Sharing Content-Synchronized Ratings

• US 20140089815A1
• Filed: 09/21/2012
• Published: 03/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Gildfind, Andrew, Volovich, Yaroslav, Oztaskent, Ant, Rowe, Simon Michael
• Application Number:
  US13/624,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20140089815A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/783 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7867 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, title and artist information, manually generated time, location and usage information, user ratings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/237 Communication with additional data server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43079 of additional data with content streams on multiple devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content

Abstract

Systems, methods and devices described herein enable sharing content-synchronized ratings, related to media content playing on a first device, using one or more second devices. For example, while a television program is playing on a television, a tablet computer acquires and sends content information derived from the video stream to a server. The server identifies the television program by matching the content information to a fingerprint. Then the server system generates a set of instructions, a time-marker, and one or more content-synchronized ratings collected from other user devices. The set of instructions includes instructions for synchronizing to the time-marker, enabling sharing of one or more content-synchronized ratings, and displaying content-synchronized ratings from other users. The set of instructions and content are sent to the tablet computer for execution and display.

Claims

1. A method of sharing content-synchronized ratings related to playing media content on a first device including a processor, memory and a display, the method comprising:

detecting, using the first device, media content playing to a user;

receiving, at the first device from a second device, a first content-synchronized rating associated with the playing media content;

displaying on the display the first content-synchronized rating associated with the playing media content;

displaying on the display an interface operable to receive a user input indicative of a user rating associated with the playing media; and

communicating a data structure including the user rating to the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the playing media content is playing on a second device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the media content playing to the user on the first device includes:

referencing a portion of the playing media content;

transmitting the reference to the portion of the media content to an information extraction module;

receiving from the information extraction module a time marker associated with the playing media content; and

synching a local timer with the time marker.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the displayable indicator includes an image associated with the playing media content, a portion of the playing media content or a third party logo.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving a displayable indicator of the playing media content.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein referencing the portion of the playing media content includes recording a portion of the playing media content, wherein the recorded portion includes audio components or image components.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the display includes a touch-screen display, and the method further comprises enabling user interaction with the touch-screen display to enter inputs indicative of user ratings.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the received first content-synchronized rating includes displaying at least one of a graphical representation of the first content-synchronized rating and a text representation of the first content-synchronized rating.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed interface includes a time-variant one-touch selectable rating, a time-invariant one-touch selectable rating or a keypad for entering custom ratings.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a user input indicative of a user rating has a limited character length.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a user input indicative of a user rating is at least one of a still or moving animation.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the data structure also includes a content time associated with the playing media content, a tone indicator associated with the user rating, a location indicator or a media content identification.

13. A method of sharing content-synchronized ratings, related to media content, on a first device including a processor and a memory, the method comprising:

transmitting a time marker associated with the media content to a plurality of user devices;

receiving from the plurality of user devices respective content-synchronized ratings related to media content;

analyzing the content-synchronized ratings to generate a sub-set of ratings; and

transmitting the sub-set of ratings to at least one of the plurality of user devices.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a reference to a portion of media content playing to a user;

identifying the media content playing to the user from the reference; and

retrieving or generating the time marker for the identified media content.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the reference is a record portion of the media content.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the reference is recorded using a user device separate from a respective device used to play the media content.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein identifying the media content includes comparing the reference to a database of media content identifiers.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein analyzing the content-synchronized ratings includes:

selecting a number of more frequently occurring ratings;

selecting a number of ratings having an upward surge in popularity as compared to a previous analysis; and

removing from the sub-set a number of ratings having a downward surge in popularity.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein analyzing the content-synchronized ratings includes:

identifying which ratings are closely related in terms of conveying a substantially similar sentiment;

modifying each of the ratings identified as conveying a substantially similar sentiment into a simplified rating conveying the same; and

resorting the ratings taking into account the modified ratings.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein analyzing the content-synchronized ratings includes:

identifying which ratings convey substantially divergent sentiments;

selecting a number of the more frequently occurring ratings; and

selecting a number of ratings that convey substantially divergent sentiments as compared to the selected number of more frequently occurring ratings.

21. The method of claim 13 further comprising transmitting a suggested set of selectable ratings associated with the media content to the plurality of user devices.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the suggested set of selectable ratings includes ratings associated with related media content to the content playing to the users.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the related media content and the playing media content comprise episodes of the same television program.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein at least one of the suggested set of selectable ratings associated with the media content is associated with an advertisement.

25. A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions for sharing content-synchronized ratings related to playing media content on a first device including a processor, memory and a display, the instructions when executed by the processor cause the first device to:

detect, using the first device, media content playing to a user;

receive, at the first device from a second device, a first content-synchronized rating associated with the playing media content;

display on the display the first content-synchronized rating associated with the playing media content;

display on the display an interface operable to receive a user input indicative of a user rating associated with the playing media; and

communicate a data structure including the user rating to the second device.

26. A system for sharing content-synchronized ratings related to playing media content:

a first device including a processor, memory and a display, the memory including instructions that when executed by the processor cause the first device to;

detect, using the first device, media content playing to a user;

receive, at the first device from a second device, a first content-synchronized rating associated with the playing media content;

display on the display the first content-synchronized rating associated with the playing media content;

display on the display an interface operable to receive a user input indicative of a user rating associated with the playing media; and

communicate a data structure including the user rating to the second device.