Method and apparatus for providing feedback regarding digital content within a social network

• US 8,554,891 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2008
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Capobianco, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): JACOBS, LASHONDA T
• Application Number:
  US12/076,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20090240771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,028 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/206, 709/223, 709/224, 709/217, 709/219, 707/6, 705/14.66, 705/319
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Maintaining a social network and providing corresponding access to digital content. A social network includes at least one social group having a defined membership. The content items that collectively correspond to content resource devices of the group members are identified, and feedback information for the content items is maintained based upon feedback respectively provided by group members. The feedback includes ratings, amount of usage and recommendations of the content items. Members are then provided with displays wherein the feedback is conveyed in association with the corresponding content items.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for maintaining a social network and providing corresponding access to digital content, the computer implemented method comprising:

organizing, by a computer, a social network wherein social groups respectively obtain a collective bargaining power based on usage of the social network by a respective social group and engage in shared communications, the social network comprising at least one defined social group having a plurality of members;

identifying, by a computer, a plurality of content items collectively corresponding to content resource devices of the plurality of members of the defined social group, said content resource devices being separate from computing devices used by the plurality of members to access the social network;

maintaining, by a computer, feedback information for the plurality of content items based upon feedback respectively provided by members of the defined social group in relation to the plurality of content items;

providing, by a computer, the feedback information for the plurality of content items to members of the defined social group; and

reporting, by a computer, acquisition of respective items of the plurality of content items by members of the given defined social group to an online resource, said acquisition of respective items being acquired through a discounted access negotiated by the collective bargaining power by members of the given defined social group,

wherein said usage of the social network is defined by an amount of feedback information for the plurality of content items, and

wherein the collective bargaining power is a subscription model for acquiring content through the discounted access, and wherein the discounted access comprises a discounted rate or a group rate that is lower than an individual rate.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the feedback information further comprises quantitative ratings respectively associated with the plurality of content items.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the feedback information further comprises a recommendation that is received from at least one of the members in the given defined social group, and the recommendation is forwarded to other members in the given defined social group.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the feedback information further comprises a determination of the amount of usage of respective items of the plurality of content items by members in the given defined social group.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the feedback information is solicited pursuant to an audition mode wherein a member of the defined social group specifically requests the feedback information from other members of the defined social group for a particular content item.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by a computer, an interface through which members of the given defined social group make selections of the plurality of content items for downloading from one or more other members of the given defined social group.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by a computer, an interface through which members of the given defined social group make selections of the plurality of content items for purchasing selected items of the plurality of content items from an online resource.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of content items comprise music content.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of content items comprise video content.

10. A system for maintaining a social network and providing corresponding access to digital content, the system comprising:

means for organizing a social network wherein social groups respectively obtain a collective bargaining power based on usage of the social network by a respective social group and engage in shared communications, the social network comprising at least one defined social group having a plurality of members;

means for identifying a plurality of content items collectively corresponding to content resource devices of the plurality of members of the defined social group, said content resource devices being separate from computing devices used by the plurality of members to access the social network;

means for maintaining feedback information for the plurality of content items based upon feedback respectively provided by members of the defined social group in relation to the plurality of content items; and

means for providing the feedback information for the plurality of content items to members of the defined social group; and

means for reporting, by a computer, acquisition of respective items of the plurality of content items by members of the given defined social group to an online resource, said acquisition of respective items being acquired through a discounted access negotiated by the collective bargaining power by members of the given defined social group,

wherein said usage of the social network is defined by an amount of feedback information for the plurality of content items, and

wherein the collective bargaining power is a subscription model for acquiring content through the discounted access, and wherein the discounted access comprises a discounted rate or is a group rate that is lower than an individual rate.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the feedback information comprises quantitative ratings respectively associated with the plurality of content items.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the feedback information comprises a recommendation that is received from at least one of the members in the given defined social group, and the recommendation is forwarded to other members in the given defined social group.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the feedback information further comprises a determination of the amount that members in the given defined social group use respective items of the plurality of content items.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the feedback information is solicited pursuant to an audition mode wherein a member of the defined social group specifically requests the feedback from other members of the defined social group for a particular content item.

15. A computer program product for maintaining a social network and providing corresponding access to digital content, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having program code stored thereon, the program code being executable by a computer to perform operations comprising:

organizing, by a computer, a social network wherein social groups respectively obtain a collective bargaining power based on usage of the social network by a respective social group and engage in shared communications, the social network comprising at least one defined social group having a plurality of members;

identifying, by a computer, a plurality of content items collectively corresponding to content resource devices of the plurality of members of the defined social group;

maintaining, by a computer, the feedback information for the plurality of content items based upon feedback respectively provided by members of the defined social group in relation to the plurality of content items;

providing, by a computer, the feedback information for the plurality of content items to members of the defined social group; and

reporting, by a computer, acquisition of respective items of the plurality of content items by members of the given defined social group to an online resource, said acquisition of respective items being acquired through a discounted access negotiated by the collective bargaining power by members of the given defined social group,

wherein said usage of the social network is defined by an amount of feedback information for the plurality of content items, and

wherein the collective bargaining power is a subscription model for acquiring content through the discounted access, and wherein the discounted access comprises a discounted rate or is a group rate that is lower than an individual rate.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the feedback information comprises quantitative ratings respectively associated with the plurality of content items.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the feedback information comprises a recommendation that is received from at least one of the members in the given defined social group, and the recommendation is forwarded to other members in the given defined social group.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the feedback information by a computer further comprises a determination of the amount of usage of respective items of the plurality of content items by members in the given defined social group.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the feedback information is solicited pursuant to an audition mode wherein a member of the defined social group specifically requests the feedback from other members of the defined social group for a particular content item.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

providing an interface through which members of the given defined social group make selections of the plurality of content items for downloading from one or more other members of the given defined social group.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

providing an interface through which members of the given defined social group make selections of the plurality of content items for purchasing selected ones of the plurality of content items from an online resource.