Sharing Television and Video Programming Through Social Networking

• US 20140068466A1
• Filed: 11/29/2012
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Garcia, David Harry, Heynen, Mark, Krausz, Brian, Toksvig, Michael John McKenzie, Tseng, Erick, Wong, Yong Kean
• Granted Patent: US 9,578,390 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/756
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/532 Query formulation, e.g. graphical querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1089 by adding media; by removing media
• 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 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 : Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23 : Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 : involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 : involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 : Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 : Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/258 : Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 : Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 : being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/2668 : Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/278 : Content descriptor database or directory service for end-user access details of content or meta data based information retrieval of video data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 : having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 : embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 : PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/4316 : for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 : Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4344 : Remultiplexing of multiplex streams, e.g. by modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43635 : HDMI
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 : involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 : involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 : involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 : involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 : Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44226 : on social networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 : involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 : Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 : for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 : Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• 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 21/4821 : using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 : for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 : using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6334 : for authorisation, e.g. by transmitting a key wireless communications network key management H04W12/04; wireless communications network access security H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 : for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 : specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 : Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 : involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 : Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

In particular embodiments, a social TV dongle receives a first video stream from a content source using a first interface and receives social content from a social-networking system using a second interface. The social TV dongle generates a modified video stream using at least the first video stream and the social content and sends the modified video stream to a display device using a third interface.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first interface operable to communicate with a content source;

a second interface operable to communicate with a display device;

a third interface operable to communicate with a social-networking system;

wherein the system is operable to;

receive a first video stream from the content source using the first interface;

receive social content from the social-networking system using the second interface;

generate a modified video stream using at least the first video stream and the social content; and

send the modified video stream to the display device using the third interface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second interfaces comprise a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI).

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the social content comprises one or more of:

an advertisement;

a notification;

a newsfeed;

a post;

a photo;

a ticker;

another video stream; and

a chat message.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the content source comprises one of:

a set-top box (STB);

a digital video recorder (DVR);

a gaming console; and

a device configured to provide access to content from an over-the-top (OTT) content provider.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the social content is from a social graph of the social-networking system, the social graph comprising a plurality of nodes and edges connecting the nodes, the nodes comprising user nodes that are each associated with a particular user of the social-networking system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the social content is time-stamped with a time corresponding to a particular point of video content; and

generating the modified video stream comprises placing the time-stamped social content at the particular point of the video content within the first video stream.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is further operable to:

determine whether the received social content is relevant to video content within the first video stream; and

place the received social content in the program within the first video stream if it is determined that the received social content is relevant to the video content.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a fourth interface operable to communicate with a mobile device of a user of the social-networking system.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the system is further operable to:

receive an indication from the user via the fourth interface that the user has checked in; and

send information to the social-networking system via the third interface indicating that the user has checked in.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is further operable to:

capture a unique identifier of a user product of a user; and

send the captured unique identifier of the user product to the social-networking system.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the social content comprises an advertisement relevant to the user product associated with the captured unique identifier.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the unique identifier comprises one of:

a Media Access Control (MAC) address captured via BLUETOOTH;

a MAC address captured via WIFI; and

an identification captured via High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI).

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more infrared (IR) interfaces operable to receive first IR instructions from a remote control device and to send second IR instructions to the content source.

14. A method comprising:

by a dongle of a social-networking system, receiving a first video stream from a content source communicatively coupled to the dongle;

by the dongle of the social-networking system, receiving social content from the social-networking system;

by the dongle of the social-networking system, generating a modified video stream using at least the first video stream and the social content; and

by the dongle of the social-networking system, sending the modified video stream for display on a display device communicatively coupled to the dongle.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the dongle of the social-networking system comprises:

a first High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) operable to communicatively couple the dongle to the content source;

a second HDMI operable to communicatively couple the dongle to the display device; and

a transceiver operable to communicatively couple the dongle to the social-networking system.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining whether the social content is relevant to video content within the first video stream; and

placing the social content in the program within the first video stream if it is determined that the social content is relevant to the video content.

17. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media in a computing system, the media embodying logic that is operable when executed to:

receive a first video stream from a content source communicatively coupled to the computing system;

receive social content from a social-networking system;

generate a modified video stream using at least the first video stream and the social content; and

send the modified video stream for display on a display device communicatively coupled to the computing system.

18. The media of claim 17, the logic further operable to

capture a unique identifier of a user product of a user;

and

send the captured unique identifier of the user product to the social-networking system.

19. The media of claim 18, wherein the social content comprises an advertisement relevant to the user product associated with the captured unique identifier.

20. The media of claim 18, wherein the unique identifier comprises one of:

a Media Access Control (MAC) address captured via BLUETOOTH;

a MAC address captured via WIFI; and

an identification captured via a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI).