IP Library Granted Patent US 11,607,617
Granted Patent B1
US 11,607,617 · App. 17/931,962 · Granted Mar 21, 2023

Systems and methods for transmitting interactive game features to multiple devices of a shared streaming media session

Inventors: Brian F. Roberts (Dallas, TX); Chad Peltola (Fairfield, CT); Charles Robertson (Seattle, WA)
Assignee: DISCOVERY.COM, LLC
A63F13/814A63F13/335A63F13/86
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,607,617
App. No.
17/931,962
Granted
Mar 21, 2023
Kind
B1
Abstract

Systems and methods for implementing one or more game features across devices associated with a synchronous multimedia stream are disclosed. One method may include: transmitting interactive game features to multiple devices associated with a synchronous multimedia stream using a server in network communication with at least one database, the method comprising operations including: establishing, on the server, a virtual media streaming session; connecting two or more user profiles of a media streaming platform to the virtual media streaming session; providing, in the virtual media streaming session, an article of multimedia content, wherein the article of multimedia content is simultaneously viewable on user devices associated with each of the two or more user profiles; determining, using a processor associated with the server, whether one or more interactive game features associated with the article of multimedia content are activated; and implementing, responsive to determining that the one or more interactive game features are activated, aspects associated with the one or more interactive game features in the virtual media streaming session.

Claims (46)

1. A method for transmitting interactive game features to multiple devices associated with a synchronous multimedia stream using a server in network communication with at least one database, the method comprising operations including:

establishing, on the server, a virtual media streaming session;

connecting two or more user profiles of a media streaming platform to the virtual media streaming session;

displaying, in the virtual media streaming session, an article of multimedia content, wherein the article of multimedia content is simultaneously viewable on one or more user devices associated with each of the two or more user profiles;

determining, using a processor associated with the server, whether one or more interactive game features associated with the article of multimedia content are activated; and

implementing, responsive to determining that the one or more interactive game features are activated, aspects associated with the one or more interactive game features in the virtual media streaming session, wherein the implementing comprises:

obtaining, by the server, data associated with one or more objects and/or one or more events occurring in the article of multimedia content;

identifying, based on the obtaining, an occurrence of a predetermined event associated with the one or more objects and/or the one or more events; and

presenting, subsequent to the identifying, a notification in the virtual media streaming session that requests users associated with each of the two or more user profiles to perform a real-life task.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined event is of a type selected from the group consisting of: an arrival of a predetermined character in a scene of the article of multimedia content, an utterance of a predetermined word by any character in the article of multimedia content, a performance of a predetermined action by the predetermined character in the article of multimedia content, and an appearance of a predetermined object in the article of multimedia content.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the type of the predetermined event is dynamically selected by server.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined event is associated with a frequency designation and wherein the frequency designation is one of: a frequently occurring predetermined event or an infrequently occurring predetermined event.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein a type of the frequency designation is dependent upon a rate of appearance of the notification as designated by the users.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the presenting the notification comprises causing the notification to be displayed at a peripheral edge portion of the virtual media streaming session.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the notification comprises an illustration of the real-life task that the users are requested to perform.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the notification comprises an illustration of the real-life task that the users are requested to perform.

9. The method of claim 1 , comprising further operations including: displaying, in the virtual media streaming session, input received from any of the users of the two or more user profiles, wherein the input comprises a comment and/or an emotive reaction.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining comprises accessing metadata associated with the article of multimedia content.

11. A system for transmitting interactive game features to multiple devices associated with a synchronous multimedia stream, the system comprising:

at least one database;

a server in network communication with the at least one database, the server configured to perform operations including:

establishing, on the server, a virtual media streaming session;

connecting two or more user profiles of a media streaming platform to the virtual media streaming session;

providing, in the virtual media streaming session, an article of multimedia content, wherein the article of multimedia content is simultaneously viewable on one or more user devices associated with each of the two or more user profiles;

determining, using a processor associated with the server, whether one or more interactive game features associated with the article of multimedia content are activated; and

implementing, responsive to determining that the one or more interactive game features are activated, aspects associated with the one or more interactive game features in the virtual media streaming session, wherein the implementing comprises:

obtaining, by the server, data associated with one or more objects and/or one or more events occurring in the article of multimedia content;

identifying, based on the obtaining, an occurrence of a predetermined event associated with the one or more objects and/or the one or more events; and

presenting, subsequent to the identifying, a notification in the virtual media streaming session that requests users associated with each of the two or more user profiles to perform a real-life task.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the predetermined event is of a type selected from the group consisting of: an arrival of a predetermined character in a scene of the article of multimedia content, an utterance of a predetermined word by any character in the article of multimedia content, a performance of a predetermined action by the predetermined character in the article of multimedia content, and an appearance of a predetermined object in the article of multimedia content.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the type of the predetermined event is dynamically selected by server.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the predetermined event is associated with a frequency designation and wherein the frequency designation is one of: a frequently occurring predetermined event or an infrequently occurring predetermined event.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein a type of the frequency designation is dependent upon a rate of appearance of the notification as designated by the users.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the presenting the notification comprises causing the notification to be displayed at a peripheral edge portion of the virtual media streaming session.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the notification comprises an illustration of the real-life task that the users are requested to perform.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the notification comprises an illustration of the real-life task that the users are requested to perform.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the obtaining comprises accessing metadata associated with the article of multimedia content.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a server in network communication with at least one database, cause the server to perform operations comprising:

establishing, on the server, a virtual media streaming session;

connecting two or more user profiles of a media streaming platform to the virtual media streaming session;

providing, in the virtual media streaming session, an article of multimedia content, wherein the article of multimedia content is simultaneously viewable on one or more user devices associated with each of the two or more user profiles;

determining, using a processor associated with the server, whether one or more interactive game features associated with the article of multimedia content are activated; and

implementing, responsive to determining that the one or more interactive game features are activated, aspects associated with the one or more interactive game features in the virtual media streaming session, wherein the implementing comprises:

obtaining, by the server, data associated with one or more objects and/or one or more events occurring in the article of multimedia content;

identifying, based on the obtaining, an occurrence of a predetermined event associated with the one or more objects and/or the one or more events; and

presenting, subsequent to the identifying, a notification in the virtual media streaming session that requests users associated with each of the two or more user profiles to perform a real-life task.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 1, 2025
From: WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY, INC.; WARNER MEDIA, LLC; TURNER BROADCASTING SYSTEM, INC.; HOME BOX OFFICE, INC.; DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; WARNERMEDIA DIRECT LLC; DISCOVERY.COM LLC; WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC.; CNN INTERACTIVE GROUP, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072995/0858 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 14, 2022
From: ROBERTS, BRIAN F.; PELTOLA, CHAD; ROBERTSON, CHARLES
To: DISCOVERY.COM, LLC
Reel/Frame 061094/0006 →
Continuity (1)
Continuation 17658137 · Apr 6, 2022