System and method for creating and presenting composite video-on-demand content

• US 20050010953A1
• Filed: 12/03/2003
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications Management LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications Management LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Andrade, David de, Carney, John, Thomson, Greg, Marenghi, Matt, Moreau, Samuel, Poger, Elliot
• Granted Patent: US 9,615,061 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• 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 21/4334 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• 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 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for the dynamic creation and presentation of user-specified VOD content consisting of multiple VOD clips as a passive viewing experience. For one embodiment, a user selects a set of VOD clips from a list or other selection presentation and the selected VOD clips are presented back-to-back. For one embodiment of the invention, the user may reorder the presentation sequence of the selected VOD clips. Embodiments of the invention thereby allow a user to dynamically create and present a user-specific, passive viewing presentation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

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

receiving user input, the user input specifying a set of two or more of the plurality of VOD clips; and

creating a composite VOD clip sequence wherein each of the specified set of VOD clips is a component VOD clip of the composite VOD clip sequence.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

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

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the user input further specifies a sequencing order for the set of VOD clips such that creation of the composite VOD clip is based upon the specified sequencing order.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the sequencing order for the set of VOD clips is specified by traversing a decision tree having a plurality of decision nodes.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the decision tree is structured such that specifying a VOD clip at each node constrains selection of VOD clips at subsequent nodes.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

storing the composite VOD to a storage medium.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the storage medium is included in a digital video recorder.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein presenting the composite VOD clip sequence includes recognizing the completion of a component VOD clip and automatically commencing presentation of a subsequent component VOD clip.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein presenting the composite VOD clip sequence includes initiating a new session for a component VOD clip prior to completion of presentation of a previous component VOD clip.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein creating the composite VOD clip sequence includes creating a VOD file such that each component VOD clip is a segment of the VOD file.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein transition between component VOD clips is accomplished by moving to specific time codes within the VOD file.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein creating the composite VOD clip sequence includes concatenating each of the VOD clips of the selected set of two or more VOD clips.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

including component VOD clip metadata in or with the composite VOD clip.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the component clip metadata is a uniform resource locator.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

inserting additional component VOD clips in the composite VOD clip sequence.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the additional component VOD clips are automatically inserted in the composite VOD clip sequence based upon a set of predefined rules.

17. 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 containing a plurality of VOD clips;

receiving user input, the user input specifying a set of two or more of the plurality of video-on-demand clips; and

creating a composite VOD clip sequence wherein each of the specified set of VOD clips is a component VOD clip of the composite VOD clip sequence.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 17 further comprising:

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

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 17 wherein the user input further specifies a sequencing order for the set of VOD clips such that creation of the composite VOD clip is based upon the specified sequencing order.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the sequencing order for the set of VOD clips is specified by traversing a decision tree having a plurality of decision nodes.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 20 wherein the decision tree is structured such that specifying a VOD clip at each node constrains selection of VOD clips at subsequent nodes.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 18 further comprising:

storing the composite VOD clip sequence to a storage medium.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 22 wherein the storage medium is included in a digital video recorder.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 18 wherein presenting the composite VOD clip sequence includes recognizing the completion of a component VOD clip and automatically commencing presentation of a subsequent component VOD clip.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 24 wherein presenting the composite VOD clip sequence includes initiating a new session for a component VOD clip prior to completion of presentation of a previous component VOD clip.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 17 wherein creating the composite VOD clip sequence includes creating a VOD file such that each component VOD is a segment of the VOD file.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 26 wherein transition between component VOD clips is accomplished by moving to specific time codes within the VOD file.

28. The machine-readable medium of claim 17 wherein creating the composite VOD clip sequence includes concatenating each of the VOD clips of the selected set of two or more VOD clips.

29. The machine-readable medium of claim 17 further comprising:

including component VOD clip metadata in the composite VOD clip sequence.

30. The machine-readable medium of claim 29 wherein the component clip metadata is a uniform resource locator.

31. The machine-readable medium of claim 17 further comprising:

including additional component VOD clips in the composite VOD clip sequence.

32. The machine-readable medium of claim 31 wherein the additional component VOD clips are automatically included in the composite VOD clip sequence based upon a set of predefined rules.

33. A system comprising:

a server storing VOD content, the VOD content including a plurality of VOD clips; and

a set top box coupled to the server, the set top box storing an application, the application including a VOD clip selection functionality, that enables a user to access the plurality of VOD clips and select a set of two or more VOD clips of the plurality of VOD clips, and a VOD clip composite functionality that creates a composite VOD clip sequence wherein each of the two or more VOD clips of the selected set of VOD clips is a component VOD clip of the composite VOD clip sequence.

34. The system of claim 33 further comprising:

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

35. The system of claim 33 wherein application further includes a VOD clip sequence ordering functionality that allows a user to specify a sequencing order for the set of VOD clips such that creation of the composite VOD clip is based upon the specified sequencing order.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the sequencing order for the set of VOD clips is specified by traversing a decision tree having a plurality of decision nodes.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the decision tree is structured such that specifying a VOD clip at each node constrains selection of VOD clips at subsequent nodes.

38. The system of claim 34 further comprising:

a storage medium for storing the composite VOD.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein the storage medium is included in a digital video recorder.

40. The system of claim 34 wherein the set top box further stores a presentation application for presenting the composite VOD clip sequence that recognizes the completion of a component VOD clip and automatically commences presentation of a subsequent component VOD clip.

41. The system of claim 34 wherein the presentation application initiates a new session for a component VOD clip prior to completion of presentation of a previous component VOD clip.

42. The system of claim 33 wherein the application creates a VOD file such that each component VOD is a segment of the VOD file.

43. The system of claim 42 wherein transition between component VOD clips is accomplished by moving to specific time codes within the VOD file.

44. The system of claim 33 wherein the application transmits a list of VOD clip identifiers to the server, the VOD clip identifiers corresponding to the selected set of two or more VOD clips, and the server concatenates the identified VOD clips to form the composite VOD clip.

45. The system of claim 33 further comprising:

a VOD list manager that includes component VOD clip metadata in the composite VOD clip sequence.

46. The system of claim 45 wherein the component VOD clip metadata is a uniform resource locator.

47. The system of claim 33 further comprising:

an operator control system that automatically includes additional component VOD clips in the composite VOD clip sequence based upon a set of predefined rules.