Patent Publication Number: US-2012036524-A1

Title: System and method for social networking using an internet television

Description:
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/370,111 entitled “System and method for social networking using internet television” by Satish Mugulavalli et al. filed on Aug. 3, 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Internet television (TV) has changed the face of media broadcast in recent years. Internet technology has made possible presentation of unlimited multi-media content across the world by the Internet TV. Viewers are no longer confined to watching programs broadcasted by service providers. Moreover, the viewers themselves may become content providers on the Internet. For example, viewers of an Internet media repository, such as YouTube®, have the ability to upload video content and view an array of other video content on the Internet. 
     However, even with the advancement of the Internet TV, because of the voluminous video content presented on the Internet, locating desired video content can be as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack. For example, National Geographic® has placed several wild life videos on the Internet. Due to excellent photography and rich video content, nature/animal lovers may find these videos extremely enticing and fascinating. However, without a means for sharing these videos, each viewer, who is interested in watching these videos, may have to start from scratch while locating these videos. 
     One way to avoid such duplicate efforts by the viewers in locating the desired media of interest is sharing the available video content with others. Growing popularity of the online social networks, such as My Space®, FriendWise®, Friend Finder®, Yahoo! 360®, Facebook®, Orkut®, Classmates®, YouTube® and LinkedIn® indicate the growing importance of social networking as an important tool for gathering individuals sharing common interests. Online social networking may be implemented through websites. Typically, community members of the online communities may be granted an access to the contact information of the other community members. Generally, members of the social network may discuss issues and exchange information pertaining to their common areas of interests, such as movies, sports, arts and the like. Instead of each member searching for certain video content, it will be beneficial if only one member searches for a video content and shares the video content with the other members of the online community. 
     In spite of the advancement of the Internet TV, at present, online community members may have to rely on conventional means for sharing their favorite video content with their other members. For example, if a viewer of an existing Internet TV happens to be a member of an online community and wishes to share a TV program or video content with other members, the viewer may have to record the TV program and send it to the other members. Alternatively, the viewer may have to inform a friend to watch a live TV program being relayed by a service provider. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various embodiments are described herein with reference to the drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a system for social networking using an Internet television (TV) set-top box, according to one embodiment; 
         FIG. 2A  illustrates a flowchart of a method of enabling a user to register, organize content and view the organized content via the Internet TV set-top box in a social network, according to one embodiment; 
         FIG. 2B  illustrates another flowchart of a method of logging into the social network by a user using login credentials associated with other existing social networks via the Internet TV set-top box, according to one embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates yet another flowchart of a method of sharing the organized content by the user in the social network, according to one embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a flowchart of a method of sharing the organized contents by the user in the social network, according to one embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates another flowchart of a method of sharing the organized contents by the user in the social network, according to one embodiment; and 
         FIG. 6  is a block diagram illustrating the social network, such as the one shown in  FIG. 1 , including various system elements, according to one embodiment. 
     
    
    
     The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A system and method for social networking using an Internet television (TV) are disclosed. In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present subject matter, references are made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the present subject matter may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present subject matter, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present subject matter. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present subject matter is defined by the appended claims. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a system for social networking using an Internet TV set-top box, according to one embodiment. Particularly,  FIG. 1  illustrates a social network  100  including a content sharing platform  102 , one or more Internet TV set-top boxes  106 A-N, one or more devices  108 A-N, a social networking platform  130  and a content data store  112 . Exemplary devices include a personal computer (PC), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop, a tablet and the like. Further as shown in  FIG. 1 , the content sharing platform  102  is coupled to the Internet TV set-top boxes  106 A-N, the devices  108 A-N, the social networking platform  130  and the content data store  112  via a network  104 . Exemplary network includes a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a Wi-Fi and the like. Furthermore as shown in the  FIG. 1 , each of the Internet TV set-top boxes  106 A-N is coupled to an associated one of Internet TVs  110 A-N. 
     In one embodiment, the content sharing platform  102  includes a profile creation module  114 , a profile database  116 , a preference module  118 , an organization module  120 , a tracking module  122 , a relationship module  124 , a recommendation module  126  and a content sharing module  128 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the profile creation module  114  is coupled to the profile database  116 . Further as shown in  FIG. 1 , the profile database  116  is coupled to the recommendation module  126  and the preference module  118 . Furthermore as shown in  FIG. 1 , the recommendation module  126  is coupled to the content sharing module  128  and the preference module  118 . In addition as shown in  FIG. 1 , the preference module  118  is coupled to the relationship module  124 , the tracking module  122  and the organization module  120 . 
     In operation, a user registers in the social network  100  using an associated one of the Internet TV set-top boxes  106 A-N. Exemplary user includes an individual user, a user associated with a group, a user associated with an association or a user associated with the social network  100 . In one embodiment, the profile creation module  114  in the content sharing platform  102  allows the user to register in the social network  100  by creating a user profile via the associated one of the Internet TV set-top boxes  106 A-N. The user creates the user profile by providing user information, such as a name, an email ID, an address, a telephone number, a unique identifier associated with the Internet TV set-top box, age, a list of user&#39;s preferences and the like. Exemplary user&#39;s preferences include user location, time/frequency of watching a content, user connections and content meta-data, such as an author, a director, a studio, a genre, an actor, a language and the like. 
     Further in operation, the content sharing platform  102  stores the user profile of the registered user in the profile database  116 . The profile database  116  is a repository for storing user profiles associated with the registered users of the Internet TV set-top boxes  106 A-N. In an exemplary embodiment, when a registered user updates the profile, the profile database  116  updates the associated user profile as updated by the registered user. Furthermore in operation, the list of user&#39;s preferences associated with each of the registered users is stored in the preference module  118 . In addition in operation, the relationship module  124  in the content sharing platform  102  connects the user profile of the registered user with user profiles of other users based on the registered user&#39;s preferences. 
     In another embodiment, the content sharing platform  102  allows a user to login into the social network  100  using login credentials associated with other existing social networks via an associated one of the Internet TV set-top boxes  106 A-N. Exemplary other existing social networks include My Space®, FriendWise®, FriendFinder®, Yahoo! 360®, Facebook®, Orkut®, Classmates®, YouTube®, LinkedIn® and the like. Further, the content sharing platform  102  obtains user&#39;s preferences and other users associated with the user from the other existing social networks. Furthermore, the content sharing platform  102  transfers the obtained user&#39;s preferences and associations with the other users to the social network  100 . In this embodiment, the obtained user&#39;s associations with the other users are stored in the social networking platform  130 . 
     Hereinafter, in the description of  FIG. 1 , the term user refers to the users registered in the social network  100  and the users logging into the social network  100  using the login credentials associated with the other existing social networks. 
     In addition in operation, the organization module  120  allows the user to organize content in the content data store  112  into different categories based on the user&#39;s preferences using the associated one of the Internet TV set-top boxes  106 A-N. Exemplary categories include playlists, channels, videos, electronic program guide (EPG), favorites, menus and the like. In this embodiment, the content data store  112  includes content and/or links to the content created by the user and content created by content providers, service providers and so on. Exemplary content includes multi-media content, audio content, video content, photos and the like. For example, if the user&#39;s preference is baseball, then the user can organize the content associated with baseball in the content data store  112 . If a channel or video is preferred by the user, it may be classified as favorites. In some embodiments, the user may organize the content in the content data store  112  using a menu on a display of the associated one of the Internet TVs  110 A-N and a remote control device. For example, the user may organize the content in the content data store  112  by creating a new playlist, adding content to the playlist, removing content from the playlist, creating channels, adding channels to existing categories, creating EPG, adding channels to the existing EPG and the like. 
     Also in operation, the tracking module  122  tracks the content that is being organized by the users. Moreover in operation, the content sharing platform  102  allows the user to store the organized content using the associated one of the Internet TV set-top boxes  106 A-N. In this embodiment, the content sharing platform  102  stores the organized content in the content sharing module  128 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the content sharing module  128  includes videos, playlists, channels and so on organized by the user. In addition in operation, the content sharing platform  102  allows the user and the other users connected to the user to view the organized content. 
     In one embodiment, the organized content associated with the user is shared with the others users connected to the user by publishing the organized content on the associated one of the Internet TVs  110 A-N associated with each of the other users. This is explained in more detail with reference to  FIG. 3 . 
     In another embodiment, the organized content associated with the user is shared with the others users connected to the user by displaying the organized content based on a category specified by each of the other users on the associated one of the Internet TVs  110 A-N. Further in this embodiment, the content sharing platform  102  allows the each of the other users to subscribe to a desired content displayed on the associated one of the Internet TVs  110 A-N. Furthermore, the content sharing platform  102  allows the each of the other users to view the subscribed content on the associated one of the Internet TVs  110 A-N. This is explained in more detail with reference to  FIG. 4 . 
     In yet another embodiment, the organized content associated with the user is shared with the others users connected to the user by recommending the organized content to the others users connected to the user. In this embodiment, the recommendation module  126  recommends the organized content associated with the user to the other users associated with the user. Further, the content sharing platform  102  allows the each of the other users to mark one or more recommended content. Furthermore, the content sharing platform  102  allows the each of the other users to create a list including the marked content. In addition, the content sharing platform  102  allows the each of the other users to view a desired marked content from the created list on the associated one of the Internet TVs  110 A-N. This is explained in more detail with reference to  FIG. 5 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2A , a flowchart  200 A illustrates a method of enabling users to register, organize content and view the organized content via an Internet TV set-top box in a social network, according to one embodiment. Exemplary users include an individual user, a user associated with a group, a user associated with an association, a user associated with the social network and the like. At block  202 A, the user is allowed to register in the social network by creating a user profile via the Internet TV set-top box by a content sharing platform. Exemplary user profile includes user information, such as a name, an email ID, an address, a telephone number, a unique identifier associated with an Internet TV set-top box, user&#39;s preference, age and the like. 
     At block  204 A, the user profile of the registered user is stored in a profile database associated with the social network by the content sharing platform. At block  206 A, the user profile of the registered user is connected with user profiles of other users based on registered user&#39;s preferences by the content sharing platform. Exemplary user&#39;s preferences include a user location, time/frequency of watching content, user connections and content meta-data, such as an author, a director, a studio, a genre, an actor, a language and the like. At block  208 A, the registered user is allowed to organize and store content into different categories based on the registered user&#39;s preferences via the Internet TV set-top box by the content sharing platform. Exemplary content includes multi-media content, audio content, video content, photos and the like. Exemplary categories include playlists, channels, videos, electronic program guide (EPG), favorites, menus and the like. At block  210 A, the registered user and the other users are allowed to view the organized content by the content sharing platform. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2B , another flowchart  200 B illustrates a method of logging into a social network by a user using login credentials associated with other existing social networks via an Internet TV set-top box, according to one embodiment. Exemplary users include an individual user, a user associated with a group, a user associated with an association, a user associated with the existing social networks and the like. At block  202 B, the user is allowed to login into the social network using the login credentials associated with the other existing social networks via the Internet TV set-top box by a content sharing platform. At block  204 B, user&#39;s preferences and other users associated with the user are obtained from the other existing social networks by the content sharing platform. At block  206 B, the obtained user&#39;s preferences and associations with the other users are transferred to the social network by the content sharing platform. At block  208 B, the user is allowed to organize and store content into different categories based on the user&#39;s preferences via the Internet TV set-top box by the content sharing platform. At block  210 B, the user and the other users are allowed to view the organized content on the associated Internet TV by the content sharing platform. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , yet another flowchart  300  illustrates a method of sharing organized content by users in a social network, according to one embodiment. In block  302 , the user is allowed to login into the social network by a content sharing platform. For example, the user includes a user registered in the social network or the user associated with other existing social networks. In block  304 , a user profile associated with the user is retrieved by the content sharing platform. In one embodiment, the user profile associated with the user is retrieved from a profile database associated with the social network. In another embodiment, the user profile associated with the user is retrieved from the other existing social networks. In block  306 , a list of other users associated with the user profile of the user is retrieved by the content sharing platform. In one embodiment, the list of other users associated with the user profile is retrieved from the profile database associated with the social network. In another embodiment, the list of other users associated with the user profile is retrieved from the other existing social networks. In block  308 , organized content associated with the user is published on the Internet TV associated with each of the other users in the retrieved list by the content sharing platform. Further, organizing the content by the content sharing platform is explained in more detail with reference to  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a flowchart  400  illustrates a method of sharing organized content by users in a social network, according to one embodiment. In block  402 , the user is allowed to login into the social network by a content sharing platform. For example, the user includes a user associated with the social network or the user associated with other existing social networks. In block  404 , a user profile associated with the user is retrieved by the content sharing platform. In one embodiment, the user profile associated with the user is retrieved from a profile database associated with the social network. In another embodiment, the user profile associated with the user is retrieved from the other existing social networks. In block  406 , a list of the other users associated with the user profile of the user is retrieved by the content sharing platform. In one embodiment, the list of other users associated with the user profile is retrieved from the profile database associated with the social network. In another embodiment, the list of other users associated with the user profile is retrieved from the other existing social networks. 
     In block  408 , the organized content associated with the user is displayed based on a category specified by each of the other users in the retrieved list on the Internet TV associated with each of the other users by the content sharing platform. Further, organizing the content by the content sharing platform is explained in more detail with reference to  FIG. 1 . In block  410 , the each of the other users is allowed to subscribe to a desired displayed content by the content sharing platform. In block  412 , the each of the other users is allowed to view the subscribed content on the associated Internet TV by the content sharing platform. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , another flowchart  500  illustrates a method of sharing organized content by users in a social network, according to one embodiment. In block  502 , the user is allowed to login into the social network by a content sharing platform. For example, the user includes a user associated with the social network or the user associated with other existing social networks. In block  504 , a user profile associated with the user is retrieved by the content sharing platform. In one embodiment, the user profile associated with the user is retrieved from a profile database associated with the social network. In another embodiment, the user profile associated with the user is retrieved from the other existing social networks. In block  506 , a list of the other users associated with the user profile of the user is retrieved by the content sharing platform. In one embodiment, the list of other users associated with the user profile is retrieved from the profile database associated with the social network. In another embodiment, the list of other users associated with the user profile is retrieved from the other existing social networks. 
     In block  508 , the retrieved list is displayed in the Internet TV associated with the user by the content sharing platform. In block  510 , the user is allowed to recommend the organized content associated with the user to each of the other users in the displayed list by the content sharing platform. Further, organizing the content by the content sharing platform is explained in more detail with reference to  FIG. 1 . In block  512 , the each of the other users is allowed to mark one or more recommended content by the content sharing platform. In block  514 , the each of the other users is allowed to create a list including the marked content by the content sharing platform. In block  516 , the each of the other users is allowed to view a desired marked content from the created list on the Internet TV by the content sharing platform. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , a block diagram illustrates the social network  100 , such as the one shown in  FIG. 1 , including various system elements, according to one embodiment. As shown in  FIG. 6 , the social network  100  includes the content sharing platform  102 , the social networking platform  130 , the content data store  112 , a web server  608 , a message Internet system  614 , an email server  610 , a mail box  612 , an Internet TV server  606 , the one or more devices  108 A-N, the one or more Internet TV set-top boxes  106 A-N and the one or more Internet TVs  110 A-N. Further as shown, the content sharing platform  102 , the social networking platform  130 , the content data store  112 , the web server  608 , the message Internet system  614  and the Internet TV server  606  are coupled to the network  104 . 
     Furthermore as shown, the each of the Internet TVs  110 A-N is coupled to an associated one of the Internet TV set-top boxes  106 A-N. In addition as shown, the Internet TV set-top boxes  106 A-N are coupled to the network  104  via the Internet TV server  606 . Also as shown, the devices  108 A-N are coupled to the network  104  either via the web server  608  or the message Internet systems  614 . 
     Hereinafter, in the description of  FIG. 6 , the term user refers to the users registered in the social network  100  and the users logging into the social network  100  using the login credentials associated with other existing social networks. This is explained in more detail with reference to  FIG. 1 . 
     In one exemplary operation, a user of the Internet TV set-top box  106 A sends a login request via the Internet TV server  606  to access one or more services provided by the content sharing platform  102 . If the user is a registered user and login details provided by the user are correct, then the content sharing platform  102  authenticates the user and allows the user to communicate with the content sharing platform  102  to avail the one or more services. It can be noted that, the user is socially connected to one or more other users via the social networking platform  130 . Thus, the content sharing platform  102  enables the user to be socially connected with the other users of the Internet TVs  110 B-N. 
     The social networking platform  130  maintains a social graph depicting the interrelationships between the users in the social network  100 . Formation of a network of friends is well known in the art. Typically, a user&#39;s friends list contains a set of other users associated with the user&#39;s address book, buddies list, etc. Alternatively, a friends list can also be formed by the user by presenting an explicit request to another user to join the user&#39;s friends list. In particular, the social graph depicts the interrelationships between various users in the social network  100 . In one embodiment, the social networking platform  130  maintains the social graph depicting the interrelationships between users of the social network  100  and/or relationship between groups of the social network  100  in a graphical form, such as a graph, a tree, a list or any other data structure. Further, the social networking platform  130  designates unique IDs for each user in the social network  100  and stores the friends list and the user&#39;s preference list associated with each user in the social network  100 . Furthermore, the social networking platform  130  promptly monitors or can be readily configured to promptly monitor even minor changes occurring in the social graphs. 
     In one embodiment, upon successful authentication, the user may search for the content (e.g., video content, photos, music, channels, etc.) on the Internet via the associated Internet TV set-top box  106 A and organize the content into different categories based on the user&#39;s preference. This is explained in more detail with reference to  FIG. 1 . 
     In another embodiment, the user may publish the organized content using the content sharing platform  102 , such that the organized content is made available to the other users, such as Internet TV users, PC users and the like who are socially connected to the user. For example, the organized content associated with the user of the Internet TV  110 A is displayed to the other users on an associated one of the Internet TVs  110 B-N. In some embodiments, the other users may subscribe to the published content in order to view the content if the preference of the other users is same as the user&#39;s preference. For example, if the other user is a user of the Internet TV set-top box  106 B, then the user may view the subscribed content on the associated Internet TV  110 B. If the other user is a user of a device, say, device  108 A connected to the content sharing platform  102  via Internet, then the other user may access the published content via the email server  610  or the web server  608 . 
     The devices  108 A-N may include without limitation a PC, a laptop, a cellular communication device, a single-processor or multiprocessor computer system, a minicomputer, a mainframe computer, as well as a hand-held computing device, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronic and the like. Exemplary email server  610  includes any communication server that may be configured to enable communication between networked devices, such as simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) servers, short message peer-to-peer protocol (SMPP) servers, short messaging service (SMS) servers, various text messaging servers, voice over internet protocol (VoIP) servers, instant messenger (IM) servers, multi-media messaging service (MMS) servers, RSS servers, and the like. The email server  610  employs a database, a file structure and the like to store the received emails. 
     In yet another embodiment, a list of the organized content associated with the user of the Internet TV  110 A is displayed to the other users who are not directly connected to the user. In other words, the content sharing platform  102  recommends the list of the organized content to the other users not directly linked or connected to the user of the Internet TV set-top box  106 A. If the preferences and likes of any of the other users are same as the user, then the content sharing platform  102  enables the other users to get socially connected with the user of the Internet TV set-top box  106 A so that the other users can subscribe to the organized content and view the subscribed content on the associated one of the Internet TVs  110 B-N. 
     In a further embodiment, the user of the Internet TV set-top box  106 A may be provided with a list of contents organized by the other users of the Internet TV set-top boxes  106 B-N. Based on the recommendation, the user of the Internet TV set-top box  106 A may mark the content and view the marked content on the associated Internet TV set-top box  106 A. 
     One skilled in the art will appreciate that, the one or more modules of the content sharing platform  102  shown in  FIG. 1  may enable the social network  100  shown in  FIG. 6  to perform one or more operations described above. 
     In various embodiments, system and method described in  FIGS. 1 through 6  propose the social networking using the Internet TV. Further, the system and method for social networking allow the user of the Internet TV in the social network to share the content associated with the user to the other users in the social network without recording or downloading the content. 
     A skilled person will recognize that many suitable designs of the systems and processes may be substituted for or used in addition to the configurations described above. It should be understood that the implementation of other variations and modifications of the embodiments of the invention and its various aspects will be apparent to one ordinarily skilled in the art, and that the invention is not limited by the exemplary embodiments described herein. Therefore, it is contemplated to cover the present embodiments of the invention and any and all modifications, variations, or equivalents that fall within the true spirit and scope of the basic underlying principles disclosed herein. The contents of all references cited are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.