Method and system for representing audiences in ensemble experiences

• US 8,990,709 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2012
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wickr Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Net Power & Light, Inc (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lemmey, Tara
• Primary Examiner(s): LONG, ANDREA NATAE
• Application Number:
  US13/540,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20130014027A1
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 715/753, 715/757
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/86 Watching games played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• 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

Abstract

The present invention contemplates a variety of methods and techniques for representing an audience during an ensemble experience. According to one aspect, an ensemble or group experience is provided to a plurality of users. The experience includes displaying content and other information (perhaps in layers) to a specific local user. The specific user is provided an audience representation layer or “swell” interface appearing translucently over the base layer. The audience representation layer includes a plurality of marks providing certain information related to the audience. Each mark is related to an entity such as an audience member, a group, a sponsor, or a celebrity. The local user mark is distinguishable from the other plurality of marks.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for representing an audience during an ensemble experience, the computer implemented method comprising:

providing an ensemble experience to an audience being a plurality of users, including displaying on a device of a specific user, content associated with the ensemble experience in a base layer;

providing to the specific user an audience representation layer appearing translucently over the base layer, wherein the audience representation layer includes a plurality of marks providing certain information related to the audience, one of the plurality of marks being a specific user mark distinguishable from the other plurality of marks, the specific user mark indicative of the specific user;

providing at a curved boundary of the audience representation layer user controls for adjusting size and opacity of the audience representation layer;

wherein the device includes a touch screen, and providing user controls includes;

responding to a sensed touch gesture in a direction substantially perpendicular to the curved boundary of the audience representation layer by expanding or contracting the audience representation layer according to the gesture; and

responding to a sensed touch gesture in a direction substantially tangent to the curved boundary of the audience representation layer by decreasing or increasing opacity of the audience representation layer.

2. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein providing the audience representation layer includes opening the audience representation layer by swelling the audience representation layer to overlay a defined portion of the base layer.

3. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 2, wherein the audience representation layer swells into a wedge shape.

4. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of marks identifies a unique user.

5. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 4, wherein the specific user mark has a first color, and the other marks have a second color, wherein the first color and the second color are distinguishable.

6. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 5, wherein the plurality of marks are circular in shape.

7. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 6, wherein the specific user mark and the other marks have different shapes.

8. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 5, wherein the device is responsive to a gesture to provide a control input to the audience representation layer.

9. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 8, wherein the gesture is a flipping motion, and the response is to switch color between the specific user marks and the other marks.

10. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the other marks each represent an entity, the entity being either another user or a group of users.

11. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 10, wherein the marks are selectable via the device by the specific user.

12. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 11, wherein a first selection control on a given mark representing a given user causes the given mark to change to a visual representation of the given user.

13. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 12, wherein the first selection control is a single tap.

14. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 12, wherein a second selection control on the given mark eliminates the given mark from the audience representation layer.

15. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 14, wherein the second selection control is a double tap.

16. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 12, wherein a second selection control initiates an introduction process between the specific user and the given user.

17. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 11, wherein a first selection control on a given mark presents the specific user a set of options for engaging with a given entity represented by the given mark.

18. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 17, wherein the given entity represents a group of users, and the set of options includes a request to join the group of users.

19. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 11, wherein relative size of each mark provides an indication of a characteristic of each mark.

20. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 19, wherein relative mark size indicates active versus idle, role and/or association.

21. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 11, wherein motion of each mark corresponds to an event.

22. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 21, wherein a shaking motion indicates applause.

23. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 21, where motion of a given mark can be coupled with display changes to indicate a specific event.

24. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 21, wherein any mark could pulse in response to a corresponding entity taking a certain action.

25. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the other plurality of marks displayed in the audience representation layer are arranged relative to the specific user mark according to a specific algorithm.

26. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 25, wherein the specific algorithm takes into consideration social distances between the specific user and the other users.

27. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 25, wherein the specific algorithm takes into consideration geographical distance between the specific user and the other users.

28. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 25, can control a display density within the audience representation layer such that a ratio of the plurality of marks displayed divided by total audience participants can be varied.

29. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 28, wherein the device has a touch screen, and a two finger pinch gesture scales the ratio.

30. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 29, wherein the specific user can scroll or move around the audience representation layer.

31. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

providing a social graph for the specific user; and

for other users which are within a certain distance from the specific user within the social graph, providing an image for such users at corresponding marks.

32. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

providing interface controls enabling the specific user to engage with the plurality of users.

33. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 32, wherein the interface controls enable initiating a group video chat.

34. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein an interface control enables the specific user to shift a viewing angle of the audience representation layer resulting in a quasi three dimensional view.

35. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

allowing the specific user to toggle the audience representation layer into a condensed representation.