Broadcast notifications using social networking systems

• US 8,819,134 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2010
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ustream Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Ham, John, Schlicht, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): GREENE, JOSEPH L
• Application Number:
  US12/949,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20110125846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1066 Session management

Abstract

A notifier sends out notifications to potential viewers or listeners of a broadcast stream via social networking systems or other communication channels. The notifier stores information about a user'"'"'s preferences and identity on the social networking systems. After the notifier receives a notification request from a broadcaster, the notifier commands broadcaster agents deployed in the social networking systems or in the notifier to send notification messages to users of the social networking systems registered to receive notification. The broadcaster agents function as a proxy that establishes relationships with users of the social networking systems and then sends out the notification messages to the users with established relationships.

Claims

1. A method of notifying media broadcast streams to a plurality of users, comprising:

receiving information for registering a broadcaster;

automatically deploying social networking entities representing the broadcaster in a plurality of social networking systems for communicating with a subset of users of the plurality of social networking systems responsive to receiving the information for registering the broadcaster;

receiving a request to notify a media broadcast stream from the broadcaster;

receiving preferences from users of the plurality of social networking systems, the preferences indicating characteristics of media broadcast streams of interest to the users, each of the social networking systems enabling users to communicate and interact with other users of the social networking system based on relationships between users of the social networking system stored in a user relationship database;

by a computing device, causing a social networking entity representing the broadcaster in each of the plurality of social networking systems to establish relationships with a subset of users in each of the plurality of social networking systems based on the received preferences, preferences of the subset of users indicating that the media broadcast stream from the broadcaster to be of interest to the subset of users; and

causing the plurality of social networking systems to send notifications about the media broadcast stream to the subset of the users based on the established relationships between the social networking entities and the subset of users responsive to receiving the request from the broadcaster.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information about the media broadcast stream from the broadcaster; and

selecting the subset of users based on the preferences and the information about the media broadcast stream.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the preferences include one or more of (i) a manner convenient for receiving the notification, (ii) types of media broadcast streams of interest, (iii) whether to schedule an event or record the media broadcast stream when the media broadcast stream becomes active, (iv) keywords associated with preferred media broadcast streams, (v) geological location of the users, and (v) receiving of a notification based on whether other users in a network system is viewing or listening to the media broadcast stream.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the notifications include a link for accessing the media broadcast stream.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether to recommend the media broadcast stream to one or more of the users based on the preferences and relationships between the users in the social networking systems.

6. A notification system for notifying a media broadcast stream to a plurality of users, the notification system comprising:

a processor;

a broadcaster interface configured to receive information for registering a broadcaster and configured to receive a request to notify a media broadcast stream from a broadcaster;

a preference setter configured to receive preferences from users of a plurality of social networking systems, the preferences indicating characteristics of media broadcast streams of interest to the users, each of the social networking systems enabling users to communicate and interact with other users of the social networking system based on relationships between users of the social networking system stored in a user relationship database; and

a social networking service interface configured to;

automatically deploy social networking entities representing the broadcaster in the plurality of the social networking systems responsive to receiving the information for registering the broadcaster,

cause a social networking entity representing the broadcaster in each of the plurality of social networking systems to establish relationships with a subset of users in each of the social networking systems based on the received preferences, and

cause the social networking systems to send notifications about the media broadcast stream of the broadcaster to the subset of the users based on the established relationships between the social networking entities and the subset of users responsive to receiving the request from the broadcaster.

7. The notification system of claim 6, wherein the broadcaster interface is further configured to receive information about the media broadcast stream from the broadcaster, and wherein the network interface is configured to select the subset of users based on the preferences and the information about the media broadcast stream.

8. The notification system of claim 6, wherein the preferences include one or more of (i) a manner convenient for receiving the notification, (ii) types of media broadcast streams of interest, (iii) whether to schedule an event or record the media broadcast stream when the media broadcast stream becomes active, (iv) keywords associated with preferred media broadcast streams, (v) geological location of the users, and (v) receiving of a notification based on whether other users in a network system is viewing or listening to the media broadcast stream.

9. The notification system of claim 6, wherein the notifications include a link for accessing the media broadcast stream.

10. The notification system of claim 6, further comprising an intelligent engine configured to determine whether to recommend the media broadcast stream to one or more of the users based on the preferences and relationships between the users in the plurality of social networking systems.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, the instructions when executed by a processor in a computing device, cause the processor to:

receive information for registering a broadcaster;

automatically deploy social networking entities representing the broadcaster in a plurality of social networking systems for communicating with a subset of users of the plurality of social networking systems responsive to receiving the information for registering the broadcaster;

receive a request to notify a media broadcast stream from the broadcaster;

receive preferences from users of the plurality of social networking systems, the preferences indicating characteristics of media broadcast streams of interest to the users, each of the social networking systems enabling users to communicate and interact with other users of the social networking system based on relationships between users of the social networking system stored in a user relationship database;

causing a social networking entity representing the broadcaster in each of the plurality of social networking systems to establish relationships with a subset of users in each of the plurality of social networking systems based on the received preferences, preferences of the subset of users indicating that the media broadcast stream from the broadcaster to be of interest to the subset of users

causing the social networking system to send notifications about the media broadcast stream to the subset of the users based on the established relationships between the social networking entities and the subset of users responsive to receiving the request from the broadcaster.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further further storing instructions to receive information about the media broadcast stream from the broadcaster, wherein the network interface is configured to select the subset of users based on the preferences and the information about the media broadcast stream.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein further comprising instructing the plurality of social networking systems establish relationships between the social networking entities and the users.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the preferences include one or more of (i) a manner convenient for receiving the notification, (ii) types of media broadcast streams of interest, (iii) whether to schedule an event or record the media broadcast stream when the media broadcast stream becomes active, (iv) keywords associated with preferred media broadcast streams, (v) geological location of the users, and (v) receiving of a notification based on whether other users in a network system is viewing or listening to the media broadcast stream.