Providing supplemental content for a second screen experience

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10664138-B2
Application number	US-201313803274-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Mar 14, 2003
Publication date	May 26, 2020
Grant date	May 26, 2020

Abstract

Computing devices, computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions, methods, and systems for discovering, organizing, and presenting supplemental content are disclosed. A discovery system may be used to discover an item, such as a supplemental content presentation application, which, when launched may present supplemental content to a user while the user is consuming primary content. The supplemental content presentation application may also present a timeline that users may interact with to view different portions of the supplemental content. The timeline may also be modified by adding markers along the timeline so that when a marker is selected, a particular piece of supplemental content is presented.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising:
sending, by a computing device and to a second device, a timeline corresponding to a duration of first content outputted at a first device, wherein the timeline comprises a first plurality of time markers associated with a first application that is related to the first content;
receiving, by the computing device and after the sending the timeline to the second device, an indication that a user of the first device has selected a second application;
generating, by the computing device and after receiving the indication, an indication of a second plurality of time markers corresponding to the second application; and
sending, by the computing device and to the second device, instructions for the second device to modify the timeline to display the second plurality of time markers instead of the first plurality of time markers.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a data feed comprising a plurality of messages;
sending one or more messages of the plurality of messages to the second device; and
receiving a report from the second device indicating a selection of at least one of the one or more messages,
wherein the first application is associated with one or more social-network applications.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the receiving of the data feed comprises subscribing to a hashtag of a social network service or subscribing to a rich site summary (RSS) feed of a news source.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the timeline is configured to cause output of supplemental content in synchronization with the first content outputted at the first device.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a plurality of reports, from a plurality of user devices, indicating a selection of one or more messages;
analyzing the plurality of reports to determine whether a particular message, of the one or more messages, has been selected a quantity of times that satisfies a threshold; and
generating, based on determining that the quantity of times the particular message has been selected satisfies the threshold, an indication to group an additional time marker with the first plurality of time markers, and
wherein the additional time marker corresponds to the particular message.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the timeline comprises instructions that allow the second device to, based on a user input to the second device, modify the timeline to add an additional time marker at a point along the timeline and output, based on a selection of the additional time marker, additional content.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
before the sending the timeline, identifying the first content;
generating the timeline for the first content; and
adding, based on results of at least one of an audio recognition process or an image recognition process, supplemental content to the timeline.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
sending instructions for a third device to modify an additional timeline to display an additional marker at an additional point on the additional timeline, wherein the additional point is not marked on the timeline.

9. A method comprising:
determining a set of markers comprising a first subset of markers corresponding to a first application and a second subset of markers corresponding to a second application, wherein the first application and the second application are associated with content;
outputting, by a device, on a timeline that corresponds to a duration of the content, and based on a selection of the first application, the first subset of markers;
modifying, while the first subset of markers is outputted on the timeline, the first subset of markers to add a first marker at a first point along the timeline, wherein the first marker is configured to trigger the device to output first supplemental content associated with a first point in the content;
receiving a selection of the second application; and
changing, based on the selection of the second application, the first subset of markers to the second subset of markers.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
sending, based on the timeline and in synchronization with the content, different supplemental content, wherein the different supplemental content and the content are associated with one another, and wherein the content is outputted on a display separate from the device.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first application comprises an interface for a selection of an option to share data through a plurality of social network services.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the modifying the first subset of markers to add the first marker comprises:
determining, based on a user input associated with a time point of the content, the first point along the timeline; and
sending the first marker on the timeline at the first point along the timeline.

13. An apparatus comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
send, to a second device, a timeline corresponding to a duration of first content outputted at a first device, wherein the timeline comprises a first plurality of time markers associated with a first application that is related to the first content;
receive, after sending the timeline to the second device, an indication that a user of the first device has selected a second application;
generate, after receiving the indication, an indication of a second plurality of time markers corresponding to the second application; and
send, to the second device, instructions for the second device to modify the timeline to display the second plurality of time markers instead of the first plurality of time markers.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
receive a data feed comprising a plurality of messages;
send one or more messages of the plurality of messages to the second device; and
receive a report from the second device indicating a selection of at least one of the one or more messages,
wherein the first application is associated with one or more social-network applications.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to receive the data feed by causing the apparatus to subscribe to a hashtag of a social network service or subscribe to a rich site summary (RSS) feed of a news source.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause, according to the timeline, output of supplemental content in synchronization with the first content outputted at the first device.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
receive a plurality of reports, from a plurality of user devices, indicating a selection of one or more messages;
analyze the plurality of reports to determine whether a particular message, of the one or more messages, has been selected a quantity of times that satisfies a threshold; and
generate, based on determining that the quantity of times the particular message has been selected satisfies the threshold, an indication to group an additional time marker with the first plurality of time markers, and
wherein the additional time marker corresponds to the particular message.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more

Assignees

• Comcast Cable Comm Llc

Inventors

• Carney John
• Thomson Greg
• Ahrens Don
• Gravante Justin
• Evans Andrew
• Mclaughlin Jill

Classifications

• H04N21/47217

  for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks (specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312) · CPC title

• H04N21/6582

  Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number (arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38) · CPC title

• H04N21/8455

  involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream · CPC title

• H04N21/4316

  for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window · CPC title

• H04N21/4788

  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 title