the data corresponding to the comment is received during a viewing of the video content by the first subscriber.