US Patent 10248931 Collaborative annotation of multimedia content

A method for collaborative annotating of a program of multimedia content includes enabling a first user to create a program annotation, enabling the first user to store annotation data, and enabling a second user to access the annotation data. The second user may navigate the program using the annotation and/or view the annotation while viewing the program. The first user may create the annotation while viewing the program, for example, by asserting an annotation button on a remote control device. The annotation may include the frame that was displayed when the user created the annotation, text, audio, an image, or video selected by the viewer. The annotations include chronological information indicative of a chronological location of the annotation within the program. The annotations may include “rating annotations” indicating the author's subjective rating of a portion of the program that is in chronological proximity to the annotation's chronological location.