System and methods for alerting a user consuming media to the progress of others consuming media
AssigneeRovi Guides, Inc.
InventorAjit Shanware
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided herein for enabling a first user to set up an alert that will notify the first user when the first user has caught up to a second user's progress in consuming media. These systems and methods are used to ensure that the first user is informed, while they are consuming media, that they have caught up to the progress of a second user. By providing an alert while the first user is viewing media, the first user does not have to remember the progress of the second user while viewing the media, alleviating the first user from worrying they will pass the progress made by the second user without realizing they have done so.
Claims22
A method for alerting a user when the user has caught up to another user's progress in consuming media, the method comprising:
- causing, by a server, a first electronic media consumption device associated with a first user to generate a user interface for receiving an indication from the first user of a second user and receiving an indication of a first media;
- in response to a selection made by the first user via the user interface and prior to the first user accessing the first media of a plurality of media using the first electronic media consumption device, receiving, by a control circuitry of the server, a request to generate a notification when progress of the first user in the first media reached progress of the second user in the first media, wherein the request identifies:
- (a) the second user, and (b) the first media;
- in response to receiving the request to generate the notification, receiving by the control circuitry of a server, a second progress point of the second user that has accessed the first media using a second electronic media consumption device;
- detecting, by the control circuitry, that the first user is accessing the first media;
- comparing, by the control circuitry, a first progress point of the first user with respect to the first media with the second progress point of the second user with respect to the first media;
- determining, by the control circuitry, based on the comparing, whether the first progress point has reached the second progress point of the second user;
- and
- in response to determining, by the control circuitry, that the first progress point has reached within the predetermined threshold of the second progress point of the second user, generating for display an alert indicating the first user has caught up to the second user.
A system for alerting a user when the user has caught up to another user's progress in consuming media, the system comprising:
- control circuitry configured to:
- cause, by a server, a first electronic media consumption device associated with a first user to generate a user interface for receiving an indication from the first user of a second user and receiving an indication of a first media;
- in response to a selection made by the first user via the user interface and prior to the first user accessing the first media of a plurality of media using the first electronic media consumption device, receiving, by a control circuitry of the server, a request to generate a notification when progress of the first user in the first media reached progress of the second user in the first media, wherein the request identifies:
- (a) the second user, and (b) the first media;
- in response to receiving the request to generate the notification, receiving by the control circuitry of a server, a second progress point of the second user that has accessed the first media using a second electronic media consumption device;
- detect, by the control circuitry, that the first user is accessing the first media;
- compare, by the control circuitry, a first progress point of the first user with respect to the first media with the second progress point of the second user with respect to the first media;
- determine, by the control circuitry, based on the comparing, whether the first progress point has reached the second progress point of the second user;
- and
- in response to determining, by the control circuitry, that the first progress point has reached within the predetermined threshold of the second progress point of the second user, generating for display an alert indicating the first user has caught up to the second user.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.