Bookmarks and watchpoints for selection and presentation of media streams

• US 20040139047A1
• Filed: 09/03/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kaleidescape Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kaleidescape Incorporated
• Inventors: Kesteloot, Lawrence, Watson, Stephen, Rechsteiner, Paul, Malcolm, Michael A., Neely, Shawn R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,225,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot

Abstract

Selection and presentation of media streams, in which presentation is not limited by order imposed by the digital content representative of those media streams, in response to bookmarks and watchpoints settable and usable by a user. Bookmarks reference a location within the media stream, not necessarily pre-selected and possibly dynamically selected, in which a presentation can be started or restarted therefrom. Watchpoints reference a location within the media stream, or a presentation state for the media stream, in which an action can be triggered thereby. Bookmarks and watchpoints provide a general technique for presenting selections from media streams in response to metadata.

Claims

1. A method, including steps of

associating a bookmark with a media stream;

associating a watchpoint with that media stream and with that bookmark;

whereby a tuple including the bookmark and the watchpoint designates at least one film clip, the film clip including at least a portion of a media stream capable of being presented.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein that watchpoint includes a watchpoint action responsive to a feature of a presentation device on which the media stream is capable of being presented.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein

that watchpoint includes a watchpoint trigger and a watchpoint action, at least one of which is associated with a first presentation device parameter, and at least one of which is associated with a second presentation device parameter;

whereby performance of that media stream in association with that film clip includes a comparison of that first presentation device parameter with that second presentation device parameter.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein that watchpoint includes a watchpoint trigger responsive to a feature of a presentation device on which the media stream is capable of being presented.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein

that watchpoint includes, associated with a parameter of a presentation device, at least one of:

a watchpoint trigger, a watchpoint action;

whereby performance of that media stream in association with that film clip includes a substantial comparison with that parameter of the presentation device.

6. A method as in claim 1, including steps of

associating at least one pair of those film clips with a portion of a media stream capable of being skipped;

whereby presentation of that media stream in association with that pair of film clips does not include presentation of that portion capable of being skipped.

7. A method as in claim 6, wherein that portion capable of being skipped includes at least one of:

a censored portion of that media stream, a sex scene, a violent scene, an advertisement, an answer associated with a game show question, an answer associated with a question presented in associated with that media stream, an objectionable scene.

8. A method as in claim 1, including steps of

encoding a set of such film clips;

and

sending that encoding to a device other than one performing those steps of encoding.

9. A method as in claim 8, including steps of

determining a set of licenses available to a user;

and

presenting selected ones of such film clips in response to that encoding and in response to that set of licenses;

whereby only ones of such film clips for which the user has a license are presented.

10. A method as in claim 8, wherein those steps of sending that encoding include writing that encoding to a physical medium in association with the media stream.

11. A method as in claim 1, including steps of maintaining a set of such film clips, substantially each of which is associated with a metadata element, the associated metadata element including at least one of:

closed-captioning information, speech-recognition information, subtitle information, video-recognition information.

12. A method as in claim 11, including steps of

receiving a request for a subset of such film clips;

and

sending an encoding of that subset in response to that request.

13. A method as in claim 11, including steps of

searching that set of such film clips;

and

generating a subset of such film clips in response to those steps of searching.

14. A method as in claim 1, wherein

that watchpoint is associated with a first presentation device;

and

that bookmark is associated with a second presentation device;

whereby performance of that media stream in association with that film clip includes a substantially seamless transfer from that first presentation device to that second presentation device.

15. A method as in claim 14, including a substantial pause included in that seamless transfer.

16. A method, including steps of

associating a bookmark with a media stream;

associating a watchpoint with that media stream and with that bookmark;

whereby a tuple including the bookmark and the watchpoint designates at least one film skip, the film skip including at least a jump from a first portion of a first media stream to a second portion of a second media stream, the first media stream and the second media stream being either the same media stream or different media streams.

17. A method, including steps of

associating a bookmark with a media stream;

associating a watchpoint with that media stream and with that bookmark;

whereby a tuple including the bookmark and the watchpoint designates at least one film skip, the film skip including at least a portion of a media stream capable of being skipped;

whereby presentation of that media stream in association with that film skip does not include presentation of that portion capable of being skipped.

18. A method as in claim 17, including steps of

associating a substantial pause with at least one of those film skips.

19. A method as in claim 17, including steps of

associating a substantial pause with at least one of those film skips;

and

waiting for a user action in response to that pause.

20. A method as in claim 17, including steps of

associating at least one of those film skips with an end of a first set of digital content and a beginning of a second set of digital content;

whereby presentation of a media stream associated with that first set of digital content and that second set of digital content continues substantially seamlessly across that film skip.

21. A method as in claim 17, including steps of

encoding a set of such film skips;

and

sending that encoding to a device other than one performing those steps of encoding.

22. A method as in claim 17, wherein that portion capable of being skipped includes at least one of:

a censored portion of that media stream, a sex scene, a violent scene, an advertisement, an answer associated with a game show question, an answer associated with a question presented in associated with that media stream, an objectionable scene.

23. A method as in claim 17, wherein the film skip includes at least a jump from a first portion of the media stream to a portion of a second media stream.

24. A method as in claim 17, wherein the film skip includes at least a jump from a first portion of the media stream to a second portion of the media stream.

25. A method as in claim 17, including steps of

associating a substantial pause with at least one of those film skips;

waiting for a user action in response to that pause; and

taking an action conditionally in response to that user action;

whereby that action includes at least one of;

comparing that user action against a designated possible user action, determining a move in a game in response to that user action, determining whether that user action is a correct or incorrect answer to a question, selecting a media stream for presentation in response to that user action, stopping presentation of media streams in response to that user action.

26. A method as in claim 25, including steps of

maintaining a score associated with that user action.

27. A method as in claim 25, wherein at least one of those actions includes adjusting house lights in response to a point associated with a set of credits for a media stream.

28. A method as in claim 17, including steps of

associating at least one of those film skips with a portion of a media stream capable of being skipped;

whereby presentation of that media stream in association with that film skip does not include presentation of that portion capable of being skipped.

29. A method as in claim 28, wherein that portion capable of being skipped includes at least one of:

a censored portion of that media stream, a sex scene, a violent scene, an advertisement, an answer associated with a game show question, an answer associated with a question presented in associated with that media stream, an objectionable scene.

30. A method as in claim 17, including steps of

associating at least one of those film skips with digital content included in a first medium and with digital content included in a second medium;

whereby presentation of a media stream associated with that first medium and that second medium continues substantially seamlessly across that film skip.

31. A method as in claim 30, wherein that media stream includes a movie encoded on multiple physical volumes of media.

32. A method, including steps of

associating a set of bookmarks and a substantially corresponding set of watchpoints with a media stream, whereby the bookmarks and watchpoints designate a substantially corresponding set of film clips, substantially each film clip including at least a portion of a media stream capable of being presented;

and

presenting that set of film clips in association with a plurality of presentation devices;

whereby a user is able to compare those presentation devices in association with substantially each film clip.

33. A method as in claim 32, including steps of offering those presentation devices for sale or lease.

34. A method as in claim 32, including steps of presenting at least some state information associated with each of a plurality of combinations of film clips and presentation devices.

35. A method as in claim 32, including steps of substantially seamlessly 3 transferring performance of at least one of those film clips among that plurality of presentation devices;

whereby a user is able to compare presentation quality of that film clip substantially as presentation is transferred among presentation devices.

36. A method as in claim 32, including steps of substantially seamlessly transferring performance of at least one of those film clips from a first presentation device to a second presentation device and back from that second presentation device to that first presentation device;

whereby a user is able to compare presentation quality of that film clip substantially as presentation is transferred between that that first presentation device to that second presentation device.

37. A method, including steps of

sending a media stream to a first recipient;

creating a bookmark into that media stream at that first recipient, the bookmark being not pre-selected by a the creator or distributor of that media stream;

sending that media stream and that bookmark to a second recipient;

dynamically selecting that bookmark at that second recipient; and

presenting that media stream beginning at a point designated by that bookmark.

38. A method as in claim 37,

including at least a second such bookmark, whereby there is a plurality of bookmarks each capable of being dynamically selected;

and

wherein

a first set of those plurality of bookmarks is associated with a first designating identifier; and

a second set of those plurality of bookmarks is associated with a second designating identifier.

39. A method as in claim 38, including steps of searching among that first designating identifier and that second designating identifier for selected text.

40. A method as in claim 38, including steps of

selecting among that first designating identifier and that second designating identifier;

and

presenting at least a portion of that media stream in response to a bookmark found in response to those steps of searching.

41. A method as in claim 38, including steps of

selecting among that first designating identifier and that second designating identifier;

and

presenting a set of portions of that media stream in response to a set of bookmarks found in response to those steps of searching;

whereby substantially all portions of that media stream designated by bookmarks associated with a selected designating identifier are presented in response to those steps of selecting.

42. A method as in claim 38, wherein that first designating identifier includes information about that first set.

45. A method as in claim 37, including steps of

testing one or more state variables at a selected watchpoint;

and

performing an action associated with one of the conditional triggers associated with that watchpoint, in response to a result of the steps of testing.

46. A method as in claim 45,

including steps of polling more than one watchpoint;

and

wherein the steps of testing are performed in response to a result of the steps of polling.

47. A method as in claim 45, wherein that action includes a sequence of conditional or unconditional instructions.

48. A method as in claim 45, wherein that action includes a sequence of instructions capable of being recorded, retrieved, sent, or received.

49. A method as in claim 45, wherein that action includes presenting one or more selections from designated media streams, in response to information other than found in digital content representing those designated media streams.

50. A method as in claim 49, wherein that information includes at least one of:

a license afforded to the user, a set of demographic or other metadata about that user, or a set of information gleaned from interactive activity with that user or more than one such user.

43. A method, including steps of

creating a watchpoint including a description of at least one of:

a presentation state of a device associated with a media stream, a virtual machine state of a device associated with that media stream, a state of a device other than a presentation device associated with that media stream, another state associated with presentation of that media stream; and

associating one or more actions with that watchpoint;

whereby when said presentation state or other state is reached, those one or more actions are performed with regard to that media stream.

44. A method as in claim 43,

wherein one of those actions includes directing a presentation device to go to a bookmark indicating a different presentation state associated with a beginning of a film clip from that media stream;

whereby the combination of the bookmark and the watchpoint enable that film clip to be presented again.

51. A method as in claim 43,

wherein one of those actions includes directing a presentation device to go to a bookmark indicating a different presentation state associated with presentation of that media stream;

whereby the combination of the bookmark and the watchpoint enable a portion of that media stream to be presented as an film clip capable of being inserted into a distinct user presentation.

52. A method as in claim 51, including steps of presenting one of a set of such film clips in response to at least one of:

a configuration of a presentation device, a user input, a user preference, a set of demographic information about that user or that presentation device.

53. A method as in claim 51, wherein that distinct user presentation includes at least one of:

a media presentation, a media stream, a user interface, a user presentation received from a source device, a user presentation recorded on physical media.

54. A method as in claim 51, including steps of selecting one of a set of media streams each designated by at least one such bookmark.

55. A method as in claim 54, wherein a set of associated physical media includes a first media stream suited for presentation on a first presentation device, and a second media stream suited for presentation on a second presentation device.

56. A method as in claim 54, wherein a set of associated physical media includes a first media stream suited for presentation to a set of users having a first demographic, and a second media stream suited for presentation to a set of users having a second demographic.

57. A method as in claim 54, wherein a set of associated physical media includes a plurality of media streams each identifiable or selectable in response to at least one such bookmark.

58. A method as in claim 54,

wherein a set of associated physical media includes a set of media streams differing in length, and

including steps of selecting one such media stream for presentation.

59. A method as in claim 54,

wherein a set of associated physical media includes a set of media streams differing in storyline, and

including steps of selecting one such media stream for presentation.

60. A method, including steps of

associating one or more actions with a watchpoint, that watchpoint including at least one of:

a presentation state of a presentation device, a virtual machine state of that presentation device, a state of a device other than that presentation device; and

detecting at least one of those states; and

performing at least one of those actions in response to the steps of detecting.

61. A method as in claim 60, wherein at least one of those actions includes a conditional action, that conditional action being responsive to at least one of:

configuration or status information for a presentation device, demographic or license information for a user, interaction with a user or user interface, metadata available to a presentation device or other substantially local device.

62. A method as in claim 60, wherein at least one of those actions includes steps of creating, deleting, editing, or otherwise altering, a bookmark or a watchpoint.

63. A method as in claim 60, wherein at least one of those actions includes steps of:

designating a bookmark for execution for that presentation device or a different presentation device, setting a new location at which to begin presentation for that presentation device or a different presentation device, setting a new presentation state for that presentation device or a different presentation device, setting a new virtual machine state for that presentation device or a different presentation device.

64. A method as in claim 60, wherein at least one of those actions is responsive to an explicit or implicit user preference.

65. A method as in claim 60, wherein at least one of those actions includes adjusting house lights in response to a point associated with a set of credits for a media stream.

66. A method as in claim 60, wherein at least one of those actions includes a sequence of sub-actions.

67. A method as in claim 66, wherein that sequence of sub-actions includes steps of maintaining at least some state information between sub-actions.

68. A method as in claim 60, wherein at least one of those actions includes steps of selecting among at least a first media stream and a second media stream for presentation.

69. A method as in claim 68, wherein that first media stream and that second media stream differ in at least one configuration parameter associated with a presentation device.

70. A method as in claim 68, wherein that first media stream and that second media stream differ in at least one of:

demographic grouping of intended audience, maturity level of intended audience, movie or television rating.

71. A method as in claim 68, wherein that first media stream and that second media stream differ in that the first media stream has a different running time from the second media stream.

72. A method as in claim 68, wherein that first media stream and that second media stream differ in that the first media stream includes at least one spoken language substantially absent from the second media stream.

73. A method as in claim 68, wherein that first media stream and that second media stream differ in that the first media stream includes at least one scene substantially absent from the second media stream.

74. A method as in claim 73, wherein that at least one scene includes at least one of:

an advertisement, an adult-oriented scene, an alternative plot point, an alternative ending, an alternative style for a selected set of scenes, an alternative set of actors for a selected set of scenes.

75. A method, including steps of

presenting a set of media streams, wherein those media streams include a representation by digital content, wherein that digital content includes a selected directed graph of presentation for those media streams, in which at least some of the media streams are represented by vertices in that directed graph;

wherein the steps of presenting include presentation of media streams from that set of media streams in an order other than indicated by that directed graph.

76. A method as in claim 75, wherein

that digital content includes a set of selectable menu elements;

and

at least some of those menu elements are represented by edges in that directed graph.

77. A method as in claim 75, wherein

that digital content includes a set of selectable menu elements;

and

that order other than indicated by that directed graph includes at least one vertex representing a media element or at least one edge representing a transition to a media element, not representing any of those menu elements.

78. A method as in claim 75, including steps of

encoding, at a first device, that order other than indicated by that directed graph;

and

sending that encoding to a device other than that first device.

79. A method as in claim 78, including steps of

generating a package including that encoding and a license to at least some of that digital content;

and

sending that package to a device not already having both that encoding and that license.

80. A method as in claim 78, including steps of

generating a package including that encoding and at least some of that digital content;

and

sending that package to a device not already having both that encoding and that digital content.

81. A method as in claim 78, including steps of sending that encoding to a device missing a copy of at least some of that digital content.

82. A method as in claim 78, including steps of sending that encoding to a plurality of devices.

83. A method as in claim 75, wherein

that directed graph includes at least a first directed graph received in association with that digital content;

and

that order other than indicated by that first directed graph includes at least a second directed graph designated independently of the first directed graph.

84. A method as in claim 83, including steps of receiving that digital content from media including that first directed graph.

85. A method as in claim 83, including steps of

receiving those media elements of that digital content from a first device;

receiving that first directed graph from a second device, the second device being other than the first device.

86. A method as in claim 83, including steps of

receiving that first directed graph;

creating a bookmark to a location not referenced by that first directed graph; and

designating a second directed graph referencing that bookmark.

87. A method as in claim 86, wherein the steps of creating include steps of identifying a virtual machine state or a presentation state associated with that bookmark.

88. A method as in claim 86, wherein the steps of creating include steps of identifying that location substantially dynamically in response to that digital content.

89. A method as in claim 86, wherein steps of receiving that digital content include the steps of receiving that first directed graph.

90. A method as in claim 86, wherein that second directed graph includes a section of that media stream presentable as an independent film clip.

91. A method as in claim 86, wherein that second directed graph includes a section of that media stream presentable in a substantially repeatable loop.

92. A method as in claim 86, wherein

that second directed graph is performed in response to at least one condition;

and

the steps of designating include steps of selecting that at least one condition.

93. A method as in claim 86, wherein that second directed graph is responsive to a substantially dynamic condition associated with a presentation device.

94. A method as in claim 93, wherein that substantially dynamic condition includes at least one of:

a set of demographic information about a user, an explicit user preference, an implied user preference, a status of a device other than that presentation device, a status of a second presentation device, a user command or instruction.

95. A method as in claim 75, wherein

that set of media streams includes a set of more than one film clip;

and

that order other than indicated by that directed graph includes an arbitrary ordering of film clips among that set, that arbitrary ordering being selected by an end-user after publication of that set of media streams.

96. A method as in claim 95, including additional information or commentary associated with at least one of:

that at least one film clip, that order other than indicated by that directed graph;

wherein that metadata includes at least one of;

audio elements, graphic elements, text elements, video elements.

97. A method as in claim 95, including steps of concurrently presenting a plurality of those film clips in association with a user interface capable of allowing the user to select at least one of those film clips for download, presentation, or purchase;

wherein those steps of concurrently presenting are responsive to an end-user after publication of that set of media streams.

98. A method as in claim 95, including steps of concurrently presenting a plurality of those film clips in response to interaction by a user with that order other than indicated by that directed graph;

wherein those steps of concurrently presenting are responsive to an end-user after publication of that set of media streams.

99. A method as in claim 95, including steps of concurrently presenting a plurality of those film clips in response to that order other than indicated by that directed graph;

wherein those steps of concurrently presenting are responsive to an end-user after publication of that set of media streams.

100. A method as in claim 95, including steps of downloading or purchasing digital content or licenses in response to interaction by a user with that order other than indicated by that directed graph;

wherein those steps of downloading or purchasing are responsive to an end-user after publication of that set of media streams.

101. A method as in claim 95, including steps of downloading or purchasing digital content or licenses in response to that order other than indicated by that directed graph;

wherein those steps of downloading or purchasing are responsive to an end-user after publication of that set of media streams.

102. A method as in claim 95, including steps of searching at least one of:

that at least one film clip, that order other than indicated by that directed graph, in response to, included therein, at least one of;

audio elements, graphic elements, text elements, video elements.

103. A method as in claim 95, including steps of searching at least one of:

that at least one film clip, that order other than indicated by that directed graph, in response to, included in that at least one film clip, at least one of;

information about actors or directors associated with that at least one film clip.

104. A method as in claim 95, including steps of searching at least one of:

that at least one film clip, that order other than indicated by that directed graph, in response to, included in that at least one film clip, at least one of;

information about camera technique, color, content, associated with that at least one film clip.

105. A method as in claim 95, including metadata associated with at least one of:

that at least one film clip, that order other than indicated by that directed graph.

106. A method as in claim 105, including steps of searching at least one of:

that at least one film clip, that order other than indicated by that directed graph, in response to that metadata.

107. A method as in claim 105,

including steps of searching at least one of:

that at least one film clip, that order other than indicated by that directed graph, in response to that metadata;

wherein that metadata includes at least one of;

audio elements, graphic elements, text elements, video elements.

108. A method as in claim 95, including steps of interacting with a user dynamically presenting a sequence of those film clips in response to interaction with a user.

109. A method as in claim 108, wherein those steps of interacting include a teaching technique.

110. A method as in claim 108, wherein those steps of interacting include a presentation having artistic, educational, literary, political, or social, elements.

111. A method as in claim 108, wherein those steps of interacting include a video game.

112. A method as in claim 108, wherein those steps of interacting include information relating to setup of a device or of a home video system.