Method and apparatus for providing feedback regarding digital content within a social network

• US 20090240771A1
• Filed: 03/20/2008
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Capobianco, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 8,554,891 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Maintaining a social network and providing corresponding access to digital content. A social network includes at least one social group having a defined membership. The content items that collectively correspond to content resource devices of the group members are identified, and feedback information for the content items is maintained based upon feedback respectively provided by group members. The feedback includes ratings, amount of usage and recommendations of the content items. Members are then provided with displays wherein the feedback is conveyed in association with the corresponding content items.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining a social network and providing corresponding access to digital content, the method comprising:

organizing a social network wherein social groups respectively engage in shared communications, the social network comprising at least one defined social group having a plurality of members;

identifying a plurality of content items collectively corresponding to content resource devices of the plurality of members of the defined social group;

maintaining feedback information for the plurality of content items based upon feedback respectively provided by members of the defined social group in relation to the plurality of content items; and

providing the feedback information for the plurality of content items to members of the defined social group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the feedback comprises quantitative ratings respectively associated with the plurality of content items.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the feedback comprises a recommendation that is received from at least one of the members in the given defined social group, and the recommendation is forwarded to other members in the given defined social group.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the feedback comprises a determination of the amount of usage of respective ones of the plurality of content items by the members in the given defined social group.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the feedback is solicited pursuant to an audition mode wherein a member of the defined social group specifically requests the feedback from other members of the defined social group for a particular content item.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an interface through which members of the given defined social group make selections of the plurality of content items for downloading from one or more other members of the given defined social group.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an interface through which members of the given defined social group make selections of the plurality of content items for purchasing selected ones of the plurality of content items from an online resource.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reporting acquisition of the plurality of content items by members of the given defined social group to an online resource pursuant to discounted access of the plurality of content items by members of the given defined social group.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of content items comprise music.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of content items comprise video content.

11. An apparatus for maintaining a social network and providing corresponding access to digital content, the apparatus comprising:

a social group definition module, which organizes a social network wherein social groups respectively engage in shared communications, the social network comprising at least one defined social group having a plurality of members;

an available content module, which identifies a plurality of content items collectively corresponding to content resource devices of the plurality of members of the defined social group;

a content feedback module, which maintains feedback information for the plurality of content items based upon feedback respectively provided by members of the defined social group in relation to the plurality of content items, and which provides the feedback information for the plurality of content items to members of the defined social group.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the feedback comprises quantitative ratings respectively associated with the plurality of content items.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the feedback comprises a recommendation that is received from at least one of the members in the given defined social group, and the recommendation is forwarded to other members in the given defined social group.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the feedback comprises a determination of the amount of usage of respective ones of the plurality of content items by the members in the given defined social group.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the feedback is solicited pursuant to an audition mode wherein a member of the defined social group specifically requests the feedback from other members of the defined social group for a particular content item.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a content acquisition module, which provides an interface through which members of the given defined social group make selections of the plurality of content items for downloading from one or more other members of the given defined social group.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a content acquisition module, which provides an interface through which members of the given defined social group make selections of the plurality of content items for purchasing selected ones of the plurality of content items from an online resource.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a content tracking and reporting module, which reports acquisition of the plurality of content items by members of the given defined social group to an online resource pursuant to discounted access of the plurality of content items by members of the given defined social group.

19. A system for maintaining a social network and providing corresponding access to digital content, the system comprising:

means for organizing a social network wherein social groups respectively engage in shared communications, the social network comprising at least one defined social group having a plurality of members;

means for identifying a plurality of content items collectively corresponding to content resource devices of the plurality of members of the defined social group;

means for maintaining feedback information for the plurality of content items based upon feedback respectively provided by members of the defined social group in relation to the plurality of content items; and

means for providing the feedback information for the plurality of content items to members of the defined social group.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the feedback comprises quantitative ratings respectively associated with the plurality of content items.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the feedback comprises a recommendation that is received from at least one of the members in the given defined social group, and the recommendation is forwarded to other members in the given defined social group.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the feedback comprises a determination of the amount of usage of respective ones of the plurality of content items by the members in the given defined social group.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the feedback is solicited pursuant to an audition mode wherein a member of the defined social group specifically requests the feedback from other members of the defined social group for a particular content item.