System and method for displaying media usage

• US 8,631,428 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2009
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• 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: Scott, Charles, Mukerji, Ankur, White, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): SALCE, JASON P
• Application Number:
  US12/627,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20110131593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,506 Days
• Field of Search: 725/9, 725 14- 16, 725/28, 725 34- 35, 725/40, 725/43, 725 51- 52, 707/708
• US Class Current: 725/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP

Abstract

A system for executing a method is disclosed for monitoring video data, the method including but not limited to monitoring end user activity data for media usage for a plurality of end user client devices associated with a designated group of end users in an internet protocol television (IPTV) system; receiving from a first one of the end user client devices, avatar data indicating at least one search criterion within the end user activity data; searching the end user activity data based on the at least one search criterion; and sending to the first one of the end user client devices, search result data from the search based on the at least one search criterion.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring video data usage, the method comprising:

monitoring end user activity data for media usage for a plurality of access devices associated with a first one of a plurality of end users in an internet protocol television system;

receiving from a first one of the access devices, avatar data indicating a plurality of search criteria comprising gender, age, location and end user device type for searching within the end user activity data;

searching the end user activity data based on the search criteria;

sending to the first one of the access devices, search result data from the search based on the search criteria, wherein the search result data indicates media usage for each of a plurality of avatars having all of the plurality of search criteria, wherein each of the plurality of avatars represents one of a plurality of end users whose media usage indicates that the each of the plurality of end users are watching, recording, or have recorded a program listings, wherein the search result data comprises avatar attributes that indicate a current access device for a second end user;

receiving avatar selection data from the first access device indicating a second end user selected from one of the plurality of avatars;

determining if a profile setting for an end user profile for the second end user indicates that media usage for the second access device can be joined; and

joining the second access device with the first end user client device in the media usage when the end user profile for the second access device indicates that the first end user can be joined in the media usage.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the media usage is a conference telephone call including the first end user and wherein the joining includes joining the second end user in the conference telephone call including the first end user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the media further comprises video streams and the joining includes the second end user joining in visiting a web site with the first end user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the search result data indicates an end user attribute for an end user indicated by the search result data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the search criteria indicates a buddy list for the first one of the end user devices and a list of end user devices for the buddy list.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the search result data further comprises a search result avatar attribute indicating a current end user device type for each end user on the list of end users wherein the current end user device type is not indicated in an end user'"'"'s profile for the end users on the buddy list.

7. The method of claim 5, the method further comprising:

receiving an avatar selection datum from the first one of the end user client devices, wherein the avatar selection datum indicates a second current access device; and

establishing communication between a current end user access device for the first end user and the current access device for the second end user.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the search result data is a location.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing a computer program comprising instructions that when executed by a computer monitor video data, the computer program comprising:

instructions to monitor end user activity data for media usage for a plurality of access devices associated with a first one of a plurality of end users in an interne protocol television system;

instructions to receive from a first one of the access devices, avatar data indicating a plurality of search criteria comprising gender, age, location and end user device type for searching within the end user activity data;

instructions to search the end user activity data based on the search criteria;

instructions to send to the first one of the access devices, search result data from the search based on the search criteria, wherein the search result data indicates media usage for each of a plurality of avatars having all of the plurality of search criteria, wherein each of the plurality of avatars represents one of a plurality of end users whose media usage indicates that the each of the plurality of end users are watching, recording, or have recorded a program listings, wherein the search result data comprises avatar attributes that indicate a current access device for a second end user;

receiving avatar selection data from the first access device indicating a second end user selected from one of the plurality of avatars;

determining if a profile setting for an end user profile for the second end user indicates that media usage for the second access device can be joined; and

joining the second access device with the first end user client device in the media usage when the end user profile for the second access device indicates that the first end user can be joined in the media usage,

instructions to determine if a profile setting for the end user profile for the second end user indicated by the avatar selection data indicates that the media usage can be joined; and

instructions to join the second end user with first end user in the media usage when the profile setting for media usage indicates that the first end user can be joined in the media usage.

10. The medium of claim 9, wherein the media usage is a conference telephone call including the first end user and the joining is joining the second end user in the conference telephone call including the first end user.

11. The medium of claim 9, wherein the media further comprises and the instructions comprise instructions to join the second end user joining in visiting a web site with the first end user.

12. The medium of claim 9, wherein the search result data further indicates an end user attribute for an end user indicated by the search result.

13. The medium of claim 9, wherein the search indicates a buddy list for the first one of the end user devices and a list of current end user devices for the buddy list.

14. The medium of claim 13, wherein the search result data further comprises a search result avatar attribute indicating a current end user device type for each end user on the list of end users.

15. The medium of claim 14, wherein the search result further comprises an internet protocol television network component associated with the end user device for determining end users and current end user device types currently associated with the internet protocol television network component, wherein the internet protocol television network component is a digital service line aggregator.

16. The medium of claim 13, the computer program further comprising:

instructions to receive an avatar selection datum from the first end user client device, wherein the avatar selection datum indicates a second current access device; and

instructions to establish communication between a current end user device for the first end user and the second end user device for the second end user.

17. The medium of claim 12, wherein the search result data is gender, age and location.