System and method for identifying common media content

Abstract

A system and a method identify common media content with two or more terminals that are remote with respect to each other for users to access, to consume and/or to experience a multimedia file of the common media content. A list of the common media content of the first terminal and to the second terminal is displayed via the first terminal and the second terminal. The first terminal and the second terminal may be synchronized for the first user and for the second user to experience the multimedia file via the shared viewing session. A communication associated with the multimedia file may be transmitted between the first terminal and the second terminal via a shared communication channel over the network before, during and/or after a playback of the multimedia file.

1 . A system for identifying multimedia for a first user and a second user, the system comprising:
 a first terminal connected to a network wherein the first terminal has access to a first media library of multimedia files wherein the first user consumes multimedia files of the first media library on the first terminal;   a second terminal connected to the first terminal by the network and located remote relative to the first terminal wherein the second terminal has access to a second media library of multimedia files wherein the second user consumes multimedia files of the second media library on the second terminal; and   a list of common media content which indicates the multimedia files that are located in both the first media library and the second media library and further wherein at least one of the first terminal and the second terminal display the list of common media content wherein a common media session of synchronized consumption of a multimedia file which encodes the multimedia is initiated for the first terminal and the second terminal in response to user input that selects the multimedia file from the list of common media content and further wherein the first terminal and the second terminal provide simultaneous and synchronized playback of the multimedia encoded by the multimedia file during the common media session of synchronized consumption.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 an online digital storage locker connected to the network wherein the online digital storage locker provides the first terminal with access to the first media library. 
 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 first metadata associated with the multimedia files of the first media library; and 
 second metadata associated with the multimedia files of the second media library wherein the list of common media content is based on comparison of the first metadata to the second metadata. 
 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  wherein the first terminal accesses the first metadata and transmits the first metadata to the second terminal and further wherein the second terminal performs the comparison of the first metadata to the second metadata. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the first terminal transmits a first communication to the second terminal that indicates that the first terminal is ready to initiate the common media session and further wherein the second terminal transmits a second communication to the first terminal that the second terminal is ready to initiate the common media session wherein the common media session initiates in response to the first terminal receiving the second communication and the second terminal receiving the first communication. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the first terminal sends a message to the second terminal indicating the multimedia files of the first media library that correspond to multimedia files of the second media library and further wherein the list of common media content is based on the message. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the first terminal accepts user input from the first user during the common media session and transmits a communication based on the user input from the first terminal to the second terminal during the common media session using the network wherein the second terminal displays the communication during the common media session. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the first terminal accepts user input from the first user during the common media session and transmits a communication based on the user input to the second terminal during the common media session using the network and further wherein the second terminal displays the communication during a second consumption of the multimedia file subsequent to the common media session. 
     
     
         9 . A method for identifying multimedia for a first user and a second user wherein a first terminal and a second terminal are connected to a network and further wherein the first terminal has access to a first media library of multimedia files and the second terminal has access to a second media library of multimedia files and further wherein the second terminal is located remotely relative to the first terminal, the method comprising the steps of:
 generating a list of common media content which indicates the multimedia files of the first media library that correspond to the multimedia files of the second media library wherein the list of common media content indicates that a first multimedia file of the first media library corresponds to a second multimedia file of the second media library and further wherein the second multimedia file is a different file than the first multimedia file;   displaying an electronic program guide on at least one of the first terminal and the second terminal wherein the electronic program guide provides the list of common media content; and   initiating a common media session of simultaneous playback of the first multimedia file for the first terminal and the second multimedia file for the second terminal in response to user input on at least one of the first terminal and the second terminal.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein an online digital storage locker connected to the network provides the first terminal with access to the first media library. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising the steps of:
 comparing first metadata associated with the first media library of multimedia files to second metadata associated with the second media library of multimedia files wherein the list of common media content is based on the comparison of the first metadata to the second metadata. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising the step of:
 transmitting the first metadata from the first terminal to the second terminal wherein the second terminal performs the comparison of the first metadata to the second metadata. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising the step of:
 updating the list of common media content on a periodic basis. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising the step of:
 sending a message from the first terminal to the second terminal which is an invitation for the second user to partake in the common media session of simultaneous playback wherein the user input which initiates the common media session of simultaneous playback is user input on the second terminal that indicates acceptance of the invitation. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the user input which initiates the common media session of simultaneous playback is accepted by the first terminal and selects the first multimedia file from the electronic program guide. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the first multimedia file and the second multimedia file encode the same multimedia content. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the second multimedia file is a different version of the first multimedia file. 
     
     
         18 . A system for identifying multimedia for a first user and a second user wherein a network is connected to a media provider which has a first media library of multimedia files, the system comprising:
 a first terminal connected to the network wherein the first terminal has access to a second media library of multimedia files and further wherein the first terminal enables the first user to consume multimedia files of the second media library;   a second terminal connected to the first terminal by the network and located remote relative to the first terminal wherein the second terminal has access to a third media library of multimedia files and further wherein the second terminal enables the second user to consume multimedia files of the third media library wherein the first media library, the second media library and the third media library are located at different locations wherein at least one of the first terminal and the second terminal identify a multimedia file of the second media library that is not one of the multimedia files of the third media library and further wherein the multimedia file encodes the multimedia wherein the second terminal accesses the first media library via the network to obtain the multimedia file from the media provider; and   a common media session of synchronized consumption of the multimedia file initiated for the first terminal and the second terminal such that the first terminal and the second terminal initiate the synchronized consumption of the multimedia file wherein the first terminal and the second terminal provide simultaneous and synchronized playback of the multimedia encoded by the multimedia file during the common media session of synchronized consumption.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18  wherein the first terminal accepts user input from the first user during the common media session and transmits a communication based on the user input to the second terminal during the common media session using the network wherein the second terminal displays the communication during a second consumption of the multimedia file subsequent to the common media session. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18  wherein the common media session is initiated in response to user input on at least one of the first terminal and the second terminal and further wherein the user input selects the multimedia file from an electronic program guide. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 18  wherein the first media library is local to the first terminal and further wherein the second media library is local to the second terminal. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 18  wherein an online digital storage locker connected to the network provides access to one of the first media library and the second media library. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 18  wherein communications are transmitted from the first terminal and the second terminal to each other wherein the communications initiate the common media session. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 18  wherein the first terminal and the second terminal delay initiation of the common media session for a time period after the second terminal indicates that the second terminal will participate in the common media session and further wherein the time period is based on an amount of time required for the second terminal to obtain the multimedia file from the media provider. 
     
     
         25 . A method for identifying multimedia for a first user who uses a first terminal to consume multimedia files of a first media library and a second user who uses a second terminal to consume multimedia files of a second media library wherein the second terminal is connected to the first terminal by a network and located remotely relative to the first terminal, the method comprising of the steps of:
 at least one of the first terminal and the second terminal identifying a list of common media content which indicates the multimedia files that are located in both the first media library and the second media library;   at least one of the first terminal and the second terminal displaying the list of common media content after the list of common media content is identified; and   initiating a common media session of synchronized consumption of a multimedia file which encodes the multimedia wherein the common media session of synchronized consumption is initiated for the first terminal and the second terminal in response to user input on at least one of the first terminal and the second terminal selecting the multimedia file from the list of common media content and further wherein the first terminal and the second terminal provide simultaneous and synchronized playback of the multimedia encoded by the multimedia file during the common media session of synchronized consumption.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising:
 an online digital storage locker connected to the network wherein the online digital storage locker provides the first terminal with access to the first media library. 
 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising the step of:
 at least one of the first terminal and the second terminal performing a comparison of first metadata associated with the multimedia files of the first media library to second metadata associated with multimedia files of the second media library wherein the list of common media content is based on the comparison of the first metadata to the second metadata. 
 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  further comprising the step of:
 the first terminal transmitting the first metadata to the second terminal wherein the second terminal performs the comparison of the first metadata to the second metadata. 
 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising the steps of:
 the first terminal transmitting a first communication to the second terminal that indicates that the first terminal is ready to initiate the common media session; and 
 the second terminal transmitting a second communication to the first terminal that indicates that the second terminal is ready to initiate the common media session wherein the common media session initiates in response to the first terminal receiving the second communication and the second terminal receiving the first communication. 
 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising the step of:
 the first terminal sending a message to the second terminal indicating the multimedia files of the first media library that correspond to multimedia files of the second media library and further wherein the list of common media content is based on the message. 
 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising the steps of:
 the first terminal accepting user input from the first user during the common media session; 
 the first terminal transmitting a communication based on the user input from the first terminal to the second terminal during the common media session using the network; and 
 the second terminal displaying the communication during the common media session after the communication from the first terminal is received by the second terminal. 
 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising the steps of:
 the first terminal accepting user input from the first user during the common media session; 
 the first terminal transmitting a communication based on the user input to the second terminal during the common media session using the network; and 
 the second terminal displaying the communication during a second consumption of the multimedia file subsequent to the common media session. 
 
     
     
         33 . A method for identifying multimedia using a network connected to a media provider which has a first media library of multimedia files wherein a first user uses a first terminal to consume multimedia files of a second media library and a second user uses a second terminal to consume multimedia files of a third media library wherein the second terminal is connected to the first terminal by the network and further wherein the first media library, the second media library and the third media library are located at different locations, the method comprising the steps of:
 at least one of the first terminal and the second terminal identifying a multimedia file of the second media library that is not one of the multimedia files of the third media library wherein the multimedia file encodes the multimedia;   the second terminal accessing the first media library over the network to obtain the multimedia file from the media provider; and   initiating a common media session of synchronized consumption of the multimedia file for the first terminal and the second terminal wherein the first terminal and the second terminal provide simultaneous and synchronized playback of the multimedia encoded by the multimedia file during the common media session of synchronized consumption.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  further comprising the step of:
 performing a comparison of first metadata associated with the multimedia files of the first media library and second metadata associated with the multimedia files of the second media library to identify the multimedia file of the second media library that is not one of the multimedia files of the third media library wherein the second terminal obtains the multimedia file from the media provider after the comparison of the first metadata to the second metadata. 
 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34  further comprising the step of:
 the first terminal accessing the first metadata and transmitting the first metadata to the second terminal wherein the second terminal performs the comparison of the first metadata to the second metadata. 
 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33  further comprising the step of:
 an online digital storage locker connected to the network wherein the online digital storage locker provides access to at least one of the first media library and the second media library. 
 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33  further comprising the step of:
 transmitting communications from the first terminal and the second terminal to each other wherein the communications initiate the common media session. 
 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 33  further comprising the step of:
 the first terminal and the second terminal delaying initiation of the common media session for a time period after the second terminal indicates that the second terminal will participate in the common media session wherein the time period is based on an amount of time required for the second terminal to obtain the multimedia file from the media provider.