System And Method For Playback Positioning Of Distributed Media Co-Viewers

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for obtaining and presenting information to a user playing a media item identifying playback positions of a number of other users also playing the media item. In one embodiment, playback information is maintained for each of a plurality of users, the playback information identifying a media item being played by the user and information identifying a playback position of the user in playback of the media item. The playback information is filtered automatically in response to one or more user provided criteria thereby resulting in playback information for each of a subset of users from the plurality of users. Playback information is provided to a user device, the playback information for one or more second users of the subset of users playing a select media item such that the playback information for the one or more second users is presented to the first user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 maintaining playback information for each of a plurality of users, the playback information comprising, for each user of the plurality of users, information identifying a media item being played by the user and information identifying a playback position of the user in playback of the media item;   filtering the playback information automatically in response to one or more user provided criteria thereby resulting in playback information for each of a subset of users from the plurality of users; and   providing, to a user device of a first user of the subset of users, playback information for one or more second users of the subset of users playing a select media item such that the playback information for the one or more second users is presented to the first user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving a request from the user device of the first user; 
 wherein providing the playback information for the one or more second users playing the select media item to the user device of the first user comprises providing the playback information for the one or more second users playing the select media item to the user device of the first user in response to receiving the request. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 detecting playback of the media item by the user device of the first user; 
 wherein providing the playback information for the one or more second users playing the select media item to the user device of the first user comprises pushing the playback information for the one or more second users playing the select media item to the user device of the first user in response to detecting playback of the media item by the user device of the first user. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the one or more user provided criteria comprises one or more of a group consisting of: geographic location, geographic distance from the first user, a contact list of the first user, a social network of the first user, and demographic information. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the one or more second users are all users from the plurality of users that are playing the media item. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the playback information for each of the plurality of users is maintained by a playback information broker. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the playback information for each of the plurality of users is filtered by the playback information broker. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the playback information for the one or more second users of the subset of users playing the select media item is provided by the playback information broker. 
     
     
         9 . A system comprising:
 a communication interface communicatively coupling the system to a plurality of user devices of a plurality of users via a network, each of the plurality of user devices associated with one of the plurality of users; and   a control system associated with the communication interface and adapted to:
 maintain playback information for each of the plurality of users, the playback information comprising, for each user of the plurality of users, information identifying a media item being played by the user and information identifying a playback position of the user in playback of the media item; 
 filter the playback information automatically in response to one or more user provided criteria thereby resulting in playback information for each of a subset of users from the plurality of users; and 
 provide, to a user device of a first user of the subset of users, playback information for one or more second users of the subset of users playing a select media item such that the playback information for the one or more second users is presented to the first user. 
   
     
     
         10 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising software for instructing a computing system to:
 maintain playback information for each of a plurality of users, the playback information comprising, for each user of the plurality of users, information identifying a media item being played by the user and information identifying a playback position of the user in playback of the media item;   filter the playback information automatically in response to one or more user provided criteria thereby resulting in playback information for each of a subset of users from the plurality of users; and   provide playback information for each user of the subset of users playing a select media item on a user device such that the playback information for each user of the subset of users is presented to a first user.   
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 10  further comprising software for instructing the computing system to:
 receive a request from the user device of the first user; 
 wherein instructing the computing system to provide the playback information for the one or more second users playing the select media item to the user device of the first user comprises instructing the computing system to provide the playback information for the one or more second users playing the select media item to the user device of the first user in response to receiving the request. 
 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 10  further comprising software for instructing the computing system to:
 detect playback of the media item by the user device of the first user; 
 wherein instructing the computing system to provide the playback information for the one or more second users playing the select media item to the user device of the first user comprises instructing the computing system to push the playback information for the one or more second users playing the select media item to the user device of the first user in response to detecting playback of the media item by the user device of the first user. 
 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 10  wherein the one or more user provided criteria comprises one or more of a group consisting of: geographic location, geographic distance from the first user, a contact list of the first user, a social network of the first user, and demographic information. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 10  wherein the one or more second users are all users from the plurality of users that are playing the media item. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 10  wherein the playback information for each of the plurality of users is maintained by a playback information broker. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15  wherein the playback information for each of the plurality of users is filtered by the playback information broker. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 16  wherein the playback information for the one or more second users of the subset of users playing the select media item is provided by the playback information broker. 
     
     
         18 . A method of operation of a user device of a user, comprising:
 obtaining information identifying playback positions for a plurality of other users that are playing a media item;   filtering the information automatically in response to one or more user provided criteria thereby resulting in a subset of the information identifying the playback positions for a plurality of other users of the information wherein the subset of information identifies the playback positions of one or more users of the plurality of other users; and   presenting the subset of information identifying the playback positions of one or more users of the plurality of the other users.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the one or more user provided criteria comprises one or more of a group consisting of: geographic location, geographic distance from the user, a contact list of the user, a social network of the user, and demographic information.