Shared group consumption of the same content

• US 9,264,501 B1
• Filed: 09/17/2012
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audible Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Audible Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Story, Guy A. Jr., Arora, Ajay, Hatch, Steven D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Louie, Oscar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ton, Da T
• Application Number:
  US13/621,748
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 709203-205, 709/227, 709/231, 706/20, 715/752, 715/753, 715/835, 726/1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Features are disclosed for facilitating content consumption and communication among a group of users. A content consumption group may be formed including any number of users, and content may be selected. Group members may consume roughly the same portion of the content at roughly the same time and share the consumption experience regardless of geographic location, user device, content format, on-demand consumption preferences, and the like. Policies may be defined or selected regarding the rate of content consumption, the communications and other inputs that may be submitted by group members, and the like. A shared content consumption management system may receive data from various user devices regarding each group member'"'"'s current content consumption position, enforce group policies, and distribute group inputs. Group members may also communication in real time through various chats and other interactive features.

Claims

1. A system for managing group content consumption, the system comprising:

a non-transitory data store configured to store computer-executable instructions; and

a computing device in communication with the non-transitory data store, the computing device, when executing the computer-executable instructions, configured to;

receive, from each user device of a plurality of user devices, position data regarding a current position within a content item, the current position associated with a user of the user device, wherein the user is a member of a first user group;

calculate a permissible range of current positions in the content item within which users are permitted to engage in a first group interaction activity, wherein the permissible range of current positions is calculated based at least in part on the position data received from the plurality of user devices and a content position policy;

determine that a first current position associated with a first user of the first user group is not within the permissible range;

block availability of the first group interaction activity to the first user based at least partly on determining that the first current position associated with the first user is not within the permissible range, wherein the first user group interaction activity comprises sharing information regarding content within the permissible range of positions in the content item among members of the first user group;

detect that a next current position associated with the first user is within the permissible range; and

based at least partly on detecting that the next current position associated with the first user is within the permissible range, make the first group interaction activity available to the first user after the next current position associated with the first user is within the permissible range.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the current position of the position data received from the user device relates to a play position within the content item, a stop position within the content item, a specific location within the content item, or a portion of the content item.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the content item comprises an electronic book, an audio book, or a video.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first group interaction activity comprises transmitting commentary regarding the content item.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first group interaction activity comprises receiving commentary regarding the content item.

6. A computer-implemented method for managing group content consumption, the computer-implemented method comprising:

under control of one or more computing devices configured with specific computer-executable instructions,

receiving, from a user device, position data regarding a current position within a content item, the current position associated with a first user, wherein the first user is associated with a user group having a plurality of users, and wherein one or more group interactions among users of the user group are associated with the user group;

determining that the current position associated with the first user does not satisfy a content position policy regarding at least one permissible position within the content item at which the first user is permitted to engage in at least a first group interaction of the one or more group interactions;

in response to determining that the current position does not satisfy the content position policy, restricting access of the first user to at least the first group interaction of the one or more group interactions; and

determining that a next current position associated with the first user satisfies the content position policy; and

in response to detecting that a next current position associated with the first user corresponds to the at least one permissible position, allowing access of the first user to at least the first group interaction of the one or more group interactions after the next current position associated with the first user reaches the at least one permissible position.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the current position relates to a play position within the content item, a stop position within the content item, or a portion of the content item.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the content item comprises an audio book, a musical recording, a video, a video game, or an electronic book.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the user device comprises a mobile phone, media player, electronic book reader, tablet computer, or laptop computer.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein restricting access comprises restricting access of the first user to commentary from other users of the user group.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein restricting access comprises restricting access of the first user to submit commentary to other users of the user group.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein determining that the current position associated with the first user does not satisfy the content position policy comprises generating the content position policy, and wherein generating the content position policy comprises:

calculating a mean or median current position for two or more users of the user group;

setting the at least one permissible position to the mean or median current position; and

requiring the current position associated with the first user is within a threshold distance from the at least one permissible position.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein determining that the current position associated with the first user does not satisfy the content position policy comprises generating the content position policy, and wherein generating the content position policy comprises:

obtaining a content consumption schedule comprising a schedule of content positions and corresponding points in time;

setting the at least one permissible position to a scheduled content position corresponding to a most recent point in time; and

requiring the current position associated with the first user is at or ahead of the at least one permissible position.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein determining that the current position associated with the first user does not satisfy the content position policy comprises generating the content position policy, and wherein generating the content position policy comprises:

obtaining a content consumption schedule comprising a schedule of content positions and corresponding points in time;

setting the at least one permissible position to a scheduled content position corresponding to a most recent point in time; and

requiring the current position associated with the first user is within a permissible range of the at least one permissible position.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein determining that the current position associated with the first user does not satisfy the content position policy comprises generating the content position policy, wherein generating the content position policy comprises:

setting the at least one permissible position to a predetermined content position; and

requiring that the current position associated with the first user does not exceed the at least one permissible position.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the predetermined content position is provided by a moderator of the user group or by a creator of the content item.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the predetermined content position corresponds to a particular plot development of the content item.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein a second user of the user group specifies the predetermined content position after observing the particular plot development.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising notifying the first user that the current position does not satisfy the content position policy.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising notifying the first user of a group interaction that is no longer available to the first user in response to detecting that the next current position associated with the first user corresponds to the at least one permissible position.

21. A non-transitory computer storage medium which stores a computer-executable module, said computer-executable module, when executed by one or more processors, being configured to:

obtain first position data regarding a first current position within a content item, the first current position associated with a first user, wherein the first user is associated with a user group;

determine that the first current position is not substantially similar to a desired content position associated with the user group;

in response to determining that the first current position is not substantially similar to the desired content position, block availability of a group interaction activity to the first user, wherein the group interaction activity was previously available to the first user;

obtain subsequent position data regarding a subsequent current position within the content item, the subsequent current position associated with the first user, wherein the subsequent position data is obtained subsequent to the first position data;

determine that the subsequent current position associated with the first user is substantially similar to the desired content position; and

in response to determining that the subsequent current position associated with the first user is substantially similar to the desired content position, make the first group interaction activity available to the first user.

22. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 21, wherein the current position relates to a play position within the content item, a stop position within the content item, or a portion of the content item.

23. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 21, wherein the content item comprises an audio book, a musical recording, a video, a video game, or an electronic book.

24. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 21, wherein the group interaction activity comprises communicating with one or more users of the user group regarding the content item.

25. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 21, wherein the group interaction activity comprises submitting commentary regarding the content item.

26. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 21, wherein the group interaction activity comprises accessing commentary regarding the content item.

27. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 21, wherein the executable module is further configured to notify the first user that the group interaction activity is unavailable to the first user in response to determining that the first current position is not substantially similar to the desired content position.

28. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 21, wherein the executable module is further configured to:

obtain second position data regarding a second current position within the content item, the second current position associated with a second user, wherein the second user is associated with the user group;

determine that the second current position associated with the second user is substantially similar to the desired content position; and

in response to determining that the second current position associated with the second user is substantially similar to the desired content position, make the first group interaction activity available to the second user.

29. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 21, wherein the computer-executable module is further configured to:

determine that a geographic location associated with a second user is not substantially similar to a desired geographic location; and

in response to determining that the geographic location is not substantially similar to a desired geographic location, block availability of a second group interaction activity to the second user, wherein the second group interaction activity was previously available to the second user.