# US 9,521,367 B2 · Method and apparatus for coviewing video > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,521,367 B2 - Document ID: US9521367B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/130,034 - Filed: 2016-04-15 - Published: 2016-08-11 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2012-10-18 - Assignees: NetTALK.com, Inc. - Applicants: NetTalk.com, Inc. - Inventors: Garry M Paxinos; Anastasios Kyriakides; Kenneth Alvin Hosfeld; Anastasios Nicholas Kyriakides, II - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9521367B2 ## CPC - H04N 7/15: Conference systems - H04N 5/445: for displaying additional information (H04N5/50 takes precedence) - H04N 7/141: {between two video terminals, e.g. videophone (telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085)} - H04N 7/142: {Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display} - H04N 7/147: {Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals (selecting H04Q)} - H04N 7/148: {Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN} - H04N 21/242: Synchronisation processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Programme Clock References] {(arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18)} - H04N 21/4223: Cameras (H04N23/00 takes precedence) - H04N 21/43072: {of multiple content streams on the same device} - H04N 21/4316: {for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window} - H04N 21/439: Processing of audio elementary streams - H04N 21/47: End-user applications - 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)} - H04N 21/64322: {IP} - H04N 21/478: Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A method, apparatus, and system to provide the ability for a user to make audio and/or audio-video phone calls simultaneously while watching (co-viewing) provider video content in remote locations. A control system is provided to set up call, direct provider video content, and provide for the phone calls and video content to be delivered and then synchronized. The phone calls may be routed by the control system to PSTN destinations or Internet based destinations and calls made or received may be bridged to other Internet based sources. The provider video content may be provided directly from its source or routed through NAT traversal or through the control system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for sharing media within a user group comprising the steps of: rendering, with a primary user device, a visual component of the shared media, wherein the step of rendering the visual component the shared media includes reading a media timestamp and frame skipping a number of frames of the shared media based on the media timestamp; providing, with the primary user device, a first audio stream having a first portion from a secondary user device and a second portion from the shared media; receiving, with the primary user device, a second audio stream including a first component from the first audio stream, a second component distinct from both the first and second portions of the first audio stream; dampening, with the primary user device, the first component of the second audio stream to create a third audio stream; transmitting, from the primary user device, the third audio stream; generating, with the primary user device, a first video stream; transmitting, with the primary user device, the first video stream; receiving, with the primary user device, a second video stream from the secondary user device; and rendering, with the primary user device, the second video stream, wherein the step of rendering the second video stream obscures a portion of the visual component of the shared media. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting from the primary user device to the secondary user device is done via an external server. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the step of rendering, with the primary user device, the visual component the shared media includes synchronizing the shared media based on the media timestamp. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the second component of the second audio stream includes an ambient audio constituent. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the step of rendering the second video stream includes concurrently displaying visual component of the shared media and the second video stream. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the first video stream is generated from a plurality of recorded images. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of receiving, with the primary user device, the shared media via a chat server. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of dampening, with the primary user device, the first component of the second audio stream includes echo cancelling the first component. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the first audio stream includes an ambient audio constituent. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the first audio stream includes a chat audio signal. ### Claim 11 A method for audio-video conferencing with a plurality of participants, comprising: receiving, at a control system server network, a first user identifier associated with a first streaming device and a second user identifier associated with a second streaming device; receiving, at a control system server network, a third identifier associated with a content streaming device; sending, from the control system server network, a first request comprising the first user identifier to the second streaming device identified by the second user identifier; sending, from the control system server network, a second request to the content streaming device associated with the third identifier; receiving, at the control system server network, a content audio stream and a content video stream associated with third identifier associated with from the content streaming device; sending, from the control system server network, the content audio stream to second streaming device identified by the second user identifier; receiving, at the control system server network, a second audio stream and a second video stream associated with the second user identifier from the second streaming device wherein the content audio stream has been dampened from the second audio stream; mixing the content audio stream and the second audio stream into a third audio stream to be played by first streaming device associated with the first user identifier; mixing the content video stream and the second video stream into a third video stream to be played by first streaming device associated with the first user identifier; and transmitting a media timestamp to the first streaming device to allow the first streaming device to skip a number of frames of the third video stream based on the media timestamp. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the second audio stream includes ambient sounds recorded with second streaming device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the third video stream simultaneously provides portions of the content video stream and the second video stream. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the step of mixing the content audio stream and the second audio stream includes dampening the second audio stream based on an indicator received from the first stream device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the steps of mixing the content audio stream and the second audio stream and mixing the content video stream and the second video stream are done with the control system server network. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the control system server network includes a chat server. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the second audio stream from the second streaming device has been echo cancelled. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the content streaming device is an external media network.