IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,189,818
Granted Patent B2
US 9,189,818 · App. 13/323,619 · Granted Nov 17, 2015

Association of comments with screen locations during media content playback

Inventor: James Burns McClements, IV (Boulder, CO)
Assignee: Quib, Inc.
G06Q50/01G06Q10/101G06Q30/0643G11B27/034G11B27/34G06F3/0484G06F17/241H04N21/4722
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,189,818
App. No.
13/323,619
Granted
Nov 17, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are described for associating comments with playback of media content. In these methods, systems, and devices, a selection of a screen location during the playback of the media content may be received from a user at an input device. A comment associated with the media content may also be received. The comment may be associated with the selected screen location at the input device. A data store may store the association of the selected screen location with the comment. A playback device may receive the comment and the associated screen location from a data store, monitor the playback of the media content to identify a point during the playback of the media content that is associated with the comment, and display an indication that the comment is associated with the screen location at the point during the playback that is associated with the comment.

Claims (56)

1. A method of associating comments with playback of media content on a screen of an output device, the method comprising:

synchronizing a playback timing tracked by an input device with the playback of the media content on the output device, wherein the input device and the output device comprise separate processors;

receiving from a user at the input device a selection of a screen location during the playback of the media content on the output device;

identifying an image feature displayed on the screen of the output device based on the selected screen location and the playback timing tracked by the input device; and

receiving from the user at the input device a comment associated with the media content;

associating the comment with a position of the identified image feature on the screen of the output device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting the identified image feature and the comment to a data store of stored comments associated with the media content.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving from the user a selection of a point during the playback of the media content for insertion of the comment; and

associating the identified image feature and the comment with the selected point during the playback of the media content.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing a graphical indication to the user that the image feature has been associated with the comment.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

causing an indication of the comment is to be displayed on the output device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input device comprises one of the group consisting of: a mobile device, a mobile phone, a laptop, a tablet, or a computer.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

uploading the comment and an indication of the identified image feature to a network service in communication with both the input device and the output device.

8. An input device apparatus for associating comments with playback of media content on a screen of an output device, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is separate from a processor of the output device;

a memory communicatively coupled with the at least one processor, the memory comprising computer-readable program code stored thereon; wherein the at least one processor, upon executing the computer-readable program code, is configured to:

synchronize a playback timing tracked by the input device apparatus with the playback of the media content on the output device;

receive from a user a selection of a screen location during the playback of the media content on the output device;

identify an image feature displayed on the screen of the output device based on the selected screen location and the playback timing tracked by the input device;

receive from the user a comment associated with the media content; and

associate the comment with a position of the identified image feature on the screen.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit the identified image feature and the comment to a data store of stored comments associated with the media content.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein

the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive from the user a selection of a point during the playback of the media content for insertion of the comment; and

associate the identified image feature and the comment with the selected point during the playback of the media content.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

provide a graphical indication to the user that the image feature has been associated with the comment.

12. A method of associating comments with playback of media content on a screen of an output device, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of a screen location associated with the playback of the media content from an input device, wherein a playback timing tracked by the input device is synchronized with the playback of the media content on the output device, and wherein the input device and the output device comprise separate processors;

receiving, from the input device, an identification of an image feature displayed on the screen of the output device near the selected screen location, wherein the identification of the image feature is based on the selected screen location and the playback timing tracked by the input device;

receiving a comment associated with the identified image feature from the input device over a network;

associating the comment with a position of the identified image feature on the screen of the output device in a data store of stored comments associated with the media content; and

providing an indication of the comment at the position of the identified image feature, wherein the position of the identified image feature and the indication changes over time.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving a selection of a point during the playback of the media content for insertion of the comment over the network; and

associating the identified image feature and the comment with the selected point in time during the playback of the media content in the data store of stored comments associated with the media content.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving a request for comments associated with the media content from the output device; and

providing the comment and a representation of the identified image feature associated with the comment to the output device.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the input device comprises one of the group consisting of: a mobile device, a mobile phone, a laptop, a tablet, or a computer.

16. A method of providing comments during playback of media content on a screen of an output device, the method comprising:

receiving, over a network, a comment generated at an input device associated with a position on the screen of an identified image feature in the media content from a data store of comments associated with the media content; wherein the input device and the output device comprise separate processors;

monitoring the playback of the media content to identify a point during the playback of the media content that is associated with the comment; and

displaying an indication at a position of the image feature that the comment is associated with the identified image feature at the point during the playback of the media content that is associated with the comment, wherein the position of the identified image feature and the indication changes over time;

wherein the identified image feature and the point during the playback of the media content are based on a playback timing tracked by the input device that is synchronized with the playback of the media content on the output device.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

receiving the point during the playback of the media content that is associated with the comment from the data store.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the monitoring the playback of the media content to identify the point that is associated with the comment comprises determining that the image feature is currently being displayed during the playback of the media content.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the output device comprises one of the group consisting of: a mobile device, a mobile phone, a laptop, a tablet, a computer, or a television.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 19, 2015
From: MCCLEMENTS, JAMES BURNS, IV, MR.
To: QUIB INC.
Reel/Frame 035865/0931 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 15, 2011
From: KOHNKE, TIMOTHY J.; LEVITT, MARK D.; BLATTNER, AMANDA R.; HODGE, CHARLES A.
To: ECOLAB USA INC.
Reel/Frame 026913/0941 →
Continuity (6)
Provisional Application 61421945 · Dec 10, 2010
Provisional Application 61432395 · Jan 13, 2011
Provisional Application 61432397 · Jan 13, 2011
Provisional Application 61439189 · Feb 3, 2011
Provisional Application 61439196 · Feb 3, 2011
Related Publication 20120151347A1 · Jun 14, 2012