Tracking time-based selection of search results
Where multiple client devices are synchronized to multiple, asynchronous instances of a time-based media presentation such as live and time-shifted views of a television broadcast, interactive content can be delivered to each one of the various devices at a particular time (or “time offset”) within the presentation independent of when each instance of the time-based media presentation is viewed.
1. A method comprising:
receiving search behavior data from a plurality of tracked devices, wherein the plurality of tracked devices are synchronized to a first presentation of time-based media based upon an audio component of the first presentation and wherein the search behavior data includes search result selections;
identifying a most popular one of the search result selections at a time offset within the first presentation of the time-based media;
synchronizing a device with a second presentation of the time-based media; and
transmitting a representation of the most popular one of the search results to the device synchronized to the time offset within the second presentation of the time-based media.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second presentation is concurrent with the first presentation.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second presentation is a time-shifted viewing of the time-based media.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the time-based media is a television broadcast.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of tracked devices are synchronized to the first presentation based upon an audio channel of the first presentation.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein synchronizing the device with the second presentation includes synchronizing based upon an audio channel of the second presentation.
7. A computer program product for sharing search activity, the computer program product comprising computer executable code embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium that, when executing on one or more computing devices, performs the steps of:
receiving search behavior data from a plurality of tracked devices, wherein the plurality of tracked devices are synchronized to a first presentation of time-based media based upon an audio component of the first presentation and wherein the search behavior data includes search result selections;
identifying a most popular one of the search result selections at a time offset within the first presentation of the time-based media;
synchronizing a device with a second presentation of the time-based media; and
transmitting a representation of the most popular one of the search results to the device synchronized to the time offset within the second presentation of the time-based media.
8. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the second presentation is concurrent with the first presentation.
9. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the second presentation is a time-shifted viewing of the time-based media.
10. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the time-based media is a television broadcast.
11. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the plurality of tracked devices are synchronized to the first presentation based upon an audio channel of the first presentation.
12. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein synchronizing the device with the second presentation includes synchronizing based upon an audio channel of the second presentation.
13. A server comprising:
a data network interface configured to provide a communicating relationship with a data network;
a database; and
a processor configured to receive search behavior data from a plurality of tracked devices through the data network interface, wherein the plurality of tracked devices are synchronized to a first presentation of time-based media based upon an audio component of the first presentation and wherein the search behavior data includes search result selections, the processor further configured to identify a most popular one of the search result selections at a time offset within the first presentation of the time-based media and to store the most popular one of the search result selections in the database, and the processor further configured to synchronize a device with a second presentation of the time-based media and to transmit a representation of the most popular one of the search results to the device synchronized to the time offset within the second presentation of the time-based media.