Systems and methods for timeshifting messages

• US 8,676,911 B1
• Filed: 11/16/2012
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Parkinson, Ian
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Oanh
• Application Number:
  US13/679,697
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/206, 709/217, 709/219, 705/319, 715/203
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43079 of additional data with content streams on multiple devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media that may be used to present messages posted on messaging networks to a user in a time-shifted manner are provided. One method includes transmitting a request to a server to provide messages posted by users of one or more messaging services. Each of the messages has a timestamp associated therewith that falls within a time range associated with the request. The timestamp is based on a time at which the message was originally posted. The method further includes receiving the messages from the server. The method further includes correlating, for each of the messages, the time at which the message was originally posted with a time in the time range associated with the request. The times are correlated based on the timestamp of the respective message. The method further includes transmitting, to one or more display devices, display data representing the messages. Display of each of the messages is shifted based on the correlation such that the messages are displayed in substantially the same manner as if the messages had been viewed live during the time range associated with the request when they were posted.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting a request to a server to provide a plurality of messages, the request comprising a specified time range during which a media program was broadcast and an identification of one or more messaging services from which to retrieve the plurality messages, each message of the plurality of messages having an associated timestamp within the time range, a first message of the plurality of messages associated with a first contact of a list of contacts and a second message of the plurality of messages associated with a second contact of the list of contacts, the list of contacts determined based on user authentication information;

receiving the plurality of messages from the server;

correlating, for each message of the plurality messages, a time at which the each message was originally posted with a time in the specified time range of the request during which the media program was broadcast based on the timestamp of the each message;

receiving a playback command to display the plurality of messages to a user; and

displaying the first message associated with the first contact at a first playback time and the second message associated with the second contact at a second playback time,

wherein the media program and the messages are shifted by approximately the same amount of time from a broadcast time of the media program and times at which the messages were originally posted, respectively, such that the messages are displayed in substantially the same manner as if the media program and messages had been viewed live when they were broadcast and posted.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request further comprises an identification of the media program, each message of the plurality of messages is determined based on search parameters specific to the media program.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting data to a first display device causing the first display device to display the media program in response to the received playback command, and

wherein the displaying of the first message and the second message comprises transmitting data to a second display device causing the second display device to display the first message and the second message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first display device is a DVR device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the time range of the request is based on a start time received from a user input device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the request further comprises one or more user-specified parameters.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more user-specified parameters comprise an identification of the first contact and the second contact of the list of contacts.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more user-specified parameters comprise one or more search terms to be used by the server to determine the messages.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more search terms includes a hashtag.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a suppression request to at least one of a messaging service or a client application for the messaging service operating on a user device, wherein the suppression request comprises a request to suppress alerts relating to one or more messages posted on the messaging service.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a computing device operably coupled to a memory and configured to;

transmit a request to a server to provide a plurality of messages, the request comprising a specified time range during which a media program was broadcast and an identification of one or more messaging services from which to retrieve the plurality messages, each message of the plurality of messages having an associated timestamp within the time range, a first message of the plurality of messages associated with a first contact of a list of contacts and a second message of the plurality of messages associated with a second contact of the list of contacts, the list of contacts determined based on user authentication;

receive the plurality of messages from the server;

correlate, for each message of the plurality messages, a time at which the each message was originally posted with a time in the specified time range of the request during which the media program was broadcast based on the timestamp of the each message;

receive a playback command to display the plurality of messages to a user; and

display the first message associated with the first contact at a first playback time and the second message associated with the second contact at a second playback time,

wherein the media program and the messages are shifted by approximately the same amount of time from a broadcast time of the media program and times at which the messages were originally posted, respectively, such that the messages are displayed in substantially the same manner as if the media program and messages had been viewed live when they were broadcast and posted.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the request further comprises one or more user-specified parameters.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more user-specified parameters comprise an identification of the first contact and the second contact of the list of contacts.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more user-specified parameters comprise one or more search terms to be used by the server to determine the messages.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the one or more search terms includes a hashtag.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the request further comprises an identification of the media program, each message of the plurality of messages is determined based on search parameters specific to the media program.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the computing device operably coupled to the memory is further configured to:

transmit data to a first display device causing the first display device to display the media program in response to the received playback command, and

wherein the displaying of the first message and the second message comprises transmitting data to a second display device causing the second display device to display the first message and the second message.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first display device is a DVR device.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

transmitting a request to a server to provide a plurality of messages, the request comprising a specified time range during which a media program was broadcast and an identification of one or more messaging services from which to retrieve the plurality messages, each message of the plurality of messages having an associated timestamp within the time range, a first message of the plurality of messages associated with a first contact of a list of contacts and a second message of the plurality of messages associated with a second contact of the list of contacts, the list of contacts determined based on user authentication information;

receiving the plurality of messages from the server;

correlating, for each message of the plurality messages, a time at which the each message was originally posted with a time in the specified time range of the request during which the media program was broadcast based on the timestamp of the each message;

receiving a playback command to display the plurality of messages to a user;

transmitting data to a first display device causing the first display device to display a media program in response to the received playback command; and

transmitting data to a second display device causing the second display device to display the first message associated with the first contact at a first playback time and the second message associated with the second contact at a second playback time,

wherein the media program and the messages are shifted by approximately the same amount of time from a broadcast time of the media program and times at which the messages were originally posted, respectively, such that the messages are displayed in substantially the same manner as if the media program and messages had been viewed live when they were broadcast and posted.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the request further comprises an identification of the first contact and the second contact of the list of contacts.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the request further comprises one or more search terms to be used by the server to determine the plurality of messages.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the one or more search terms includes a hashtag.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the first display device is a DVR device.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the second display device is set top box.