METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CREATING AND MANAGING MULTI PARTICIPANT SESSIONS

• US 20140223464A1
• Filed: 08/06/2012
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Comigo Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Comigo Ltd.
• Inventors: Moran, Dov, Teicher, Mordechai, Lentzitzky, Motty
• Application Number:
  US14/239,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20140223464A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• 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 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• 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 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• 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 21/278 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 21/41407 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 21/42201 biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• 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 21/4334 : 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 21/44218 : 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 21/4627 : 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 21/4668 : for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 : End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 : for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 : for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 : for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 : Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 : e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• 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 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4886 : for displaying a ticker, e.g. scrolling banner for news, stock exchange, weather data
• 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 21/64784 : Data processing by the network data processing in packet switching systems H04L12/56; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90; provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 : End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• 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 21/8545 : for generating interactive applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 : Conference systems

Abstract

A method of creating a multi participant session among a plurality of viewers of media content. The method comprises automatically identifying which media content is currently presented on a plurality of client terminals of a plurality of subscribers, receiving, from a first subscriber, a first selection indicative of a template of a multi participant session object and a second selection indicative of a group from the plurality of subscribers, creating a multi participant session object adapted for simultaneous presentation with the media content according to first and second selections and establishing a multi participant session among at least one member of the group and the first subscriber using the multi participant session object.

Claims

1-81. -81. (canceled)

82. A method of creating a multi participant session among a plurality of viewers of media content, comprising:

selecting by a user of a client terminal a video on demand (VOD) content for presentation during a multi participant session;

receiving a selection indicative of a group from a plurality of subscribers;

receiving, from said user at said client terminal, instructions to fund the right to access said VOD content for each member of said group;

sending to each member of said group an invitation to watch said VOD content;

instructing a billing mechanism to bill said user, based on said instructions to purchase, when at least one member of said group accept a respective said invitation;

presenting said VOD content on a plurality of client terminals of said group.

83. The method of claim 82, further comprising:

creating a multi participant session object adapted for simultaneous presentation with said VOD content; and

establishing said multi participant session among members of said group and said user by presenting said multi participant session object on said plurality of client terminals.

84. The method of claim 83, further comprising updating said multi participant session object according to a plurality of user inputs from said plurality of client terminals.

85. The method of claim 83, further comprising generating a plurality of interactive user interfaces, each designated to another of said plurality of subscribers, according to said multi participant session object and forwarding each said interactive user interface to another of a plurality of remote controlling devices via one of said plurality of client terminals to present said plurality of interactive user interfaces on displays of said plurality of remote controlling devices simultaneously.

86. The method of claim 83, further comprising presenting a plurality of templates of multi participant session objects to said user to facilitate a selection of said multi participant session object;

wherein said plurality of templates are selected from a template repository.

87. The method of claim 83, wherein said creating comprises receiving user content from said subscriber and creating said multi participant session object so as to present at least one of a question, a bid, and a set of possible answers to a question.

88. The method of claim 83, wherein said creating comprises automatically identifying at least one characteristic of said VOD content and creating said multi participant session object to match said at least one characteristic.

89. The method of claim 88, wherein said automatically identifying comprises identifying a currently presented scene of said VOD content;

wherein said multi participant session object is selected as suitable for said scene based on said at least one characteristic.

90. The method of claim 83, further comprising detecting at least one current viewing pattern on said client terminal and creating said multi participant session object accordingly.

91. The method of claim 90, wherein said at least one current viewing pattern is selected from a group consisting of:

the period said user watches said media content item, at least one additional media content previously watched by the user, a frequency of recent zapping by said user, a volume level at which said media content item being played, a display setting at which said media content item being played, and current time.

92. The method of claim 82, wherein said multi participant session includes a social interactive activity held during the presentation of said VOD content and selected from a group consisting of a poll, a chat, a game, a gambling mechanism, a quiz.

93. The method of claim 82, further comprising presenting on said client terminal a user interface for receiving said selection from said user at said client terminal.

94. The method of claim 82, further comprises identifying said plurality of subscribers according to social connections with said user.

95. The method of claim 82, further comprising:

capturing a plurality of image sequences each using a camera of another of said plurality of client terminals;

performing an analysis of each said plurality of image sequences to estimate a participation level; and

selecting said group according to said analysis.

96. The method of claim 95, wherein said analysis comprises detecting at least one of present and absence of a face in said respective image sequence.

97. A system of creating a multi participant session among a plurality of viewers of media content, comprising:

a user interface module to allow a user to select on a client terminal a video on demand (VOD) content for presentation during a multi participant session;

a central unit which receives, from said user at said client terminal, a selection indicative of a group from a plurality of subscribers and instructions to fund the right to access said VOD content for each member of said group and sends to each member of said group an invitation to watch said VOD content;

a billing mechanism which receives instructions to bill said user based on said instructions to purchase when at least one member of said group accept a respective said invitation and instructs a VOD service provider to facilitates a presentation of said VOD content on a plurality of client terminals of said group.