Interrupting the output of media content in response to an event

• US 20030097659A1
• Filed: 11/16/2001
• Published: 05/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Goldman, Phillip Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/993,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20030097659A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/89
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72484 wherein functions are triggered by incoming communication events
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• 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 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4396 by muting the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/442 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/29; arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information H04H60/35; monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; monitoring in wireless networks H04W24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/475 End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. personal identification number [PIN], preference data
• 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 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums

Abstract

Responding to an event in the environment of a computing device by pausing the display of a television program. After detecting an event that indicates that the viewing experience of a viewer is likely to have been interrupted, a computing device automatically pauses the output of the television program and begins recording a television signal on which the television program is encoded. When the interruption is completed, the recorded television signal is resumed in a time-shifted manner such that the viewer can continue viewing without missing the portion of the television program that would have otherwise been displayed during the interruption. In this manner, the television program can be automatically paused in response to events that may interrupt the viewing experience, such as an incoming telephone call, the receipt of an electronic message, or other events occurring in the home or in the environment of the computing device.

Claims

1. In a computing device having an associated output device, a method for automatically executing an interruption operation on media content in response to an event, comprising the acts of:

as media content is obtained and output by the output device, detecting a first event indicating that the output of the media content is to be modified; and

in response to detecting the first event, automatically executing an operation on the media content such that the output of the media content is modified and can be later restored without loss of continuity of the media output.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of detecting the first event comprises the act of detecting a ring signal on a telephone line.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of detecting the first event comprises the act of detecting an off-hook condition of a telephone.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the act of detecting an off-hook condition of a telephone comprises the act of testing the impedance of a telephone line associated with the telephone.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of detecting the first event comprises the act of detecting a call waiting signal on a telephone line.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of detecting the first event comprises the act of detecting receipt of an electronic message.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of detecting the first event comprises the act of detecting a signal from a device associated with a home network.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of detecting the first event comprises the act of detecting a signal from a motion sensor.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of detecting the first event comprises the act of detecting a signal from a personal transmitter.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein detecting a first event indicating that the output of the media content is to be modified comprises detecting a first event indicating that the output of media content is to be interrupted.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein:

the media content comprises a television program; and

the operation comprises a pause operation performed on the television program.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of detecting a first event indicating that the output of the media content is to be modified comprises the act of, as television programming is received from a video on demand server and output by the output device, detecting a first event indicating that the output of the television programming is to be interrupted.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the act of detecting a first event indicating that the output of the television programming is to be interrupted comprises the act of transmitting a signal from the computing device to the video on demand server indicating that the output of the television programming is to be interrupted by the video on demand server.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of automatically executing an operation on the media content comprises the act of automatically executing an operation on the media content such that the output of the media content is interrupted and can be later resumed without loss of continuity of the media output.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising the act of, in response to a second event, resuming the output of the media content.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein:

the media content comprises a television program;

the operation comprises a pause operation performed on the television program; and

output of the television program is resumed in response to the second event such that, from the standpoint of a viewer, it appears as if a live broadcast of the television program had been paused.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the act of displaying a message associated with detection of the first event.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the act of displaying a message associated with detection of the first event comprises the act of displaying caller ID data associated with an incoming telephone call.

19. In a computing device having an associated display device and an associated storage device, a method of automatically pausing the display of a television program in response to an event in the environment of the computing device, comprising the acts of:

as the television program is obtained and displayed on the display device, detecting a first event that has been designated to indicate that the display of the television program is to be interrupted;

in response to the detected event, automatically storing a television signal in which the television is encoded on the storage device so as to pause the display of the television program; and

in response to a second event, resuming display of the television signal by displaying the television signal that has been stored on the storage device.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the act of detecting the first event comprises the act of detecting a ring signal on a telephone line.

21. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the act of detecting the first event comprises the act of detecting an off-hook condition of a telephone.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the off-hook condition is detected immediately after a ring signal on a telephone line associated with the telephone.

23. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the act of detecting the first event comprises the act of detecting receipt of an electronic message.

24. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the act of detecting the first event comprises the act of detecting a signal from a device associated with a home network.

25. In a computing device having an interruption engine and an associated output device, a method for automatically executing an interruption operation on media content in response to an event, comprising the acts of:

as media content is received and output by the output device, detecting an event in the environment of the computing device;

identifying a priority value to be assigned to the event based on priority information stored at the computing device;

applying a rule of a set of rules to the priority value assigned to the event to identify an interruption operation; and

automatically executing the interruption operation on the media content.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the act of detecting the event comprises the act of determining that a telephone call is being made or received.

27. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the act of detecting the event comprises the act of detecting the receipt of an electronic message.

28. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the act of detecting the event comprises the act of receiving information via an input mechanism that was established for interrupt sources to inform the interruption engine that the output of media content is to be interrupted.

29. The method as recited in claim 25, further comprising the act of receiving the set of rules in broadcast data en coded in a television signal.

30. The method as recited in claim 25, further comprising the act of receiving data that was registered with the interruption engine by a user, wherein the data defines the set of rules.

31. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the interruption operation is such that the output of the media content is paused.

32. The method as recited in claim 25, further comprising the act of the interruption engine learning the behavior of a viewer associated with the computing device so as to generate the information on which the priority value to be assigned to the event is based.

33. The method as recited in claim 25, further comprising the act of the interruption engine learning the behavior of a viewer associated with the computing device so as to generate the rule of the set of rules.

34. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the act of applying a rule of a set of rules to the priority value comprises the act of further applying an exception to the rule.

35. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the act of applying a rule of a set of rules to the priority value comprises a video on demand server applying a rule of a set of rules to the priority value.

36. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the interruption operation comprises pausing the output of the media content.

37. A computer program product for implementing, in a computing device having an associated output device, a method for automatically executing an interruption operation on media content in response to an event, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium carrying computer-executable instructions that, when executed at the computing device, cause the computing device to perform the method, including the acts of;

as media content is obtained and output by the output device, detecting a first event indicating that the output of the media content is to be modified; and

in response to detecting the first event, automatically executing an operation on the media content such that the output of the media content is modified and can be later restored without loss of continuity of the media output.

38. A computer program product for implementing, in a computing device having an associated display device and an associated storage device, a method of automatically pausing the display of a television program in response to an event in the environment of the computing device, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium carrying computer-executable instructions, that when executed at the computing device, cause the interruption engine to perform the method, including the acts of;

as the television program is received and displayed on the display device, detecting a first event that has been designated to indicate that the display of the television program is to be interrupted;

in response to the detected event, automatically storing a television signal in which the television is encoded on the storage device so as to pause the display of the television program; and

in response to a second event, resuming display of the television signal by displaying the television signal that has been stored on the storage device.