Moderated interactive media sessions

• US 8,225,348 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2008
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2008
• 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: Morris, Scott, Malik, Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Hai V
• Assistant Examiner(s): MENDOZA, JUNIOR O
• Application Number:
  US12/209,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20100070999A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/37
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• 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

Systems and methods to provide interactive moderated collaborative sessions are disclosed. In a particular embodiment, a method is disclosed that includes receiving a media stream and associating moderator controls with the media stream to create an interactive media session. The interactive media session enables multiple remote users to interact with one another with respect to the media stream. The moderator controls enable a moderator to facilitate the interaction of the multiple remote users. The method also includes sending display data to display devices of the multiple remote users. The display data is based on moderator control input received via the moderator controls, interactive input received from the multiple remote users, and the received media stream.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a media stream from a content provider;

associating moderator controls with the media stream to create an interactive media session, wherein the interactive media session enables multiple users to interact with one another with respect to the media stream, wherein the moderator controls enable a moderator to define an automatic action to be performed in response to a specified condition that occurs within media content of the media stream received during the interactive media session, wherein the automatic action includes one of playing pre-recorded audio content and incorporating additional media content into the media stream, wherein the pre-recorded audio content and the additional media content are each determined based on a category associated with subject matter of the media content, and wherein the moderator controls enable the moderator to facilitate the interaction of the multiple users; and

sending display data to display devices of the multiple users, wherein the display data is based on moderator control input received via the moderator controls, interactive input received from the multiple users, and the received media stream;

wherein the automatic action includes triggering an action for user avatars associated with one or more of the multiple users;

wherein, when the subject matter of the media content is a sporting event, the specified condition is a score change detected within the media content and a game change flag is inserted into the media stream to indicate a game change, wherein the user avatars are configured to jump up and down in response to the game change flag being detected within the media content;

wherein, when the subject matter of the media content is one of a movie and a television program, the specified condition is one of a tone change and a mood change detected within the media content, wherein a mood flag is inserted into the media stream to indicate a mood change, and wherein the user avatars are configured to shake in response to the mood flag being detected within the media content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the moderator controls include an interface to select a front row of users from the multiple users, wherein interactive input received from the front row of users is included within the display data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein interactive input received from a user of the multiple users that is not in the front row of users is not included in the display data.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising sending the interactive input received from the user that is not in the front row of users to a moderator display device for display to the moderator.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the multiple users is represented by at least one of the user avatars, and wherein the display data includes the user avatars associated with each user in the front row of users.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the user avatars that are associated with users of the multiple users that are not in the front row of users are not included in the display data.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the moderator controls include an interface to rate one or more users of the multiple users based on interactive input received from the one or more users during the interactive media session, wherein a rating determined by the moderator is used to select the front row of users.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the moderator controls include a control to select an advertisement that is presented with the interactive media session, wherein the advertisement is associated with one or more sponsors of the moderator.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating second moderator controls with a second interactive media session that is communicated concurrently with the first interactive media session, wherein the second moderator controls enable the moderator to facilitate interaction of second users, wherein the second display data further includes second moderator selectable elements associated with the second moderator controls.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the moderator controls include a provisioning interface to enable distribution of one or more virtual items to one or more of the multiple users, wherein the one or more virtual items includes pre-recorded multimedia clips.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an interactive input from at least one of the multiple users, and

storing the interactive input in a database with a timestamp indicating a time index of the media stream indicating when the interactive input was received.

12. A system comprising:

a content interface to receive a media stream including media content;

an interactive media system to receive interaction input from multiple users to interact with one another with respect to the media stream;

a moderator control system to provide moderator controls, wherein the moderator controls enable a moderator to define an automatic action to be performed in response to a specified condition that occurs within the media content of the media stream received during an interactive media session, wherein the automatic action includes inserting a flag into the media stream, wherein the flag is used to trigger actions of user avatars associated with one or more of the multiple users, wherein the moderator controls enable the moderator to facilitate interaction of the multiple users;

a display interface to send display data to a moderator display device, wherein the display data includes the media content and includes interaction input received from one or more of the multiple users and from a moderator control panel, wherein the moderator control panel includes selectable elements associated with the moderator controls; and

a rating engine to receive ratings of the moderator from one or more of the multiple users, wherein the ratings identify specific ratings for the moderator including at least one of entertainment provided by the moderator, knowledge of the moderator, authority of the moderator, and appropriateness of the moderator.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the display interface sends second display data to user devices of the multiple users, wherein the second display data includes the user avatars associated with one or more of the multiple users based on settings of the moderator controls.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising a search engine to facilitate selection of the moderator, wherein the search engine accesses moderator profiles associated with one or more moderators and sends the moderator profiles to one or more of the multiple users.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the moderator profiles include saved portions of interactive media sessions previously facilitated by a respective moderator.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the moderator profiles further include user comments associated with the saved portions of the interactive media sessions and portions of media content associated with the saved portions of the interactive media sessions.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising an electronic program guide module to provide an electronic programming guide that includes a list of available interactive groups that are available for an entry of the electronic programming guide that corresponds to a television program event, wherein the entry of the electronic programming guide includes a selectable option to view an available interactive group of the list of available interactive groups, wherein the electronic program guide module generates electronic program guide display data including one or more moderator profiles.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the available interactive group of the list of available interactive groups includes a sponsor, a name of a moderator, a link to view one of the moderator profiles, and a price associated with accessing the available interactive group.

19. The system of claim 12, further comprising an availability module to provide presence information with respect to one or more users, wherein the presence information indicates whether the one or more users are available for interaction.

20. The system of claim 12, further comprising an availability module to provide availability information with respect to one or more moderators, wherein the availability information indicates whether the one or more moderators are available to moderate an interactive media session.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:

instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising;

associating a set of moderator controls with a media stream, and to receive the media stream to create an interactive media session, wherein the set of moderator controls enables a moderator to define an automatic action to be performed in response to a specified condition that occurs within media content of the media stream received during the interactive media session, wherein the automatic action includes inserting a flag into the media stream, wherein the interactive media session enables multiple users to interact with one another with respect to the media stream and wherein the set of moderator controls enables the moderator to facilitate the interaction of the multiple users during display of the media steam;

sending display data to display devices of the multiple users, wherein the display data is based on moderator control input received via the set of moderator controls, based on interactive input received from the multiple users, and based on the received media stream; and

sending moderator display data to the display devices of one or more of the multiple users, wherein the moderator display data indicates a fee charged by a particular moderator to moderate the interactive media session.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the moderator display data identifies moderators available to moderate the interactive media session.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the moderator display data indicates whether one or more users of the multiple users are authorized to participate in the interactive media session moderated by a particular moderator.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises inviting one or more available users of the interactive media system to join the interactive media session, wherein the one or more available users have a user profile that indicates a preference for interactive media content associated with the interactive media session.