System and method for searching an internet networking client on a video device

• US 9,596,518 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2015
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Foote, Evan Michael, Davey, Martin Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Chokshi, Pinkal R
• Application Number:
  US14/669,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20150201243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7844 using original textual content or text extracted from visual content or transcript of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• 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 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44226 on social networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• 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 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method for enabling a user to display and interact with a social networking structure on a video device connected to a network enabled host device is provided. A user interface (UI) is also provided for displaying content (e.g. messages or tweets) that is output in an overlay for display on a display while program video is playing. The method provides for accessing a social networking site in response to a user input, the user input initiated while outputting a program for display, generating at least one keyword for searching the social networking site based on at least one characteristic associated with the program, retrieving content from the social networking site based the at least one keyword and outputting the retrieved content in an overlay for display simultaneous with the program.

Claims

1. A method for retrieving messages from a networking site, comprising:

receiving data associated with a video program;

accessing the networking site in response to a user input, the user input initiated while the video program is being output to a display device;

generating at least one keyword from the received data, the at least one keyword used for creating a list of identities to follow on the networking site, each identity in the list of identities to follow having an account with the networking site, the account associated with at least one of an actor, an athlete, a celebrity and a company;

retrieving from the networking site a message posted to the networking site by an identity to follow, the identity to follow being a current identity to follow selected from the list of identities;

outputting the list of identities to follow in a first display arrangement simultaneous with the program; and

outputting at least one retrieved message in a second display arrangement simultaneous with the program, the at least one retrieved message associated to the current identity to follow.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the keyword is derived from a description of the program provided in an electronic program guide.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the keyword is at least one of an actor performing in the video program, an organization related to the program, and a commercial product advertised during the program.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating at least one second keyword based on at least one of a program channel being recorded, a program channel in the user'"'"'s favorite list, and content in the at least one retrieved message.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting the generated at least one keyword in addition to the at least one retrieved message;

selecting the generated at least one keyword to generate at least one second keyword, the at least one second keyword is associated to similar content as for the generated at least one keyword; and

outputting the at least one second keyword for display.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving additional content from a predetermined identity selected by the user; and

outputting the additional content in the overlay for display on the display device with the at least one retrieved message based on the at least one keyword.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of identities is prioritized based on at least one of program usage patterns of a user and a user setting.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of identities to follow and the at least one retrieved message is output to the display device.

9. A system for retrieving messages from a networking site, comprising:

a receiver that receives data associated with the video program, the receiver further accessing the networking site in response to a user input, the user input initiated while the video program is being output to the display device;

a controller, coupled to the receiver, that generates at least one keyword from the received data, creates a list of identities to follow on the networking site based on the at least one keyword, each identity in the list of identities to follow having an account with the networking site, the account associated with at least one of an actor, an athlete, a celebrity and a company and the controller further retrieves from the networking site a message posted to the networking site by an identity to follow on the networking site based on the at least one keyword, the identity to follow being a current identity to follow selected from the list of identities; and

a display interface, coupled to the controller, that outputs the list of identities to follow in a first display arrangement simultaneous with the program and outputs at least one retrieved message in a second display arrangement simultaneous with the program, the at least one retrieved message associated to the current identity to follow.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the keyword is derived from a description of the program provided in an electronic program guide.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the keyword is at least one of an actor performing in the video program, an organization related to the program, and a commercial product advertised during the program.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller generates at least one second keyword based on at least one of a program channel being recorded, a program channel in the user'"'"'s favorite list, and content in the at least one retrieved message.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the display interface outputs the generated at least one keyword in addition to the at least one retrieved message, the system further comprising a user interface coupled to the controller, that facilitates selecting the generated at least one keyword, the controller further generating at least one second keyword based on the selection from the user interface, wherein the at least one second keyword is associated to similar content as for the generated at least one keyword, and wherein the display interface outputs the at least one second keyword.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller retrieves additional content from a predetermined identity selected by the user and the display interface displays the additional content in the overlay with the at least one retrieved message based on the at least one keyword.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the list of identities is prioritized based on at least one of program usage patterns of a user and a user setting.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the display interface outputs the list of identities to follow and the at least one retrieved message to the display device.

17. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium containing program instructions for causing a machine to perform a method for retrieving messages from a networking site, the method comprising:

receiving data associated with a video program;

accessing the networking site in response to a user input, the user input initiated while the video program is being output to a display device;

generating at least one keyword from the received data, the at least one keyword used for creating a list of identities to follow on the networking site, each identity to follow having an account with the networking site, the account associated with at least one of an actor, an athlete, a celebrity and a company;

retrieving from the networking site a message posted to the networking site by an identity to follow, the identity to follow being a current identity to follow selected from the list of identities;

outputting the list of identities to follow in a first display arrangement simultaneous with the program; and

outputting at least one retrieved message in a second display arrangement simultaneous with the program, the at least one retrieved message associated to the current identity to follow in the first display arrangement.

18. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the keyword is derived from a description of the program provided in an electronic program guide.

19. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the keyword is at least one of an actor performing in the video program, an organization related to the program, and a commercial product advertised during the program.

20. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising generating at least one second keyword based on at least one of a program channel being recorded, a program channel in the user'"'"'s favorite list, and content in the at least one retrieved message.

21. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying the generated at least one keyword in the overlay in addition to the at least one retrieved message;

selecting the generated at least one keyword to generate at least one second keyword, the at least one second keyword is associated to similar content as for the generated at least one keyword; and

outputting the at least one second keyword for display on the display device.

22. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising:

retrieving additional content from a predetermined identity selected by the user; and

outputting the additional content in the overlay for display on the display device with the at least one retrieved message based on the at least one keyword.

23. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the list of identities is prioritized based on at least one of program usage patterns of a user and a user setting.

24. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the list of identities to follow and the at least one retrieved message is output to the display device.