EXCHANGE OF CONTENT CONSUMPTION-RELATED INFORMATION BETWEEN NETWORKED DEVICES

• US 20140280761A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rothschild, Keith Alan, Karach, Slavisha, Raza, Muhammad Asif, Bleyl, Donald Carl, Geist, Daniel J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,135,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

Content information networks may be provided that may each include a plurality of content consumption devices. One or more of the content consumption devices within a content information network may be capable of serving as a content consumption hub device that coordinates the receipt and dissemination of content consumption event information pertaining to content consumption events from and to various content consumption devices within the content information network. The content consumption hub device may further communicate, to various content consumption devices within its network, content-related information relating to content consumed on content consumption devices within its network and/or devices outside of its network. The content consumption hub device may be configured to receive content-related information from one or more content information hubs. The content consumption hub device may also receive content consumption event information from a content consumption platform.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by an content information hub device, from a content consumption hub device, a request for information relating to content consumed on a content consumption device;

identifying, by the content information hub device, the information relating to the content; and

transmitting, by the content information hub device to the content consumption hub device, the information relating to the content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for information relating to the content comprises one or more content identifiers associated with the content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for information relating to the content comprises at least a portion of content consumption event information identifying one or more characteristics of a content consumption event associated with the content.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the content consumption event is associated with the content consumption device on which the content is consumed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for the information relating to the content is a first request, and wherein identifying the information relating to the content comprises:

transmitting, by the content information hub, a second request for the information relating to the content to one or more content information source servers; and

receiving, by the content information hub, from at least one of the one or more content information source servers, the information relating to the content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for information relating to the content comprises one or more identifiers associated with one or more users, and wherein identifying the information relating to the content comprises:

identifying, by the content information hub device, one or more user profiles associated with the one or more users based at least in part on the one or more identifiers; and

identifying, by the content information hub device, the information relating to the content based at least in part on the one or more user profiles.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information relating to the content comprises at least one of:

i) metadata associated with the content, or

ii) additional content that is related to the content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the content consumption hub device and the content consumption device form at least part of a same content information network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for the information relating to the content is a first request and the content consumption device is a first content consumption device, further comprising:

receiving, by the content information hub device, from the content consumption hub device, a second request for content consumption event information identifying one or more characteristics of a content consumption event associated with a second content consumption device;

identifying, by the content information hub device, the content consumption event information; and

transmitting, by the content information hub device, the content consumption event information to the content consumption hub device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second content consumption device does not form part of content information network that includes the content consumption hub device.

11. A content information hub device, comprising:

at least one memory storing computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to;

receive, from a content consumption hub device, a request for information relating to content consumed on a content consumption device;

identify the information relating to the content; and

transmit the information relating to the content to the content consumption hub device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the request for information relating to the content comprises at least a portion of content consumption event information identifying one or more characteristics of a content consumption event associated with the content.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the request for the information relating to the content is a first request and the content consumption device is a first content consumption device, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive, from the content consumption hub device, a second request for content consumption event information identifying one or more characteristics of a content consumption event associated with a second content consumption device;

identify the content consumption event information; and

transmit the content consumption event information to the content consumption hub device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the second content consumption device does not form part of content information network that includes the content consumption hub device.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the content consumption hub device is a first content consumption hub device, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive, from a second content consumption device, the content consumption event information.

16. A content consumption platform, comprising:

one or more computers comprising;

at least one memory storing computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

receive content consumption event information identifying one or more characteristics of a content consumption event associated with content consumed on a first content consumption device;

identify a content information network comprising a plurality of content consumption devices other than the first content consumption device;

identify a content consumption event subscription associated with the content information network; and

communicate, to a second content consumption device of the plurality of content consumption devices of the content information network, the content consumption event information.

17. The content consumption platform of claim 16, wherein the content consumption event information comprises an identifier associated with the first content consumption device and an identifier associated with the consumed content.

18. The content consumption platform of claim 17, wherein the content consumption event information further comprises a classification associated with the content consumption event.

19. The content consumption platform of claim 16, wherein the second content consumption device is a content consumption hub device of the content information network, and wherein the content consumption hub device is configured to facilitate communication of the content consumption event information to each other content consumption device of the plurality of content consumption devices of the content information network.

20. The content consumption platform of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

communicate the content consumption event information to one or more analytics platforms.

21. The content consumption platform of claim 16, wherein the content consumption event information is received from one or more content service portals.

22. The content consumption platform of claim 16, wherein the content consumption event is a first content consumption event and the content consumption event information is first content consumption event information, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive, from the second content consumption device, second content consumption event information identifying one or more characteristics of a second content consumption event associated with content consumed on one content consumption device of the one or more content consumption devices of the content information network; and

communicate, to the first content consumption device, the second content consumption event information.

23. The content consumption platform of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

transmit, to at least one of;

i) a content source portal or ii) a content information source server, the content consumption event information.

24. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a content consumption platform, content consumption event information identifying one or more characteristics of a content consumption event associated with content consumed on a first content consumption device;

identifying, by the content consumption platform, a content information network comprising a plurality of content consumption devices other than the first content consumption device;

identifying, by the content consumption platform, a content consumption event subscription associated with the content information network; and

communicating, by the content consumption platform, to a second content consumption device of the plurality of content consumption devices of the content information network, the content consumption event information.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the content consumption event information comprises an identifier associated with the first content consumption device and an identifier associated with the consumed content.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the content consumption event information further comprises a classification associated with the content consumption event.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

receiving, by the content consumption platform, the content consumption event information from one or more content service portals.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the content consumption event is a first content consumption event and the content consumption event information is first content consumption event information, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the content consumption platform, from the second content consumption device, second content consumption event information identifying one or more characteristics of a second content consumption event associated with content consumed on one content consumption device of the one or more content consumption devices of the content information network; and

communicating, by the content consumption platform, to the first content consumption device, the second content consumption event information.

29. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

transmitting, by the content consumption platform, to at least one of;

i) a content source portal or ii) a content information source server, the content consumption event information.