Apparatus, systems and methods for facilitating social networking via a media device
View Patent ↗Techniques for facilitating social networking via a media device are described. Some embodiments provide a social networking facilitator (“SNF”) as part of a media device, such as a set-top box that is configured to receive media content events from a broadcast system, such as a satellite broadcast system. As the media device presents a media content event, a user can share, via the SNF, information about the presented media content event with members of his social network. In particular, the SNF prepares a message that includes information about or from the presented media content event, such as a title, a channel, a summary, rating, video clip, or the like. This message can then be edited by the user, such as by adding a comment or rating, before being transmitted by the SNF a social networking system, to be forwarded as a notification to members of the user's social network.
1. A method for facilitating interaction with a social networking system via a media device operated by a user, comprising:
receiving from a broadcast system program data that represents a media content event and information about the media content event;
presenting a user interface control that is automatically populated with at least some of the obtained program data;
receiving user input responsive to the presented user interface control;
automatically determining a source for the media content event other than the broadcast system;
generating a message that includes a uniform resource locator identifying the source for the media content event other than the broadcast system, the at least some of the obtained program data and the received user input;
transmitting the message to the social networking system, thereby causing the social networking system to notify members of a social network of the user about the media content event; and
causing a second media device associated with one of the members of the social network to record the media content event, by including in the transmitted message an instruction to record the media content event.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the media device is a first media device, and further comprising:
causing the second media device associated with one of the members of the social network to display the at least some of the obtained program data from the transmitted message.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the media device is a first media device, and further comprising:
causing the second media device associated with one of the members of the social network to display the media content event.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
causing a computing device associated with one of the members of the social network to obtain the media content event from the source other than the broadcast system.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein causing the computing device to obtain the media content event from the source other than the broadcast system comprises:
causing the computing device to obtain the media content event from a Website identified by the uniform resource locator.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining information from an electronic program guide stored by the media device; and
generating the user interface control to include the obtained information.
7. A system for facilitating interaction with a social networking system via a media device operated by a user, comprising:
a broadcast system;
a first media device configured to:
receive from the broadcast system program data that represents a media content event and information about the media content event;
present a user interface control;
receive user input responsive to the presented user interface control;
automatically determine a source for the media content event other than the broadcast system;
automatically populate a message with a uniform resource locator identifying the source for the media content event other than the broadcast system, at least some of the obtained program data and the received user input; and
transmit the message to the social networking system, thereby causing the social networking system to notify members of a social network of the user about the media content event; and
cause a second media device associated with one of the members of the social network to record the media content event, by including in the transmitted message an instruction to record the media content event.
8. The system of claim 7 wherein the user interface control is a form and wherein the at least some of the obtained program data includes at least one of: a title of the media content event, a unique identifier of the media content event, a description of the media content event, a rating for the media content event, and a portion of the media content event.
9. The system of claim 7 wherein the first media device is further configured to:
receive input from the user including at least one of: an indication of a like or dislike for the media content event, a comment about the media content event, and a rating of the media content event.
10. The system of claim 7 , further comprising:
the second media device, configured to:
receive from the social networking system a notification of the media content event; and
in response to the received notification, display information about the media content event.
11. The system of claim 7 , further comprising:
the second media device, configured to:
receive from the social networking system a notification of the media content event; and
in response to the received notification, initiate a recording of the media content event.
12. The system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a computing device configured to:
receive from the social networking system a notification of the media content event; and
in response to the received notification, obtain the media content event from the source other than the broadcast system.
13. A method for facilitating interaction with a social networking system via a client device operated by a user, comprising:
receiving, at the client device, a notification from the social networking system, the notification identifying a media content event provided by a broadcast system and viewed on a first media device by a member of a social network of the user, the notification including a uniform resource locator identifying a source for the media content event other than the broadcast system, the notification based on a message transmitted to the social networking system from the first media device;
receiving user input responsive to the received notification;
performing an action based on the received user input, the action being at least one of:
displaying the media content event on the client device;
displaying the media content event on a presentation device coupled to a second media device for viewing by the user; and
recording the media content event on a storage device of the second media device,
wherein the first and second media devices are set-top boxes and wherein the client device is at least one of: a smart phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, and a desktop computer; and
wherein the source for the media content event other than the broadcast system is a Website that streams the media content event, wherein the client device is not operable to obtain the media content event from the broadcast system, and further comprising:
obtaining the media content event from the Website that streams the media content event; and
displaying the media content event on the client device.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
displaying information from the notification on a presentation device coupled to the client device.
15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
causing the second media device to obtain the media content event from the broadcast system.
16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
causing the second media device to obtain the media content event from the source other than the broadcast system.
17. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically determining the source for the media content event other than the broadcast system includes searching for a Website that streams the media content event.