Method and apparatus for internet-based interactive programming

Abstract

A method and system for the creation of interactive programming incorporating viewer interactions. An interactive program includes moderator content generated by the moderator and edited participant commentary, such as interactive messages, and is served by a moderator server. Moderators create and manage interactive programs using a Web site. Viewers register to be participants in interactive programs using the Web site as well. The interactive programs can be distributed as electronic documents written in a markup language such as HTML or XML over a communications network such as the Internet. The interactive programs can also be converted to conventional interactive television content for distribution over an interactive television network. The interactive programs can also be distributed over a virtual private network for use as a collaboration tool by an enterprise such as a business concern. The interactive programs require few processing resources so the interactive programs can be embedded within other Web processes such as electronic commerce and television commerce transactions.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for creating and transmitting an interactive program over a communications network, comprising: 
 operably coupling a moderator server to the communications network;    operably coupling a moderator client to the moderator server via the communications network;    operably coupling a plurality of viewer clients to the moderator server via the communications network;    receiving participant comment signals by the moderator server via the communications network from the plurality of viewer clients;    transmitting by the moderator server via the communications network to the moderator client the participant comment signals;    receiving edited participant comment signals and moderator signals by the moderator server via the communications network from the moderator client;    generating interactive program signals by the moderator server using the edited participant comment signals and the moderator signals; and    transmitting by the moderator server via the communications network to the plurality of viewer clients the interactive program signals.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating interactive program signals further includes: 
 receiving content signals by the moderator server from a content server; and    generating by the moderator server the interactive program signals using the content signals, edited participant comment signals, and the moderator signals.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 receiving content signals by the moderator server from a content server; and    transmitting by the moderator server via the communications network to the viewer clients the content signals.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the communications network is a virtual private network.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the participant comment signals further include an interactive program rating signal.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the moderator signals further include a viewer exclusion signal corresponding to a specific viewer client from the plurality of viewer clients and generating by the moderator server the interactive program signals further includes using the viewer exclusion signal to exclude participant comments received from the specific viewer client.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the moderator signals further include a viewer invitation signal corresponding to a specific viewer client from the plurality of viewer clients, and generating by the moderator server the interactive program signals further includes using the viewer invitation signal.  
     
     
         8 . A method for creating and transmitting interactive programming content over a wide area network, comprising: 
 operably coupling a moderator server to the wide area network;    operably coupling a content server to the moderator server;    operably coupling a moderator Web browser to the moderator server via the wide area network;    operably coupling a plurality of viewer Web browsers to the moderator server via the wide area network;    receiving by the moderator server from the content server a first set of content signals;    receiving by the moderator server via the wide area network from the moderator Web browser a first set of moderator comments;    generating by the moderator server a first interactive electronic document using the first set of content signals and the first set of moderator comments;    transmitting by the moderator server via the wide area network to the plurality of viewer Web browsers the first interactive electronic document;    receiving by the moderator server via the wide area network from the plurality of viewer Web browsers a plurality of viewer interactive messages responsive to the first interactive electronic document;    transmitting by the moderator server via the wide area network to the moderator Web browser the plurality of viewer interactive messages;    receiving by the moderator server via the wide area network from the moderator Web browser edited viewer interactive messages and a second set of moderator comments;    receiving by the moderator server from the content server a second set of content signals;    generating by the moderator server a second interactive electronic document using the edited viewer interactive messages and the second set of moderator comments; and    transmitting by the moderator server via the wide area network to a plurality of viewer Web browsers the second interactive electronic document.    
     
     
         9 . A method for participating in an interactive program over a communications network, comprising: 
 operably coupling a viewer client to a moderator server via the communications network;    transmitting participant comment signals by the viewer client via the communications network to the moderator server; and    receiving by the viewer client via the communications network from the moderator server viewer interactive program signals, the viewer interactive program signals generated by the moderator server using edited participant comment signals and moderator signals, the edited participant comment signals and moderator signals received by the moderator server from a moderator client via the communications network.    
     
     
         10 . A method for creating and transmitting an interactive program over a communications network, comprising: 
 operably coupling a moderator client to a moderator server via the communications network;    receiving by the moderator client via the communications network from the moderator server participant comment signals, the participant comment signals transmitted by a plurality of viewer clients to the moderator server via the communications network;    generating by the moderator client moderator comment signals and edited participant comment signals using the participant comment signals;    transmitting by the moderator client to the moderator server via the communications network the moderator signals and the edited participant comment signals; and    receiving by the moderator client from the moderator server via the communications network moderator interactive program signals, the moderator interactive program signals generated by the moderator server using the edited participant comment signals and the moderator signals.    
     
     
         11 . A data processing system adapted for creating and transmitting an interactive program to a plurality of viewer clients using a moderator client, the plurality of viewer clients and the moderator client operably coupled to the data processing system by a communications network, the data processing system comprising: 
 a processor; and    a memory operably coupled to the processor and having program instructions stored therein, the processor being operable to execute the program instructions, the program instructions including: 
 receiving participant comment signals from the plurality of viewer clients via the communications network;  
 transmitting the participant comment signals to the moderator client via the communications network;  
 receiving edited participant comment signals and moderator signals from the moderator client via the communications network;  
 generating interactive program signals using the edited participant comment signals and the moderator signals; and  
 transmitting the interactive program signals to the plurality of viewer clients via the communications network.  
   
     
     
         12 . The data processing system of  claim 11 , wherein the program instructions for generating the interactive program signals further include: 
 receiving content signals from a content server; and    generating the interactive program signals using the content signals, edited participant comment signals, and the moderator signals.    
     
     
         13 . The data processing system of  claim 11 , the program instructions further including: 
 receiving content signals from a content server; and    transmitting the content signals via the communications network to the viewer clients.    
     
     
         14 . The data processing system of  claim 11  wherein the communications network is a virtual private network.  
     
     
         15 . The data processing system of  claim 11  wherein the participant comment signals further include an interactive program rating signal.  
     
     
         16 . The data processing system of  claim 11  wherein the moderator signals further include a viewer exclusion signal corresponding to a specific viewer client from the plurality of viewer clients and the program instructions for generating the interactive program signals further include using the viewer exclusion signal to exclude participant comments received from the specific viewer client.  
     
     
         17 . The data processing system of  claim 11  wherein the moderator signals further include a viewer invitation signal corresponding to a specific viewer client from the plurality of viewer clients, and the program instructions for generating the interactive program signals further include using the viewer invitation signal.  
     
     
         18 . A moderator server for creating and transmitting an interactive program to a plurality of viewer Web browsers using a moderator Web browser, the plurality of viewer Web browsers and the moderator Web browser operably coupled to the moderator server via a wide area network, the moderator server comprising: 
 a processor; and    a memory operably coupled to the processor and having program instructions stored therein, the processor being operable to execute the program instructions, the program instructions including: 
 receiving by the moderator server from the content server a first set of content signals;  
 receiving by the moderator server via the wide area network from the moderator Web browser a first set of moderator comments;  
 generating by the moderator server a first interactive electronic document using the first set of content signals and the first set of moderator comments;  
 transmitting by the moderator server via the wide area network to the plurality of viewer Web browsers the first interactive electronic document;  
 receiving by the moderator server via the wide area network from the plurality of viewer Web browsers a plurality of viewer interactive messages responsive to the first interactive electronic document;  
 transmitting by the moderator server via the wide area network to the moderator Web browser the plurality of viewer interactive messages;  
 receiving by the moderator server via the wide area network from the moderator Web browser edited viewer interactive messages and a second set of moderator comments;  
   receiving by the moderator server from the content server a second set of content signals;    generating by the moderator server a second interactive electronic document using the edited viewer interactive messages and the second set of moderator comments; and    transmitting by the moderator server via the wide area network to a plurality of viewer Web browsers the second interactive electronic document.    
     
     
         19 . A data processing system adapted for participating in an interactive program over a communications network, the data processing system comprising: 
 a processor; and    a memory operably coupled to the processor and having program instructions stored therein, the processor being operable to execute the program instructions, the program instructions including: 
 transmitting participant comment signals via the communications network to a moderator server; and  
 receiving viewer interactive program signals via the communications network from the moderator server, the viewer interactive program signals generated by the moderator server using edited participant comment signals and moderator signals, the edited participant comment signals and moderator signals received by the moderator server from a moderator client via the communications network.  
   
     
     
         20 . A data processing system adapted for creating and transmitting an interactive program to a plurality of viewer clients via a communications network, the data processing system comprising: 
 a processor; and    a memory operably coupled to the processor and having program instructions stored therein, the processor being operable to execute the program instructions, the program instructions including: 
 receiving participant comment signals via the communications network from a moderator server, the participant comment signals transmitted by a plurality of viewer clients to the moderator server via the communications network;  
 generating moderator comment signals and edited participant comment signals using the participant comment signals;  
 transmitting the moderator signals and the edited participant comment signals to the moderator server via the communications network; and  
 receiving moderator interactive program signals from the moderator server via the communications network, the moderator interactive program signals generated by the moderator server using the edited participant comment signals and the moderator signals.  
   
     
     
         21 . A computer-readable medium embodying program instructions for execution by a computer, the program instructions adapting a computer for creating and transmitting an interactive program to a plurality of viewer clients using a moderator client, the plurality of viewer clients and the moderator client operably coupled to the computer by a communications network, the program instructions comprising: 
 receiving participant comment signals from the plurality of viewer clients via the communications network;    transmitting the participant comment signals to the moderator client via the communications network;    receiving edited participant comment signals and moderator signals from the moderator client via the communications network;    generating interactive program signals using the edited participant comment signals and the moderator signals; and    transmitting the interactive program signals to the plurality of viewer clients via the communications network.    
     
     
         22 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the program instructions for generating the interactive program signals further include: 
 receiving content signals from a content server; and    generating the interactive program signals using the content signals, edited participant comment signals, and the moderator signals.    
     
     
         23 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , the program instructions further comprising: 
 receiving content signals from a content server; and    transmitting the content signals via the communications network to the viewer clients.    
     
     
         24 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 21  wherein the communications network is a virtual private network.  
     
     
         25 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 21  wherein the participant comment signals further include an interactive program rating signal.  
     
     
         26 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 21  wherein the moderator signals further include a viewer exclusion signal corresponding to a specific viewer client from the plurality of viewer clients and the program instructions for generating the interactive program signals further include using the viewer exclusion signal to exclude participant comments received from the specific viewer client.  
     
     
         27 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 21  wherein the moderator signals further include a viewer invitation signal corresponding to a specific viewer client from the plurality of viewer clients and the program instructions for generating the interactive program signals further include using the viewer invitation signal.