Granted Patent B1

US 9,462,231 · App. 14/942,778 · Granted Oct 4, 2016

Inventors: Jeff Fluhr (San Francisco, CA); Robert Hunt (San Francisco, CA)

Assignee: Flurry Live, Inc.

H04N7/155H04N7/152

Abstract

Claims (75)

1. A system for producing a video-based group conversation for transmission over a network, comprising:

a server having a processor configured to execute instructions;

a memory coupled to the server and having stored instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to:

receive a request from a first user at a first user computing device to create a video-based group conversation;

transmit, in response to the request from the first user, a page template to the first user computing device via the network, the page template configured to display a production page on a display of the first user computing device, the production page having a plurality of sections including at least a preview section configured for displaying an indicator for each of a plurality of viewers who are viewing in the video-based group conversation, each of the plurality of viewers representing a potential video feed, and a media player section configured for displaying at least one of the plurality of potential video feeds, and a set of production controls configured to select at least one of the plurality of potential video feeds to display in the media player section;

open a first communications channel with the first user computing device and the server via the network to enable data transmission between the server computer and the production page displayed on the first user computing device;

identify the plurality of viewers for the video-based group conversation, wherein at least one of the plurality of potential viewers is accessing the video-based group conversation from an application embedded into a web page served by a second server;

receive a request from at least one of the plurality of potential viewers to join the video-based group conversation as a second user;

transmit to the first user computing device a notification that the request from the at least one of the plurality of potential viewers has been received by the server, the notification causing the first user computing device to display an identifier on the production page, the identifier identifying the requesting potential viewer;

receive a selection from the first user using the production controls, the selection indicating which requesting potential viewer has been selected to be displayed in the media player;

enable display of a video feed of the selected potential viewer in the media player section of the production page; and

stream the video signal over the network.

2. The system of claim 1 , comprising further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to:

transmit the page template as further configured to display a first plurality of controls enabled for the first user, including a first control configured to start the video-based group conversation and a second control configured to end the video-based group conversation; and

transmit the page template as further configured to display a second plurality of controls enabled for the first user, including a third control configured to select a plurality of viewers to participate in the group conversation or to remove the viewers from the group conversation.

3. The system of claim 1 , comprising further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to:

transmit the page template as further configured to display a chat section on the production page for receiving and publically displaying chats from a plurality of participants to all viewers.

4. The system of claim 3 , comprising further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to:

transmit the page template as further configured to display a producer control on the production page for the public chat section whereby the producer is enabled to select whether or not to delete chats received from participants.

5. The system of claim 1 , comprising further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to:

transmit the page template as further configured to display a screen queue section on the production page for receiving questions from participants and displaying the questions to a producer.

6. The system of claim 1 , comprising further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to:

transmit the page template as further configured to display a screen queue section on the production page for receiving links to external media from participants and displaying the underlying external media to a producer.

7. The system of claim 5 , comprising further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to:

transmit the page template as further configured to display a producer control for the screen queue section on the production page whereby the producer is enabled to select whether or not to publically display the questions and/or external media.

8. The system of claim 3 , comprising further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to:

transmit the page template as further configured to display a producers section, wherein the producers section includes a private chat window for conducting private chats with participants.

9. The system of claim 1 , comprising further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to:

transmit the page template as further configured to receive at least one of the requests to join the video-based group conversation as a participant, from the at least one of the plurality of potential viewers who is accessing the video-based group conversation from the embedded application.

10. A method for producing a video-based group conversation for transmission over a network, comprising:

receiving, at a server, a request from a first user at a first user computing device to create a video-based group conversation;

transmitting, in response to the request from the first user, a page template from the server to the first user computing device via the network, the page template configured to display a production page on a display of the first user computing device, the production page having a plurality of sections including at least a preview section configured for displaying an indicator for each of a plurality of viewers who are viewing in the video-based group conversation, each of the plurality of viewers representing a potential video feed, and a media player section configured for displaying at least one of the plurality of potential video feeds, and a set of production controls configured to select at least one of the plurality of potential video feeds to display in the media player section;

opening, by the server, a first communications channel with the first user computing device and the server via the network to enable data transmission between the server and the production page displayed on the first user computing device;

identifying, at the server, the plurality of potential viewers for the video-based group conversation, wherein at least one of the plurality of potential viewers is accessing the video-based group conversation from an application embedded into a web page served by a second server;

receiving, at the server, a request from at least one of the plurality of potential viewers to join the video-based group conversation as a second user;

transmitting to the first user computing device a notification that the request from the at least one of the plurality of potential viewers has been received by the server, the notification causing the first user computing device to display an identifier on the production page, the identifier identifying the requesting potential viewer;

receiving a selection made by the first user using the production controls, the selection indicating which requesting potential viewer has been selected to be displayed in the media player;

enabling, by the server, display of a video feed of the selected potential viewer in the media player section of the production page; and

streaming the video signal over the network.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

transmitting the page template as further configured to display a first plurality of controls enabled for the first user, including a first control configured to start the video-based group conversation and a second control configured to end the video-based group conversation; and

transmitting the page template as further configured to display a second plurality of controls enabled for the first user, including a third control configured to select a plurality of viewers to participate in the group conversation or to remove the viewers from the group conversation.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

transmitting the page template as further configured to display a chat section on the production page for receiving and publically displaying chats from a plurality of participants to all viewers.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

transmitting the page template as further configured to display a producer control on the production page for the public chat section whereby the producer is enabled to select whether or not to delete chats received from participants.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

transmitting the page template as further configured to display a screen queue section on the production page for receiving questions from participants and displaying the questions to a producer.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

transmitting the page template as further configured to display a screen queue section on the production page for receiving external media from participants and to displaying the external media to a producer.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

transmitting the page template as further configured to display a producer control on the production page for the screen queue section whereby the producer is enabled to select whether or not to publically display the questions and/or external media.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

transmitting the page template as further configured to display a producers section, wherein the producers section includes a private chat window for conducting private chats with participants.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

transmitting the page template as further configured to receive at least one of the requests to join the video-based group conversation as a participant, from the at least one of the plurality of potential viewers who is accessing the video-based group conversation from the embedded application.

19. A computer program product comprising computer-readable program code to be executed by one or more processors when retrieved from a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program code including instructions to:

generate, by a server, a page template for displaying a production page at a user computer, the page template configured to display a plurality of sections on the production page including at least a preview section configured for displaying an indicator for each of a plurality of viewers who are viewing in the video-based group conversation, each of the plurality of viewers representing a potential video feed, and a media player section configured for displaying at least one of the plurality of potential video feeds, and a set of production controls configured to select at least one of the plurality of video feeds to display in the media player section;

receive, at the server, a request from a first user at a first user computing device to create a video-based group conversation;

transmit, in response to the request from the first user, the page template from the server to the first user computing device via the network, and opening a first communications channel with the first user computing device and the server via the network to enable streaming data between the server and the production page displayed on the first user computing device;

identify, at the server, the plurality of potential viewers for the video-based group conversation, wherein at least one of the plurality of potential viewers is accessing the video-based group conversation from an application embedded into a web page served by a second server;

receive, at the server, requests from at least some of the plurality of potential viewers to join the video-based group conversation on camera;

transmit to the first user computing device a notification that the request from the at least one of the plurality of potential viewers has been received by the server, the notification causing the first user computing device to display an identifier on the production page, the identifier identifying the requesting potential viewer;

receive a selection made by the first user using the production controls, the selection indicating which requesting potential viewer has been selected to be displayed in the media player;

enable, by the server, display of a video feed of the selected potential viewer in the media player section of the production page; and

stream the video signal over the network.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the program code includes further instructions to:

transmit the page template as further configured to display a first plurality of controls enabled for the first user in the media player section, including a first control configured to start the video-based group conversation and a second control configured to end the video-based group conversation; and

transmitting the page template as further configured to display a second plurality of controls enabled for the first user in the preview section, including a third control configured to select a plurality of viewers to participate in the group conversation or to remove the viewers from the group conversation.

21. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the program code includes further instructions to:

transmitting the page template as further configured to enable the first user to preview the plurality of video feeds in the preview section using the set of production controls.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein the program code includes further instructions to:

transmitting the page template as further configured to generate a first production control that is configured to enable the first user to designate at least one other user as enabled to use at least some of the set of production controls.

23. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein the program code includes further instructions to:

transmitting the page template as further configured to receive at least one of the requests to join the video-based group conversation as a participant, from the at least one of the plurality of potential viewers who is accessing the video-based group conversation from the embedded application.

Assignments (10)

Continuity (2)