Methods and systems for creating and managing multi participant sessions

• US 9,538,250 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2014
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Comigo Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Comigo Ltd.
• Inventors: Moran, Dov, Lentzitzky, Motty, Teicher, Mordechai
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruckart, Benjamin R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malangone, Carmine
• Application Number:
  US14/582,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20150172338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/278 Content descriptor database or directory service for end-user access details of content or meta data based information retrieval of video data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42201 biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• 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 21/4334 : Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 : Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44226 : on social networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 : Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 : for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 : End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 : for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 : for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 : for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 : Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 : e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• 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 21/4886 : for displaying a ticker, e.g. scrolling banner for news, stock exchange, weather data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 : using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64784 : Data processing by the network data processing in packet switching systems H04L12/56; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90; provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 : End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 : Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8545 : for generating interactive applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 : Conference systems

Abstract

A method of creating a multi participant session among a plurality of viewers of media content. The method comprises automatically identifying which media content is currently presented on a plurality of client terminals of a plurality of subscribers, receiving, from a first subscriber, a first selection indicative of a template of a multi participant session object and a second selection indicative of a group from the plurality of subscribers, creating a multi participant session object adapted for simultaneous presentation with the media content according to first and second selections and establishing a multi participant session among at least one member of the group and the first subscriber using the multi participant session object.

Claims

1. A method for managing a multi-participant session, comprising:

establishing a multi-participant session among a plurality of subscribers on a plurality of client terminals using at least one server connected to a network, wherein said multi-participant session establishes network communication of at least one of video signals, audio signals, and signals of a social interactive activity of said plurality of subscribers between said plurality of client terminals used by said plurality of subscribers;

capturing a plurality of image sequences, wherein each one of said plurality of image sequences is captured using a camera of one of said plurality of client terminals which are connected to said network;

automatically detecting a change in a participation level of one of said plurality of subscribers in said multi-participant session by performing an analysis of said plurality of image sequences,

wherein, depending on a genre of media content being presented to said plurality of subscribers, said automatically detecting said change in participation level comprises identifying sparse participation by detecting participation for less than a minimal participation period during a monitoring period of time more than a certain interval of time, said monitoring period of time is modified from a default period to another based on said genre of said media content being presented, wherein said certain interval of time is greater than said minimal participation period;

in response to said detected change automatically executing one of;

(i) terminating a participation of said one of said plurality of subscribers in said multi-participant session by ending said network communication between a client terminal of said one of said plurality of subscribers and other client terminals of said plurality of client terminals, and (ii) terminating the multi-participant session by ending said network communication between all of said plurality of client terminals,

wherein each subscriber of the plurality of subscribers participates in said multi-participant session using his own respective client terminal; and

extracting social connections among said plurality of subscribers from a social network database mapping social connections among a plurality of users, wherein said one of (i) terminating said participation of said one of said plurality of subscribers and (ii) terminating said multi-participant session is based on an amount of said plurality of subscribers that are socially connected according to said extracted social connections of said plurality of subscribers of said established multi-participant session, wherein said (ii) termination of said multi-participant session is further based on an active/inactive status of at least one of said plurality of subscribers of said established multi-participant session that are socially connected according to said extracted social connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatically detecting comprises detecting presence of a face in one of said plurality of image sequences.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatically detecting comprises detecting absence of a face in one of said plurality of image sequences.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatically detecting comprises detecting closed eyes of at least one of said plurality of subscribers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatically detecting comprises detecting talking activity of at least one of said plurality of subscribers with a person which is not one of said plurality of subscribers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said doing one of terminating a participation of said one of said plurality of subscribers in said multi-participant session and terminating the multi-participant session is performed when said participation level is below a minimal level.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a type of content of a media content currently displayed on at least one of said plurality of client terminals, wherein said automatically detecting is based on said identified type.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying at least one characteristic of at least one of said plurality of subscribers, wherein said automatically detecting is based on said identified at least one characteristic.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of client terminals includes at least one internet protocol television (IPTV).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of client terminals includes at least one set top box.

11. A computer readable non-transitory medium comprising computer executable instructions to perform the method of claim 1.

12. A system for managing a multi-participant session, comprising:

a plurality of client modules installed in a plurality of client terminals which are connected to a network;

at least one server having a hardware processor which executes code instructions for;

establishing a multi-participant session among a plurality of subscribers who use said plurality of client terminals, wherein said multi-participant session establishes network communication of at least one of video signals, audio signals, and signals of a social interactive activity of said plurality of subscribers between said plurality of client terminals used by said plurality of subscribers;

receiving a plurality of image sequences each captured by a camera connected to one of said plurality of client terminals;

automatically detecting a change in a participation level of one of said plurality of subscribers by performing an analysis of said plurality of image sequences,

wherein, depending on a genre of media content being presented to said plurality of subscribers, said automatically detecting said change in participation level comprises identifying sparse participation by detecting participation for less than a minimal participation period during a monitoring period of time more than a certain interval of time, said monitoring period of time is modified from a default period to another based on said genre of said media content being presented, wherein said certain interval of time is greater than said minimal participation period;

in response to said detected change automatically executing one of;

(i) terminating a participation of said one of said plurality of subscribers in said multi-participant session by ending said network communication between a client terminal of said one of said plurality of subscribers and other client terminals of said plurality of client terminals, and (ii) terminating the multi-participant session by ending said network communication between all of said plurality of client terminals,

wherein each subscriber of the plurality of subscribers participates in said multi-participant session using his own respective client terminal; and

extracting social connections among said plurality of subscribers from a social network database mapping social connections among a plurality of users, wherein said one of (i) terminating said participation of said one of said plurality of subscribers and (ii) terminating said multi-participant session is based on an amount of said plurality of subscribers that are socially connected according to said extracted social connections of said plurality of subscribers of said established multi-participant session, wherein said (ii) termination of said multi-participant session is further based on an active/inactive status of at least one of said plurality of subscribers of said established multi-participant session that are socially connected according to said extracted social connection.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium for managing a multi-participant session comprising instructions stored thereon, that when executed on a processor of at least one server connected to a network for establishing a multi-participant session among a plurality of subscribers who use a plurality of client terminals connected to said network, said multi-participant session establishing network communication of at least one of video signals, audio signals, and signals of a social interactive activity of said plurality of subscribers between said plurality of client terminals used by said plurality of subscribers, perform the steps of:

receiving a plurality of image sequences each taken by a camera connected to one of said plurality of client terminals;

automatically detecting a change in a participation level of one of said plurality of subscribers in said multi-participant session by performing an analysis of said plurality of image sequences, wherein said multi-participant session includes communication between said plurality of subscribers,

wherein, depending on a genre of media content being presented to said plurality of subscribers, said automatically detecting said change in participation level comprises identifying sparse participation by detecting participation for less than a minimal participation period during a monitoring period of time more than a certain interval of time, said monitoring period of time is modified from a default period to another based on said genre of said media content being presented, wherein said certain interval of time is greater than said minimal participation period;

in response to said detected change automatically executing one of;

(i) terminating a participation of said one of said plurality of subscribers in said multi-participant session by ending said network communication between a client terminal of said one of said plurality of subscribers and other client terminals of said plurality of client terminals, and (ii) terminating the multi-participant session by ending said network communication between all of said plurality of client terminals,

wherein each subscriber of the plurality of subscribers participates in said multi-participant session using his own respective client terminal; and

extracting social connections among said plurality of subscribers from a social network database mapping social connections among a plurality of users, wherein said one of (i) terminating said participation of said one of said plurality of subscribers and (ii) terminating said multi-participant session is based on an amount of said subscribers that are socially connected according to said extracted social connections of said plurality of subscribers of said established multi-participant session, wherein said (ii) termination of said multi-participant session is further based on an active/inactive status of at least one of said plurality of subscribers of said established multi-participant session that are socially connected according to said extracted social connection.