Networked video devices

• US 8,776,142 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2009
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sezan, M. Ibrahim, Errico, James H., Borden, George R., Feather, Gary A., Grover, Mick G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Application Number:
  US12/584,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20090317052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,770 Days
• Field of Search: 725/46, 725/61
• US Class Current: 725/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• 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 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A collaborative information system.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

(a) a first audiovisual device capable of receiving audiovisual content and displaying said audiovisual content to a first viewer;

(b) said first audiovisual device providing first data descriptive of audiovisual content;

(c) providing said first data to a second audiovisual device capable of receiving audiovisual content and displaying said audiovisual content to a second viewer to obtain a recommendation of audiovisual content, where said second audiovisual device is part of a first group of a plurality of audiovisual devices;

(d) providing said first data to a third audiovisual device capable of receiving audiovisual content and displaying said audiovisual content to a third viewer to obtain a recommendation of audiovisual content, where said third audiovisual device is part of a second group of a plurality of audiovisual devices;

(e) wherein said data is filtered based upon a threshold related to duration of consumption of said audiovisual content, and a weighting based upon said first and second groups.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said threshold is a temporal duration.

3. A system comprising:

(a) a first audiovisual device capable of receiving audiovisual content;

(b) a second audiovisual device providing first data descriptive of audiovisual content;

(c) providing said first data to said first audiovisual device to obtain a recommendation of audiovisual content;

(d) said second audiovisual device capable of receiving audiovisual content;

(e) a third audiovisual device providing second data descriptive of audiovisual content;

(f) providing said second data to said first audiovisual device to obtain a recommendation of audiovisual content;

(g) wherein said first data and said second data is weighted with a different weighting based upon said second audiovisual device and said third audiovisual device;

(h) wherein said third audiovisual device is joined to a first group;

(i) wherein said second audiovisual device is joined to a second group

(j) wherein said weighting is based upon said first and second groups.

4. A system comprising:

(a) a first audiovisual device capable of receiving audiovisual content and capable of displaying said audiovisual content to a first viewer;

(b) said first audiovisual device providing first data descriptive of said audiovisual content;

(c) providing said first data to a second audiovisual device capable of receiving audiovisual content and capable of displaying said audiovisual content to a second viewer to obtain a recommendation of audiovisual content;

(d) wherein said first data is identified with at least one of the following characteristics;

(i) an indication of how said audiovisual content associated with said first data is being consumed;

(ii) an indication of services available from said first audiovisual device;

(iii) an indication of data available from said first audiovisual device.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said indication includes whether a viewer is currently watching said audiovisual content.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein said indication includes whether a viewer is not currently watching said audiovisual content.

7. A system comprising:

(a) a first audiovisual device capable of receiving audiovisual content and displaying said audiovisual content to a first viewer;

(b) said first audiovisual device providing first data descriptive of audiovisual content;

(c) providing said first data to a second audiovisual device capable of receiving audiovisual content and displaying said audiovisual content to a first viewer to obtain a recommendation of audiovisual content;

(d) a remote associated with said second audiovisual device receiving second data to obtain a recommendation of audiovisual content, where said recommendation is provided to said second audiovisual device, where said second audiovisual device provides said recommendation to said first audiovisual device.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said first data and said second data are the same data.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein said first data and said second data are different data.

10. A system comprising:

(a) a first audiovisual device capable of receiving audiovisual content;

(b) said first audiovisual device providing first data descriptive of audiovisual content;

(c) providing said first data to a second audiovisual device to obtain a recommendation of audiovisual content;

(d) wherein said recommendation includes non-linear navigation of said audiovisual content while said first audiovisual device is playing said audiovisual content.