System and method for providing multi-perspective instant replay

• US 20030208771A1
• Filed: 01/19/2001
• Published: 11/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Pierre, Ludovic, Hensgen, Debra
• Granted Patent: US 8,250,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/100
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/005 Language recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21805 enabling multiple viewpoints, e.g. using a plurality of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4305 Synchronising client clock from received content stream, e.g. locking decoder clock with encoder clock, extraction of the PCR packets arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter by comparing receiver clock with transmitter clock H04L7/0012; arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter wherein the receiver takes measures against momentary loss of synchronisation H04L7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4349 by extracting from data carousels, e.g. extraction of software modules from a DVB carousel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4351 involving reassembling additional data, e.g. rebuilding an executable program from recovered modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8545 for generating interactive applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 : the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

A method for processing broadcasts comprises receiving a broadcast of the program containing a plurality of perspectives of the program and presenting at least one of the plurality of perspectives to a viewer. The method further includes automatically recording the plurality of perspectives in a storage device and playing alternate recorded perspectives for the viewer without interrupting the recording of the broadcast. A system for recording a broadcast containing a plurality of perspectives of a program is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for processing broadcasts, comprising:

receiving a broadcast of a program, the broadcast containing a plurality of perspectives of the program;

presenting a first of the plurality of perspectives to a viewer;

storing at least one of the plurality of perspectives; and

presenting at least one of the plurality of perspectives to the viewer.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein presenting the first perspective and storing are performed simultaneously.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein storing the at least one of the plurality of perspectives is performed automatically.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein presenting at least one of the plurality of perspectives includes presenting at least one of the stored perspectives.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein presenting at least one of the plurality of perspectives and storing are performed simultaneously.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein storing at least one of the plurality of perspectives includes storing all of the perspectives.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving the broadcast includes receiving a plurality of related video streams, each stream including one of the perspectives.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving the broadcast includes receiving a plurality of related audio streams, each stream including one of the perspectives.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein presenting the first perspective includes presenting the first perspective in one window of a display and presenting at least one of the plurality of perspectives includes presenting a second perspective from the plurality of stored perspectives in a different window of the display.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein storing at least one of the plurality of perspectives includes storing the perspectives in at least one circular buffer.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein presenting at least one of the plurality of perspectives includes preparing a video signal for display on a television screen.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein presenting at least one of the plurality of perspectives includes the step of preparing an audio signal for a speaker.

13. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein presenting at least one of the plurality of perspectives includes sending at least one of the stored perspectives from a storage device through a demultiplexer to a display.

14. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein presenting at least one of the plurality of perspectives includes searching one of the stored perspectives.

15. A method for playing a multi-perspective program comprising:

receiving a broadcast of the program, the broadcast including a plurality of perspectives of the program;

recording at least one of the plurality of perspectives in a storage device;

sending a first of the plurality of perspectives to a display to play at least a portion of the program; and

replaying the portion of the program from a different perspective by sending a second of the plurality of perspectives from the storage device to the display.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the first perspective is a recorded perspective.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising sending the second perspective to one window in the display to play the portion of the program from the second perspective concurrently with sending the first perspective to a different window in the display.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein receiving the broadcast includes receiving at least one video stream, each video stream being associated with one of the perspectives.

19. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein receiving the broadcast includes receiving at least one audio stream, each audio stream being associated with one of the perspectives.

20. A system for recording a broadcast including a plurality of perspectives of a program, comprising:

a receiver operable to receive the broadcast;

a storage device coupled to the receiver;

a processor operable to present at least one of the plurality of perspectives to a viewer, record at least one of the plurality of perspectives in the storage device, and present at least one of the recorded perspectives to the viewer.

21. The system as recited in claim 20, further configured to record the perspectives automatically.

22. The system as recited in claim 20, further configured to present the recorded perspectives to the viewer without interrupting the recording of the broadcast.

23. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein the receiver is a set top box.

24. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein the storage device is contained within the set top box.

25. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein the storage device is removably coupled to the set top box.

26. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein the storage device comprises a magnetic disk.

27. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein the storage device comprises an optical disk.

28. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein the storage device comprises flash memory.

29. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein the receiver comprises at least one tuner.

30. The system as recited in claim 29, wherein the receiver comprises a demultiplexer and a processor.

31. A system for presenting broadcasts, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a broadcast including a plurality of perspectives of a program;

a storage device for storing at least one of the plurality of perspectives; and

a processor configured to present a first perspective to a viewer while presenting at least a second, stored perspective to the viewer.

32. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein the first perspective is a stored perspective.

33. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein the storage device is configured to store the at least one perspective automatically.

34. The system as recited in claim 31, further configured to store the at least one perspective simultaneously with presenting the first perspective.

35. The system as recited in claim 31, further configured to store the at least one perspective simultaneously with presenting the second perspective.

36. The system as recited in claim 31, further comprising a display coupled to the processor for presenting at least one perspective.

37. The system as recited in claim 36, wherein the processor is configured to present the first perspective in a first window on the display and the second perspective in a second window on the display.

38. The system as recited in claim 37, wherein one of the first and second windows is nested inside the other of the first and second windows.

39. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein the receiver is configured to receive a plurality of video streams associated with the plurality of perspectives.

40. The system as recited in claim 39, wherein each video stream includes one of the perspectives.

41. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein the receiver is configured to receive a plurality of audio streams associated with the plurality of perspectives.

42. The system as recited in claim 41, wherein each audio stream includes one of the perspectives.

43. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein the storage device includes at least one circular buffer for storing at least one of the plurality of perspectives.

44. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein the processor is configured to search at least one of the stored perspectives.

45. A computer program product for processing broadcasts, comprising a computer usable medium having machine readable code embodied therein for:

receiving a broadcast of a program, the broadcast containing a plurality of perspectives of the program;

presenting a first of the plurality of perspectives to a viewer;

storing at least one of the plurality of perspectives; and

presenting at least one of the plurality of perspectives to the viewer.

46. The computer program product as recited in claim 45, wherein the 5 presenting the first perspective and storing are performed simultaneously.

47. The computer program product as recited in claim 45, wherein storing at least one of the plurality of perspectives is performed automatically.

48. The computer program product as recited in claim 45, wherein presenting at least one of the plurality of perspectives includes presenting at least one of the stored perspectives.

49. The computer program product as recited in claim 48, wherein presenting at least one of the plurality of perspectives and storing at least one of the plurality of perspectives are performed simultaneously.

50. The computer program product as recited in claim 49, wherein storing at least one of the plurality of perspectives includes storing all of the perspectives.

51. The computer program product as recited in claim 45, wherein receiving the broadcast includes receiving a plurality of related video streams, each stream including one of the perspectives.

52. The computer program product as recited in claim 45, wherein receiving the broadcast includes receiving a plurality of related audio streams, each stream including one of the perspectives.

53. The computer program product as recited in claim 45, wherein presenting the first perspective includes presenting the first perspective in one window of a display and presenting at least one of the plurality of perspectives includes presenting a second perspective from the plurality of stored perspectives in a different window of the display.

54. The computer program product as recited in claim 45, wherein storing at least one of the plurality of perspectives includes storing the perspectives in at least one circular buffer.