SOCIAL NETWORK-ENABLED INTERACTIVE MEDIA PLAYER

• US 20070169165A1
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Catalog.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Catalog.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Martin, Thad, Crull, Robert, Miller, Bill, Kenney, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US11/615,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20070169165A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/135
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/335 for accessing specific resources, e.g. using Kerberos tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• 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: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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 21/8545 for generating interactive applications

Abstract

Systems and methods for online social networking may include an interactive media player. The interactive media player may exhibit media and allow interaction between users and/or users and administrators.

Claims

1. A method for social networking comprising:

receiving a request from a user for access to a first website coupled to the social network;

receiving a request from the user for access to a media exhibition on an interactive media player on the first website;

presenting the media to the user on the interactive media player; and

allowing the user to interact on the interactive media player with other users.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first website is coupled to an authentication system, and further comprising:

automatically determining whether a user is logged on to the authentication system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the media is presented to the user, if the user is logged on to the authentication system.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the user is allowed to interact with the other users, if the user is logged on to the authentication system.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the media is presented to the user, if the user is not logged on to the authentication system.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein in the user is inhibited from interacting with other users, if the user is not logged on to the authentication system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive media player includes more than one channel, wherein different media is exhibited on different channels, and wherein presenting the media to the user comprises presenting the media to the user on a first channel of the interactive media player.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the user is allowed to interact on the interactive media player with other users on the first channel.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the user is inhibited from interacting with users viewing different media on different channels.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the user is allowed to interact on the interactive media player with users on the first channel and with users on at least one other channel.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying one or more advertisements on the interactive media player based on at least one of one or more attributes of the user or one or more attributes of the media being presented on the interactive media player.

12. Software comprising computer-readable instructions to perform operations comprising:

allowing a user to access a website coupled to a social network;

presenting media on an interactive media player on the first website;

allowing a user to access one or more interactive features on the interactive media player.

13. The software of claim 12 wherein the instructions to perform operations further comprise presenting one or more messages on the interactive media player.

14. The software of claim 12 wherein the instructions to perform operations further comprise determining if a user is logged on to the website by determining if the user if logged on to an authentication system coupled to the first website, wherein the authentication system is coupled to at least a first website on a domain and a second website coupled to a different domain.

15. The software of claim 12 wherein the instructions to perform operations further comprises receiving a request from a user to change media exhibited on the interactive media player, and presenting a different media on the interactive media player in response to the request from the user.

16. The software of claim 12 wherein the instructions to perform operations further comprises displaying one or more advertisements on the interactive media player.

17. The software of claim 12 wherein the instructions to perform operations further comprises displaying one or more advertisements on the interactive media player based on one or more attributes of the user.

18. The software of claim 12 wherein the instructions to perform operations further comprises displaying one or more advertisements on the interactive media player based on one or more attributes of the media being presented on the interactive media player.

19. A system for providing an interactive media player on a social network comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores program instructions operable to;

receiving a request from a user for access to a first website coupled to the social network;

receiving a request from the user for access to a media exhibition on an interactive media player on the first website;

presenting the media to the user on the interactive media player; and

allowing the user to interact on the interactive media player with other users.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the media comprises at least one of video, text, or audio.