Method and apparatus automatic pause and resume of playback for a popup on interactive TV

• US 20030070182A1
• Filed: 10/05/2001
• Published: 04/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: OpenTV Corp. (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Pierre, Ludovic, Mead, Janice
• Granted Patent: US 7,536,704 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/135
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate

Abstract

A method and apparatus providing display of content and automatic pause of the display. The method and apparatus exists in a client device and/or ahead-end or network operator. Event are assigned a relative priority based on event type, originator and the type of current display so that a variable response level ranging from a required viewer action to the viewer completely ignoring an event is provided.

Claims

1. A method for automatically pausing display and processing events at a client display device during display of content provided by a server at a head-end operator, broadcaster, web content provider or network operator comprising:

(a) Displaying content on a client device;

(b) Receiving an event at the client device during the display of the content;

(c) Pausing display of the content after receiving the event;

(d) Assigning a priority to the incoming event comprising at least one of;

low, medium-low, medium-high, or high; and

(e) If the priority is medium-high or high, then pausing display of content display, else placing the event in a queue and continuing display of the content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises:

(a) Recording the content during a pause; and

(b) Replaying the recorded content on the client device after the pause.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

Sending a notification of the event to the client device when the priority is medium-low, medium-high or high;

Receiving as user input from the client device; and

Taking of action based on the user input.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

Replaying the recorded content at an accelerated rate until the playback of recorded content synchronizes with the provided content so that the display switches back to display of the provided content.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the accelerated playback rate is automatically determined based on the duration of the pause and the duration of the content remaining so that the content display ends at the same time it would end without a paused interruption in the display.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of assigning a priority further comprises:

Identifying an originator of the event;

Identifying a viewer preference for the originator; and

Assigning a priority based on the viewer preference with regard to the originator.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of assigning a priority further comprises applying an interruption rule based on the current content displayed.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of assigning a priority further comprises:

Identifying an event type;

Identifying a viewer preference for the event type; and

Assigning a priority based on the event type.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of assigning a priority further comprises applying an interruption rule based on the current content displayed.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of assigning a priority is performed by a neural network having as inputs comprising:

event type, current content type displayed and event originator.

11. A method for automatically pausing display and processing incoming events during display of content provided by a head-end operator, broadcaster, web content provider or network operator comprising:

(a) Displaying content on a client device;

(b) Receiving an event at the client device during the display of the content;

(c) assigning a priority to the incoming event comprising at least one of;

low, medium-low, medium-high, or high;

(d) pausing display of content display, if the assigned priority for the event is medium-high or high, otherwise placing the event in a queue and continuing display of the content;

(e) Recording the content during the pause; and

(f) Replaying the recorded content on the client device after the pause at an accelerated rate until the playback of recorded content synchronizes with the provided content so that the content display switches back from displaying recorded content to display of the provided content.

12. An apparatus for automatically pausing display and processing incoming events during display of content provided by a server at head-end operator, broadcaster, web content provider or network operator comprising:

(a) A client device for displaying content;

(b) An interface for receiving an event at the client device during the display of the content;

(c) A pause function for pausing display of the content after receiving the event;

(d) A recorder for recording the content during the pause; and

(e) A replay function on the recorder for replaying the recorded content on the client device after the pause.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

A priority data structure for storing an assigned priority for an incoming event comprising at least one of;

low, medium-low, medium-high, or high, so that when the assigned priority is medium-high or high, the display of content is paused; and

A queue into which the event is placed when the priority is medium-low.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:

An interface for sending a notification of the event to the client device when the priority is medium-low, medium-high or high.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising:

A variable speed playback for replaying the recorded content at an accelerated rate until the playback of recorded content synchronizes with the provided content so that the display switches back to display of the provided content.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:

a processor for automatically determining the accelerated playback rate from the duration of the pause and the duration of the display content remaining.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising:

a data structure for identifying an originator of the event and a viewer preference for the originator; and

a processor for examining the data structure identifying originator of the event, the viewer preference for the originator and assigning a priority based on the viewer preference with regard to the originator.

18. An apparatus for displaying content and automatically pausing display of content when an event occurs, comprising:

at least one server computer having an interface for communicating with a client device over a computer network;

a client device for displaying content provided over the network;

a pauseable display for automatically pausing the display of content;

an interface for receiving an event at the client device during the display of the content;

a pauseable display for pausing display of content display;

a recorder for recording the content during the pause; and

a player for replaying the recorded content on the client device after the pause.

19. A method for automatically pausing content display upon receipt of an incoming event comprising:

(a) providing at least one client computer in communication with a computer network;

(b) displaying content on a client device;

(c) Receiving an event at the client device during the display of the content;

(d) Pausing display of the content after receiving the event;

(e) Recording the content during the pause; and

(f) Replaying the recorded content on the client device after the pause.

20. A system for interactively displaying content comprising:

a client computer running a client application and having access to at least one server via a computer network, the client application displaying content from the computer network;

said client application providing a user interface for receiving commands from the user;

at least one server computer having an interface for communicating with a client device over a computer network;

a client device for displaying content provided over the network;

a pauseable display for automatically pausing the display of content;

an interface for receiving an event at the client device during the display of the content;

a pauseable display for pausing display of content display;

a recorder for recording the content during the pause; and

a player for replaying the recorded content on the client device after the pause.