Method and apparatus for displaying interactions with media by members of a social software system

摘要

A media viewing method and system monitors user interaction with an electronic program guide. An awareness engine collects data generated by the user interaction and forms awareness indicators and information. The awareness information is output to end users and is indicative of which users in a social circle are accessing (e.g. viewing, playing, or recording) or have accessed which media works. Some output enables user-to-user interaction. The media works may be supplied by cable television, satellite television, online or global computer network sources.

主权项

1. A computer method of media viewing comprising:
providing an electronic program guide to at least one media viewer of a system, the electronic program guide listing different media works; collecting in memory data generated by viewer interaction of two or more different viewers with the electronic program guide, interaction with the electronic program guide by the different viewers generating a data collection in memory indicative of viewer interaction by multiple different members of the system; from the data collection, forming awareness information across the multiple different viewers indicating who is using which media works, including history information and live status information of the multiple different viewers including the at least one viewer; and outputting to an end user indications of the awareness information including indications of who is using which media works, the end user being different than the at least one viewer, and wherein the output indications indicating who is using which media works provide a type of 2-way communications between the end user and the different viewers.