System and method for organizing group content presentations and group communications during the same

• US 8,832,760 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2007
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Pictures Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Pictures Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Eklund, Don Charles II, Feingold, Ben
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruckart, Benjamin R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malangone, Carmine
• Application Number:
  US11/688,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20070283403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,731 Days
• Field of Search: 725/80, 725/97, 725/105, 725/116, 348 1401- 1415, 348/14
• US Class Current: 725/97
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 Ball
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43 Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4508 Management of client data or end-user data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A system and method are provided that allow the presentation of content to multiple users while some or all of the users communicate with one another through a network. In some embodiments, a content item such as a movie is viewed synchronously by multiple users while the users interact through, e.g., instant messaging. A viewing event may be arranged with users receiving invitations, responding to the invitations, and receiving reminders about the viewing event. The viewing event allows for contests to be conducted between the users. The users may be charged fees to participate in the viewing event. Items for sale may be offered to the users, such as a copy of the content item.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a viewing event of a content item for a prearranged group of participants and for providing communications therebetween, comprising:

a. receiving identification information about at least two potential participants of a group for a viewing event, each potential participant having a system for playing back the viewing event;

b. transmitting an invitation to the at least two potential participants to join the group for the viewing event;

c. receiving responses from one or more of the potential participants; and

d. if the response is to accept the invitation to join the group, then enrolling the corresponding one or more potential participants in the group of participants, and determining if each of the one or more potential participant'"'"'s system has a viewing event application disposed thereon, and if any of the one or more potential participant'"'"'s system does not have a viewing event application disposed thereon, then downloading a copy of the viewing event application to the corresponding one or more potential participant'"'"'s system, and

wherein if the response is to accept the invitation to join the group, then further comprising determining a connection bandwidth of each of the corresponding one or more potential participants system, and determining based on each connection bandwidth if either

(1) all or a portion of the content item should be encrypted and downloaded to each of the corresponding one or more potential participant'"'"'s system prior to beginning of the viewing event, or (2) if the content item should be streamed continuously to each of the corresponding one or more potential participant'"'"'s system, the encryption serving to disallow playback of the content item prior to the beginning of the viewing event; and

e. wherein the identification information includes at least information corresponding to a setup of a text-based chat channel for the one or more potential participants to the group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of each connection bandwidth includes querying the one or more potential participants about a connection type of their system.

3. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing instructions for causing a computer to implement the method of claim 1.

4. A server-based system for conducting and organizing a viewing event of a content item for a prearranged group of participants and for providing communications therebetween, comprising at least one server with the following modules executed in hardware:

a. an organization module, the organization module configured to;

i. receive, through a data network, identification information about at least two potential participants of a group for a viewing event, each potential participant having a system for playing back the viewing event;

ii. invite the at least two potential participants to join the group for the viewing event;

iii. receive responses from one or more of the at least two potential participants; and

iv. if the response is to accept the invitation to join the group, then the organization module is configured to enroll the corresponding-one or more potential participants in the group of participants, and determine if each of the one or more potential corresponding participant'"'"'s system has a viewing event application disposed thereon, and if any of the one or more potential participant'"'"'s system does not have a viewing event application disposed thereon, then the organization module is configured to download a copy of the viewing event application to a corresponding one or more potential participant'"'"'s system, and

wherein if the response is to accept the invitation to join the group, then the organization module is further configured to determine a connection bandwidth of each of the one or more potential participants system, and determine based on each connection bandwidth if either

(1) all or a portion of the content item should be encrypted and downloaded to each of the corresponding one or more potential participant'"'"'s system prior to a beginning of the viewing event, or

(2) if the content item should be streamed continuously to each of the corresponding one or more potential participant'"'"'s system, the encryption serving to disallow playback of the content item prior to the beginning of the viewing event;

b. a viewing event module, the viewing event module configured to;

i. synchronously begin playback of the content item, whereby the viewing event is begun; and

ii. operate a text-based chat channel before, during, or after the viewing event.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the organization module and the viewing event module are located on a same server.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the organization module is located on one server and the viewing event module is located on another server.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the content item is a movie.

8. The system of claim 4, further comprising an incentive module, the incentive module configured to send to each of the one or more potential participant'"'"'s system a message selected from the group consisting of:

an offer for sale of an item related to the content item, a question about the content item, or an offer to participate in a contest about the content item.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein at least one participant of the group for the viewing event is an authorized participant, and wherein the viewing event module is further configured to allow trick playback of a content item by the authorized participant but not by participants who are not authorized participants, the trick playback appearing on all systems of the group.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein at least one participant of the group for the viewing event is an authorized participant, and wherein the viewing event module is further configured to allow trick playback of a content item by the authorized participant but not by participants who are not authorized participants, the trick playback appearing on only the authorized participant'"'"'s system.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the viewing event module is further configured to, following trick playback of a content item by the authorized participant, resynchronize all group systems to a common location in the playback of the content item.

12. The system of claim 4, wherein the viewing event module is configured to synchronously begin playback by sending a signal to each participant'"'"'s system, the signal causing playback or streaming of the content item.

13. The system of claim 4, wherein the playback is synchronously begun at a predetermined time.