Annotating media content with user-specified information

• US 20050097451A1
• Filed: 11/03/2003
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Cormack, Christopher J., Moy, Tony
• Application Number:
  US10/700,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20050097451A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/202
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/036 Insert-editing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3027 used signal is digitally coded
• 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 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• 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 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• 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 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• 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 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

A method of annotating stored media information may include outputting stored media information based on an associated index file and receiving an annotation request at a point in the index file. The method may also include receiving and storing annotation information associated with the annotation request. The index file may be modified at the point at which the annotation request was received to reference the stored annotation information.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving an indication that annotation of media information is desired;

storing annotation information; and

modifying an index of the media information to reflect a presence of the annotation information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

querying a user for a source of the annotation information before the storing.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting the media information to a display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the annotation information includes control data, text, audio information, graphical information, or video information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying includes:

inserting an annotation marker in the index at a point in the media information at which the indication was received.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the annotation marker identifies a location of the stored annotation information.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

an interface to receive annotation information;

a memory to store the annotation information, media information, and index information relating to the annotation information and the media information;

a processor to retrieve the media information from the memory and to selectively retrieve the annotation information from the memory based on the index information; and

a display module to combine the media information and the annotation information for output to a display device.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a tuner connected to the processor to separate the media information from an input media stream.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the interface is arranged to receive control data, text, graphical information, audio information, or video information as the annotation information.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the interface is connected to the processor and the display module and is further arranged to receive control information for the display module.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a communication link to access annotation content referenced by the annotation information.

12. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computing platform, may result in display of annotated media information by;

outputting stored media information based on an index file associated with the media information;

detecting an annotation marker in the index file;

retrieving annotation information associated with the annotation marker; and

combining the media information and the annotation information to display annotated media information.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed, result in the display of annotated media information by:

querying whether to display the annotation information associated with the annotation marker; and

retrieving the annotation information associated with the annotation marker if an affirmative response to the querying is received.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed, result in the combining the media information and the annotation information by:

overlaying the annotation information on the media information.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed, result in the combining the media information and the annotation information by:

blending the annotation information and the media information.

16. A method, comprising:

outputting stored media information based on an associated index file;

receiving an annotation request at a point in the index file;

receiving and storing annotation information associated with the annotation request; and

modifying the index file at the point at which the annotation request was received to reference the stored annotation information.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

asking for a type of the annotation information before the receiving and storing.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

detecting a reference to the stored annotation information in the index file;

retrieving annotation information associated with the reference; and

selectively combining the media information and the annotation information.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

repeating the outputting stored media information based on an associated index file before the detecting a reference to the stored annotation information.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the selectively combining includes:

determining whether the annotation information should be displayed, and

combining the media information and the annotation information if the determining determines that the annotation information should be displayed.