Apparatus and method for managing a social network

• US 8,224,756 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2009
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts, Linda, Chang, E-Lee, Sung, Ja-Young, Barrett Schultz, Natasha, King, Robert Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Ouellette, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US12/613,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20110106718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/319
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a system having a controller to collect one or more user-generated comments from each of a plurality of computing devices, detect a correlation in the one or more user-generated comments collected from the plurality of computing devices, and establish a social network between the plurality of computing devices according to the detected correlation. The one or more user-generated comments can be temporally associated with media content presented at the plurality of computing devices. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

utilizing a processor for providing to a plurality of computing devices, an overlay combined with media content for presentation by each of the plurality of computing devices to illustrate one or more user-generated comments temporally associated with portions of the presented media content utilizing a time line and annotations along the time line that are representative of each of the one or more user-generated comments, wherein at least a portion of the one or more user-generated comments are shared among the plurality of computing devices;

collecting at the processor, the one or more user-generated comments from the plurality of computing devices;

utilizing the processor for detecting a correlation in the one or more user-generated comments collected from the plurality of computing devices;

utilizing the processor for facilitating establishment of a social network that includes at least a subset of the plurality of computing devices according to the detected correlation;

monitoring additional user-generated comments associated with the social network that are originated from the at least a subset of the plurality of computing devices;

determining a decorrelation in the additional user-generated comments; and

removing at least one computing device of the at least a subset of the plurality of computing devices from the social network based on the determined decorrelation without terminating the social network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the correlation corresponds to detecting a behavioral pattern in the one or more user-generated comments collected from the plurality of computing devices, wherein the social network corresponds to a virtual network including the at least a subset of the plurality of computing devices, and wherein the computing devices comprise at least one of a computer, a portable communication device, or a gaming console.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising establishing the social network by way of an on-line social networking application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method operates from an on-line social networking application.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving from another computing device a request to identify at least one of the plurality of computing devices generating one or more user-generated comments that correlate to the one or more user generated comments generated by the other computing device;

identifying at least one of the plurality of computing devices generating one or more user-generated comments that correlate to the one or more user generated comments generated of another of the plurality of computing devices; and

transmitting to the other computing device at least one identification associated with the identified at least one computing device.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising receiving from the other computing device a request to establish the social network with the identified at least one computing device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one identification corresponds to an identification of one of the identified at least one computing device and a user associated therewith.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

identifying the at least a subset of computing devices having the correlated user-generated comments

submitting a notice to the at least a subset of computing devices;

receiving a message from at least a portion of the at least a subset of computing devices indicating an interest or disinterest in joining the social network; and

facilitating establishing the social network according to the messages received from the computing devices.

9. A system, comprising:

a memory storing computer instructions; and

a controller coupled with the memory, wherein the controller when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising;

collecting one or more remarks from each of a plurality of computing devices, wherein the one or more remarks are temporally associated with media content presented at the plurality of computing devices;

detecting a correlation in the one or more remarks collected from the plurality of computing devices;

facilitating establishment of a social network including at least a subset of the plurality of computing devices according to the detected correlation;

monitoring additional remarks associated with the social network;

determining a decorrelation in the additional remarks; and

removing a target computing device from the social network based on the determined decorrelation.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more remarks correspond to user-generated remarks, wherein an overlay is combined with the presentation of the media content, wherein the one or more user-generated remarks are temporally associated with the media content according to the overlay utilizing a time line and annotations along the time line that are representative of each of the user-generated remarks, and wherein at least a portion of the user-generated remarks are shared among the plurality of computing devices.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the monitored additional remarks are originated from the at least a subset of the plurality of computing devices, wherein the correlation corresponds to detecting a behavioral pattern in the one or more remarks collected from the plurality of computing devices, and wherein the one or more remarks are temporally associated with a scene of the media content and are shared among one or more of the plurality of computing devices.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of computing devices comprise a portable communication device, and wherein the controller generates one of the one or more remarks from a voice recording received from and captured by the portable communication device.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising:

terminating the social network according to the determined decorrelation.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer instructions comprise an online social networking application.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in a computing device, comprising computer instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

collecting one or more comments temporally associated with a presentation of media content; and

transmitting to a system the one or more comments, wherein the system is operable at least to;

collect the one or more comments from the computing device along with other comments from other computing devices;

detect a correlation in the one or more comments collected from the plurality of computing devices;

establish a social network between at least a subset of the plurality of computing devices according to the detected correlation;

collect additional comments associated with the social network that are originated from the computing device and the other computing devices that form a group of computing devices;

determine a decorrelation in the additional comments; and

remove at least one computing device of the group of computing devices from the social network based on the determined decorrelation.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the correlation corresponds to detecting a behavioral pattern in the one or more comments collected from the plurality of computing devices, and wherein the one or more comments are temporally associated with a scene of the media content and are shared among at least a portion of the groups of computing devices.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the system is operable at least to:

terminate the social network according to the determined decorrelation.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, comprising computer instructions which when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising:

transmitting to the system a request to identify at least one of the plurality of computing devices generating one or more comments that correlate to the one or more comments generated by the computing device,

wherein the system is operable at least to;

identify at least one of the plurality of computing devices generating one or more comments that correlate to the one or more comments generated by the computing device; and

transmit to the computing device an identification associated with the identified at least one computing device.