Decoding method switching for preview image processing using a bundle of preview images

• US 10,602,240 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2017
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Haykinson, Ilya, Fan, Jeffrey, Lei, Bao, Guan, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Parra, Omar S
• Application Number:
  US15/679,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20170347167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method receives a portion of a bundle of preview images for a video being played and starts to decode the portion of the bundle of preview images. An input is received for a location in the video. The method determines if a preview image corresponding to the location has been decoded from the bundle of preview images. When the preview image corresponding to the location has been decoded, the preview image corresponding to the location is displayed. When the preview image corresponding to the location has not been decoded, the method switches from decoding the portion of the bundle of preview images at a first position to decoding the portion of the bundle of preview images at a second position corresponding to the location.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a portion of a bundle of preview images for a video being played;

starting, by the computing device, to decode the portion of the bundle of preview images;

receiving, by the computing device, an input for a seek request in the video;

determining, by the computing device, a seek time for the seek request;

determining, by the computing device, if a preview image corresponding to the seek time has been decoded from the bundle of preview images;

when the preview image corresponding to the seek time has been decoded, displaying, by the computing device, the preview image corresponding to the seek time;

when the preview image corresponding to the seek time has not been decoded;

selecting, by the computing device, from not displaying a preview image for the seek request and requesting the preview image from a server; and

switching, by the computing device, from decoding the portion of the bundle of preview images at a first position to decoding the portion of the bundle of preview images based on a second position of the seek time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein when the preview image-corresponding to the seek time has been decoded, the preview image is displayed without all the preview images in the bundle of preview images being received.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein when the preview image corresponding to the seek time has been decoded, an index associated with the bundle of preview images is used to determine where the preview image is located in the portion of the bundle of preview images.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein when the preview image corresponding to the seek time has not been decoded, the method further comprising:

switching from decoding the portion of the bundle of preview images using a first decoding method to a second decoding method.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first decoding method comprises:

decoding the portion of the bundle of preview images in a sequential manner starting with a first preview image in the portion of the bundle of preview images.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second decoding method comprises:

decoding preview images from the bundle of preview images in both a forward direction and a reverse direction from the second position.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a request for the bundle of preview images for the video to the server;

receiving the video; and

starting to play the video, wherein the portion of the bundle of preview images are received separately from the video.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the seek time is a different seek time from a current position being played for the video.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein when the preview image corresponding to the seek time has not been decoded, performing one of not displaying the preview image for the seek request and requesting the preview image that was designated for when the preview image corresponding to the seek time has not been decoded.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein requesting the preview image comprises:

sending a request for the preview image corresponding to the seek time to the server;

receiving the preview image in response to the request; and

displaying the preview image.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion comprises a first portion, and wherein when the preview image corresponding to the seek time has not been decoded, receiving a second portion of the bundle of preview images corresponding to the seek time.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining settings for the bundle of preview images; and

sending the settings to the server, wherein the bundle of preview images is determined by the server based on the settings.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a frequency setting of preview images for the bundle of preview images; and

sending the frequency setting to the server, wherein a frequency of preview images from the video is determined by the server for the bundle of preview images based on the frequency setting.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a quality setting for the preview images in the bundle of preview images; and

sending the quality setting to the server, wherein a quality of preview images from the video is determined by the server for the bundle of preview images based on the quality setting.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the bundle of preview images comprises a first bundle of preview images, and wherein receiving the portion comprises receiving the portion at a first frequency or a first quality, the method further comprising:

receiving a second bundle of preview images at a second frequency or a second quality after receiving the first bundle of preview images.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions, that when executed, control a computer system to be configured for:

receiving a portion of a bundle of preview images for a video being played;

starting to decode the portion of the bundle of preview images;

receiving an input for a seek request in the video;

determining a seek time for the seek request;

determining if a preview image corresponding to the seek time has been decoded from the bundle of preview images;

when the preview image corresponding to the seek time has been decoded, displaying the preview image corresponding to the seek time; and

when the preview image corresponding to the seek time has been decoded, displaying, by the computing device, the preview image corresponding to the seek time;

when the preview image corresponding to the seek time has not been decoded;

selecting, by the computing device, from not displaying a preview image for the seek request and requesting the preview image from a server; and

switching, by the computing device, from decoding the portion of the bundle of preview images at a first position to decoding the portion of the bundle of preview images based on a second position of the seek time.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein when the preview image corresponding to the seek time has not been decoded, further configured for:

switching from decoding the portion of the bundle of preview images using a first decoding method to a second decoding method.

18. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a request for a bundle of preview images for a video from a client device;

sending, by the computing device, a portion of the bundle of preview images for the video to the client device for the client device to start to decode the portion of the bundle of preview images, wherein the client device uses the portion of the bundle of preview images to;

determine if a preview image corresponding to a seek time has been decoded from the bundle of preview images;

when the preview image corresponding to the seek time has been decoded, display the preview image corresponding to the seek time;

when the preview image corresponding to the seek time has been decoded, displaying, by the computing device, the preview image corresponding to the seek time; and

when the preview image corresponding to the seek time has not been decoded;

select from not displaying a preview image for the seek request and requesting the preview image from a server; and

switch from decoding the portion of the bundle of preview images at a first position to decoding the portion of the bundle of preview images based on a second position of the seek time.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

sending an index associated with the bundle of preview images that is used to determine where the preview image is located in the portion of the bundle of preview images.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein when the preview image corresponding to the seek time has not been decoded, the client device:

switches from decoding the portion of the bundle of preview images using a first decoding method to a second decoding method.