Sharing television and video programming through social networking

• US 9,699,485 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Marlow, Cameron Alexander, Krausz, Brian, Garcia, David Harry, Tseng, Erick
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, WILLIAM JW
• Application Number:
  US13/602,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20140068654A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,768 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/532 Query formulation, e.g. graphical querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1089 by adding media; by removing media
• 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 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23 : Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
• 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 21/23424 : involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 : Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 : Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/258 : Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 : Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• 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 21/26258 : for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• 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 21/278 : 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 21/41265 : having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• 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 21/4147 : PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 : Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• 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 21/4334 : 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 21/4344 : Remultiplexing of multiplex streams, e.g. by modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43635 : HDMI
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 : involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 : involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 : involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 : involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• 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 21/4532 : 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 21/458 : Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 : for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 : Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• 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 21/4821 : using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 : for displaying subtitles
• 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 21/6334 : for authorisation, e.g. by transmitting a key wireless communications network key management H04W12/04; wireless communications network access security H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 : for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 : specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• 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 21/8547 : involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 : Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

In particular embodiments a social networking system may receive authorization from a first user of a social-networking system to control at least in part one or more functions of a set-top box (STB) of the first user, determine one or more social actions of one or more second users of the social-networking system, determine one or more instructions for the STB of the first user based at least in part on the social actions, and provide the instructions for the STB of the first user. The social-networking system includes a graph having a plurality of nodes and edges connecting the nodes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

by a computer system of a social-networking system, receiving authorization from a first user of the social-networking system to control at least in part one or more functions of a set-top box (STB) of the first user, the social-networking system comprising a graph that comprises a plurality of nodes and edges connecting the nodes, the nodes comprising;

user nodes that are each associated with a user of the social-networking system, the user nodes comprising;

a first user node associated with the first user; and

a second user node associated with a second user of the social-networking system, the second user node being connected to the first user node by one or more edges in the graph;

by the computer system of the social-networking system, analyzing the graph;

by the computer system of the social-networking system, providing a plurality of selectable preferences to the first user, the selectable preferences comprising;

a preference for the social-networking system to seek the first user'"'"'s approval before directly programming the first user'"'"'s STB; and

a preference for the social-networking system to directly program the first user'"'"'s STB without seeking further permission from the first user;

by the computer system of the social-networking system, receiving an indication that the first user has selected the preference for the social-networking system to seek the first user'"'"'s approval before directly programming the first user'"'"'s STB; and

by the computer system of the social-networking system, without the second user actively pushing media content to the first user;

determining, based on the analysis of the graph, one or more posts of the second user to the social-networking system;

determining, from the one or more posts of the second user to the social-networking system, particular media content that the second user is planning to watch;

sending an authorization message to the first user, the authorization message comprising a hyperlink operable to permit the first user to provide their approval to record the particular media content that the second user is planning to watch, the authorization message comprising an email or a text message; and

if the first user selects the hyperlink within the authorization message to approve the recording of the particular media content that the second user is planning to watch, providing one or more instructions for the STB of the first user to record the particular media content that the second user is planning to watch.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

by the computer system of the social-networking system, determining, based on the analysis of the graph, one or more social actions of the second user, the social actions comprising;

watching particular video content;

or

“

liking”

particular video content;

wherein determining the particular media content that the second user is planning to watch is also determined from the one or more social actions of the second user in addition to the one or more posts of the second user to the social-networking system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

by the computer system of the social-networking system, determining, from the graph, one or more social coefficients for the first user;

by the computer system of the social-networking system, determining, based on the social coefficients, other media content that the first user is likely to want to watch; and

by the computer system of the social-networking system, providing one or more instructions for the STB of the first user to record the other media content that the first user is likely to want to watch.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the STB comprises a digital video recorder (DVR).

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

by the computer system of the social-networking system, determining, based on the analysis of the graph, one or more social actions of the first user;

by the computer system of the social-networking system, determining, based on the social actions of the first user, other media content that the first user is likely to want to watch; and

by the computer system of the social-networking system, providing one or more instructions for the STB of the first user to record the other media content that the first user is likely to want to watch.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

one or more of the social actions of the first user comprise the first user participating in chat messaging.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user has been authorized by the first user as a user whose posts to the social-networking system may be used to record content on the STB of the first user.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

by the computer system of the social-networking system, determining a personalized queue for the first user;

the personalized queue comprising one or more recommended programs for the first user to watch; and

by the computer system of the social-networking system, providing instructions to the STB to record one or more of the recommended programs from the personalized queue.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to determining that the second user is planning to watch the particular media content, providing a notification to the first user that the second user is planning to watch the particular media content.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, from the one or more posts of the second user to the social-networking system, particular media content that the second user is planning to watch comprises identifying a name of a known show or movie included by the second user within the one or more posts.

11. A system, comprising:

one or more memory devices; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the one or more memory devices, the processor operable to;

receive authorization from a first user of a social-networking system to control at least in part one or more functions of a set-top box (STB) of the first user, the social-networking system comprising a graph that comprises a plurality of nodes and edges connecting the nodes, the nodes comprising;

user nodes that are each associated with a user of the social-networking system, the user nodes comprising;

a first user node associated with the first user; and

a second user node associated with a second user of the social-networking system, the second user node being connected to the first user node by one or more edges in the graph;

analyze the graph;

provide a plurality of selectable preferences to the first user, the selectable preferences comprising;

a preference for the social-networking system to seek the first user'"'"'s approval before directly programming the first user'"'"'s STB; and

a preference for the social-networking system to directly program the first user'"'"'s STB without seeking further permission from the first user;

receive an indication that the first user has selected the preference for the social-networking system to seek the first user'"'"'s approval before directly programming the first user'"'"'s STB; and

without the second user actively pushing media content to the first user;

determine, based on the analysis of the graph, one or more posts of the second user to the social-networking system;

determine, from the one or more posts of the second user to the social-networking system, particular media content that the second user is planning to watch;

send an authorization message to the first user, the authorization message comprising a hyperlink operable to permit the first user to provide their approval to record the particular media content that the second user is planning to watch, the authorization message comprising an email or a text message; and

if the first user selects the hyperlink within the authorization message to approve the recording of the particular media content that the second user is planning to watch, provide one or more instructions for the STB of the first user to record the particular media content that the second user is planning to watch.

12. The system of claim 11, the processor further operable to:

determine, based on the analysis of the graph, one or more social actions of the second user, the social actions comprising;

watching particular video content;

or

“

liking”

particular video content;

wherein determining the particular media content that the second user is planning to watch is also determined from the one or more social actions of the second user in addition to the one or more posts of the second user to the social-networking system.

13. The system of claim 11, the processor further operable to:

determine, from the graph, one or more social coefficients for the first user;

determine, based on the social coefficients, other media content that the first user is likely to want to watch; and

provide one or more instructions for the STB of the first user to record the other media content that the first user is likely to want to watch.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more posts of the second user to the social-networking system comprise an indication to view a particular piece of video content in the future.

15. The system of claim 11, the processor further operable to:

determine, based on the analysis of the graph, one or more social actions of the first user;

determine, based on the social actions of the first user, other media content that the first user is likely to want to watch; and

provide one or more instructions for the STB of the first user to record the other media content that the first user is likely to want to watch.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

one or more of the social actions of the first user comprise the first user participating in chat messaging.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the second user has been authorized by the first user as a user whose posts to the social-networking system may be used to record content on the STB of the first user.

18. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media in one or more computing systems, the media embodying logic that is operable when executed to:

receive authorization from a first user of a social-networking system to control at least in part one or more functions of a set-top box (STB) of the first user, the social-networking system comprising a graph that comprises a plurality of nodes and edges connecting the nodes, the nodes comprising;

user nodes that are each associated with a user of the social-networking system, the user nodes comprising;

a first user node associated with the first user; and

a second user node associated with a second user of the social-networking system, the second user node being connected to the first user node by one or more edges in the graph;

analyze the graph;

provide a plurality of selectable preferences to the first user, the selectable preferences comprising;

a preference for the social-networking system to seek the first user'"'"'s approval before directly programming the first user'"'"'s STB; and

a preference for the social-networking system to directly program the first user'"'"'s STB without seeking further permission from the first user;

receive an indication that the first user has selected the preference for the social-networking system to seek the first user'"'"'s approval before directly programming the first user'"'"'s STB; and

without the second user actively pushing media content to the first user;

determine, based on the analysis of the graph, one or more posts of the second user to the social-networking system;

determine, from the one or more posts of the second user to the social-networking system, particular media content that the second user is planning to watch;

send an authorization message to the first user, the authorization message comprising a hyperlink operable to permit the first user to provide their approval to record the particular media content that the second user is planning to watch, the authorization message comprising an email or a text message; and

if the first user selects the hyperlink within the authorization message to approve the recording of the particular media content that the second user is planning to watch, provide one or more instructions for the STB of the first user to record the particular media content that the second user is planning to watch.

19. The media of claim 18, the media further operable to:

determine, based on the analysis of the graph, one or more social actions of the second user, the social actions comprising;

watching particular video content;

or

“

liking”

particular video content;

wherein determining the particular media content that the second user is planning to watch is also determined from the one or more social actions of the second user in addition to the one or more posts of the second user to the social-networking system.

20. The media of claim 18, the media further operable to:

determine, from the graph, one or more social coefficients for the first user;

determine, based on the social coefficients, other media content that the first user is likely to want to watch; and

provide one or more instructions for the STB of the first user to record the other media content that the first user is likely to want to watch.