Patent Application
20120233120
This disclosure relates in general to the sharing of media content, and more particularly to a system, method and device for sharing of playlists of authorized content with other users.
Cable, satellite, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), and wireless are the most common types of broadband services. Cable systems deliver hundreds of channels to homes, while also providing a growing number of people with high-speed Internet access and phone service. For example, broadband Internet is achieved over coaxial cable by using cable modems to convert the network data into a type of digital signal that can be transferred over coaxial cable. Satellite television is television delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by a satellite dish and set-top box. DSL uses existing copper telephone lines and a DSL modem to provide broadband services over a standard phone line. Local phone companies, such as Verizon and AT&T, are laying fiber-optic cable directly to the neighborhood and even into the home and office in order to retain customers with promises of ultra-high-speed Internet connections and enhanced entertainment offerings online. Wireless broadband services are rapidly gaining popularity. Wireless broadband does not require a modem or cables. As a result, wireless broadband can be easily established in areas where it is not feasible to deploy DSL or cable. Speeds of wireless broadband are similar to those of cable and DSL.
Video sharing is the use of web-based software to upload and share video clips. Users can upload videos to a video hosting service on the web. These web services host videos online, allowing them to be accessed and viewed (usually streamed) over the internet. Most video hosting services allow users to choose whether the video is to be shared privately or shared publically with the world. For example, YouTube and iTunes allows users to create playlists and share the playlists with other users.
However, playlists associated with television programs, video-on-demand, and other content that is provided via a conditional access device or from the communication service provider have not been provided. Playlists may be created from a mobile device, tablet computers and personal computers, but set-top boxes or related conditional access devices do not provide for the creating and sharing of playlists. Furthermore, a playlist created on a personal computer does not interface with a program guide. So currently there is no method for sharing playlists between users or customers.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system, method and device for sharing of playlists of authorized content with other users.
To overcome the limitations described above, and to overcome other limitations that will become apparent upon reading and understanding the present specification; embodiments for a system, method and device for enabling users to share their playlist with others is disclosed.
The above-described problems are solved by enabling the sharing of content playlists. Users share a playlist that they created on the set-top, web portal, PC, or mobile device to be shared with their friends who could be the same service provider customers or other service provider customers.
A method for sharing, by a user, playlists of authorized content with contacts of the user is provided. The method includes displaying a user interface on a media viewing device for creating a playlist of content by a user, generating a playlist of content by a user via the user interface displayed on the media viewing device, associating, by the user, a name for the playlist of content generated by the user, storing the generated playlist using the name associated with the playlist and configuring parameters for sharing the playlist with contacts of the user.
In another embodiment, a method for accessing content in a playlist by a contact associated with the playlist is provided. The method includes receiving, at a viewing device of a contact, notification of a playlist created by a user, determining, by the contact, privileges of the contact associated with content identified in the playlist created by the user, and taking action, by the contact, regarding content identified in the playlist created by the user based on the determined privileges of the contact.
In another embodiment, a computer readable medium including executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, provides for sharing, by a user, playlists of authorized content with contacts of the user. The instructions executed by the processor include displaying a user interface on a media viewing device for creating a playlist of content by a user, generating a playlist of content by a user via the user interface displayed on the media viewing device, associating, by the user, a name for the playlist of content generated by the user, storing the generated playlist using the name associated with the playlist and configuring parameters for sharing the playlist with contacts of the user.
In another embodiment, a computer readable medium including executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, provides for accessing content in a playlist by a contact associated with the playlist. The instructions executed by the processor provide for receiving, at a viewing device of a contact, notification of a playlist created by a user, determining, by the contact, privileges of the contact associated with content identified in the playlist created by the user and taking action, by the contact, regarding content identified in the playlist created by the user based on the determined privileges of the contact.
In another embodiment, a system for sharing playlists of authorized content with contacts of a user creating the playlist is provided. The system includes memory for storing data and a processor, coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured for displaying a user interface on a media viewing device for creating a playlist of content by a user, receiving input from the user for generating the playlist of content via the user interface, receiving input associating a name for the playlist of content generated by the user, storing the generated playlist using the name associated with the playlist and configuring parameters for sharing the playlist with contacts of the user.
These and various other advantages and features of novelty are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and form a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the disclosed embodiments, the advantages, and the objects obtained, reference should be made to the drawings which form a further part hereof, and to accompanying descriptive matter, in which there are illustrated and described specific examples of the disclosed embodiments.
Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numbers represent corresponding parts throughout:
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to the sharing of playlists of authorized content with other users.
According to embodiments, the CATV system 100 is in the form of a distributed client-server computing system for providing video and data flow across the HFC network 115 between server-side services providers (e.g., cable television/services providers) via a server-side head end 110 and a client-side customer via a client-side set-top box (STB) 105 functionally connected to a customer receiving device, such as the television set 120. As is understood by those skilled in the art, modem CATV systems 100 may provide a variety of services across the HFC network 115 including traditional digital and analog video programming, telephone services, high speed Internet access, video-on-demand, and information services. According to embodiments, CATV systems 100 provides for the creating and sharing of playlists of subscribers. Such playlists may be stored in storage 175, which may be a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) server. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that embodiments are not meant to be limited to a LDAP server.
On the client side of the CATV system 100, digital and analog video programming and digital and analog data are provided to the customer television set 120 via the set-top box (STB) 105. Interactive television services that allow a customer to input data to the CATV system 100 likewise are provided by the STB 105. As illustrated in
The STB 105 also includes an operating system 122 for directing the functions of the STB 105 in conjunction with a variety of client applications 125. For example, if a client application 125 requires a news flash from a third-party news source to be displayed on the television 120, the operating system 122 may cause the graphics functionality and video processor of the STB 105, for example, to output the news flash to the television 120 at the direction of the client application 125 responsible for displaying news items.
Because a variety of different operating systems 122 may be utilized by a variety of different brands and types of set-top boxes, a middleware layer 124 is provided to allow a given software application to be executed by a variety of different operating systems. According to an embodiment, the middleware layer 124 may include a set of application programming interfaces (APIs) that are exposed to client applications 125 and operating systems 122 that allow the client applications to communicate with the operating systems through common data calls understood via the API set. As described below, a corresponding middleware layer is included on the server side of the CATV system 100 for facilitating communication between the server-side application server and the client-side STB 105. According to one embodiment; the middleware layer 142 of the server-side application server and the middleware layer 124 of the client-side STB 105 format data passed between the client side and server side according to the Extensible Markup Language (XML).
The set-top box 105 passes digital and analog video and data signaling to the television 120 via a one-way communication transport 134. The STB 105 may receive video and data from the server side of the CATV system 100 via the HFC network 115 through a video/data downlink and data via a data downlink. The STB 105 may transmit data from the client side of the CATV system 100 to the server side of the CATV system 100 via the HFC network 115 via one data uplink. The video/data downlink is an “in band” downlink that allows for digital and analog video and data signaling from the server side of the CATV system 100 through the HFC network 115 to the set-top box 105 for use by the STB 105 and for distribution to the television set 120.
The data downlink and the data uplink, illustrated in
Referring still to
The application server 140 is a general-purpose computing system operative to assemble and manage data sent to and received from the client-side set-top box 105 via the HFC network 115. As described above with reference to the set-top box 105, the application server 140 includes a middleware layer 142 for processing and preparing data from the head end of the CATV system 100 for receipt and use by the client-side set-top box 105. For example, the application server 140 via the middleware layer 142 may obtain data from third-party services 146 via the Internet 140 for transmitting to a customer through the HFC network 115 and the set-top box 105. For example, a weather report from a third-party weather service may be downloaded by the application server via the Internet 144. When the application server 140 receives the downloaded weather report, the middleware layer 142 may be utilized to format the weather report for receipt and use by the set-top box 105.
According to one embodiment, data obtained and managed by the middleware layer 142 of the application server 140 is formatted according to the Extensible Markup Language and is passed to the set-top box 105 through the HFC network 115 where the XML-formatted data may be utilized by a client application 125 in concert with the middleware layer 124, as described above. As should be appreciated by those skilled in the art, a variety of third-party services data, including news data, weather data, sports data and other information content may be obtained by the application server 140 via distributed computing environments such as the Internet 144 for provision to customers via the HFC network 115 and the set-top box 105.
According to embodiments, the application server 140 obtains customer support services data, including billing data, information on customer work order status, answers to frequently asked questions, services provider contact information, and the like from data services 160 for provision to the customer via an interactive television session. As illustrated in
A billing system 162 may include information such as a customer's name, street address, business identification number, Social Security number, credit history, and information regarding services and products subscribed to by the customer. According to embodiments, the billing system 162 may also include billing data for services and products subscribed to by the customer for bill processing billing presentment and payment receipt.
A customer information database 168 may include general information about customers such as place of employment, business address, business telephone number, and demographic information such as age, gender, educational level, and the like. The customer information database 168 may also include information on pending work orders for services or products ordered by the customer. The customer information database 168 may also include general customer information such as answers to frequently asked customer questions and contact information for various service provider offices/departments. As should be understood, this information may be stored in a variety of disparate databases operated by the cable services provider.
A cross-platform mobile application server 164 may contain information such as electronic mail addresses, high-speed Internet access subscription information, and electronic mail usage data. An authentication system 166 may include information such as secure user names and passwords utilized by customers for access to network services. As should be understood by those skilled in the art, the disparate data services systems 162, 164, 166, 168 are illustrated as a collection of data services for purposes of example only. The example data services systems comprising the data services 160 may operate as separate data services systems, which communicate with a web services system (described below) along a number of different communication paths and according to a number of different communication protocols.
Referring still to
If the contacts have the same access privileges to the content, e.g., they are subscribers to the same content provider or network operator and have the same subscription package, then the contacts will be able to access the content maintained in the playlist. Contacts can acknowledge or accept the playlist 240, which then may be selected for addition to a playlist created by the contact. Alternatively, the playlist may be shown in the contacts' playlist as a separate playlist with the same title that the first user used to create the playlist. The contact may tag such playlist with an identification of the user that created the playlist. In addition, the contact may change the title of the received playlist. Titles within the playlist are displayed the same for the initial user and the contact. Depending upon the conditional access privileges associated with content in the playlist and what privileges the contact has subscribed to, the contact may be able to access the content for free. Optionally, the contact may need to purchase rights to access the content 250. If the contact is not entitled to access any of the content in the playlist, the titles may be presented in a manner that conveys this unavailability. For example, the contact may have to upgrade to a different subscription package to be able to access the content. The interface used to present the playlist to the contact may be configured to display a subscription interface for making arrangements to access the content in the playlist. If the contact is not within the service area of the content provider or network operator, the contact is still able to view the playlist titles 260 so that the contact and the initial user are able to communicate regarding playlists that have been created.
In such a situation, the playlist may be presented as an xml file or in any type of format that is capable of being sent via email to the contacts 260. Thus, the contact may search their viewable content to determine whether the same content that is listed in the playlist is available for separate access. For example, the contact may be a subscriber to a different content provider or network operator. Nevertheless, the contact can search for content provided by their content provider or network operator and access the content when it becomes available, record the content for later access or arrange with the content provider or network operator to have the content provided on demand, e.g., video-on-demand (VOD).
In addition, the playlist may be synchronized among the different platforms, including mobile devices, PC, set top boxes, etc. Within a household, for example, playlists may be shared with other members of the household. This facilitates personalization of the playlist within the home. In this scenario, the other members have the same access privileges because they are in the same household, except for parental/primary user controls that may be implemented.
The playlist interface may be accessible through a program guide or may be provided using a separate program. Thus, a user may use a mobile device to access a portal, which then allows the user to display their playlists on the mobile device.
Embodiments implemented on computer-readable media 490 may refer to a mass storage device, such as a hard disk or CD-ROM drive. However, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that tangible computer-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed or utilized by a processing device, e.g., server or communications network provider infrastructure.
By way of example, and not limitation, computer-readable media 690 may include, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other solid state memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (“DVD”), or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other tangible medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by a processing device.
As mentioned briefly above, a number of program modules and data files may be stored and arranged for controlling the operation of processing devices. Thus, one or more processing devices 420 may be configured to execute instructions that perform the operations of embodiments of the present invention.
It should also be appreciated that various embodiments of the present invention can be implemented (1) as a sequence of computer implemented acts or program modules running on a processing device and/or (2) as interconnected machine logic circuits or circuit modules within the processing devices. The implementation is a matter of choice dependent on the performance requirements. Accordingly, logical operations including related algorithms can be referred to variously as operations, structural devices, acts or modules. It will be recognized by one skilled in the art that these operations, structural devices, acts and modules may be implemented in software, firmware, special purpose digital logic, and any combination thereof without deviating from the spirit and scope of the present invention as recited within the claims set forth herein.
Memory 430 thus may store the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by processor 420, cause the processor 420 to implement a playlist manager 400 according to an embodiment of the invention as described above with reference to
The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiment of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. It is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not with this detailed description, but rather by the claims appended hereto.
