Methods, communication device, and communication system for presenting multi-media content in conjunction with user identifications corresponding to the same channel number

• US 8,813,163 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2006
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cyberlink Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cyberlink Corporation
• Inventors: Chiang, Yueh-Hsuan
• Primary Examiner(s): MENGESHA, MULUGETA A
• Application Number:
  US11/420,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20070277217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,007 Days
• Field of Search: 725135-139
• US Class Current: 725/135
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• 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 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A method for presenting multi-media contents on a specific communication device is disclosed. The method includes detecting a multi-media content channel currently tuned by the specific communication device; and in addition to a specific multi-media content corresponding to a specific channel number currently tuned by the specific communication device, presenting an information communication user interface.

Claims

1. A method for presenting multi-media contents on a specific communication device, comprising the steps of:

registering at least one of a plurality of user identifications at a server via a communication network;

utilizing the specific communication device to access the communication network;

detecting multi-media content channels currently tuned by registered communication devices on the communication network; and

in addition to a specific multi-media content corresponding to a specific channel number currently tuned by the specific communication device, presenting an information communication user interface that displays user identifications and the corresponding tuned channel numbers, wherein a microprocessor executes a program execution code to control a video processor to display the registered user identifications of other users that are watching the same multi-media content channel.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

before detecting the multi-media content channel currently tuned by the specific communication device, receiving a plurality of multi-media content channels.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the tuned channel numbers correspond to the same specific channel number currently tuned by the specific communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of presenting the information communication user interface comprises:

sending user input to or receiving user input from communication devices through the information communication user interface.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the communication devices correspond to the same specific channel number currently tuned by the specific communication device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the communication devices do not correspond to the specific channel number currently tuned by the specific communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each multi-media content channel is a TV program channel.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the forums can be selected in order to view the forum content and to facilitate communication between the user and the forums.

8. A communication device for presenting multi-media contents on a display device, the communication device comprising:

a video processor, for receiving a specific multi-media content and processing the specific multi-media content to drive the display device;

a microprocessor, coupled to the video processor; and

a storage device, coupled to the microprocessor, for storing a program execution code, the program execution code executed by the microprocessor being for;

registering at least one of a plurality of user identifications at a server via a communication network;

accessing the communication network;

detecting a multi-media content channel currently tuned by the specific communication device and detecting multi-media content currently tuned by registered communication devices on the communication network; and

in addition to the specific multi-media content corresponding to a specific channel number currently tuned by the specific communication device, controlling the video processor to drive the display device to present an information communication user interface that displays user identifications, and displays the corresponding tuned channel numbers, wherein a microprocessor executes a program execution code to control a video processor to display the registered user identifications of other users that are watching the same multi-media content channel.

9. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the communication device receives a plurality of multi-media content channels before detecting the multi-media content channel currently tuned by the specific communication device.

10. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the communication devices correspond to the same specific channel number currently tuned by the specific communication device.

11. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the microprocessor further executes the program execution code to control the video processor to drive the display device to send user input to or receive user input from communication devices through the information communication user interface.

12. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the communication devices correspond to the same specific channel number currently tuned by the specific communication device.

13. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the communication devices do not correspond to the specific channel number currently tuned by the specific communication device.

14. The communication device of claim 8, wherein each multi-media content channel is a TV program channel.

15. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the microprocessor further executes the program execution code to control the video processor to drive the display device to received information that is not user input.

16. A method for presenting multi-media contents on a specific communication device, comprising the steps of:

registering at least one of a plurality of user identifications at a server via a communication network;

utilizing the specific communication device to access the communication network;

detecting multi-media content channels currently tuned by registered communication devices on the communication network; and

in addition to a specific multi-media content corresponding to a specific channel number currently tuned by the specific communication device, presenting an information communication user interface that displays user identifications and the corresponding tuned channel numbers, wherein a microprocessor executes a program execution code to control a video processor to display the registered user identifications of other users that are watching the same multi-media content channel, and the corresponding tuned channel numbers are different from the specific channel number.

17. A communication device for presenting multi-media contents on a display device, the communication device comprising:

a video processor, for receiving a specific multi-media content and processing the specific multi-media content to drive the display device;

a microprocessor, coupled to the video processor; and

a storage device, coupled to the microprocessor, for storing a program execution code, the program execution code executed by the microprocessor being for;

registering at least one of a plurality of user identifications at a server via a communication network;

accessing the communication network;

detecting a multi-media content channel currently tuned by the specific communication device and detecting multi-media content currently tuned by registered communication devices on the communication network; and

in addition to the specific multi-media content corresponding to a specific channel number currently tuned by the specific communication device, controlling the video processor to drive the display device to present an information communication user interface that displays user identifications and displays the corresponding tuned channel numbers, wherein a microprocessor executes a program execution code to control a video processor to display the registered user identifications of other users that are watching the same multi-media content channel, and the corresponding tuned channel numbers are different from the specific channel number.