Patent ID: 8856855
Filing Date: 2014-10-07
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for controlling a set-top box through a social network, the method comprising: granting access to control the set-top box in real-time to one or more contacts of a user based on user preferences pre-established by the user, wherein the one or more contacts are associated with one or more social networks, and wherein the one or more social networks are externally accessed from the set-top box; receiving a request in real-time to change media content from one of the one or more contacts; automatically authenticating the one or more contacts are authorized to tune the set-top box to the media content in real-time utilizing the user preferences, wherein the user preferences indicates whether the one or more contacts of the user are able to upload viewing history of the user to the one or more social networks; automatically tuning the media content in real-time for communication to a display in response to (1) authenticating the one or more contacts are authorized to tune the set-top box to the media content in real-time utilizing the user preferences, and (2) not receiving user input from the user in real-time denying the request to tune the set-top box within a time period.