Accessing meta information triggers automatic buffering

• US 20040167872A1
• Filed: 02/27/2004
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Yevgeniy Eugene Shteyn
• Original Assignee: Yevgeniy Eugene Shteyn
• Inventors: Shteyn, Yevgeniy Eugene
• Application Number:
  US10/788,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20040167872A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• 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

Abstract

A “content re-entry” feature is provided that allows a user to return to an indicated point in a content stream, after being “distracted” by meta-information. Each time a user, or application, begins to follow a related or alternative content (a distraction path), a re-entry point in the original content stream is recorded, thereby facilitating a return to the point at which the distraction occurred. In a broadcast presentation, an access to meta-information is integrated with the storage of content material. Each time a user requests access to meta-information, a recording device is automatically activated to record the content material and to store the location of the start of the recording. When the user terminates the presentation of the meta-information, the presentation of the content material is automatically resumed at the stored location. The recording of the content material continues while the content material is being viewed, so as to provide a continuous, albeit time-shifted, presentation of the content material after the presentation is resumed. In a controllable streaming presentation, the streaming is terminated while the distraction path is being followed, then resumed at the point at which it had been terminated.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating access to meta-information simultaneous with receipt of content material, comprising

a controller that is configured to:

store a reentry point corresponding to an index to the content material corresponding to an initiation of access to the meta-information, and

facilitate a subsequent receipt of the content material corresponding to the reentry point.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein

the controller is further configured to initiate a recording of the content material at the initiation of access to the meta-information.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein

the controller is further configured to initiate playout of the recording of the content material upon termination of access to the meta-information.

4. The system of claim 2, further including

a recording device that is configured to effect the recording of the content material.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein

the controller is further configured to initiate access to the meta-information.

6. The system of claim 1, further including

a rendering device that is configured to effect rendering of at least one of:

the content material and the meta-information.

7. The system of claim 1, further including

an Internet access device that is configured to access the meta-information.

8. The system of claim 7, further including

a recording device that is configured to effect a recording of the content material.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein

the controller is coupled to a network, and, via commands that are communicated over the network, effects at least one of:

the receipt of the request to access the meta-information, and a recording of the content material.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein

the meta-information facilitates a purchase of one or more items associated with the content material.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein

the controller is further configured to store access information based on the meta-information, to facilitate a subsequent access to information corresponding to the access information.

12. A method of facilitating access to meta-information, comprising:

receiving a request to access the meta-information while-accessing content material, and

storing a reentry value corresponding to the request, that facilitates a subsequent access to the content material corresponding to the reentry value.

13. The method of claim 12, further including

initiating a recording of the content material in response to the request to access the meta-information.

14. The method of claim 13, further including

initiating a playout of the recording of the content material upon termination of access to the meta-information.

15. The method of claim 12, further including receiving the content material.

16. The method of claim 12, further including accessing the meta-information.

17. A method of facilitating purchase of items, via access to meta-information, while accessing content material, comprising:

providing a control device that is configured to store a reentry value when the meta-information is accessed,

wherein the reentry value facilitates a subsequent access to the content material at a point corresponding to the reentry value.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the control device is further configured to

commence a recording of the content material when the meta-information is accessed.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein

the control device is further configured to accept a user request to access the meta-information, and

the method further includes

accessing the meta-information based on the user request.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein

the control device is further configured to accept a user request to purchase an item related to the content material, and

the method further includes

effecting a purchase of the item based on the user request.

21. The method of claim 17, further including

providing a recorder for recording the content material.

22. Content material for processing by an end-user device comprising

an identification of one or more re-entry points in the content material,

wherein

the re-entry points facilitate a subsequent access to the content material, based on a distraction point corresponding to a user request while accessing the content material.

23. Content material as claimed in claim 22, wherein

the content material includes related meta-information, and

at least one of the re-entry points is based on the distraction point corresponding to an access to the meta-information.