Systems and methods for facilitating communication between users receiving a common media asset
AssigneeRovi Guides, Inc.
InventorsThomas Woods, Brian Fife, Kourosh Soroushian
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems are described herein for providing a media guidance application that identifies users accessing the same media asset, determines which users desire to communicate with each other, and provides an asset-integrated notification to each of the users desiring to communicate, facilitating communication between the users. For example, other users with a desire to communicate with an initial user that are accessing the same media asset as the initial user may be indicated by inserting a media element representative of the other users directly into the media asset watched by an initial user.
Claims20
A method for enabling communication between users accessing a media asset using a media guidance application, the method comprising:
- receiving a first indication that a first user is accessing a media asset on first user equipment, wherein the media asset includes an in-focus object and an out-of-focus object;
- receiving a second indication that a second user is accessing the media asset on second user equipment;
- searching a database of user information for indicia indicating that the first user and the second user are likely to desire to communicate with each other;
- in response to locating said indicia, identifying a portion of the media asset corresponding to the out-of-focus object suitable for indicating to the first user that the second user is currently accessing the media asset;
- selecting a media element representative of the second user;
- and
- inserting the selected media element at the identified portion of the media asset being accessed by the first user on the first user equipment.
A system for enabling communication between users accessing a media asset, the system comprising control circuitry configured to:
- receive a first indication that a first user is accessing a media asset on first user equipment and receive a second indication that a second user is accessing the media asset on second user equipment, wherein the media asset includes an in-focus object and an out-of-focus object;
- search a database for indicia indicating that the first user and the second user likely desire to communicate with each other;
- in response to locating said indicia, identify a portion of the media asset corresponding to the out-of-focus object suitable for indicating the second user is currently accessing the media asset;
- and
- select a media element representative of the second user;
- and
- insert the selected media element at the identified portion of the media asset being accessed by the first user equipment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.