INTERACTIVE AND SHARED VIEWING EXPERIENCE

• US 20110246908A1
• Filed: 04/01/2010
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Stone, Brian, Akram, Ijaz, Miller, Adam, Langan, Tom, Beltrami, Luca, Boyd, Rod
• Granted Patent: US 8,893,022 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/27 Server based end-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• 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 7/157 defining a virtual conference space and using avatars or agents computer conference optimisation or adaptation H04L12/1827

Abstract

A shared environment is provided for electronic media devices such as game consoles which have Internet connectivity for receiving streaming video content. The shared environment is a virtual world which includes the video content as well as avatars which represent a group of users who have agreed to watch the content together, and scene elements which provide a realistic and eye-catching appearance. The users can enter commands to cause their avatars to emote, such as by cheering. The users can also explore the shared environment from different camera angles. A voice and/or video chat channel can also be enabled to allow the users to speak to and see one another. The video content is synchronized among the electronic media devices of the users so that the users'"'"' interactions are more meaningful as they can react to the same portion of the video content in real time.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented method for providing an interactive and shared viewing experience, comprising the processor-implemented steps of:

receiving streaming video content at a first electronic media device, associated with a first user, the streaming video content is received via at least one network from at least one server;

displaying the streaming video content at a user interface of the first electronic media device in synchronicity with a display of the streaming video content at a second electronic media device, associated with a second user;

displaying a first avatar, which represents the first user, emoting on the user interface, based on data which describes an appearance of the first avatar, and based on control inputs from the first user;

receiving data from the at least one network which describes an appearance of a second avatar, with represents the second user;

receiving control inputs via the at least one network for causing the second avatar to emote on the user interface, the control inputs for causing the second avatar to emote are provided by the second user via the second electronic media device; and

displaying the second avatar emoting on the user interface based on the received data which describes the appearance of the second avatar, and the control inputs provided by the second user, where the streaming video content, and the first and second avatars are displayed on the user interface in a shared environment, and the first and second users interact, while viewing the streamed video content, by causing the first and second avatars, respectively, to emote.

2. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the processor-implemented step of:

providing a plurality of selectable icons concurrently on the user interface, each icon represents a different emote, and the first user selects one of the icons to cause the first avatar to emote; and

communicating data from the first electronic media device to the second electronic media device to cause the first avatar to emote on a user interface of the second electronic media device.

3. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the processor-implemented step of:

providing at least one of a voice chat and a video chat between the first and second users, within a common application which provides the interactive and shared viewing experience.

4. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

in response to a control input from the first user, the user interface transitions from a mode in which the streamed video content is displayed full screen, without the shared environment, and without the first and second avatars, to a mode in which the streamed video content is displayed with an inset window which includes the shared environment, and the first and second avatars.

5. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

in response to a control input requesting at least one of the first and second avatars to emote, the user interface automatically transitions from a mode in which the streaming video content is displayed without the shared environment, and without the first and second avatars, to a mode in which the streaming video content is displayed with the shared environment, and with the first and second avatars.

6. The processor-implemented method of claim 5, wherein:

in response to at least one of the first and second avatars concluding emoting, the user interface automatically transitions back from the mode in which the streaming video content is displayed with the shared environment, and with the first and second avatars, to the mode in which the streaming video content is displayed without the shared environment, and without the first and second avatars.

7. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the shared environment includes a virtual world which includes a display area on which the streaming video content is displayed, and a spectator area in which the first and second avatars are located;

the method further comprises the processor-implemented step of;

in response to a control input from the first user, changing a camera angle from which the virtual world is viewed on the user interface; and

moving the display area in the virtual world so that the streaming video content continues to be displayed even as the camera angle is changed

8. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the first and second electronic media devices exchange timing information to display the streaming video content in synchronicity.

9. The processor-implemented method of claim 8, wherein:

the first electronic media device pauses the displaying of the streaming video content if the timing information indicates that the first electronic media device is faster than the second electronic media device by more than a specified amount.

10. The processor-implemented method of claim 8, wherein:

the timing information indicate a most recent key frame displayed by each of the first and second electronic media devices.

11. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

displaying a message on the user interface responsive to the at least one server, the message informs the first user that the second user is watching the same streaming video content and allows the first user to provide a control input to establish the interactive and shared viewing experience with the second user.

12. A processor-implemented method for providing an interactive and shared viewing experience, comprising the processor-implemented steps of:

receiving video content at a first electronic media device, associated with a first user;

displaying the video content at a user interface of the first electronic media device in synchronicity with a display of the video content at a second electronic media device, associated with a second user;

displaying a first avatar, which represents the first user, on the user interface;

displaying at least one other avatar, which represents at least one other user, on the user interface, where the video content, the first avatar and the at least one other avatar are displayed on the user interface in a shared environment;

providing a selectable icon on the user interface which represents a directed emote;

receiving a command from the first user which selects the selectable icon; and

based on the command, causing the first avatar to perform the directed emote, which is directed at the at least one other avatar, the directed emote provides a visual indicia on the user interface indicating that the directed emote is directed from the first avatar to the at least one other avatar.

13. The processor-implemented method of claim 12, wherein:

the directed emote is directed at the at least one other avatar without the first user providing a command to identify the at least one other avatar.

14. The processor-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising the processor-implemented steps of:

based on the command, displaying a visual component on the user interface;

receiving a further command from the first user for identifying the at least one other avatar by manipulating the visual component; and

performing the directed emote based on the further command.

15. The processor-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising the processor-implemented step of:

communicating data from the first electronic media device to at least one other electronic media device of the at least one other user to cause the first avatar to perform the directed emote on a user interface of the at least one other electronic media device.

16. Tangible computer readable storage having computer readable software embodied thereon for programming at least one processor to perform a method at a first electronic media device, associated with a first user, the method comprising:

receiving an invitation from the at least one server to join an interactive and shared viewing experience, the invitation is initiated by a second user via a second electronic media device;

providing a response to the at least one server, accepting the invitation;

receiving streaming video content, the streaming video content is received via at least one network from at least one server;

receiving timing information via the at least one network;

displaying the streaming video content at a user interface, synchronized according to the timing information;

displaying a first avatar, which represents the first user, emoting on the user interface, based on data which describes an appearance of the first avatar, and based on control inputs from the first user;

receiving data via the at least one network which describes an appearance of a second avatar, with represents a second user;

receiving control inputs via the at least one network for causing the second avatar to emote on the user interface, the control inputs for causing the second avatar to emote are provided by the second user via a second electronic media device, associated with the second user; and

displaying the second avatar emoting on the user interface based on the received data which describes the appearance of the second avatar, and the control inputs provided by the second user, where the streaming video content, and the first and second avatars are displayed on the user interface in a shared environment, and the first and second users interact by causing the first and second avatars, respectively, to emote while viewing the streamed video content.

17. The tangible computer readable storage of claim 16, wherein:

the streaming video content is displayed synchronized to a display of the streaming video content at the second electronic media device, according to the timing information.

18. The tangible computer readable storage of claim 16, wherein:

based on the timing information, shifting a time at which the streaming video content is displayed at the first electronic media device.

19. The tangible computer readable storage of claim 16, wherein:

the first electronic media device pauses the displaying of the streaming video content if the timing information indicates that the first electronic media device is faster than the second electronic media device by more than a specified amount.

20. The tangible computer readable storage of claim 16, wherein:

the timing information indicates a most recent key frame displayed by the second electronic media device.