Granted Patent B2

US 12,652,322 · App. 18/147,816 · Granted Jun 9, 2026

Inventor: Nadejda Sarmova (Long Beach, CA)

H04L65/1069H04L65/1093H04N21/242H04N21/4788

Abstract

Claims (54)

1 . A method for establishing a virtual shared connection, the method compromising:

receiving an invitation from a first device;

sending the invitation to a second device, wherein the invitation is associated with media content, the first device is associated with a first user, and the second device is associated with a second user;

in response to sending the invitation, receiving an acceptance;

in response to receiving an acceptance to the invitation, causing synchronous playback of media content at the first device and second device such that the playback is synchronized on the first device and on the second device;

during the synchronous playback on the first device and the second device, detecting a trigger at a point in time during the synchronous playback where user-provided content is associated with the media content, the trigger previously stored in the media content, the trigger identifying user-provided content that was previously received from a third device and that is associated with a third user, the user-provided content being separate from the media content, wherein the trigger identifies a location that the user-provided content is associated with the media content;

based on detecting the trigger, simultaneously causing output of the user-provided content on the first device and the second device;

receiving a communication from the first device; and

causing, during synchronous playback, the communication to be output on the second device and not the first device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein causing, during synchronous playback, the communication to be output on the second device and not the first device comprises causing, during synchronous playback, the communication to be displayed on the second device and not the first device.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending the user-provided content to a fourth device.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the simultaneously causing of the output of the user-provided content on the first and the second devices comprises simultaneously causing display of the user-provided content on the first and the second devices.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving data that associates the user-provided content with the media content; and associating the user provided content with the media content.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein associating the user provided content with the media content comprises modifying the media content to include the trigger.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein: the data comprises a specific time period; and the simultaneously causing of the output of the user-provided content on the first and the second devices is associated with the specific time period.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the media content comprises:

video content;

text content;

an image;

audio content; or

multimedia content.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the user-provided content comprises:

video content;

text content;

graphic content;

an image; or

audio content.

10 . A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory operably connected to the one or more processors and storing instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, cause operations comprising:

sending an invitation received from a first device to a second device, wherein the invitation is associated with media content, the first device is associated with a first user, and the second device is associated with a second user;

in response to receiving an acceptance to the invitation, causing synchronous playback of the media content to the first device and to the second device such that the playback is synchronized on the first device and on the second device;

during the synchronous playback on the first device and the second device, detecting a trigger at a point in time during the synchronous playback where user-provided content is associated with the media content, the trigger previously stored in the media content, the trigger identifying user-provided content that was previously received from a third device and that is associated with a third user, the user-provided content being separate from the media content, wherein the trigger identifies a location that the user-provided content is associated with the media content; and

in response to detecting the trigger:

retrieving the previously received user-provided content;

simultaneously causing output of the user-provided content on the first and the second devices;

receiving a communication from the first device; and

causing, during synchronous playback, the communication to be output on the second device and not the first device.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein causing, during the synchronous playback, the communication to be output on the second device and not the first device comprises causing, during the synchronous playback, the communication to be displayed on the second device and not the first device.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the memory stores further instructions for sending the user-provided content to a fourth device.

13 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the simultaneously causing of the output of the user-provided content on the first and the second devices comprises simultaneously causing display of the user-provided content on the first and the second devices.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein:

the data comprises a specific time period; and

the simultaneously causing of the output of the user-provided content on the first and the second devices is associated with the specific time period.

15 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the memory stores further instructions for: receiving data that associates the user-provided content with the media content; and in response to receiving the data, modifying the media content to include the trigger.

16 . A method, comprising:

receiving an invitation from a first device associated with a first user, the invitation associated with media content;

sending the invitation to a second device associated with a second

user; in response to sending the invitation, receiving an acceptance;

in response to receiving the acceptance, causing synchronous playback of the media content to the first device and to the second device such that the playback is synchronized on first device and on the second device;

during the synchronous playback on the first device and the second device, identifying a trigger in the media content at a point in time during the synchronous playback where user-provided content is associated with the media content, the trigger identifying user-provided content received from a third computer that is associated with a third user, the user-provided content being separate from the media content, wherein the trigger identifies a location for the user-provided content in the media content;

upon identifying the trigger, simultaneously causing display of the user-provided content on the first and the second devices;

receiving a communication from the first device; and

causing, during the synchronous playback, the communication to be output on the second user device and not the first user device.

Continuity (4)

References Cited (45)