# US 2016/0366200 A1 · Systems and methods to organize, aggregate, filter, sort, share, and discover, digital content

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- Number: US 2016/0366200 A1
- Document ID: US20160366200A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/180,078
- Filed: 2016-06-12
- Published: 2016-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2015-06-12
- Assignees: Tipping Point, LLC
- Applicants: Tipping Point, LLC
- Inventors: BRENDAN HEALY
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160366200A1

## CPC

- H04L 65/60: Network streaming of media packets
- H04L 67/02: based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
- H04L 67/10: in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46)
- H04L 67/52: specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
- H04N 21/20: Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

Methods and systems to enable system users to share, discover, stream, purchase, and otherwise support content generated by other users. An interest indication system referred to as GreenLighting may be used to tag content and/or other users of interest. The GreenLight system may then be used to search, filter, sort, and stream content based on preferences and relationships between users. The systems and methods described herein may be embodied as a website that is accessible to both content creators and end users attempting to discover and view content.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for distributing content implemented by one or more servers, the method comprising:
receiving a first request, the first request corresponding to a request to add first content to a media dock associated with a first user;
determining whether to allow the first content to be added to the media dock associated with the first user based on one or more characteristics of the first content;
associating the first media with the media dock associated with a first user on condition it was determined to all the first content to be added to the media dock associated with the first user based on the one or more characteristics of the first content;
receiving a second request, the second request corresponding to a request to add the first content from media dock associated with a first user to a first arena, the arena corresponding to an aggregation of content that are associated with a common time, common location, and common genre;
adding the first content from the media dock associated with the first user to the first arena; and
sending a first webpage to at least one device associated with another user, the first webpage comprising a visual representation of the first arena, wherein content, including the first content, that has been added to the arena is displayed on the visual representation of the first arena.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a request to sort the content that has been added to the first arena from the second user, the request to sort indicating that the content is to be sorted based on a first criteria, the first criteria corresponding sorting according to at least one user population of a plurality of user populations defined with respect to the second user.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method as in claim 2, wherein the plurality of user populations defined with respect to the second user comprise four user populations defined with respect to the second user, the four user populations defined with respect to the second user corresponding to:
a first population, the first population corresponding to users that have both indicated interest in the second user and have had the second user indicate interest in them;
a second population, the second population corresponding to users that have indicated interest in the second user and but have not had the second user indicate interest in them;
a third population, the third population corresponding to users that have not indicated interest in the second user but have had the second user indicate interest in them; and
a fourth population, the fourth population corresponding to users that have neither indicated interest in the second user nor have had the second user indicate interest in them.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method as in claim 3, wherein the request to sort also indicated a secondary criteria for sorting the content of the first arena that share a common first criteria.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method as in claim 3, further comprising:
receiving a blast message from the first user; and
associating the first blast message with the first content in the first arena based on receiving the blast message from the first user.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method as in claim 5, wherein the blast message is automatically displayed on a profile page of the first user based on receiving the blast message from the first user.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method as in claim 5, wherein the blast message is automatically displayed with the first content in the visual representation of the first arena based on receiving the blast message from the first user.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method as in claim 7, further comprising:
receiving a second blast message from the first user;
associating the second blast message with the first content in the first arena based on receiving the second blast message from the first user; and
replacing the blast message with the second blast message in the visual representation of the first arena based on receiving on receiving the second blast message from the first user.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a request from the another user to stream the first content included in the first arena; and
sending the first content to the another user.

### Claim 10

A method for associating images with content implemented by one or more servers, the method comprising:
receiving a first request, the first request corresponding to a request to add first content to a media dock associated with a first user;
determining whether to allow the first content to be added to the media dock associated with the first user based on one or more characteristics of the first content;
associating the first media with the media dock associated with a first user on condition it was determined to all the first content to be added to the media dock associated with the first user based on the one or more characteristics of the first content;
receiving a second request, the second request corresponding to a request to add the first content from media dock associated with a first user to a first arena, the arena corresponding to an aggregation of content that are associated with a common time, common location, and common genre;
adding the first content from the media dock associated with the first user to the first arena; and
receiving a request from a second user to associate an image with the first content in the first arena;
determining whether the second user is permitted to associate the image with the first content;
adding the image to a grid associated with the first content on condition that it is determined that the second user is permitted to associate the image with the first content, wherein the grid comprises a plurality of image positions and the image is added to one of the plurality of grid positions; and
sending a first webpage to at least one device associated with another user, the page comprising a visual representation of the first arena, wherein content, including the first content, that has been added to the arena is displayed on the visual representation of the first arena, the image is displayed in the grid, and the grid is displayed with the first content.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method as in claim 10, further comprising:
receiving a request from the first user to move the image to a different position in the grid;
sending an updated first webpage to at least one device associated with another user, the updated first webpage comprising the visual representation of the first arena, wherein the content, including the first content, that has been added to the arena is displayed on the visual representation of the first arena, the image is displayed in the updated position in the grid, and the grid is displayed with the first content.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method as in claim 11, wherein the plurality of image positions in the grid corresponds to nine image positions.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method as in claim 10, wherein determining whether the second user is permitted to associate the image with the first content is based on which of a plurality of user populations the second user belongs to with respect to the first user, wherein:
the second user is defined to be in a first population on condition that the first user has indicated an interest in the second user and the second user has indicated an interest in the first user;
the second user is defined to be in a second population on condition that the first user has not indicated an interest in the second user and the second user has indicated an interest in the first user;
the second user is defined to be in a third population on condition that the first user has indicated an interest in the second user and the second user has not indicated an interest in the first user; and
the second user is defined to be in a fourth population on condition that the first user has not indicated an interest in the second user and the second user has not indicated an interest in the first user.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method as in claim 10, wherein the first content is received from a third party platform separately from the request to add the content to the media dock received from the first user.

### Claim 14

A method of aggregating content of interest to a user implement by one or more servers, the method comprising:
receiving a request for a content stream from a first user, wherein the request for the content stream indicates that the user is requesting content associated with one of a plurality of user populations, wherein the plurality of user populations comprise:
a first population, the first population corresponding to users that have both indicated interest in the first user and have had the first user indicate interest in them,
a second population, the second population corresponding to users that have indicated interest in the first user and but have not had the first user indicate interest in them,
a third population, the third population corresponding to users that have not indicated interest in the first user but have had the first user indicate interest in them, and
a fourth population, the fourth population corresponding to users that have neither indicated interest in the first user nor have had the first user indicate interest in them;
sending a webpage aggregating a plurality of content to the first user, wherein the plurality of content corresponds to content generated by one of the first population, the second population, the third population, or the fourth population depending in which one of the plurality of user populations was indicated in the request for the content stream.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the first request further indicates that the first request is associated with a specific arena, the specific arena having content associated with a common time, common location, and common genre, and the plurality of content aggregated in the webpage corresponds to content generated by one of the first population, the second population, the third population, or the fourth population that has been added to the specific arena.