METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ENABLING SYNCHRONIZED CONTENT PRESENTATIONS USING DYNAMICALLY UPDATED PLAYLISTS

• US 20090217329A1
• Filed: 02/25/2008
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Santangelo, Bryan, Riedl, Steven, Mahonchak, Craig
• Granted Patent: US 8,719,881 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/93
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43076 of the same content streams on multiple devices, e.g. when family members are watching the same movie on different devices
• 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 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for allowing parties, e.g., individuals, at different locations to participate in an on-demand content delivery session are described. Dynamically updateable playlists are used to control content delivery to the session participants in a synchronized manner. Content may be delivered to different session participants from different servers with a different playlist corresponding to each session participant being used to control content delivery to the session participant'"'"'s host platform, e.g., set top box. Either party may update the playlist with, optionally, each of the content delivery servers being controlled by a different or local copy of the jointly updateable play list. Thus, an inviting party and one or more joining parties are able to participate together in an on-demand session. While the participants may be served by the same or different content delivery servers, the parties are able to share images, audio, and/or video in a synchronized manner.

Claims

1. A content delivery method, the method comprising:

controlling content delivery as part of an on-demand content delivery session, to a first platform;

inserting into content, control information used to trigger presentation of an invite option to a user of said first platform;

processing a response to said invite option; and

sending an invitation signal to another device to trigger presentation of an invitation to join the on-demand content delivery session.

2. The content delivery method of claim 1, wherein said another device is a second platform.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to controlling content delivery to said first platform, receiving a signal to initiate an on-demand content delivery session from said first platform, said controlling content delivery including initiating the content delivery in response to said signal to initiate an on-demand content delivery session.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a response to the invite signal; and

inserting, into content being delivered to said first platform, information indicating the resulting response to the invitation signal sent to the another device.

5. The method of claim 4,

wherein said invite option includes a presentation of possible parties to join the on-demand content delivery session;

and

wherein said response to said invite option includes information identifying a party to be invited.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said presentation of possible parties includes a display of avatars corresponding to different people whom the user may select to invite to join the on-demand session.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

identifying an application server corresponding to the party identified by the information included in said response to said invite option, said party being an invited party; and

wherein sending an invitation signal to another device includes sending the invitation signal to said identified application server, said application server being said another device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

operating said identified application server to insert into content being delivered to a second platform corresponding to said invited party, information used to trigger display of an invitation to join said on-demand content delivery session.

9. The method of claim 8,

wherein said invitation signal includes an identifier identifying the party who initiated said invitation to said on-demand session;

and

wherein operating said identified application server to insert into content being delivered to said invited party includes inserting information identifying the party who initiated said invitation to said on-demand session.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a response to said invitation signal; and

wherein when said response to said invitation signal indicates acceptance of the invitation, sending playlist information to said identified server.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a playlist control signal from said first platform; and

sending a control signal to the identified server indicating a playlist change.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

modifying a playlist used to control content delivery to said first platform during said on-demand session in response to the playlist control signal received from the first platform in synchronization with a change made to control content delivery to the second platform.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said playlist control signal is one of a fast forward, reverse and skip command generated by said first host platform in response to input from a user of the first platform.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a playlist control signal from said identified server; and

modifying a playlist used to control content delivery to said first platform during said on-demand session in response to the playlist control signal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said playlist control signal is used to signal a playlist change made by a party which joined the ongoing on-demand content delivery session thereby facilitating synchronization of content delivery.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said playlist control signal includes one of a fast forward, reverse and skip command generated by said identified server in response to a signal received from a second platform corresponding to said invited party.

17. A content delivery system, comprising:

a content delivery control module for controlling content delivery to a first platform as part of an on-demand content delivery session;

a content and command insertion module for inserting into content control information used to trigger presentation of an invite option to a user of said first platform;

an invite response processing module for processing a response to said invite option; and

a transmission module for sending an invitation signal to another device to trigger presentation of an invitation to join the on-demand content delivery session.

18. The content delivery system of claim 17,

wherein said content delivery control module includes an on-demand content delivery session initiation module for initiating said on-demand content delivery session to said first platform in response to receiving a signal to initiate an on-demand content delivery session from said first platform.

19. The content delivery system of claim 17, further comprising:

a reply processing module for processing a reply to said invitation signal, said reply processing module determining from a received reply whether a party invited to join the on-demand content delivery session has accepted the invitation to join; and

wherein said content and command insertion module is configured to insert, into content being delivered to said first platform, information indicating the resulting response to the invitation signal sent to the another device.

20. The content delivery system of claim 19,

wherein said invite response processing module includes an invited party identification module for identifying from a received response one or more parties to be invited to join said on-demand content delivery session.

21. The content delivery system of claim 20,

wherein said first platform includes a first set top box coupled to a display device, said set top box including a rendering module for rendering images in the form of avatars corresponding to different people whom a user of said first platform may select to invite to join the on-demand content delivery session, said display device being coupled to said set top box and displaying the rendered images.

22. The content delivery system of claim 19, further comprising:

an application server identification module for identifying an application server corresponding to the party identified by the information included in said response to said invite option, said party being an invited party.

23. The content delivery system of claim 21, further comprising:

a join invitation response processing module for processing responses to invitation signals sent to provide an invitation to join an on-demand content session and for communicating playlist information to a server corresponding to a party accepting the join invitation to allow said server to synchronize content delivery to the joining party with content delivery to the party which initiated the join invitation which was accepted.

24. The content delivery system of claim 23, further comprising:

a playlist synchronization module for sending a playlist modification signal to a server corresponding to a party which joined an ongoing on-demand content delivery session in response to receiving a signal to modify the playlist and for modifying a playlist used to control delivery of content to a party in response to receiving a signal from another server indicating modification of the playlist by a party which joined an ongoing on-demand content delivery session.

25. The content delivery system of claim 24, wherein said content delivery control module, said content and command insertion module, an invite response processing module and said transmission module are included in a first television application server, the system further comprising:

a first content server coupled to said first television application server;

a first set top box for receiving content provided by said first content server into which said first application server inserts information;

a second television application server coupled to said first television application server;

a second content server coupled to said second television server; and

a second set top box for receiving content provided by said second content server under direction of said second television application server, in synchronization with content delivery to said first set top box.

26. A content delivery system, comprising:

content delivery control means for controlling content delivery to a first platform as part of an on-demand content delivery session;

content and command insertion means for inserting into content as it is delivered control information used to trigger presentation of an invite option to a user of said first platform;

invite response processing means for processing a response to said invite option; and

transmitter means for sending an invitation signal to another device to trigger presentation of an invitation to join the on-demand content delivery session.

27. The content delivery system of claim 26,

wherein said content delivery control means includes an on-demand content delivery session initiation means for initiating said on-demand content delivery session to said first platform in response to receiving a signal to initiate an on-demand content delivery session from said first platform.

28. The content delivery system of claim 26, further comprising:

reply processing means for processing a reply to said invitation signal, said reply processing means determining from a received reply whether a party invited to join the on-demand content delivery session has accepted the invitation to join; and

wherein said content and command insertion means is configured to insert, into content being delivered to said first platform, information indicating the resulting response to the invitation signal sent to the another device.

29. The content delivery system of claim 28,

wherein said invite response processing means includes an invited party identification means for identifying from a received response one or more parties to be invited to join said on-demand content delivery session.

30. The content delivery system of claim 29,

wherein said first platform includes a first set top box coupled to a display device, said set top box including rendering means for rendering images in the form of avatars corresponding to different people whom a user of said first platform may select to invite to join the on-demand content delivery session, said display device being coupled to said set top box and displaying the rendered images.