Informing network users of television programming viewed by other network users

• US 6,754,904 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1999
• Issued: 06/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: America Online Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cooper, Robert M., Silva, Carlos A. Jr., Kirsh, Laurence F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHUNG, JASON
• Application Number:
  US09/475,905
• Time in Patent Office: 1,636 Days
• Field of Search: 725/32, 709/206, 709/204, 345/751-759, 370/260
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method of informing a first network user of activity by other network users includes receiving information identifying television programming viewed by at least one other network user and displaying the information to the first network user on a user interface.

Claims

1. A method of informing a first network user of activity by other network users, the method comprising:

selecting based on input from the first network user two or more of the other network users;

determining television programming being viewed by at least a first selected network user and a second selected network user;

displaying a user list corresponding to the selected network users on an instant messaging user interface;

displaying a first visual identifier for television programming being viewed by the first selected network user, the first visual identifier being displayed at a location of the instant messaging user interface that is adjacent to a location of the user list corresponding to the first selected network user;

displaying a second visual identifier for the television programming being viewed by the second selected network user, the second visual identifier being displayed at a location of the instant messaging user interface that is adjacent to a location of the user list corresponding to the second selected network user;

receiving information indicating a change in the television programming viewed by at least one of the first and second selected network users; and

updating an appearance of at least one of the first and second visual identifiers to reflect the change in television programming,

wherein the first visual identifier differs from the second visual identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the television programming comprises receiving information identifying the television programming via the Internet.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein receiving the information via the Internet comprises receiving the information at a set-top box.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting a message requesting information identifying the television programming from a server.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving information identifying the television programming without sending a requesting message.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying visual identifiers comprises displaying a link that upon selection, automatically tunes the user interface to television programming identified by the link.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the user list further comprises displaying identifiers associated with the selected network users.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the user list comprises displaying a buddy list.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first visual identifier comprises a television program being viewed by the first selected user.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising presenting to the first network user television programming differing from television programming corresponding to the first visual identifier.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the first visual identifier comprises a network being viewed by the first selected user.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the television programming being viewed by the first selected user differs from the television programming being viewed by the second selected user.

13. A computer program disposed on a computer readable medium, for informing a first network user of activity by other network users, the computer program including instructions for causing a processor to:

select by the first network user two or more of the other network users;

determine television programming being viewed by at least a first selected network and a second selected network user;

display a user list corresponding to the selected network users on an instant messaging user interface;

display a first visual identifier for television programming being viewed by the first selected network user, the first visual identifier being displayed at a location of the instant messaging user interface that is adjacent to a location of the user list corresponding to the first selected network user;

display a second visual identifier for the television programming being viewed by the second selected network user, the second visual identifier being displayed at a location of the instant messaging user interface that is adjacent to a location of the user list corresponding to the second selected network user;

receive information indicating a change in the television programming viewed by at least one of the first and second selected network users; and

update an appearance of at least one of the first and second visual identifiers to reflect the change in television programming,

wherein the first visual identifier differs from the second visual identifier.

14. The computer program of claim 13 wherein the instructions to determine comprise instructions to receive information identifying the television programming via the Internet.

15. The computer program of claim 14 wherein the instructions to receive the information via the Internet comprise instructions to receive the information at a set-top box.

16. The computer program of claim 13 wherein the instructions that display the visual identifiers comprise instructions that display a link that upon selection, automatically tunes a tuner to the television programming identified by the link.

17. The computer program of claim 13 wherein the first visual identifier comprises a television program being viewed by the first selected user.

18. The computer program of claim 13 wherein the first visual identifier comprises a network being viewed by the first selected user.

19. The computer program of claim 13 wherein the television programming being viewed by the first selected user differs from the television programming being viewed by the second selected user.

20. A method for informing a first network user of activity by other network users, the method comprising:

determining television programming being viewed by at least a first selected network user and a second selected network user;

providing an instant messaging user interface, the instant messaging user interface comprising;

a list of two or more network users selected by the first network user, the list showing presence information for at least the first selected network user and the second selected network user; and

distinct visual identifiers respectively displayed in positions adjacent various of the selected network users on the user list, including;

a first visual identifier for television programming being viewed by the first selected network user, the first visual identifier being displayed at a location of the instant messaging user interface that is adjacent to a location of the user list corresponding to the first selected network user; and

a second visual identifier for television programming being viewed by the second selected network user, the second visual identifier being displayed at a location of the instant messaging user interface that is adjacent to a location of the user list corresponding to the second selected network user,

wherein the first visual identifier differs from the second visual identifier;

receiving information indicating a change in the television programming viewed by at least one of the first and second selected network users; and

updating an appearance of at least one of the first and second visual identifiers to reflect the change in television programming.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the first visual identifier comprises a television program being viewed by the first selected user.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the first visual identifier comprises a network being viewed by the first selected user.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the television programming being viewed by the first selected user differs from the television programming being viewed by the second selected user.

24. A method of informing a first network user of activity by other network users, the method comprising:

selecting based on input from the first network user two or more of the other network users;

determining television programming being viewed by at least a first selected network user and a second selected network user;

displaying a user list corresponding to the selected network users on an instant messaging user interface;

displaying distinct visual identifiers respectively in positions adjacent various of the selected network users on the displayed user list, including;

displaying a first visual identifier for television programming being viewed by the first selected network user, the first visual identifier being displayed at a location of the instant messaging user interface that is adjacent to a location of the user list corresponding to the first selected network user; and

displaying a second visual identifier for the television programming being viewed by the second selected network user, the second visual identifier being displayed at a location of the instant messaging user interface that is adjacent to a location of the user list corresponding to the second selected network user,

wherein the first visual identifier differs from the second visual identifier;

receiving information indicating a change in the television programming viewed by at least one of the first and second selected network users; and

updating an appearance of at least one of the first and second visual identifiers to reflect the change in television programming.

25. A computer program disposed on a computer readable medium, for informing a first network user of activity by other network users, the computer program including instructions for causing a processor to:

select by the first network user two or more of the other network users;

determine television programming being viewed by at least a first selected network and a second selected network user;

display a user list corresponding to the selected network users on an instant messaging user interface; and

display distinct visual identifiers respectively in positions adjacent various of the selected network users on the displayed user list, including instructions for causing the processor to;

display a first visual identifier for television programming being viewed by the first selected network user, the first visual identifier being displayed at a location of the instant messaging user interface that is adjacent to a location of the user list corresponding to the first selected network user; and

display a second visual identifier for the television programming being viewed by the second selected network user, the second visual identifier being displayed at a location of the instant messaging user interface that is adjacent to a location of the user list corresponding to the second selected network user,

wherein the first visual identifier differs from the second visual identifier;

receive information indicating a change in the television programming viewed by at least one of the first and second selected network users; and

update an appearance of at least one of the first and second visual identifiers to reflect the change in television programming.