Patent ID: 8739214

Claim:
A method for providing a virtual service comprising: authenticating a first user for the virtual service; receiving input identifying a second user and a third user in which to operatively connect for the virtual service; requesting permission to operatively connect a set top box of the first user to a set top box of the second user and a set top box of the third user; operatively connecting the set top box of the first user to the set top box of the second user and the set top box of the third user in response to receiving an acceptance to operatively connect from the set top box of the second user and the set top box of the third user; wherein acquired information is transmitted and received between the set top box of the first user and the set top box of the second user, and other acquired information is transmitted between the set top box of the first user and the set top box of the third user, while broadcast content is being received by the set top box of the first user, the set top box of the second user, and the set top box of the third user, and the acquired information comprises video of the set top box of the first user and the set top box of the second user captured while viewing the broadcast content, and the other acquired information comprises video of the set top box of the first user and the set top box of the third user captured while viewing the broadcast content, the method further comprising: causing a multiple viewport application on the set top box of the first user and a second multiple viewport application on the set top box of the second user to display the acquired information of the video of the first user and the second user while the broadcast content is being displayed; causing the multiple viewport application on the set top box of the first user and a third multiple viewport application on the set top box of the third user to display the other acquired information of the video of the first user and the third user while the broadcast content is being displayed, the acquired information being different than the other acquired information, and the second user and the third user unaware of their mutual connection to the set top box of the first user; and providing an option via the multiple viewport application to adjust arrangement, size, and superposition of the acquired information and the other acquired information.