US 9,521,451 B2 · Television chat system

Abstract

A television chat system is provided that allows television viewers to engage in real-time communications in chat groups with other television viewers while watching television. Users of the television chat system may engage in real-time communications with other users who are currently watching the same television program or channel. The system allows real-time communications in a chat group to be transmitted between users at user television equipment devices via a television distribution facility. The television chat system of the present invention permits users to join chat groups related to television programs, channels, or categories of programs that the user may be interested in. Real-time communications may be textual messages, audio communications, or video communications.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

receiving a user request from a user at a user device to join a chat group;
generating for display a first selectable option to set a reminder for the requested chat group;
in response to a selection of the first selectable option, automatically connecting the user to the requested chat group at a time set by the reminder;
in response to connecting the user to the requested chat group, generating a display including an interface to the chat group and a second selectable option to view a program, wherein selecting the second selectable option at the user device causes the user device to access the program.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

13/900,019Filed 22 May 2013 · continuation

Priority

26 Aug 1998

Published

US 2013/0332957 A112 Dec 2013

Granted

13 Dec 2016

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification26 codes

H04N 21/4788
Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application: communicating with other users, e.g. chatting
H04L 12/1818
For computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms: conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to…
H04N 7/147
Between two video terminals, e.g. videophone: communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication,…
H04N 7/17318
Transmission or handling of upstream communications: direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Family

Application60/099,301Us provisional application · filed 26 Aug 1998

Application09/356,270Parent of this continuation · filed 16 Jul 1999

Application10/918,753Parent of this continuation · filed 12 Aug 2004

Application12/880,326Parent of this continuation · filed 13 Sep 2010

US 2013/0332957 A1Pre-grant publication · published 12 Dec 2013

US 2005/0262542 A1Published application

US 2011/0047487 A1Published application

US 9,521,451 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Television chat system

Life of this patent

Television chat system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20