Computer network chat room based on channel broadcast in real time

• US 5,828,839 A
• Filed: 11/14/1996
• Issued: 10/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charter Communications Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Interactive Broadcaster Services Corporation
• Inventors: Moncreiff, Craig T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US08/749,091
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.34, 395/200.57, 395/200.6, 395/200.47, 395/200.54, 345/330, 370/260
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A computer network chat room system includes plural chat rooms, with the conversation in each chat room being related to the program being broadcast real-time over a respective TV or radio channel in a user-defined time zone. Computer users access the chat rooms via the Internet by inputting their desired television or radio channel, along with a request to enter a chat room. A chat window is presented to the users of the system, along with a Web page window relating to the program currently being broadcast over the respective channel, and two advertising windows that also relate to the current program that is the discussion topic of the respective chat room. Additionally, a merchandising window can be presented for effecting transactions of merchandise that relates to the current program. A time zone-dependent channel guide is also advantageously provided to the computer users.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising:

a computer program storage device readable by a digital processing system; and

logic means on the program storage device and including instructions executable by the digital processing system for performing method steps for establishing communication between at least one user computer and at least one chat room in a computer network based on the broadcast time of a broadcast program to which the chat room relates, the method steps comprising;

(a) receiving from the user computer a desired program channel;

(b) receiving from the user computer a desired time zone;

(c) receiving from the user computer a request to enter a chat room;

(d) in response to the receiving steps, establishing communication between the user computer and the computer network chat room;

storing in a viewer file for each broadcast program, the number of user computers logged in to a chat room; and

providing accounting data based on the viewer file.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the method steps further comprise establishing communication between a plurality of user computers and a plurality of chat rooms, at least some of the chat rooms being associated with respective channels in a respective time zone.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the method steps further comprise:

(e) receiving from the user a request to change time zones; and

(f) in response to step (e), establishing communication between the user computer and a computer network chat room.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the method steps further comprise presenting a broadcast program listing to the user computer.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the method steps further comprise:

presenting an advertisement related to the broadcast program to the user computer; and

providing accounting data based on the providing step.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the method steps further comprise:

presenting a first Web page related to the broadcast program to the user computer; and

providing accounting data based on the providing step.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the presenting step further includes presenting hyperlinks to Web pages other than the first Web page that are related to the broadcast program.

8. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the method steps further comprise:

presenting a merchandise computer page to the user computer, wherein merchandise presented on the merchandise computer page is related to the broadcast program; and

providing accounting data based on the providing step.

9. The computer program product of claim 1, in combination with the digital processing apparatus.

10. The combination of claim 9, in further combination with the computer network.

11. A system for keying at least one computer network site to a respective channel over which programs are broadcast, comprising:

logic means for providing user computers access to the computer network site when the user computers input data at least representative of;

the channel, and a request to communicate with the computer network site;

logic means for presenting a first Web page related to the broadcast program to the user computer; and

logic means for presenting hyperlinks to Web pages other than the first Web page that are related to the programs.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer network site is a chat room, and the system further comprises:

logic means for receiving from the user computer a desired time zone;

logic means for receiving from the user computer a request to enter a chat room;

logic means for establishing, in response to the receiving steps, communication between the user computer and the computer network chat room; and

logic means for presenting a broadcast program listing to the user computer.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

logic means for presenting an advertisement related to the broadcast program to the user computer;

logic means for presenting a merchandise computer page to the user computer, wherein merchandise presented on the merchandise computer page is related to the programs; and

logic means for providing accounting data in response to at least some of the means for presenting.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

logic means for storing in a viewer file for each program, data representative of the user computers in communication with the respective chat room; and

logic means for providing accounting data in response to the means for storing.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, in combination with a digital processing apparatus.

16. The combination of claim 15, in further combination with a computer network.

17. A computer-implemented method for cost accounting in a computer system simultaneously displaying, to user computers, at least one chat window, at least one Web page window, and at least one advertising window, wherein the computer system displays at least one merchandising window simultaneously with the chat window, comprising the steps of:

generating an accounting representative of advertising presented in the advertising window;

generating an accounting of user access to the Web pages;

generating an accounting of merchandise transactions executed via the merchandising window; and

generating an accounting based on user data from the computer system, and further wherein the computer system includes a plurality of chat windows, each chat window establishing a respective channel chat room, and wherein the user data includes the number of users per channel chat room.