System, method and computer program product for presenting media to a user in a media on demand framework

• US 20030110503A1
• Filed: 10/25/2002
• Published: 06/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lumenati, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lumenati, Inc.
• Inventors: Perkes, Ronald M.
• Application Number:
  US10/280,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20030110503A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/86
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26233 involving content or additional data duration or size, e.g. length of a movie, size of an executable file
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44213 Monitoring of end-user related data arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product is disclosed for presenting media to a user in a media on demand framework. A plurality of media objects are defined for media from one or more media sources. Each media object comprises information relating to a media type and a metadata descriptor. A set of metadata descriptors is defined based on at least a portion of the media objects. An interface is presented to a user through which information is organized based on the set of metadata descriptors. The user is permitted to issue commands relating to the media objects via the interface. Media associated with the media objects from the one or more media sources is presented to the user based on the issued commands.

Claims

1. A method for presenting media to a user in a media on demand framework, comprising:

defining a plurality of media objects for media from one or more media sources, wherein each media object comprises information relating to a media type and a metadata descriptor;

defining a set of metadata descriptors based on at least a portion of the media objects;

presenting an interface a user wherein information is organized based on the set of metadata descriptors;

permitting the user to issue commands relating to the media objects via the interface; and

presenting media associated with the media objects from the one or more media sources to the user based on the issued commands.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the commands include at least one of:

browsing, selecting, previewing, purchasing, recording, collecting, sequencing, and controlling the media objects.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata descriptor of a media object includes information relating to at least one of:

name of the media object, duration of the media object, genre of the media object, creator of the media object, affinity and parent groups of the media object, other media objects associated and linked to media object, rules for combining the media object with other media objects, owner of the media object, and value of the media object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein visual objects associated with the media objects are displayed to the user via the interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user issues commands via a remote control.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein commands are issued via remote control commands by utilizing at least one of UP, DOWN, RIGHT, and LEFT arrow keys provided on remote control.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the media objects are be linked together in response to at least one command issued by the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface includes a program guide that provides information about at least one of:

media being presented to the user, media available for presenting to the user, and the order in which media objects can be combined and simultaneously presented to the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the media is presented to the user via one or more frames on a visual display.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is permitted to search for media objects via the interface based on the metadata descriptors of the media objects.

11. A system for presenting media to a user in a media on demand framework, comprising:

logic for defining a plurality of media objects for media from one or more media sources, wherein each media object comprises information relating to a media type and a metadata descriptor;

logic for defining a set of metadata descriptors based on at least a portion of the media objects;

logic for presenting an interface a user wherein information is organized based on the set of metadata descriptors;

logic for permitting the user to issue commands relating to the media objects via the interface; and

logic for presenting media associated with the media objects from the one or more media sources on demand to the user based on the issued commands.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the commands include at least one of:

browsing, selecting, previewing, purchasing, recording, collecting, sequencing, and controlling the media objects.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the metadata descriptor of a media object includes information relating to at least one of:

name of the media object, duration of the media object, genre of the media object, creator of the media object, affinity and parent groups of the media object, other media objects associated and linked to media object, rules for combining the media object with other media objects, owner of the media object, and value of the media object.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein visual objects associated with the media objects are displayed to the user via the interface.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the user issues commands via a remote control.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein commands are issued via the remote control utilizing at least one of UP, DOWN, RIGHT, and LEFT arrow keys provided on remote control.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein one or more of the media objects are be linked together in response to at least one command issued by the user.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the interface includes a program guide that provides information about at least one of:

media being presented to the user, media available for presenting to the user, and the order in which media objects can be combined and simultaneously presented to the user.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the media is presented to the user via one or more frames on a visual display.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the user is permitted to search for media objects via the interface based on the metadata descriptors of the media objects.

21. A computer program product for presenting media to a user in a media on demand framework, comprising:

computer code for defining a plurality of media objects for media from one or more media sources, wherein each media object comprises information relating to a media type and a metadata descriptor;

computer code for locally caching a plurality of media objects for media from one or more media sources, wherein user access to each on demand media object can be expedited;

computer code for defining a set of metadata descriptors based on at least a portion of the media objects;

computer code for presenting an interface a user wherein information is organized based on the set of metadata descriptors;

computer code for permitting the user to issue commands relating to the media objects via the interface; and

computer code for presenting media associated with the media objects from the one or more media sources to the user based on the issued commands.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the commands include at least one of:

browsing, selecting, previewing, purchasing, recording, collecting, sequencing, and controlling the media objects.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the user issues commands via a remote control.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein commands are issued via the remote control utilizing at least one of UP, DOWN, RIGHT, and LEFT arrow keys provided on remote control.