Tracking time-based selection of search results

• US 8,751,690 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2011
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• 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): WANG, LIANG CHE A
• Application Number:
  US13/097,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20110202524A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/248
• 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 search behavior data from a plurality of tracked devices, wherein the plurality of tracked devices are synchronized to a first presentation of time-based media based upon an audio component of the first presentation and wherein the search behavior data includes search result selections;

identifying a most popular one of the search result selections at a time offset within the first presentation of the time-based media;

synchronizing a device with a second presentation of the time-based media; and

transmitting a representation of the most popular one of the search results to the device synchronized to the time offset within the second presentation of the time-based media.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second presentation is concurrent with the first presentation.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second presentation is a time-shifted viewing of the time-based media.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the time-based media is a television broadcast.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of tracked devices are synchronized to the first presentation based upon an audio channel of the first presentation.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein synchronizing the device with the second presentation includes synchronizing based upon an audio channel of the second presentation.

7. A computer program product for 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 search behavior data from a plurality of tracked devices, wherein the plurality of tracked devices are synchronized to a first presentation of time-based media based upon an audio component of the first presentation and wherein the search behavior data includes search result selections;

identifying a most popular one of the search result selections at a time offset within the first presentation of the time-based media;

synchronizing a device with a second presentation of the time-based media; and

transmitting a representation of the most popular one of the search results to the device synchronized to the time offset within the second presentation of the time-based media.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the second presentation is concurrent with the first presentation.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the second presentation is a time-shifted viewing of the time-based media.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the time-based media is a television broadcast.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the plurality of tracked devices are synchronized to the first presentation based upon an audio channel of the first presentation.

12. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein synchronizing the device with the second presentation includes synchronizing based upon an audio channel of the second presentation.

13. A server comprising:

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

a database; and

a processor configured to receive search behavior data from a plurality of tracked devices through the data network interface, wherein the plurality of tracked devices are synchronized to a first presentation of time-based media based upon an audio component of the first presentation and wherein the search behavior data includes search result selections, the processor further configured to identify a most popular one of the search result selections at a time offset within the first presentation of the time-based media and to store the most popular one of the search result selections in the database, and the processor further configured to synchronize a device with a second presentation of the time-based media and to transmit a representation of the most popular one of the search results to the device synchronized to the time offset within the second presentation of the time-based media.