# US 12,348,823 B2 · Computing network for synchronized streaming of audiovisual content

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- Number: US 12,348,823 B2
- Document ID: US12348823B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/813,913
- Filed: 2024-08-23
- Published: 2024-12-19
- Granted: 2025-07-01
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-31
- Assignees: Paramount Pictures Corporation
- Applicants: Paramount Pictures Corporation
- Inventors: Eugene M. Lee; Stephanie Anne Simard; Abraham Chee Shun Wong; Alyson Elise Grove
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12348823B2

## CPC

- H04N 21/4788: communicating with other users, e.g. chatting {(arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104)}
- A63F 13/352: involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
- G06F 16/182: Distributed file systems
- G06F 16/60: of audio data
- G06F 16/70: of video data
- G06F 21/10: Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material (protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16) {; Digital rights management [DRM]}
- H04L 51/04: Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
- H04L 51/52: for supporting social networking services
- H04L 63/10: {for controlling access to devices or network resources}
- H04L 65/403: Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences (data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15)
- H04L 65/60: Network streaming of media packets
- H04L 67/02: based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
- H04L 67/131: Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
- H04L 67/306: User profiles
- H04L 67/60: Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources (admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70)
- H04N 21/00: Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD] (real-time bi-directional transmission of motion video data H04N7/14 {; broadcast or conference over packet switching networks H04L12/18})
- H04N 21/222: Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end {(provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56)}
- H04N 21/262: Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists {(scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62)}
- H04N 21/26225: {involving billing parameters, e.g. priority for subscribers of premium services}
- H04N 21/26241: {involving the time of distribution, e.g. the best time of the day for inserting an advertisement or airing a children programme}
- H04N 21/41407: {embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop (constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57)}
- H04N 21/43076: {of the same content streams on multiple devices, e.g. when family members are watching the same movie on different devices}
- H04N 21/47202: {for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand}
- H04N 21/47217: {for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks (specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312)}
- H04N 21/4781: {Games}
- H04N 21/8126: {involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts}
- G06Q 10/40: Business processes related to social networking or social networking services
- H04L 65/611: for multicast or broadcast (systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

Disclosed is a system provides substantially synchronized streaming. The system comprises at least one server, in communication with a user profile database, and operable to communicate, over a network, with client devices connected to the Internet; and provide a media stream to the client devices such that the media stream is displayed, in a substantially synchronized manner, on display screens of the client devices.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for providing substantially synchronized streaming and enabling modifying the substantially synchronized streaming, the system comprising:
at least one server, in communication with a user profile database, and operable to:
communicate, over a network, with one or more client devices connected to Internet;
enable a first user to share a link associated with substantially synchronized streaming of a media stream, wherein the sharing of the link enables one or more users associated with the one or more client devices to join the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream, wherein the sharing of the link occurs during when a second user is receiving the media stream;
provide or transmit the media stream to the one or more client devices such that the media stream is displayed, in a substantially synchronized manner, on one or more display screens of the one or more client devices;
enable the one or more users associated with the one or more client devices to interact using the one or more client devices such that user interactions are exchanged using the one or more client devices substantially simultaneously with display of the media stream on the one or more display screens of the one or more client devices, and such that the user interactions are displayed substantially simultaneously with the media stream on the one or more display screens of the one or more client devices;
enable the second user to add a visual indicator on or to the media stream or in the user interactions such that the visual indicator added on or to the media stream or added in the user interactions is viewable by the one or more users associated with the one or more client devices;
receive a first instruction from the first user to assign to or share with the second user, a first control: of the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream, or of the user interactions displayed substantially simultaneously with the media stream;
in response to receiving the first instruction from the first user to assign to or share with the second user, the first control: of the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream, or of the user interactions displayed substantially simultaneously with the media stream, enable the second user to control: the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream for a third user receiving the media stream, or the user interactions displayed substantially simultaneously with the media stream to the third user receiving the media stream; and
receive a second instruction from the second user to modify the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream or the user interactions displayed substantially simultaneously with the media stream, thereby causing the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream, or the user interactions displayed substantially simultaneously with the media stream, to be modified for the third user,
wherein an ancillary content server or the at least one server provides ancillary content to a first client device, and
wherein the ancillary content is presented on the first client device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one server is operable to schedule the providing or transmitting of the media stream to the one or more client devices in response to a user request to schedule a multi-user shared experiencing of the media stream.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the user interactions at least partially overlap with the media stream, or the user interactions comprise at least one of an audio-based user interaction or a video-based user interaction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the media stream comprises video content and audio content.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one server is further operable to enable the first user to share the link associated with the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream with a social network of the first user.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the user interactions are indexed with the media stream such that the user interactions are viewable with the media stream, on a computing device different from at least one of the one or more client devices, during a future streaming of the media stream.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream is implemented in part by receipt of one or more synchronization feedback signals from the one or more client devices.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1,
wherein separate paths are provided for first transmission of the media stream and second transmission of the ancillary content, or
wherein at least a first portion of a first transmission path of the media stream is different from at least a second portion of a second transmission path of the ancillary content.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the ancillary content is associated with or customized for the first user.

### Claim 10

A method for providing substantially synchronized streaming and enabling modifying the substantially synchronized streaming, the method comprising:
communicating, by at least one server, over a network, with one or more client devices connected to Internet;
enabling, by the at least one server, a first user to share a link associated with substantially synchronized streaming of media content, wherein the link enables one or more users associated with the one or more client devices to join the substantially synchronized streaming of the media content, wherein the sharing of the link occurs during when a second user is receiving the media content;
providing or transmitting, by the at least one server, the media content to the one or more client devices such that the media content is displayed, in a substantially synchronized manner, on one or more display screens of the one or more client devices;
enabling, by the at least one server, the one or more users associated with the one or more client devices to interact using the one or more client devices such that user interactions are exchanged using the one or more client devices substantially simultaneously with display of the media content on the one or more display screens of the one or more client devices, and such that the user interactions are displayed substantially simultaneously with the media content on the one or more display screens of the one or more client devices;
enabling, by the at least one server, the second user to add a visual indicator on or to the media content or in the user interactions such that the visual indicator added on or to the media content or added in the user interactions is viewable by the one or more users associated with the one or more client devices;
receiving, by the at least one server, a first instruction to assign to or share with the second user, a first control: of the substantially synchronized streaming of the media content, or of the user interactions displayed substantially simultaneously with the media content;
in response to receiving the first instruction to assign to or share with the second user, the first control: of the substantially synchronized streaming of the media content, or of the user interactions displayed substantially simultaneously with the media content, enabling, by the at least one server, the second user to control: the substantially synchronized streaming of the media content for a third user receiving the media content, or the user interactions displayed substantially simultaneously with the media content to the third user receiving the media content; and
receiving, by the at least one server, a second instruction from the second user to modify the substantially synchronized streaming of the media content or the user interactions displayed substantially simultaneously with the media content, thereby causing the substantially synchronized streaming of the media content, or the user interactions displayed substantially simultaneously with the media content, to be modified for the third user,
wherein an ancillary content server or the at least one server provides ancillary content for transmission to a first client device, and
wherein the ancillary content is presented on the first client device.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising scheduling, by the at least one server, the providing or transmitting of the media content to the one or more client devices in response to a user request to schedule a multi-user shared experiencing of the media content.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the media content comprises a substantially real-time media stream.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more client devices comprise at least one mobile device.

### Claim 14

One or more systems for providing substantially synchronized streaming and enabling manipulating the substantially synchronized streaming, the one or more systems comprising:
means for communicating, over a network, with one or more mobile client devices;
means for enabling a first user to share a link associated with substantially synchronized streaming of a media stream, wherein the link enables one or more users associated with the one or more mobile client devices to join the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream, wherein the sharing of the link occurs during when a second user is receiving the media stream;
means for providing or transmitting the media stream to the one or more mobile client devices such that the media stream is displayed, in a substantially synchronized manner, on one or more display screens of the one or more mobile client devices;
means for enabling the one or more users associated with the one or more mobile client devices to interact using the one or more mobile client devices such that user interactions are exchanged using the one or more mobile client devices substantially simultaneously with display of the media stream on the one or more display screens of the one or more mobile client devices, and such that the user interactions are displayed substantially simultaneously with the media stream on the one or more display screens of the one or more mobile client devices;
means for enabling the second user to add a visual indicator on or to the media stream or in the user interactions such that the visual indicator added on or to the media stream or added in the user interactions is viewable by the one or more users associated with the one or more mobile client devices;
means for receiving a first instruction to assign to or share with the second user, a first control: of the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream, or of the user interactions displayed substantially simultaneously with the media stream;
in response to receiving the first instruction to assign to or share with the second user, the first control: of the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream, or of the user interactions displayed substantially simultaneously with the media stream, means for enabling the second user to control: the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream for a third user receiving the media stream, or the user interactions displayed substantially simultaneously with the media stream to the third user receiving the media stream;
means for receiving a second instruction from the second user to manipulate the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream or the user interactions displayed substantially simultaneously with the media stream, thereby causing the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream, or the user interactions displayed substantially simultaneously with the media stream, to be manipulated for the third user; and
means for providing ancillary content to a first client device such that the ancillary content is displayed on the first client device.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of: the user interactions do not at least partially overlap with the media content, or the user interactions comprise at least one of an audio-based user interaction or a video-based user interaction.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of: the ancillary content server provides the ancillary content for the transmission to the first client device, or the ancillary content is associated with or customized for the first user.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the first control or the second instruction comprises at least one of a rewind function, a fast forward function, a stop function, or a play function.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the first control or the second instruction comprises a moderation operation associated with the user interactions.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the media content comprises a substantially real-time media stream.

### Claim 20 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein after the first control is assigned to or shared with the second user, only the second user, and not the first user, is enabled to control: the substantially synchronized streaming of the media content for the third user receiving the media content, or the user interactions displayed substantially simultaneously with the media content to the third user receiving the media content.

### Claim 21 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein after the first control is assigned to or shared with the second user, both the second user and the first user are enabled to control: the substantially synchronized streaming of the media content for the third user receiving the media content, or the user interactions displayed substantially simultaneously with the media content to the third user receiving the media content.

### Claim 22 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the first control or the second instruction comprises a modification operation.

### Claim 23 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the first control or the second instruction comprises at least one of an edit operation, an add operation, or a removal operation.

### Claim 24 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the first control or the second instruction comprises a user or user interaction removal operation.

### Claim 25 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the first control or the second instruction comprises a user or user interaction modification operation.

### Claim 26 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein a first delay exists between first media content display of the media content to a fourth user and the first media content display of the media content to a fifth user, or wherein a second delay exists between second media content display of the media content on a second client device associated with the third user and first user interactions display of the user interactions on the second client device associated with the third user.

### Claim 27 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of:
the visual indicator is added: on or to the media content, or in the user interactions, or
the visual indicator is added: on or to the media content, or in the user interactions, using a marking tool.

### Claim 28 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
receiving, by the at least one server, a third instruction from the first user to assign to or share with the second user, a second control of second ancillary content displayed to the third user; and
in response to receiving the third instruction from the first user to assign to or share with the second user, the second control of the second ancillary content displayed to the third user, enabling, by the at least one server, the second user to control the second ancillary content displayed to the third user.

### Claim 29 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the media content is customized for the first user, and wherein second ancillary content or second media content displayed to the third user is controllable or customizable by the third user.

### Claim 30 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the user interactions at least partially overlap with the media content.