System and method for automatically generating a composite video-on-demand content

• US 20050010950A1
• Filed: 01/23/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TVWorks LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TVWorks LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Carney, John, de Andrade, David, Thomson, Greg, Marenghi, Matt, Moreau, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US10/763,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20050010950A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• 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 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for the automatic creation, and subsequent presentation as a passive viewing experience, of a composite VOD clip created based upon one or more specified VOD clip categories. For one embodiment, a user selects one or more VOD clip categories from a list or other selection presentation and a composite VOD clip is created having component VOD clips that are constrained by the selected VOD clip categories. For one embodiment of the invention, the user may also select one or more VOD clip parameters for each of the selected VOD clip categories that further constrain the content of the composite VOD clip. Embodiments of the invention thereby provide for the automatic creation of a VOD composite clip having component VOD clips constrained by selected categories or selected categories and parameters that can be presented as a passive viewing experience.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a list or lists of one or more video-on-demand (VOD) clip categories, each VOD clip category containing one or more corresponding VOD clips;

receiving user input, the user input specifying at least one VOD clip category; and

automatically creating a composite VOD clip based upon the specified at least one VOD clip category wherein the composite VOD clip consists of each of the one or more corresponding VOD clips of each specified VOD clip category.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

presenting the composite VOD clip to a user to effect a passive viewing experience.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

providing a list of one or more VOD clip parameters, each of the VOD clip parameters pertaining to a subset of the one or more VOD clips corresponding to a VOD clip category.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

receiving further user input, the further user input specifying at least one of the one or more VOD clip parameters, wherein the composite VOD clip consists of the subset of the one or more VOD clips corresponding to the selected VOD clip parameters in each specified VOD clip category.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the one or more VOD clip parameters includes a VOD clip parameter selected from the group consisting of a random selection parameter, a maximum number parameter, a maximum time parameter, and a sequential parameter.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the composite VOD clip is automatically regenerated upon user request or according to an externally specified schedule.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein any component VOD clips made available prior to a specified time are removed from the composite VOD clip.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein any component VOD clips previously presented to a particular user are removed from the user'"'"'s composite VOD clip.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more additional VOD clips are included as component VOD clips of the composite VOD clip.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more additional VOD clips is a VOD clip selected from the group consisting of advertising VOD clips, promotional VOD clips pertaining to VOD content unrelated to the composite VOD clip, and promotional VOD clips pertaining to VOD content related to the composite VOD clip.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more additional graphical or data contents, including content tickers, graphical ads or promotional contents unrelated to the composite VOD clip, and content tickers, graphical ads or promotional contents related to the composite VOD clip, are added alongside or partially overlay the composite VOD clip.

12. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions which when executed by a processor cause a method to be performed, the method comprising:

providing a list or lists of one or more video-on-demand (VOD) clip categories, each VOD clip category containing one or more corresponding VOD clips;

receiving user input, the user input specifying at least one VOD clip category; and

automatically creating a composite VOD clip based upon the specified at least one VOD clip category wherein the composite VOD clip consists of each of the one or more corresponding VOD clips of each specified VOD clip category.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, the method further comprising:

presenting the composite VOD clip to a user to effect a passive viewing experience.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, the method further comprising:

providing a list of one or more VOD clip parameters, each of the VOD clip parameters pertaining to a subset of the one or more VOD clips corresponding to a VOD clip category.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, the method further comprising:

receiving further user input, the further user input specifying at least one of the one or more VOD clip parameters, wherein the composite VOD clip consists of the subset of the one or more VOD clips corresponding to each specified VOD clip category.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the one or more VOD clip parameters includes a VOD clip parameter selected from the group consisting of a random selection parameter, a maximum number parameter, a maximum time parameter, and a sequential parameter.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the composite VOD clip is automatically regenerated upon user request or according to an externally specified schedule.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 12 wherein any component VOD clips made available prior to a specified time are removed from the composite VOD clip.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 12 wherein any component VOD clips previously presented to a particular user are removed from the composite VOD clip.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 12 wherein one or more additional VOD clips are included as component VOD clips of the composite VOD clip.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the one or more additional VOD clips is a VOD clip selected from the group consisting of advertising VOD clips, promotional VOD clips pertaining to VOD content unrelated to the composite VOD clip, and promotional VOD clips pertaining to VOD content related to the composite VOD clip.

22. A system comprising:

a server storing VOD content, the VOD content including a plurality of VOD clip categories, each VOD clip category containing one or more corresponding VOD clips; and

a set top box coupled to the server, the set top box storing an application, the application including a VOD clip category selection functionality, that enables a user to access the plurality of VOD clip categories and select one or more VOD clip categories, and a VOD clip composite functionality that automatically creates a composite VOD clip wherein the composite VOD clip consists of each of the one or more corresponding VOD clips of each selected VOD clip category.

23. The system of claim 22 further comprising:

a display screen for presenting the composite VOD clip to the user to effect a passive viewing experience.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein application further includes a VOD clip parameter selection functionality that allows a user to select one or more VOD clip parameters, each of the VOD clip parameters pertaining to a subset of the one or more VOD clips corresponding to a VOD clip category such that the created composite VOD clip consists of the subset of the one or more VOD clips corresponding to each selected VOD clip category.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the one or more VOD clip parameters includes a VOD clip parameter selected from the group consisting of a random selection parameter, a maximum number parameter, a maximum time parameter, and a sequential parameter.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein the composite VOD clip is automatically regenerated upon user request or according to an externally specified schedule.

27. The system of claim 22 wherein any component VOD clips made available prior to a specified time are removed from the composite VOD clip.

28. The system of claim 22 wherein any component VOD clips previously presented to a particular user are removed from the composite VOD clip.

29. The system of claim 22 wherein one or more additional VOD clips are included as component VOD clips of the composite VOD clip.

30. The system of claim 22 wherein the one or more additional VOD clips is a VOD clip selected from the group consisting of advertising VOD clips, promotional VOD clips pertaining to VOD content unrelated to the composite VOD clip, and promotional VOD clips pertaining to VOD content related to the composite VOD clip.