Synchronized video session with integrated participant generated commentary

• US 7,716,376 B1
• Filed: 03/28/2006
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Price, Roy F., Evans, Ethan Z., Paleja, Ameesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer; Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Edwards; James
• Application Number:
  US11/277,673
• Time in Patent Office: 1,505 Days
• Field of Search: 709/248
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/12 Synchronisation of different clock signals provided by a plurality of clock generators

Abstract

Systems and methods enable users to exchange content, such as chat text, with other users that are consuming video media. In one implementation, several users collectively group together to form a video session. The users in the video session each consume the same video media, and the video media is played on individual user computer devices in a synchronized manner. The users send chat text or other content to one another over a network using a computer user interface. The chat text or other content is superimposed over or otherwise merged with the synchronized video running on the individual user computer devices.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

verifying that a specified video media is locally accessible by at least two computing devices;

synchronizing playback of the specified video media locally accessible by the at least two computing devices; and

delivering content comprising text received from one of the at least two computing devices to another of the at least two computing devices, the content being presented as text within a chat bubble for a period of time in a translucent or substantially translucent graphic layer superimposed over the specified video media playing on the another of the at least two computing devices, wherein the period of time during which the text within the chat bubble is presented in the translucent or substantially translucent graphic layer over the specified video media is based at least in part on a number of words of the text within the chat bubble; and

wherein the synchronizing comprises determining a clock time at each of the at least two computing devices and reconciling any differences between the clocks before issuing a video playback start time to each of the at least two computing devices.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the synchronizing includes issuing periodic re-sync commands to maintain the synchronized playback of the video media.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein one of the at least two computing devices initiates playback of the video media from a disc contained in an optical disk drive locally accessible thereto, and another of the at least two computing devices initiates playback of the video media from persistent storage locally accessible thereto.

4. A media as recited in claim 1, wherein the delivered content includes audio media.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the delivered content includes video content.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the delivered content includes graphical content.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the text is processed by a text-to-speech converter prior to being delivered to the another of the at least two computing devices.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising distributing video media to at least one computing device, the distributed video media having the same video content as video media that is associated with a synchronized video media playback session.

9. One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-readable instructions therein that, when executed, direct one or more computing devices to perform acts comprising:

verifying that a specified video media is locally accessible by at least two computing devices;

synchronizing playback of the specified video media on each of the at least two computing devices; and

delivering content comprising text received from one of the at least two computing devices to another of the at least two computing devices, the content being presented as text within a chat bubble for a period of time in a translucent or substantially translucent graphic layer superimposed over the specified video media playing on the another of the at least two computing devices, wherein the period of time during which the text within the chat bubble is presented in the translucent or substantially translucent graphic layer over the specified video media is based at least in part on a number of words of the text within the chat bubble; and

wherein the synchronizing comprises synchronizing a clock at each of the at least two computing devices and issuing a video playback start time.

10. A media as recited in claim 9, wherein the computer-readable media is implemented in a client computing device.

11. A media as recited in claim 9, further comprising distributing video media to at least one computing device, the distributed video media having the same video content as video media that is associated with a synchronized video media playback session.

12. A media as recited in claim 9, wherein the content includes audio media.

13. A media as recited in claim 9, wherein the content includes video media.

14. A media as recited in claim 9, wherein the content includes graphical media.

15. A system, comprising:

one or more processing units;

memory;

a synchronization module, stored in the memory and executable on the one or more processing units, to synchronize playback of video media among multiple computing devices during a synchronized playback session, wherein the video media is downloadable over a network to the computing devices;

a content distribution module, stored in the memory and executable on the one or more processing units, to distribute content generated by participants in the synchronized playback session to computing devices playing the synchronized video media, the content comprising text for display within a chat bubble; and

a graphic layer module to integrate the content comprising the text for display within the chat bubble with a translucent or substantially translucent graphic layer superimposed over the video media playing on the computing devices, wherein the translucent or substantially translucent graphic layer is superimposed over the video media on the computing devices for a period of time that is based at least in part on a number of words of the text within the chat bubble; and

wherein the synchronization module is capable of periodically re-syncing playback of video media among multiple computing devices.

16. A system as recited in claim 15, wherein the text within the chat bubble comprises commentary on the video media received from a computing device participating in the synchronized playback session.

17. A system in communication with a plurality of computing devices, each of the plurality of computing devices playing synchronized video media on a display device, the synchronized video media being locally accessible by each of the plurality of computing devices, the system comprising:

one or more processing units;

memory;

a content distribution module, stored in the memory and executable on the one or more processing units, to distribute user generated data, the user generated data comprising text for display within a chat bubble that is integrated with a translucent or substantially translucent graphic layer that is merged with the synchronized video media, wherein the translucent or substantially translucent graphic layer merged with the synchronized video media creates combined video media that includes both the translucent or substantially translucent graphic layer and the synchronized video media for presentation on each of the plurality of computing devices for a period of time, wherein the period of time is based at least in part on a number of words of the text within the chat bubble; and

a synchronization module, stored in the memory and executable on the one or more processing units, to periodically resynchronize playback of the video media among the plurality of computing devices.

18. A method, comprising:

verifying that a specified video media is locally accessible by at least two computing devices;

synchronizing playback of the specified video media locally accessible by the at least two computing devices; and

delivering content comprising text received from one of the at least two computing devices to another of the at least two computing devices, the content being presented as text within a chat bubble for a period of time in a translucent or substantially translucent graphic layer superimposed over the specified video media playing on the another of the at least two computing devices, wherein the period of time during which the text within the chat bubble is presented in the translucent or substantially translucent graphic layer over the specified video media is based at least in part on a number of words of the text within the chat bubble, and wherein the chat bubble is spatially positioned in the translucent or substantially translucent graphic layer to avoid interfering with an object or a person appearing in the specified video media.