Asynchronous interaction at specific points in content

• US 9,112,623 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2011
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Blaxland, Thomas Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Sumaiya A
• Application Number:
  US13/153,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20120311618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,534 Days
• Field of Search: 725/110, 725/114, 725/117
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods for allowing comments to be input at specific points in delivered content are provided. The systems, devices and methods may comprise specific content items, at least one request from a device for interacting with the specific content, and a comment provided by at least one user via the device in relation to the interacted one of the specific content. The comment may be recorded and later provided at the point of the comment to a second user while the second user plays back the specific content.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first computing device from a second computing device via a network, a comment associated with content being output to a user associated with the second computing device;

determining a specific time in the content based on a lag time of a signal transmitted between the first computing device and the second computing device and based on an indication of a time that the user initiated entry of the comment;

correlating, by the first computing device, the comment with the specific time in the content;

storing, by the first computing device, the comment, the specific time associated with the comment, and an identifier of the second computing device or the user associated with the comment;

determining, by the first computing device, a plurality of contacts associated with the user;

after receiving the comment, determining, by the first computing device based on the content and information regarding interests of the plurality of contacts, a subset of contacts, among the plurality of contacts, that are expected to be interested in the content; and

transmitting, by the first computing device to a third computing device associated with at least one of the subset of contacts, a notification of the comment or transmitting, by the first computing device to the third computing device, the comment to cause the comment to be output to the at least one of the subset of contacts at the specific time in the content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the comment comprises transmitting the comment with the content, wherein the content comprises switched-digital-video (SDV) content or video-on-demand (VOD) content.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a short message system message comprising a second comment associated with the content;

receiving an indication that a second user initiated entry of the second comment; and

correlating, by the first computing device, the second comment with a second time in the content based on the indication, the second time corresponding to a time in the content when the second user initiated entry of the second comment.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second comment associated with the content via an internet protocol network; and

correlating, by the first computing device, the second comment with a second specific time in the content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the correlating comprises correlating, by an edge server, the comment with the specific time in the content.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the second computing device or the user associated with the second computing device based on a phone number associated with the second computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the notification comprises:

sending an email comprising a link to access the comment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is configured to cause an alert to be output to the at least one of the subset of contacts at the specific time in the content, the alert indicating that the comment is available.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the comment comprises:

receiving a voice message during a phone call, the voice message comprising the comment;

or

receiving a short message system message comprising the comment.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to the receiving the comment, transmitting the content to the second computing device via a content distribution network, wherein the second computing device comprises a terminal,

wherein the receiving, by the first computing device from the second computing device via the network, the comment comprises receiving, by the first computing device from the terminal via the content distribution network, the comment.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the subset of contacts comprises:

determining that the user is a member of a club related to the content; and

determining at least one other member of the club as the subset of contacts.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the plurality of contacts comprises determining other users linked to the user through a social network communication system.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining the subset of contacts comprises determining those of the plurality of contacts that have posted, via the social network communication system, information associated with the content.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the plurality of contacts comprises determining other users identified in an address book of the user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining the subset of contacts comprises determining those of the plurality of contacts that have received or sent an email comprising information associated with the content.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining the subset of contacts comprises filtering the address book based on profiles of the other users identified in the address book to determine those that are expected to be interested in the content.

17. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to;

receive, from a first computing device via a network, a comment associated with content being output to a user associated with the first computing device;

determine a specific time in the content based on a lag time of a signal transmitted between the apparatus and the first computing device and based on an indication of a time that the user initiated entry of the comment;

correlate the comment with the specific time in the content;

store the comment, the specific time associated with the comment, and an identifier of the first computing device or the user associated with the comment;

determine a plurality of contacts associated with the user;

after receiving the comment, determine, based on the content and information regarding interests of the plurality of contacts, a subset of contacts, among the plurality of contacts, that are expected to be interested in the content; and

transmit, to a second computing device associated with at least one of the subset of contacts, a notification of the comment or transmit, to the second computing device, the comment to cause the comment to be output to the at least one of the subset of contacts at the specific time in the content.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to:

determine that the user is a member of a club related to the content; and

determine at least one other member in the club as the subset of contacts.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein determining the plurality of contacts comprises determining other users linked to the user through a social network communication system.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein determining the subset of contacts comprises determining at least one of the plurality of contacts that has posted, via the social network communication system, information associated with the content.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein determining the plurality of contacts comprises determining other users identified in an address book of the user.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein determining the subset of contacts comprises determining at least one of the plurality of contacts that has received or sent an email comprising information associated with the content.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein determining the subset of contacts comprises filtering the address book based on profiles of the other users identified in the address book to determine those that are expected to be interested in the content.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a first computing device to:

receive, from a second computing device via a network, a comment associated with content being output to a user associated with the second computing device;

determine a specific time in the content based on a lag time of a signal transmitted between the first computing device and the second computing device and based on an indication of a time that the user initiated entry of the comment;

correlate the comment with the specific time in the content;

store the comment, the specific time associated with the comment, and an identifier of the second computing device or the user associated with the comment;

determine a plurality of contacts associated with the user;

after receiving the comment, determine, based on the content and information regarding interests of the plurality of contacts, a subset of contacts, among the plurality of contacts, that are expected to be interested in the content; and

transmit, to a third computing device associated with at least one of the subset of contacts, a notification of the comment or transmit, to the third computing device, the comment to cause the comment to be output to the at least one of the subset of contacts at the specific time in the content.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein determining the subset of contacts comprises determining that the subset of contacts and the user are members of a group associated with the content.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first computing device to transmit the content with the comment incorporated therein, and wherein the content comprises on-demand content.