Server for aggregating search activity synchronized to time-based media

• US 8,539,106 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2011
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Spot411 Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Spot411 Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Shah, Ajay
• Primary Examiner(s): BOUTAH, ALINA A
• Application Number:
  US13/097,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20110208726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 709/248, 709/203, 709/217, 709223-224, 707/724, 707/725, 725/14, 725/115, 700/94
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/433 using audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43076 of the same content streams on multiple devices, e.g. when family members are watching the same movie on different devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• 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 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6332 directed to client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8545 for generating interactive applications

Abstract

Where multiple client devices are synchronized to multiple, asynchronous instances of a time-based media presentation such as live and time-shifted views of a television broadcast, interactive content can be delivered to each one of the various devices at a particular time (or “time offset”) within the presentation independent of when each instance of the time-based media presentation is viewed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a number of searches and a number of time offset from a plurality of client devices that are synchronized to an audio portion of a time-based media presentation, each one of the number of searches including a content query from one of the plurality of client devices and each one of the time offsets indicating a time within the time-based media presentation;

generating an aggregated search result for all of the plurality of client devices, the aggregated search result synchronized to a specific time offset within the time-based media presentation; and

transmitting the aggregated search result to a receiving client device that is synchronized to the time-based media presentation at a time within the time-based media presentation substantially corresponding to the specific time offset.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the time-based media presentation is asynchronously presented to two or more of the plurality of client devices.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of client devices receives the audio portion from a live viewing of the time-based media presentation.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of client devices receives the audio portion from a time-shifted viewing of the time-based media presentation.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of client devices receives the audio portion from a pre-recorded medium containing the time-based media presentation.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the aggregated search result includes a listing of the content queries received from the plurality of client devices.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the content queries are ranked by popularity.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the aggregated search result includes one or more results for a most popular one of the content queries received from the plurality of client devices.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the one or more results are filtered by popularity.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the aggregated search result include a most popular one of the one or more results.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the aggregated search result consists of a most popular one of the one or more results.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the aggregated search result includes sponsored information relating to a most popular one of the one or more results.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the aggregated search result includes sponsored information relating to a most popular one of the content queries.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving client device is one of the plurality of devices.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving client device is synchronized to a live viewing of the time-based media.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving client device is synchronized to a time-shifted viewing of the time-based media.

17. A computer program product for providing sharing search activity, the computer program product comprising computer executable code embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium that, when executing on one or more computing devices, performs the steps of:

receiving a number of searches and a number of time offset from a plurality of client devices that are synchronized to an audio portion of a time-based media presentation, each one of the number of searches including a content query from one of the plurality of client devices and each one of the time offsets indicating a time within the time-based media presentation;

generating an aggregated search result for all of the plurality of client devices, the aggregated search result synchronized to a specific time offset within the time-based media; and

transmitting the aggregated search result to a receiving client device that is synchronized to the time-based media presentation at a time within the time-based media substantially corresponding to the specific time offset.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the time-based media presentation is asynchronously presented to two or more of the plurality of client devices.

19. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein at least one of the plurality of client devices receives the audio portion from a live viewing of the timebased media presentation.

20. A server comprising:

a data network interface configured to provide a communicating relationship with a data network; and

a processor configured to receive through the data network interface a number of searches and a number of time offsets from a plurality of client devices that are synchronized to an audio portion of a time-based media presentation, each one of the number of searches including a content query from one of the plurality of client devices and each one of the time offsets indicating a time within the time-based media presentation;

to generate an aggregated search result for all of the plurality of client devices, the aggregated search result synchronized to a specific time offset within the time-based media; and

to transmit the aggregated search result through the data network interface to a receiving client device that is synchronized to the time-based media presentation at a time within the time-based media substantially corresponding to the specific time offset.