Avatar Integrated Shared Media Selection

• US 20100306671A1
• Filed: 08/31/2009
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Soemo, Thomas M., Kramp, Brian Charles, Mattingly, Andrew Lawrence, Mays, Eddie
• Application Number:
  US12/551,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20100306671A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• 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 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• 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 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed in which a group of people are able to replicate the physical world experience of going with a group of friends to pick a movie, watch the movie together, and provide commentary on the movie itself in the virtual world on a virtual couch while each user is sitting in different physical locations. Additionally, the virtual representation of the destination that the group of people are watching the movie together in can be themed to allow users to watch movies in different locations pivoting on special events or by the users choice.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a shared media experience in a group comprising two or more users, each user operating a respective computing device and communicatively coupled via a network, the method comprising:

receiving, on one of the computing devices, a request to join the group;

sending the request to a shared media service provider and receiving an indication of acceptance into the group;

receiving data describing media entities selected by other members of the group and rendering representations of the received media entities on a user interface device coupled to the respective computing device;

receiving a nomination identifying one of the media entities and sending the nomination to the other members of the group;

displaying on said user interface device, along with the representations of the received media entities, avatars representing the users of the group;

receiving an indication of an emotion from one of the users and, in response, causing the avatar corresponding to said one of the users to perform an animation on said user interface device that conveys the indicated emotion; and

receiving an indication of a selected media entity to be shared by the group and displaying a representation of the selected media entity on said user interface device, wherein the selected media object is selected by one of the users of the group deemed to be a host of the group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the nomination is selected from one or more queues comprising one or more media entities selected by each user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an invitation for a specified user to join the group.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving and displaying indications of votes for other ones of the media entities selected by other users of the group.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said one of the users is deemed the host of the group when said one of the users initiated the formation of the group.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the one or more queues is received on a separate channel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the emotion is selected from an emote wheel comprising a plurality of representative emotions.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the emote wheel is divided into pie shaped segments radiating from a center of the emote wheel and each of the representative emotions are represented as one of the pie shaped segments.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a random animation based on the selected emotion.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the representative emotions are selected based on film genres.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the emotions comprise love, hate, funny, bored, happy, sad, mischievous, and scared.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the random animation comprises one of:

at ease, cheer, disappointed, dance, looking, nervous, neutral, surprised, taunt, thinking, and walk.

13. A computing device configured to establish a shared media experience in a group comprising two or more users, each user operating a respective computing device and communicatively coupled via a network, the computing device comprising at least one processor, a user interface device, and at least one memory communicatively coupled to said at least one processor, the at least one memory having stored therein computer-executable instructions that, when executed by said at least one processor, cause the system to:

communicate with the two or more users to form the group;

receive a nomination identifying a selected media entity and send data describing the nomination to each of the users in the group;

display on said user interface device, along with a representation of the selected media entity, avatars representing the users of the group and associated avatar emotions, the avatars representing the one or more users and the avatar emotions comprising indications of emotions selected by the one or more users, the avatar emotion information sufficient to allow the computing device to render an animation that conveys the avatar emotion; and

send an indication of a selected media entity to be shared by the group and rendered on the computing devices of the users.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the nomination is selected from one or more queues comprising one or more media entities selected by each user.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

receive and display indications of votes for media entities selected by users of the group.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by said at least one processor, cause the system to communicate with a shared media service provider to form the group.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the avatar emotions are selected from an emote wheel comprising a plurality of representative emotions.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the emote wheel is divided into pie shaped segments radiating from a center of the emote wheel and each of the representative emotions are represented as one of the pie shaped segments.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

display a random animation based on the selected emotion.

20. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable instructions for establishing a shared media experience in a group comprising two or more users, each user operating a respective computing device and communicatively coupled via a network, said computer-readable instructions comprising instructions for:

receiving, on one of the computing devices, an input indicating a request to join the group;

sending the input to a shared media service provider and receiving an indication of acceptance into the group;

receiving data describing media entities selected by other members of the group and rendering representations of the received media entities on a user interface device coupled to said one of the computing devices;

receiving a nomination identifying one of the media entities and sending the nomination to the other members of the group;

displaying on said user interface device, along with the representations of the received media entities, avatars representing the users of the group;

receiving an indication of an emotion from one of the users and, in response, causing the avatar corresponding to said one of the users to perform an animation on said user interface device that conveys the selected emotion; and

receiving an indication of a selected media entity to be shared by the group and displaying a representation of the selected media entity on said user interface device, wherein the selected media object is selected by one of the users of the group deemed to be a host of the group.