System and method for simultaneously displaying video programming and instant messaging

• US 7,954,124 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2004
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International, Inc.
• Inventors: Rambo, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller; John W
• Assistant Examiner(s): MONTOYA, OSCHTA I
• Application Number:
  US10/853,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20050091694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,563 Days
• Field of Search: 725/40, 725/43
• US Class Current: 725/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/24 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. monitoring of server load, available bandwidth, upstream requests monitoring of server performance or load G06F11/34; arrangements for observation, testing or troubleshooting for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• 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

Instant messaging (IM) and TV programming are displayed simultaneously on a TV screen. An instant messaging window on the screen displays posted messages and identifies the TV program (if any) being currently viewed by each user posting messages. An icon accompanying a message can be selected by a message recipient to permit a telephone call to be automatically dialed and completed to the message sender. Video files attached to sent messages include a key which may be compared to a key at the destination, so that the video file may be viewed by the recipient only if the there is a match. Data collected at a server managing the instant messaging may be used to monitor message, television and telephone activity, as well as demographic data associated with the IM users.

Claims

1. A communications network having a plurality of interconnected instant messaging (IM) users, comprising:

a user interface associated with each user, wherein the user interface is for displaying video programming content and IM content, and wherein at least some of the displayed IM content identifies the displayed video programming content;

an IM server for managing IM content in the form of IM messages among the interconnected users, the IM server operated by an IM service provider for receiving, displaying and sending IM messages among the users;

a survey database connected to the IM server for receiving and storing data, the stored data relating to the displayed IM content and separate from the IM messages being received, displayed and sent among the users by the IM server; and

a survey server separate from the IM server for receiving from the survey database the stored data relating to IM content displayed by the user interface, wherein the survey server may be used to aggregate IM content data and generate reports based on the aggregated IM content data for a survey organization, with the aggregated IM content and the reports separate from the IM content being displayed at each user interface, so that video programming activity by multiple users may be tracked at the survey server based on the aggregated IM content rather than on survey data provided separately by the users;

wherein the survey server generates a report to be provided to a television programming entity, the report indicating how many IM users are watching a particular broadcast video program at a given point in time, and whether a number of IM users watching the particular broadcast video program is trending up or down.

2. The communications network of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a display device and wherein the video programming content and the IM content are displayed at the display device.

3. The communications network of claim 2, wherein the user interface further comprises a set top box for providing video signals to the display device.

4. The communications network of claim 3, wherein the display device comprises a television.

5. The communications network of claim 1, wherein the video programming content and the IM content are displayed simultaneously by the user interface.

6. The communications network of claim 1, wherein the IM content comprises a program ID for identifying the video programming being viewed at a user interface.

7. The communications network of claim 6, wherein the IM content further comprises a personal ID associated with a user of the IM application.

8. The communications network of claim 7, wherein the IM content further comprises a text message.

9. The communications network of claim 1, wherein video programming content is a broadcast television program.

10. The communications network of claim 9, wherein the IM content comprises a program ID identifying the broadcast television program, and a telephone communications display element, the telephone communications display element selectable in order to establish a telephone communications line between two of the interconnected users.

11. The communications network of claim 10, wherein the telephone communications line between the two users is established over the public switched telephone network (PSTN).

12. The communications network of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a display device having plural display windows.

13. The communications network of claim 1, wherein at least some of the users are subscribers to VDSL service, and wherein the VDSL service provides telephone, video programming and internet access service to such subscribers over the communications network.

14. The communications network of claim 1, wherein at least some of the users are subscribers to satellite television service, and wherein the video programming content is provided to the user interface by the satellite television service.

15. The communications network of claim 1, wherein at least some of the users are subscribers to cable television service wherein the video programming content is provided to the user interface by the cable television service.

16. In a communications network, a method for surveying users on the network, comprising:

providing a user interface for each of the users, the user interface including a display device;

displaying video programming content and instant messaging (IM) content at the display device of each user interface, some of the displayed IM content identifying the displayed video programming content;

providing an IM server for managing IM content, the IM server operated by an IM service provider for receiving, displaying and sending IM messages among the users;

providing a survey database for storing data relating to the displayed IM content, the stored data separate from the IM messages being received, displayed and sent among the users by the IM server;

providing a separate survey server using the survey database for aggregating IM content displayed at the display device of each user interface and for generating reports based on the aggregated IM content for a survey organization, with the aggregated IM content separate from the IM content being displayed at each user interface, so that video programming activity related to aggregated IM content of the users can be tracked real time at the survey server based on the aggregated IM content, thereby permitting capture of IM activity moment-by-moment as video programming content progresses during a video program, based on the aggregated IM content rather than survey data provided separately by the users; and

generating a report to be provided to a television programming entity, the report indicating how many IM users are watching a particular broadcast video program at a given point in time, and whether a number of IM users watching the particular broadcast video program is trending up or down.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the IM content comprises a program ID separate from the video programming content, the program ID identifying the video programming being viewed at a user interface.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the aggregated IM content includes the program ID so that the number of users viewing the identified video programming can be tracked at the survey server.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the aggregated IM content includes keywords present in messages forming part of the IM content, so that the reaction of users viewing the identified video programming can be tracked.