METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING COLLABORATIVE VIEWING OF A MEDIA STREAM

• US 20090183220A1
• Filed: 01/14/2008
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stead, Larry, AMENTO, BRIAN
• Granted Patent: US 8,646,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/120
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• 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 21/4661 Deriving a combined profile for a plurality of end-users of the same client, e.g. for family members within a home user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• 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 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing collaborative viewing of a media stream are disclosed. For example, the method establishes a viewing group having a plurality of members, and provides at least one media stream that is accessible by the plurality of members of the viewing group. The method then receives one or more annotations from at least one of the plurality of members of the viewing group relating to the at least one media stream, and saves each of the one or more annotations with a temporal marker. The method then provides the one or more annotations to at least one of the plurality of members of the viewing group.

Claims

1. A method for providing a media stream via a network, comprising:

establishing a viewing group having a plurality of members;

providing at least one media stream that is accessible by said plurality of members of said viewing group;

receiving one or more annotations from at least one of said plurality of members of said viewing group relating to said at least one media stream;

saving each of said one or more annotations with a temporal marker; and

providing said one or more annotations to at least one of said plurality of members of said viewing group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said viewing group is established by at least one of:

a service provider of said network, a subscriber of said service provider of said network, or a member of said plurality of said members.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said viewing group is established by said service provider by gathering a plurality of interest profiles of subscribers of said service provider.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one media stream is stored at a network server of said network and made accessible to said plurality of members of said viewing group.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one media stream is transmitted to said plurality of members of said viewing group, and wherein said at least one media stream is stored locally in one or more endpoint devices of said plurality of members of said viewing group.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said one or more annotations are transmitted to said one or more endpoint devices immediately upon receipt of said one or more annotations.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more annotations are only transmitted when one of said plurality of members of said viewing group requests viewing of said at least one media stream.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said one or more annotations comprises at least one of:

a text annotation, an audio annotation, or a video annotation.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting said at least one media stream in conjunction with a virtual audience having one or more avatars representing one or more of said plurality of members.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said one or more annotations are presented in accordance with said one or more avatars.

11. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of a method for providing a media stream via a network, comprising:

establishing a viewing group having a plurality of members;

providing at least one media stream that is accessible by said plurality of members of said viewing group;

receiving one or more annotations from at least one of said plurality of members of said viewing group relating to said at least one media stream;

saving each of said one or more annotations with a temporal marker; and

providing said one or more annotations to at least one of said plurality of members of said viewing group.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein said viewing group is established by at least one of:

a service provider of said network, a subscriber of said service provider of said network, or a member of said plurality of said members.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein said viewing group is established by said service provider by gathering a plurality of interest profiles of subscribers of said service provider.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein said at least one media stream is stored at a network server of said network and made accessible to said plurality of members of said viewing group.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein said at least one media stream is transmitted to said plurality of members of said viewing group, and wherein said at least one media stream is stored locally in one or more endpoint devices of said plurality of members of said viewing group.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said one or more annotations are transmitted to said one or more endpoint devices immediately upon receipt of said one or more annotations.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein said one or more annotations are only transmitted when one of said plurality of members of said viewing group requests viewing of said at least one media stream.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein each of said one or more annotations comprises at least one of:

a text annotation, an audio annotation, or a video annotation.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

presenting said at least one media stream in conjunction with a virtual audience having one or more avatars representing one or more of said plurality of members.

20. An apparatus for providing a media stream via a network, comprising:

means for establishing a viewing group having a plurality of members;

means for providing at least one media stream that is accessible by said plurality of members of said viewing group;

means for receiving one or more annotations from at least one of said plurality of members of said viewing group relating to said at least one media stream;

means for saving each of said one or more annotations with a temporal marker; and

means for providing said one or more annotations to at least one of said plurality of members of said viewing group.