Method and apparatus for sharing viewing information

• US 9,826,007 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2013
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Feng, Eric I., Zheng, Hua, Jin, Xin, Wang, Zhibing
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax, Steven
• Application Number:
  US14/083,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20140075343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,464 Days
• 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: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• 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: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• 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 21/812 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for sharing viewing information is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving an designation of a second user from the first user; and transmitting the first user viewing information to the designated second user. The shared viewing information may comprise the identity of a currently viewed media program, a list of scheduled media program viewings, or the media program itself.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, registration information from a first user and a second user, wherein the registration information includes user preference information indicating preferences of the first user and the second user;

receiving, by the computing device, a request from the first user to play a first video;

determining, by the computing device, user information related to the first user and the second user, the user information including geographical information for the first user and the second user and the user preference information for the first user and the second user;

analyzing, by the computing device, the geographical information and the user preference information to determine that the second user may be interested in viewing the first video based on the geographical information and the user preference information;

suggesting, by the computing device, the second user to the first user as a possible viewer to share the first video in a viewing information box on an interface for the second user while the second user is playing a second video in a media player on the interface;

determining, by the computing device, if the first user wants to share the first video with the second user;

when the first user wants to share the first video with the second user, causing, by the computing device, display of viewing information for the first video in the viewing information box while the second user is playing the second video in the media player;

receiving, by the computing device, a selection for the first video from the second user; and

sending, by the computing device, the first video to the second user for display in the media player to replace the playing of the second video, wherein a single version of the first video is sent to the first user and the second user when the geographical information indicates the first user and the second user are in a same household.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the geographical information and the user preference information to determine that the second user may be interested in viewing the first video comprises:

determining, by the computing device, the second user is in a same geographic location as the first user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second user is determined to be in the same physical household as the first user based on address information determined for the first user and the second user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second user is determined to be in the same physical household as the first user based on an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the first user and an IP address of the second user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the geographical information and the user preference information to determine that the second user may be interested in viewing the first video comprises:

determining, by the computing device, the second user has a common attribute as the first user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein

different advertisements are sent to the first user and the second user during the viewing of the single version of the first video by the first user and the second user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the first user, a designation of a class of video that describes a characteristic of video for determining which videos should be restricted from sharing with the second user;

determining, by the computing device, if the first video is in the class of video;

when the first video is not a member of the class, determining, by the computing device, the first user wants to share the first video with the second user; and

when the first video is a member of the class, determining, by the computing device, the first user does not want to share the first video with the second user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the geographical information and the user preference information to determine that the second user may be interested in viewing the first video comprises:

determining, by the computing device, user sharing preferences for the first user; and

determining, by the computing device, if the first user designated the second user for sharing videos in the user sharing preferences.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the first user wants to share the first video with the second user comprises:

sending, by the computing device, a prompt to the first user asking the first user if the first user wants to share the first video with the second user; and

receiving, by the computing device, a response from the first user indicating the first user wants to share the first video with the second user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to sending the first video to the second user, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, confirmation from the second user that the second user wants to view the first video.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions, that when executed, control a computer system to be configured for:

receiving registration information from a first user and a second user, wherein the registration information includes user preference information indicating preferences of the first user and the second user;

receiving a request from the first user to play a first video;

determining user information related to the first user and the second user, the user information including geographical information for the first user and the second user and the user preference information for the first user and the second user;

analyzing the geographical information and the user preference information to determine that the second user may be interested in viewing the first video based on the geographical information and the user preference information;

suggesting the second user to the first user as a possible viewer to share the first video in a viewing information box on an interface for the second user while the second user is playing a second video in a media player on the interface;

determining if the first user wants to share the first video with the second user;

when the first user wants to share the first video with the second user, causing display of viewing information for the first video in the viewing information box while the second user is playing the second video in the media player;

receiving a selection for the first video from the second user; and

sending the first video to the second user for display in the media player to replace the playing of the second video, wherein a single version of the first video is sent to the first user and the second user when the geographical information indicates the first user and the second user are in a same household.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein analyzing the geographical information and the user preference information to determine that the second user may be interested in viewing the first video comprises:

determining the second user is in a same geographic location as the first user.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the second user is determined to be in a same physical household as the first user based on address information determined for the first user and the second user.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the second user is determined to be in the same physical household as the first user based on an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the first user and an IP address of the second user.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein prior to sending the first video to the second user, the method further comprising:

receiving confirmation from the second user that the second user wants to view the first video.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein different advertisements are sent to the first user and the second user during the viewing of the single version of the first video by the first user and the second user.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further configured for:

receiving, from the first user, a designation of a class of video that describes a characteristic of video for determining which videos should be restricted from sharing with the second user;

determining if the first video is in the class of video;

when the first video is not a member of the class, determining the first user wants to share the first video with the second user; and

when the first video is a member of the class, determining the first user does not want to share the first video with the second user.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein analyzing the geographical information and the user preference information to determine that the second user may be interested in viewing the first video comprises:

determining user sharing preferences for the first user; and

determining if the first user designated the second user for sharing videos in the user sharing preferences.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein determining if the first user wants to share the first video with the second user comprises:

sending a prompt to the first user asking the first user if the first user wants to share the first video with the second user; and

receiving a response from the first user indicating the first user wants to share the first video with the second user.

18. An apparatus comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, that when executed, control the one or more computer processors to be configured for;

receiving registration information from a first user and a second user, wherein the registration information includes user preference information indicating preferences of the first user and the second user;

receiving a request from the first user to play a first video;

determining user information related to the first user and the second user, the user information including geographical information for the first user and the second user and the user preference information for the first user and the second user;

analyzing the geographical information and the user preference information to determine that the second user may be interested in viewing the first video based on the geographical information and the user preference information;

suggesting the second user to the first user as a possible viewer to share the first video in a viewing information box on an interface for the second user while the second user is playing a second video in a media player on the interface;

determining if the first user wants to share the first video with the second user;

when the first user wants to share the first video with the second user, causing display of viewing information for the first video in the viewing information box while the second user is playing the second video in the media player;

receiving a selection for the first video from the second user; and

sending the first video to the second user for display in the media player to replace the playing of the second video, wherein a single version of the first video is sent to the first user and the second user when the geographical information indicates the first user and the second user are in a same household.