System and method for sharing an experience with media content between multiple devices

• US 20070276864A1
• Filed: 02/16/2007
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joel Espelien
• Original Assignee: Joel Espelien
• Inventors: Espelien, Joel
• Granted Patent: US 8,874,645 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/84 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 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A system and a method share an experience with media content between multiple devices for providing access to electronic program guide information and/or multimedia metadata of the media content. Users share and/or view the electronic program guide information and/or the multimedia metadata associated with the media content by transferring and/or by publishing the electronic program guide information and/or the multimedia metadata via one or more networks. Two or more participating devices establish a connection via one or more networks for a sending device to transfer the electronic program guide information and/or the multimedia metadata to one or more receiving devices via one or more networks. The electronic program guide information and/or the multimedia metadata has communications and/or comments associated with consumption of the media content. The receiving devices consume the digital multimedia file for users of the receiving devices to share in an experience of the media content with a user of the sending device. The users of the sending device and/or of the receiving devices discuss and/or comment on the experience of the media content through an asynchronous message or a communication channel in real time.

Claims

1. A method for a first user and a second user to share an experience of a media file, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting a first device to a second device via a network;

connecting the first device to a media provider wherein the media provider transmits the media file to the first device;

consuming the media file on the first device;

generating a first communication by the first user using the first device;

associating the first communication with the media file;

generating multimedia information wherein the multimedia information indicates the availability of the multimedia file and the associated first communication;

transmitting the multimedia information from the network to the second device;

allowing the second user to initiate consumption of the media file and the associated first communication;

associating a second communication to the media file wherein the second communication is generated by the second user using the second device; and

transmitting the second communication from the second device to the first device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

displaying a graphic user interface on the second device wherein the user selects the multimedia information from the graphic user interface to initiate consumption of the media file.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

transmitting the first communication from the first device to the second device.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

connecting a third device to the network wherein the first communication is transmitted to the second device and the third device.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

transmitting a third communication to the first device and the second device from a third user consuming the media file on a third device.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

transmitting the media file from a database connected to the second device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

storing the media file and the first communication in a database accessible by the second device.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

transmitting the media file to the second device from a media provider connected to the network.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

storing the media file, the first communication and the second communication in a database accessible by the first device.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

displaying an electronic program guide that lists available media files and associated communications that are accessed by the second device.

11. A system for a first user and a second user to share an experience of a media file, the system comprising:

a first device wherein the first user consumes the media file using the first device and generates a first communication wherein the first device associates the media file and the first communication;

a second device connected to the first device by a first network wherein the first network transmits multimedia information about the media file that indicates an association of the first communication with the media file; and

a media provider connected to the second device wherein a selection of the multimedia information from an electronic program guide causes the media provider to transmit the media file and the network to transmit the first communication wherein the user uses the second device to consume the media file and the first communication wherein the second user generates a second communication transmitted to the first device.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

a graphic user interface that displays the electronic program guide and allows the user to select the media file.

13. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

a second network that connects the second device to the media provider.

14. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

a server connected to the first network wherein the server transmits the media file from the media provider to the second device via the first network.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the electronic program guide displays available media files and associated communications that are accessed by the second device.

16. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

a database that stores the media file, associated first communication and associated second communication wherein the database is connected to the first network.

17. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

a third device connected to the network wherein the first communication and the second communication are transmitted to the third device.

18. A system for a first user and a second user to communicate regarding consumption of a media file, the system comprising:

a first device wherein the first user consumes the media file using the first device;

a first media provider that transmits the media file to the first device;

a second device that displays an electronic program guide that lists available media files;

a network that connects the second device to the first device wherein the network transmits multimedia information to the second device wherein the multimedia information is related to the media file that indicates consumption of the media file by the first user wherein the multimedia information is displayed in the electronic program guide; and

a second media provider connected to the second device wherein the second device obtains the media file from the second media provider wherein the second user consumes the media file on the second device wherein the first user generates a first communication that is transmitted to the second device wherein the second user generates a second communication that is transmitted to the first device.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

a database connected to the first device wherein the first user accesses the media file, the first communication and the second communication from the database.

20. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

a third device connected to the network wherein the third device allows a third user to generate a third communication transmitted to the first device and the second device.