System and Method for Asynchronous User-Centric Context-Based Shared Viewing of Multimedia

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022368743-A1
Application number	US-202117318830-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 12, 2021
Priority date	May 12, 2021
Publication date	Nov 17, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices for establishing a context-centric shared-viewing party. A processor in a network server may determine content for shared viewing based on inputs received from a user via a user device, and select a context participant group. Each of the user and participants in the selected group may share a commonality with the other participants in that group. The processor may receive complementary context from at least one or more of the user device or user devices of participants in the selected group. The processor may generate a context stream based on the received contextualized content, and send the context stream to the user device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of establishing a context-centric shared-viewing party, comprising:
determining, by a network server processor, content for shared viewing based on inputs received from a user via a user device; selecting, by the network server processor, a context participant group, wherein each of the user and participants in the selected group share a commonality with the other participants in that group; receiving, by the network server processor, complementary context from at least one or more of:
the user device; and
user devices of participants in the selected group;
generating, by the network server processor, a context stream based on the received contextualized content; and sending, by the network server processor, the context stream to the user device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the context participant group comprises selecting at least two context participant groups, each context participant group including one or more participants, each participant being associated with one or more participant devices.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the context participant group comprises selecting at least one or more of:
a publicly accessible context participant group; a private context participant group in which membership to the private group is designated by the user; or a third party platform context participant group in which membership to the third party platform group is designated by a third party entity.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by a user device, a content stream; receiving, by the user device, the context stream; synchronizing, by the user device, the received context stream with the received content steam; overlaying, by the user device, the context and content streams to generate a customized contextualized content overlay stream; and rendering, by the user device, the customized contextualized content overlay stream on an electronic display of the user device.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising storing, by the user device, the customized contextualized content overlay stream for subsequent presentation to the user.

6 . A network server computing device, comprising:
a processor configured to:
determine content for shared viewing based on inputs received from a user via a user device;
select a context participant group, wherein each of the user and participants in the selected group share a commonality with the other participants in that group;
receive complementary context from at least one or more of:
the user device; and
user devices of participants in the selected group;

generate a context stream based on the received contextualized content; and
send the context stream to the user device.

7 . The network server computing device of claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to select the context participant group by selecting at least two context participant groups, each context participant group including one or more participants, each participant being associated with one or more participant devices.

8 . The network server computing device of claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to select the context participant group by selecting at least one or more of:
a publicly accessible context participant group; a private context participant group in which membership to the private group is designated by the user; or a third party platform context participant group in which membership to the third party platform group is designated by a third party entity.

9 . The network server computing device of claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured so that sending the context stream to the user device causes the user device to:
receive a content stream; receive the context stream; synchronize the received context stream with the received content steam; overlay the context and content streams to generate a customized contextualized content overlay stream; and render the customized contextualized content overlay stream on an electronic display of the user device.

10 . The network server computing device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured so that sending the context stream to the user device causes the user device to store the customized contextualized content overlay stream for subsequent presentation to the user.

11 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a network server processor to perform operations for establishing a context-centric shared-viewing party, the operations comprising:
determining content for shared viewing based on inputs received from a user via a user device; selecting a context participant group, wherein each of the user and participants in the selected group share a commonality with the other participants in that group; receiving complementary context from at least one or more of:
the user device; and
user devices of participants in the selected group;
generating a context stream based on the received contextualized content; and sending the context stream to the user device.

12 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause the network server processor to perform operations such that selecting the context participant group comprises selecting at least two context participant groups, each context participant group including one or more participants, each participant being associated with one or more participant devices.

13 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform operations such that selecting the context participant group comprises selecting at least one or more of:
a publicly accessible context participant group; a private context participant group in which membership to the private group is designated by the user; or a third party platform context participant group in which membership to the third party platform group is designated by a third party entity.

14 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause the network server processor to perform operations such that sending the context stream to the user device causes the user device to:
receive a content stream; receive the context stream; synchronize the received context stream with the received content steam; overlay the context and content streams to generate a customized contextualized content overlay stream; and render the customized contextualized content overlay stream on an electronic display of the user device.

15 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause the network server processor to perform operations such that sending the context stream to the user device causes the user device to store the customized contextualized content overlay stream for subsequent presentation to the user.

16 . A method of establishing a context-centric shared-viewing party, comprising:
determining, by a network server processor, content for shared viewing based on inputs received from a user via a user device; selecting a context participant group, wherein each of the user and participants in the selected group share a commonality with the other participan

Assignees

• Charter Communications Operating Llc

Inventors

• Miller Toby

Classifications

• H04L65/611 Primary

  for multicast or broadcast (systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06) · CPC title

• H04L65/4015

  where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference · CPC title

• H04L65/75

  Media network packet handling · CPC title

• H04L65/1096

  Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding (systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42) · CPC title

• H04L65/601

  Electricity · mapped topic