Asynchronous online viewing party

• US 10,091,460 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Barsook, Jonathan David, Ehlers, David Christian, Grant, Jason Richard, Tran, Khai Tuan, Watson, David John, Wilson, Nicklas Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Barrett, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jiang, Haimei
• Application Number:
  US12/058,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20090249223A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,837 Days
• Field of Search: 715753, 715751
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

Various embodiments of systems, methods, computer devices, and computer software for providing an asynchronous online viewing party are provided. One embodiment comprises a system for providing an online viewing party. One such system comprises: a server operatively coupled to a database for supporting the online viewing party, the database comprising: content to be asynchronously provided to participants of the online viewing party; and time-based events provided by one or more of the participants, the time-based events associated with the content and linked to corresponding locations in the content; and a user interface configured to interface with the server, the user interface comprising logic configured to display the content and the time-based events.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

creating a list of participants allowed to provide comments on a video content, the list of participants including a first participant and a second participant;

receiving a first playback request for a video content provided using a first playback button of a first user interface;

presenting, in response to the first playback request, the video content via the first user interface to the first participant;

receiving a first comment from the first participant at a first time while presenting the video content, wherein the first comment comprises at least one of a text-based comment, a video comment, and an audio comment;

linking the first comment to a first temporal location in the video content corresponding to the first time;

receiving a second playback request for the video content provided using a second playback button of a second user interface;

presenting, in response to the second playback request, the video content via the second user interface to the second participant; and

while presenting the video content via the second user interface to the second participant, presenting the comments only from each participant in the list of participants to the second participant via the second user interface, wherein the presenting of the comments to the second participant includes;

determining that the first temporal location in the video content corresponding to the first time is reached; and

in response to the determining, presenting the first comment from the first participant to the second participant via the second user interface, wherein presenting the first comment comprises at least one of displaying the at least one of the text-based comment and the video comment, and generating sound corresponding to the audio comment, via the second user interface;

wherein the video content is one of a plurality of presently available episodes of a show, and wherein the method comprises automatically creating, using the list of participants, a new list of participants for a new episode of the show when the new episode becomes available.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a second comment from the second participant at a second time while presenting the video content via the second user interface to the second participant;

linking the second comment to a second temporal location in the video content corresponding to the second time;

receiving a third playback request for the video content provided using a third playback button of a third user interface;

presenting, in response to the third playback request, the video content via the third user interface to a third participant in the list of participants;

while presenting the video content via the third user interface to the third participant, presenting the comments only from each participant in the list of participants to the third participant via the third user interface, wherein the presenting of the comments to the third participant includes;

determining that the first temporal location in the video content corresponding to the first time is reached;

in response to the determining the first temporal location in the video content while presenting the video content via the third user interface, presenting the first comment from the first participant to the third participant via the third user interface;

determining that the second temporal location in the video content corresponding to the second time is reached; and

in response to the determining of reaching the second temporal location in the video content while presenting the video content via the third user interface, presenting the second comment from the second participant to the third participant via the third user interface.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first comment and the second comment are linked to the video content using a first timecode and a second time code, respectively.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving, from the third participant, a control element marking one of the first participant and the second participant as favorite.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving, from the third participant, a control element muting at least one of the first participant and the second participant.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving, from the third participant, a control element deleting at least one of the first participant and the second participant.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting of the video content via the second user interface comprises displaying a content timeline associated with the video content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein when the video content reaches the temporal location, the first comment is temporarily presented in a pop-up dialog box.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending an invitation by the first participant to the second participant to join the list of participants for commenting on the video content.

10. A server comprising:

a processor configured to;

create a list of participants allowed to provide comments on a video content, the list of participants including a first participant and a second participant;

receive a first playback request for a video content provided using a first playback button of a first user interface;

present, in response to the first playback request, the video content via the first user interface to the first participant;

receive a first comment from the first participant at a first time while presenting the video content, wherein the first comment comprises at least one of a text-based comment, a video comment, and an audio comment;

link the first comment to a first temporal location in the video content corresponding to the first time;

receive a second playback request for the video content provided using a second playback button of a second user interface;

present, in response to the second playback request, the video content via the second user interface to the second participant;

while presenting the video content via the second user interface to the second participant, presenting the comments only from each participant in the list of participants to the second participant via the second user interface, wherein the presenting of the comments to the second participant includes;

determining that the first temporal location in the video content corresponding to the first time is reached; and

in response to determining, presenting the first comment from the first participant to the second participant via the second user interface, wherein presenting the first comment comprises at least one of displaying the at least one of the text-based comment and the video comment, and generating sound corresponding to the audio comment, via the second user interface;

wherein the video content is one of a plurality of presently available episodes of a show, and wherein the processor is further configured to automatically create, using the list of participants, a new list of participants for a new episode of the show when the new episode becomes available.

11. The server of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a second comment from the second participant at a second time while presenting the video content via the second user interface to the second participant;

link the second comment to a second temporal location in the video content corresponding to the second time;

receive a third playback request for the video content provided using a third playback button of a third user interface;

present, in response to the third playback request, the video content via the third user interface to a third participant in the list of participants;

while presenting the video content via the third user interface to the third participant, presenting the comments only from each participant in the list of participants to the third participant via the third user interface, wherein the presenting of the comments to the third participant includes;

determining that the first temporal location in the video content corresponding to the first time is reached;

in response to determining the first temporal location in the video content while presenting the video content via the third user interface, presenting the first comment from the first participant to the third participant via the third user interface;

determining that the second temporal location in the video content corresponding to the second time is reached; and

in response to determining of reaching the second temporal location in the video content while presenting the video content via the third user interface, presenting the second comment from the second participant to the third participant via the third user interface.

12. The server of claim 11, wherein the first comment and the second comment are linked to the video content using a first timecode and a second time code, respectively.

13. The server of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, from the third participant, a control element marking one of the first participant and the second participant as favorite.

14. The server of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, from the third participant, a control element muting at least one of the first participant and the second participant.

15. The server of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, from the third participant, a control element deleting at least one of the first participant and the second participant.

16. The server of claim 10, wherein presenting the video content via the second user interface comprises displaying a content timeline associated with the video content.

17. The server of claim 10, wherein when the video content reaches the temporal location, the first comment is temporarily presented in a pop-up dialog box.

18. The server of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

send an invitation by the first participant to the second participant to join the list of participants for commenting on the video content.