US 12,225,255 B2
Systems and methods for enhancing group media consumption sessions
Reda Harb, Issaquah, WA (US); and Tao Chen, Palo Alto, CA (US)
Assigned to Adeia Guides Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Rovi Guides, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 13, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/965,454.
Prior Publication US 2024/0129572 A1, Apr. 18, 2024
Int. Cl. H04N 21/2668 (2011.01); H04N 21/258 (2011.01); H04N 21/262 (2011.01); H04N 21/431 (2011.01); H04N 21/4788 (2011.01); H04N 21/81 (2011.01)
CPC H04N 21/2668 (2013.01) [H04N 21/25891 (2013.01); H04N 21/2625 (2013.01); H04N 21/4316 (2013.01); H04N 21/4788 (2013.01); H04N 21/812 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
identifying a user profile;
generating for output, at a first computing device, a media content item;
identifying, based on the user profile and the media content item, a contact with whom a first portion of the media content item has previously been consumed;
determining that the user profile and a profile of the contact both indicate consumption of episodes of a same series at a similar schedule;
identifying, based on the similar schedule, a first typical time associated with the user profile for consuming episodes of the series, and a second typical time associated with the contact for consuming episodes of the series;
identifying that a difference between the first typical time and the second typical time is within a threshold amount;
identifying, based on the first typical time and the second typical time, a first time;
generating, based on the media content item and the identified contact, an invitation to join a media content item group session at the identified first time and to consume a second portion of the media content item that has not previously been consumed;
transmitting, to a second computing device associated with the contact, the invitation;
receiving a first request to delay the first time for the media content item group session;
generating, for output, a first user interface element associated with the first request to delay the first time;
generating, for output, a second user interface element associated with a second request to generate a preview of the second portion of the media content item;
receiving a first input, via the first user interface element, for accepting the first request to delay the first time to a second time;
identifying, based on the first time and the second time a delay period;
receiving a second input, via the second user interface element, for starting output of the second portion of the media content item during the delay period;
generating a second invitation, wherein the second invitation comprises the second time for the media content item group session;
transmitting, to the second computing device, the second invitation;
identifying a restriction associated with the preview of the second portion of the media content item;
generating, for output and with the restriction, the preview of the second portion of the media content item;
receiving an indication that the second invitation has been accepted;
stopping the output of the preview of the second portion of the media content item;
initiating, between the first computing device and the second computing device and at the second time, the media content item group session; and
generating for output, at the first computing device and the second computing device, the second portion of the media content item.