Methods and systems for creating and managing multi participant sessions

Abstract

A method of creating a multi participant session among a plurality of viewers of media content. The method comprises automatically identifying which media content is currently presented on a plurality of client terminals of a plurality of subscribers, receiving, from a first subscriber, a first selection indicative of a template of a multi participant session object and a second selection indicative of a group from the plurality of subscribers, creating a multi participant session object adapted for simultaneous presentation with the media content according to first and second selections and establishing a multi participant session among at least one member of the group and the first subscriber using the multi participant session object.

1 - 81 . (canceled) 
     
     
         82 . A method of creating a multi participant session among a plurality of viewers of media content, comprising:
 selecting by a user of a client terminal a video on demand (VOD) content for presentation during a multi participant session;   receiving a selection indicative of a group from a plurality of subscribers;   receiving, from said user at said client terminal, instructions to fund the right to access said VOD content for each member of said group;   sending to each member of said group an invitation to watch said VOD content;   instructing a billing mechanism to bill said user, based on said instructions to purchase, when at least one member of said group accept a respective said invitation;   presenting said VOD content on a plurality of client terminals of said group.   
     
     
         83 . The method of  claim 82 , further comprising:
 creating a multi participant session object adapted for simultaneous presentation with said VOD content; and   establishing said multi participant session among members of said group and said user by presenting said multi participant session object on said plurality of client terminals.   
     
     
         84 . The method of  claim 83 , further comprising updating said multi participant session object according to a plurality of user inputs from said plurality of client terminals. 
     
     
         85 . The method of  claim 83 , further comprising generating a plurality of interactive user interfaces, each designated to another of said plurality of subscribers, according to said multi participant session object and forwarding each said interactive user interface to another of a plurality of remote controlling devices via one of said plurality of client terminals to present said plurality of interactive user interfaces on displays of said plurality of remote controlling devices simultaneously. 
     
     
         86 . The method of  claim 83 , further comprising presenting a plurality of templates of multi participant session objects to said user to facilitate a selection of said multi participant session object; wherein said plurality of templates are selected from a template repository. 
     
     
         87 . The method of  claim 83 , wherein said creating comprises receiving user content from said subscriber and creating said multi participant session object so as to present at least one of a question, a bid, and a set of possible answers to a question. 
     
     
         88 . The method of  claim 83 , wherein said creating comprises automatically identifying at least one characteristic of said VOD content and creating said multi participant session object to match said at least one characteristic. 
     
     
         89 . The method of  claim 88 , wherein said automatically identifying comprises identifying a currently presented scene of said VOD content; wherein said multi participant session object is selected as suitable for said scene based on said at least one characteristic. 
     
     
         90 . The method of  claim 83 , further comprising detecting at least one current viewing pattern on said client terminal and creating said multi participant session object accordingly. 
     
     
         91 . The method of  claim 90 , wherein said at least one current viewing pattern is selected from a group consisting of: the period said user watches said media content item, at least one additional media content previously watched by the user, a frequency of recent zapping by said user, a volume level at which said media content item being played, a display setting at which said media content item being played, and current time. 
     
     
         92 . The method of  claim 82 , wherein said multi participant session includes a social interactive activity held during the presentation of said VOD content and selected from a group consisting of a poll, a chat, a game, a gambling mechanism, a quiz. 
     
     
         93 . The method of  claim 82 , further comprising presenting on said client terminal a user interface for receiving said selection from said user at said client terminal. 
     
     
         94 . The method of  claim 82 , further comprises identifying said plurality of subscribers according to social connections with said user. 
     
     
         95 . The method of  claim 82 , further comprising:
 capturing a plurality of image sequences each using a camera of another of said plurality of client terminals;   performing an analysis of each said plurality of image sequences to estimate a participation level; and   selecting said group according to said analysis.   
     
     
         96 . The method of  claim 95 , wherein said analysis comprises detecting at least one of present and absence of a face in said respective image sequence. 
     
     
         97 . A system of creating a multi participant session among a plurality of viewers of media content, comprising:
 a user interface module to allow a user to select on a client terminal a video on demand (VOD) content for presentation during a multi participant session;   a central unit which receives, from said user at said client terminal, a selection indicative of a group from a plurality of subscribers and instructions to fund the right to access said VOD content for each member of said group and sends to each member of said group an invitation to watch said VOD content;   a billing mechanism which receives instructions to bill said user based on said instructions to purchase when at least one member of said group accept a respective said invitation and instructs a VOD service provider to facilitates a presentation of said VOD content on a plurality of client terminals of said group.