Real-Time Consumption of a Live Video Stream

Abstract

Techniques are provided for transmitting a live video stream from a mobile device for live viewing by one or more consuming devices. An intermediate server receives the live video stream from the mobile device, identifies a plurality of consuming devices, and sends a real-time notification to those consuming devices to inform the users of those devices that a live video stream is available for immediate viewing. Also, any necessary processing (e.g., transcoding) is performed on the live video stream before the live video stream is sent to one or more consuming devices. The “producing” mobile device is not required to identify (or have any data about) any of the consuming devices in order for the live video stream to be transmitted to those devices. The consuming device can be on a mobile network, any Web network, or any PC connected to the Internet.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A machine-implemented method comprising:
 receiving an indication of an availability of a live video stream from a producing user to which a subscriber is subscribed;   causing, responsive to said receiving, a notification of the availability of the live video stream to be presented; and   causing a selectable indicator to be presented that is selectable to cause the live video stream to be presented in real-time as the live video stream is being created.   
     
     
         2 . A machine-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the indication of the availability of the live video stream is received in real-time as the live video stream is being created. 
     
     
         3 . A machine-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising causing at least a portion of the live video stream to be presented as part of the notification. 
     
     
         4 . A machine-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising causing to be presented as part of the notification at least one of an identification of a geographic location of a producing device that produces the live video stream or a name of the live video stream. 
     
     
         5 . A machine-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the notification is presented via a social network service. 
     
     
         6 . A machine-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising causing a selectable indicator to be presented that is selectable to ignore the live video stream. 
     
     
         7 . A machine-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising causing a selectable indicator to be presented that is selectable to enable the live video stream to be viewed at a later time. 
     
     
         8 . A machine-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising causing a selectable indicator to be presented that is selectable to cause the live video stream to be shared with one or more user devices. 
     
     
         9 . A machine-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising causing a selectable indicator to be presented that is selectable to cause the live video stream to be shared with a video sharing site. 
     
     
         10 . A machine-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising causing the live video stream to be presented in response to a selection of the selectable indicator. 
     
     
         11 . A machine-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising causing the live video stream to be presented in a web browser. 
     
     
         12 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   one or more machine-readable media storing instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to perform operations including:
 receiving an indication of an availability of a live video stream from a producing user to which a subscriber is subscribed; 
 causing a notification of the availability of the live video stream to be presented in a graphical user interface (GUI); and 
 causing a selectable indicator to be presented in the GUI that is selectable to cause the live video stream to be presented in real-time as the live video stream is being created. 
   
     
     
         13 . A system as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the indication of the availability of the live video stream is received in real-time as the live video stream is being created by a producing device. 
     
     
         14 . A system as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the operations further include causing to be presented as part of the notification at least one of a geographic location of a producing device that produces the live video stream, a name of the live video stream, or a portion of the live video stream. 
     
     
         15 . A system as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the operations further include at least one of:
 causing a selectable indicator to be presented in the GUI that is selectable to ignore the live video stream;   causing a selectable indicator to be presented in the GUI that is selectable to enable the live video stream to be viewed at a later time; or   causing a selectable indicator to be presented in the GUI that is selectable to cause the live video stream to be shared with one or more user devices.   
     
     
         16 . A system as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the GUI is for a web browser. 
     
     
         17 . A machine-implemented comprising:
 causing a notification of an availability of a live video stream to be presented, the live video stream being from a producing user to which a subscriber is subscribed; and   causing the live video stream to be presented in real-time as the live video stream is being created.   
     
     
         18 . A machine-implemented method as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the notification is presented in real-time as the live video stream is being captured. 
     
     
         19 . A machine-implemented method as recited in  claim 17 , further comprising at least one of:
 causing a selectable indicator to be presented that is selectable to ignore the live video stream;   causing a selectable indicator to be presented that is selectable to enable the live video stream to be viewed at a later time; or   causing a selectable indicator to be presented that is selectable to cause the live video stream to be shared with one or more user devices.   
     
     
         20 . A machine-implemented method as recited in  claim 17 , further comprising at least one of:
 causing a selectable indicator to be presented that is selectable to cause the live video stream to be shared with one or more user devices; or   causing a selectable indicator to be presented that is selectable to cause the live video stream to be shared with a video sharing site.