# US 2018/0024724 A1 · Customizing Immersive Media Content with Embedded Discoverable Elements > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0024724 A1 - Document ID: US20180024724A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/356,481 - Filed: 2016-11-18 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-22 - Assignees: Zeality Inc. - Applicants: Zeality Inc. - Inventors: Dipak Mahendra Patel; Arlene Joy Ganancial Santos; Scott Riley Collins; Bryan Daniel Bor; Adam Mark Dubov; Timothy George Harrington, II; Jason Sperske - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180024724A1 ## CPC - G06Q 10/40: Business processes related to social networking or social networking services - G06F 3/0481: based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance - G06F 3/04842: Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) - G06F 3/04845: for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour - G06F 3/04847: Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials - G11B 27/036: Insert-editing - G06Q 30/0207: Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates - G06Q 30/0246: {Traffic} - 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 - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R) ## Abstract A social media platform for immersive media stores immersive videos (e.g., 360 video) and embedded affordances for the immersive videos. The platform includes a publisher user interface that enables publisher users to upload immersive videos to the database and embed affordances into the immersive videos at locations that are defined both spatially and temporally. Each affordance is discoverable by viewer users, has an interactive user interface, and has one or more corresponding rewards. The platform includes a viewer user interface that enables viewer users to select and play immersive videos and navigate to different portions of a playing immersive video using a visibility window, which displays a respective selected portion of the playing immersive video based on placement of the visibility window. In response to a first user action to activate a first affordance of the playing immersive video, the platform initiates a reward corresponding to the first affordance. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A social media platform for immersive media, implemented on one or more servers, each having one or more processors and memory, wherein the platform comprises: one or more databases that store immersive videos and embedded affordances for the immersive videos, wherein each immersive video is a 360 video, a virtual reality video, an augmented reality video, or a mixed reality video; a publisher user interface that enables publisher users to: upload immersive videos to the one or more databases; and embed affordances into the immersive videos at locations that are defined both spatially and temporally by a publisher user, wherein each embedded affordance is discoverable by viewer users, has an interactive user interface, and has one or more corresponding rewards; a viewer user interface that enables viewer users to: select and play immersive videos; and navigate to different portions of a playing immersive video using a visibility window, which displays a respective selected portion of the playing immersive video based on placement of the visibility window; in response to a first user action to activate a first embedded affordance of the playing immersive video, initiating a reward corresponding to the first embedded affordance. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The social media platform of claim 1, wherein defining the temporal location of an embedded affordance in an immersive video comprises defining a start time and an end time for the embedded affordance. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The social media platform of claim 1, wherein defining the temporal location of an embedded affordance in an immersive video comprises defining a start time and a duration for the embedded affordance. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The social media platform of claim 1, wherein initiating a reward corresponding to the first embedded affordance comprises: selecting one of a plurality of rewards based on retrieved profile information for a current viewer user; and initiating the selected reward. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The social media platform of claim 1, wherein initiating a reward corresponding to the first embedded affordance comprises granting access to a second immersive video that has restricted access, and initiating playing the second immersive video. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The social media platform of claim 1, wherein the one or more databases store user accounts that are configured to store reward tokens corresponding to the embedded affordances; and initiating a reward corresponding to the first embedded affordance comprises storing a reward token corresponding to the embedded affordance in a user account for a user who activated the first embedded affordance. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The social media platform of claim 6, wherein the platform further comprises a redemption user interface that enables viewer users to redeem reward tokens for the corresponding rewards. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The social media platform of claim 1, wherein the publisher user interface further enables publisher users to annotate immersive videos, including one or more of: (a) adding a visual overlay that remains in a fixed position relative to the visibility window, wherein the visual overlay comprises a recorded video of a publisher user; (b) adding an audio overlay that comprises recorded audio; and (c) adding a visual annotation comprising text or an image. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The social media platform of claim 1, wherein the viewer user interface is configured for navigation by adjusting the visibility window when a viewer user moves a computing device displaying a playing immersive video. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The social media platform of claim 1, wherein the viewer user interface is configured for navigation by adjusting the visibility window when a viewer user uses a mouse pointer, a finger gesture, a hand gesture, an arm gesture, or an eye gesture. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The social media platform of claim 1, wherein the viewer user interface provides one or more user interface controls for changing magnification of the visibility window. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The social media platform of claim 1, wherein the viewer user interface provides one or more user interface controls for moving the visibility window. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The social media platform of claim 1, wherein the publisher user interface further enables publisher users to embed affordances into immersive videos for a specified interval of time that is less than the duration of the immersive videos. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The social media platform of claim 1, wherein the publisher user interface further enables publisher users to add visual annotations to immersive videos for a specified interval of time that is less than the duration of the immersive videos. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The social media platform of claim 1, wherein the publisher user interface further enables publisher users to embed affordances into immersive videos that have specified expiration dates, thereby preventing display of the embedded affordances during playback after the specified expiration date. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The social media platform of claim 1, wherein the publisher user interface further enables publisher users to add visual annotations to immersive videos that have specified expiration dates, thereby preventing display of the visual annotations during playback after the specified expiration date. ### Claim 17 A computer system hosting a social media platform for immersive media, comprising one or more servers, each server having: one or more processors; memory; and one or more programs stored in the memory, configured for execution by the one or more processors, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for: one or more databases that store immersive videos and embedded affordances for the immersive videos, wherein each immersive video is a 360 video, a virtual reality video, an augmented reality video, or a mixed reality video; a publisher user interface that enables publisher users to: upload immersive videos to the one or more databases; and embed affordances into the immersive videos at locations that are defined both spatially and temporally by a publisher user, wherein each embedded affordance is discoverable by viewer users, has an interactive user interface, and has one or more corresponding rewards; a viewer user interface that enables viewer users to: select and play immersive videos; and navigate to different portions of a playing immersive video using a visibility window, which displays a respective selected portion of the playing immersive video based on placement of the visibility window; in response to a first user action to activate a first embedded affordance of the playing immersive video, initiating a reward corresponding to the first embedded affordance. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The computer system of claim 17, wherein initiating a reward corresponding to the first embedded affordance comprises: selecting one of a plurality of rewards based on retrieved profile information for a current viewer user; and initiating the selected reward. ### Claim 19 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by one or more processors of a computer system hosting a social media platform, the one or more programs comprising instructions for: one or more databases that store immersive videos and embedded affordances for the immersive videos, wherein each immersive video is a 360 video, a virtual reality video, an augmented reality video, or a mixed reality video; a publisher user interface that enables publisher users to: upload immersive videos to the one or more databases; and embed affordances into the immersive videos at locations that are defined both spatially and temporally by a publisher user, wherein each embedded affordance is discoverable by viewer users, has an interactive user interface, and has one or more corresponding rewards; a viewer user interface that enables viewer users to: select and play immersive videos; and navigate to different portions of a playing immersive video using a visibility window, which displays a respective selected portion of the playing immersive video based on placement of the visibility window; in response to a first user action to activate a first embedded affordance of the playing immersive video, initiating a reward corresponding to the first embedded affordance. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein: the one or more databases store user accounts that are configured to store reward tokens corresponding to the embedded affordances; initiating a reward corresponding to the first embedded affordance comprises storing a reward token corresponding to the embedded affordance in a user account for a user who activated the first embedded affordance; and the one or more programs further comprise instructions for a redemption user interface that enables viewer users to redeem reward tokens for the corresponding rewards.