METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA COMMUNICATION

• US 20110296506A1
• Filed: 07/27/2011
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ram Caspi
• Original Assignee: Ram Caspi
• Inventors: Caspi, Ram
• Granted Patent: US 9,252,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/6
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0816 Key establishment, i.e. cryptographic processes or cryptographic protocols whereby a shared secret becomes available to two or more parties, for subsequent use
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0838 Key agreement, i.e. key establishment technique in which a shared key is derived by parties as a function of information contributed by, or associated with, each of these network architectures or network communication protocols for key exchange in a packet data network H04L63/061
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a method and apparatus for establishing a synchronized interactive multimedia communication among a plurality of users. The method includes generating, at a first device, first information associated with a multimedia content selected by a first user. The first information is generated based on parameters. The method includes transmitting the first information to a second user. The first and second user is associated with a social computer network. Further, the method includes, at second devices, receiving the first information from the social network. The method includes processing the first information to establish a synchronized multimedia interactive communication between the second and the first user. The presentation of the multimedia content in the synchronized interactive multimedia communication is synchronized among the first device and the second device(s). The synchronized interactive multimedia communication is performed along with the presentation of the multimedia content.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a synchronized interactive multimedia communication among a plurality of users, comprising:

at a first device connected to a computer network for;

creating one or more first profiles corresponding to at least one second user by a first user of the first device, wherein the at least one second user is associated with one or more second devices;

generating a first key for authenticating the synchronized interactive multimedia communication with the at least one second user, wherein the first key is generated based on one or more first parameters provided by the first user;

presenting the first key to the at least one second user; and

pairing the first key and a second key together to establish the synchronized interactive multimedia communication; and

at one or more second devices connected to the computer network;

creating one or more second profiles corresponding to the first user by the at least one second user;

generating the second key for authenticating the synchronized interactive multimedia communication, wherein the second key is generated based on one or more second parameters provided by the at least one second user;

presenting the second key to the first user for establishing the synchronized interactive multimedia communication;

pairing the first key and the second key together to establish the synchronized interactive multimedia communication between the first user and the at least one second user, wherein the synchronized interactive multimedia communication is performed along with the presentation of a multimedia content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more first parameters comprises at least one of a program type(s), a specific program name, days of week where the one or more first profile is active, hours of each day where the one or more first profile is active, and rating of the allowed programs on the first device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more second parameters comprises at least one of a program type(s), a specific program name, days of week where the second profile is active, hours of each day where the second profile is active, and rating of the allowed programs on the one or more second devices.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

pairing the one or more first profiles with the one or more second profiles at the first device, wherein the first device comprises a multimedia communication manager; and

pairing the one or more second profiles and the one or more first profiles at the one or more second device.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting information to the at least one second user by the first device; and

displaying, at the one or more second devices associated with the at least one second user, a first message corresponding to the information received from the first device, wherein the message is a semi-transparent pop up message.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising replying to the message at the one or more second devices associated with the at least one second user based on:

a presence of the at least one second user;

availability of a multimedia communication manager at the one or more second devices; and

a selection, by the at least one second user, of the service information when the one or more second devices does not comprise the multimedia communication manager, wherein the service information comprises information for upgrading to the multimedia communication manager by the one or more second devices.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first key is presented to the at least one second user and the second key is presented to the first user by using at least one of an Electronic-mail (E-mail), a telephone, a text message, an instant message, a social networking website status message, a social networking website mail, and by writing on a paper.

8. A method for establishing a synchronized interactive multimedia communication among a plurality of users, comprising:

at a first device connected to a computer network for;

creating one or more first profiles corresponding to at least one second user by a first user of the first device, wherein the at least one second user is associated with one or more second devices;

generating a first key for authenticating the synchronized interactive multimedia communication with the at least one second user, wherein the first key is generated based on one or more first parameters provided by the first user; and

presenting the first key to the at least one second user; and

at one or more second devices connected to the computer network;

creating one or more second profiles corresponding to the first user by the at least one second user;

generating the second key for authenticating the synchronized interactive multimedia communication, wherein the second key is generated based on one or more second parameters provided by the at least one second user;

presenting the second key to the first user for establishing the synchronized interactive multimedia communication;

establishing the synchronized interactive multimedia communication based on the first key and the second key between the first user and the at least one second user, wherein the synchronized interactive multimedia communication is performed along with the presentation of a multimedia content.

9. The method of claim 8 establishing the synchronized interactive multimedia communication based on first key and the second key further comprises:

pairing the first key and a second key together at the first device;

pairing the first key and a second key together at the one or more second devices;

pairing the one or more first profiles with the one or more second profiles at the first device, wherein the first device comprises a multimedia communication manager; and

pairing the one or more second profiles and the one or more first profiles at the one or more second devices.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more first parameters comprises at least one of a program type(s), a specific program name, days of week where the one or more first profile is active, hours of each day where the one or more first profile is active, and rating of the allowed programs on the first device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more second parameters comprises at least one of a program type(s), a specific program name, days of week where the second profile is active, hours of each day where the second profile is active, and rating of the allowed programs on the one or more second devices.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the synchronized interactive multimedia communication is based on the overlapping of the one or more first profile with the one or more second profile after pairing the first key and the second key, wherein the overlapping of the one or more first profile with the one or more second profile comprises overlapping of the one or more first parameters with the one or more second parameters.

13. An apparatus for establishing a synchronized interactive multimedia communication among a plurality of users, comprising:

a first device connected to a computer network comprising;

a first generator configured to;

create one or more first profiles corresponding to at least one second user by a first user of the first device, wherein the at least one second user is associated with one or more second devices; and

generate a first key for authenticating the synchronized interactive multimedia communication with the at least one second user, wherein the first key is generated based on one or more first parameters provided by the first user; and

a first transceiver configured to;

present the first key to the at least one second user; and

a first analyzer configured to pair the first and a second key together for establishing the synchronized interactive multimedia communication; and

one or more second devices connected to the computer network comprising;

a second generator configured to;

create one or more second profiles corresponding to the first user by the at least one second user; and

generate the second key for authenticating the synchronized interactive multimedia communication, wherein the second key is generated based on one or more second parameters provided by the at least one second user;

a second transceiver configured to present the second key to the first user for establishing the synchronized interactive multimedia communication; and

a second analyzer configured to pair the first and the second key together to establish the synchronized interactive multimedia communication between the first user and the at least one second user, wherein the synchronized interactive multimedia communication is performed along with the presentation of the multimedia content.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more first parameters comprises at least one of a program type(s), a specific program name, days of week where the one or more first profile is active, hours of each day where the one or more first profile is active, and rating of the allowed programs on the first device.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more second parameters comprises at least one of a program type(s), a specific program name, days of week where the second profile is active, hours of each day where the second profile is active, and rating of the allowed programs on the one or more second devices.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first analyzer is also configured to pair the one or more first profiles with the one or more second profiles at the first device.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second analyzer is also configured to pair the one or more second profiles with the one or more first profiles at the second device.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first transceiver is also configured to transmit information to the at least one second user.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more second devices further comprises a display unit configured to display a message corresponding to information received from the first device, wherein the message is a semi-transparent pop up message.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second transceiver is further configured to reply to the message at the one or more second devices associated with the at least one second user based on:

a presence of the at least one second user;

availability of a multimedia communication manager at the one or more second devices; and

a selection, by the at least one second user, of the service information when the one or more second devices does not comprise the multimedia communication manager, wherein the service information comprises information for upgrading to the multimedia communication manager by the one or more second devices.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first key is presented to the at least one second user and the second key is presented to the first user by using at least one of an Electronic-mail (E-mail), a telephone, a text message, an instant message, a social networking website status message, a social networking website mail, and by writing on a paper.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the synchronized interactive multimedia communication is based on the overlapping of the one or more first profile with the one or more second profile after pairing the first key and the second key, wherein the overlapping of the one or more first profile with the one or more second profile comprises overlapping of the one or more first parameters with the one or more second parameters.