Multimedia presentation resumption within an environment of multiple presentation systems

• US 20050097623A1
• Filed: 10/31/2003
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tecot, Edward M., Hegg, Shannon C., Habib, Martine
• Granted Patent: US 8,429,696 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/136
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel

Abstract

With at least one implementation described herein, one or more viewers are able to watch the same source multimedia content at multiple locations within an environment (e.g., a household). With at least one implementation described herein, a viewer is able to resume watching such content at a new location (or “locus”) from the point that she bookmarked the content at an original location. This abstract itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. The scope of the present invention is pointed out in the appending claims.

Claims

1. A multimedia-content resumption architecture comprising:

a centralized multimedia server comprising;

one or more multimedia-content receivers configured to receive multimedia programs as part of one or more broadcast media transmissions;

one or more storage units configured to store multimedia programs;

a computing unit configured to generate and store one or more bookmarks associated with a particular multimedia content;

one or more multimedia presentations systems that are communicatively coupled to the server, a system comprising;

a multimedia rendering unit configured to present multimedia programs and one or more user interfaces (UIs); and

a computing unit configured to communicate with the server and further configured to generate a UI for presentation via the multimedia rendering unit.

2. An architecture as recited in claim 1, wherein the storage unit of the server is further configured to store the multimedia program.

3. An architecture as recited in claim 1, wherein the computing unit is further configured to generate and store at least two bookmarks associated with a particular multimedia content.

4. A medium as recited in claim 1, wherein one or more broadcast media transmissions are selected from a group consisting of incoming live television broadcast, incoming live cable television signal, incoming live satellite signal, incoming live video-on-demand signal, and incoming live pay-per-view signal.

5. A processor-readable medium having processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, performs a method comprising:

generating a “

bookmark”

at a point during a presentation of a multimedia program;

associating one or more properties with the bookmark, wherein such properties comprise more than just the identity of the multimedia content and point of bookmark within that presentation;

storing the bookmark with its one or more properties.

6. A medium as recited in claim 5, wherein the method further comprises storing multiple bookmarks for the multimedia program, wherein each bookmark has one or more properties associated therewith.

7. A medium as recited in claim 5, wherein the method further comprises determining whether an action performed by a user is one which is designated to generate a bookmark and, if so, proceeding with generating, associating, and storing.

8. A medium as recited in claim 5, wherein the method further comprises determining whether an action performed by a user is one which is designated to generate a bookmark while stored multimedia content is being presented and, if so, proceeding with generating, associating, and storing, wherein the action that is designated to generate a bookmark is selected from a group consisting of:

selecting another source of multimedia content;

viewing a list of other sources of multimedia content;

manually pressing a “

pause”

key;

manually pressing a “

bookmark”

key;

manually pressing another pre-de fined key or choosing a pre-defined option.

9. A medium as recited in claim 5, wherein the properties associated with the bookmark are selected from a group consisting of:

locus of system where the presentation was bookmarked;

identity of user who manually bookmarked the presentation;

chronological time of the bookmark generating;

chronological date of the bookmark generating;

relative time during the presentation where the presentation was bookmarked.

10. A medium, as recited in claim 5, wherein the method further comprises receiving the multimedia program as part of a broadcast media transmission.

11. A medium, as recited in claim 5, wherein the method further comprises receiving the multimedia program as part of a broadcast media transmission, wherein the broadcast media transmission is selected from a group consisting of incoming live television broadcast, incoming live cable television signal, incoming live satellite signal, incoming live video-on-demand signal, and incoming live pay-per-view signal.

12. A medium as recited in claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving an indication of where to stream a resumption of the presentation of the multimedia program amongst a collection of multiple loci where the presentation may be resumed;

streaming a notification to the selected resumption locus.

13. A medium as recited in claim 5, wherein the method further comprises repeating the generating, associating, and storing for each of multiple bookmarks created for a particular multimedia program.

14. A computing device comprising:

a digital video recorder (DVR) unit;

a medium as recited in claim 5.

15. A processor-readable medium having processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, performs a method comprising:

a means for generating a “

bookmark”

at a point during a presentation of a multimedia program;

a means for associating one or more properties with the bookmark, wherein such properties comprise more than just the identity of the multimedia content and point of bookmark within that presentation;

a means for storing the bookmark with its one or more properties

16. A method comprising:

bookmarking one or more points within a multimedia program'"'"'s presentation;

storing the one or more bookmarked points, with each bookmark having one or more properties associated therewith, wherein such properties comprise more than just the identity of the multimedia content and point of bookmark within that presentation.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the method further comprises determining whether an action performed by a user is one which is designated to generate a bookmark while stored multimedia content is being presented and, if so, proceeding with generating and storing;

wherein the action that is designated to generate a bookmark is selected from a group consisting of

selection of another source of multimedia content;

viewing a list of other sources of multimedia content;

manually pressing a “

pause key”

;

manually pressing a “

bookmark”

key; and

manually pressing another pre-defined key or choosing a pre-defined option.

18. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the properties associated with the bookmark are selected from a group consisting of:

locus of system where the presentation was bookmarked;

identity of user who manually bookmarked the presentation;

chronological time of the bookmark generating;

chronological date of the bookmark generating;

relative time during the presentation where the presentation was bookmarked.

19. A method as recited in claim 16 further comprising receiving the multimedia program as part of a broadcast media transmission.

20. A method as recited in claim 16 further comprising receiving the multimedia program as part of a broadcast media transmission, wherein the broadcast media transmission is selected from a group consisting of incoming live television broadcast, incoming live cable television signal, incoming live satellite signal, incoming live video-on-demand signal, and incoming live pay-per-view signal.

21. A method as recited in claim 16 further comprising:

receiving an indication of where to stream the presentation of the multimedia program amongst a collection of multiple loci where presentation may be resumed;

streaming a notification to the selected resumption locus.

22. A multimedia server system which is configured to be communicatively coupled to one or more multimedia presentation systems, the server system comprising:

one or more multimedia-content receivers configured to receive multimedia programs;

one or more storage units configured to store multimedia programs;

a computing unit configured to;

bookmark a point during a presentation of a multimedia program;

associate one or more properties with the bookmark;

store the bookmark in association with the multimedia program.

23. A server system as recited in claim 22 further comprising a user-interface control panel configured to receive user input action that triggers generation of a bookmark, such action is selected from a group consisting of:

selection of another source of multimedia content;

viewing a list of other sources of multimedia content;

manually pressing “

pause key”

;

manually pressing “

bookmark”

key; and

manually pressing another pre-defined key, or choosing a pre-defined option.

24. A server system as recited in claim 22, wherein the properties associated with the bookmark are selected from a group consisting of:

locus of system where the presentation was bookmarked;

identity of user who manually bookmarked the presentation;

chronological time of the bookmark generating;

chronological date of the bookmark generating;

relative time during the presentation where the presentation was bookmarked.

25. A server system as recited in claim 22, wherein the one or more multimedia-content receivers are further configured to receive the multimedia program as part of a broadcast media transmission.

26. A server system as recited in claim 22, wherein the one or more multimedia-content receivers are further configured to receive the multimedia program as part of a broadcast media transmission, wherein the broadcast media transmission is selected from a group consisting of incoming live television broadcast, incoming live cable television signal, incoming live satellite signal, incoming live video-on-demand signal, and incoming live pay-per-view signal.

27. A processor-readable medium having processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, performs a method comprising:

presenting a user interface (UI) on a multimedia presentation system;

receiving a manual user interaction based upon the UI that indicates that the user selects a bookmarked multimedia program for resumption of presentation from the point of the bookmark;

requesting that a communicatively coupled multimedia server stream to the system the selected bookmarked multimedia program from the point of the bookmark;

presenting the selected bookmarked multimedia program from the point of the bookmark.

28. A medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the UI comprises a listing of some or all of the bookmarks associated with a particular multimedia program, and the manual user interaction comprises a manual selection of one of the listed programs.

29. A medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the UI comprises a listing of some or all of the bookmarks associated with a particular multimedia program and, wherein, the bookmarks are listed based upon one or more properties associated therewith.

30. A medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the UI comprises a listing of some or all of the bookmarks associated with a particular multimedia program and, wherein, the bookmarks are listed based upon one or more properties associated therewith;

the properties are selected from a group consisting of;

identity of the multimedia content;

relative point of bookmark during the presentation;

most recently bookmarked multimedia programs;

category of multimedia content bookmarked;

locus of system where the presentation was bookmarked;

identity of user who manually bookmarked the presentation;

chronological time of the bookmark generating;

chronological date of the bookmark generating;

relative time during the presentation where the presentation was bookmarked.

31. A medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the UI graphically illustrates one or more of the following:

identity of one or more bookmarked multimedia program;

relative point of bookmark during presentation of one or more bookmarked multimedia programs;

most recently bookmarked multimedia programs;

category of one or more bookmarked multimedia programs;

locus of system where one or more bookmarked multimedia programs were bookmarked;

identity of user who manually bookmarked one or more bookmarked multimedia programs;

chronological time of that one or more bookmarked multimedia programs were bookmarked;

chronological date of that one or more bookmarked multimedia programs were bookmarked;

relative time of that one or more bookmarked multimedia programs were bookmarked;

graphical depiction of relative time of that one or more bookmarked multimedia programs were bookmarked.

32. A medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the UI comprises a listing of some or all broadcast media programs that have one or more bookmarks.

33. A medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the UI comprises a listing of broadcast media programs available with indicative indicia corresponding with broadcast media programs that have one or more bookmarks.

34. A medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the UI comprises a grid listing of broadcast media programs available with indicative indicia corresponding with broadcast media programs that have one or more bookmarks.

35. A medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the UI comprises a listing of broadcast media programs available with indicative indicia corresponding with broadcast media programs that have one or more bookmarks, wherein the appearances of the indicia vary to indicate differences in one or more properties associated with bookmarked broadcast media programs.

36. A computing device comprising:

a multimedia presentation unit;

a medium as recited in claim 27.

37. A processor-readable medium having processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, performs a method comprising:

a means for presenting a user interface (UI) on a multimedia presentation system;

a means for receiving a manual user interaction based upon the UI that indicates that the user selects a bookmarked multimedia program for resumption of presentation from the point of the bookmark;

a means for requesting that a communicatively coupled multimedia server stream to the system the selected bookmarked multimedia program from the point of the bookmark;

a means for presenting the selected bookmarked multimedia program from the point of the bookmark.

38. A method comprising:

presenting a user interface (UI) on a multimedia presentation system;

receiving a user interaction based upon the UI that indicates that the user selects a bookmarked multimedia program for resumption of presentation from the point of the bookmark;

requesting for a communicatively coupled multimedia server to stream to the system the selected bookmarked multimedia program from the point of the bookmark;

presenting the selected bookmarked multimedia program from the point of the bookmark.

39. A method as recited in claim 38, wherein the UI comprises a listing of some or all of the bookmarks associated with a particular multimedia program and the user interaction comprises a manual selection of one of the listed programs.

40. A method as recited in claim 38, wherein the UI comprises a listing of some or all of the bookmarks associated with a particular multimedia program, and, wherein, the bookmarks are listed based upon one or more properties associated therewith.

41. A method as recited in claim 38, wherein the UI comprises a listing of some or all of the bookmarks associated with a particular multimedia program, and, wherein, the bookmarks are listed based upon one or more properties associated therewith;

the properties are selected from a group consisting of;

identity of the multimedia content;

relative point of bookmark during the presentation;

most recently bookmarked multimedia programs;

category of multimedia content bookmarked;

locus of system where the presentation was bookmarked;

identity of user who manually bookmarked the presentation;

chronological time of the bookmark generating;

chronological date of the bookmark generating;

relative time during the presentation where the presentation was bookmarked.

42. A method as recited in claim 38, wherein the UI comprises a grid listing of broadcast media programs available with indicative indicia corresponding with broadcast media programs that have one or more bookmarks.

43. A method as recited in claim 38, wherein the UI comprises a listing of broadcast media programs available with indicative indicia corresponding with broadcast media programs that have one or more bookmarks, wherein the appearances of the indicia may be varied to indicate differences in one or more properties associated with bookmarked broadcast media programs.

44. A multimedia presentation system which is configured to be communicatively coupled to at least one multimedia server, the presentation system comprising:

a multimedia rendering unit configured to present multimedia content and one or more user interfaces (Uls); and

a computing unit configured to communicate with a multimedia server over the network and further configured to generate a UI for presentation on the presentation device.

45. A presentation system as recited in claim 44 further comprising a user-interface control panel configured to receive user input action that triggers generation of a bookmark;

such action is selected from a group consisting of

selection of another source of multimedia content;

viewing a list of other sources of multimedia content;

manually pressing “

pause”

key;

manually pressing “

bookmark”

key; and

manually pressing another pre-defined key or choosing a pre-defined option.

46. A presentation system as recited in claim 44, wherein the properties associated with the bookmark are selected from a group consisting of:

identity of the multimedia content;

relative point of bookmark during the presentation;

most recently bookmarked multimedia programs;

category of multimedia content bookmarked;

locus of system where the presentation was bookmarked;

identity of user who manually bookmarked the presentation;

chronological time of the bookmark generating;

chronological date of the bookmark generating;

relative time during the presentation where the presentation was bookmarked.

47. A processor-readable medium having processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, performs a method comprising:

presenting a user interface (UI) on a multimedia presentation system at a resume location (“

resume-locus system”

) that allows a user to select when to resume presentation of a multimedia program from a point of a bookmark that occurred at another location within a network of communicatively coupled multimedia presentation systems;

receiving a manual user interaction that indicates that the user would like to resume;

requesting that a communicatively coupled multimedia server stream, to the resume-locus system, the selected bookmarked multimedia program from the point of the bookmark;

presenting the selected bookmarked multimedia program from the point of the bookmark and doing so at the resume-locus system.

48. A computing device comprising:

a multimedia presentation unit;

a medium as recited in claim 47.

49. A processor-readable medium having processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, produces a user interface (UI) of multimedia presentation system, the UI comprising:

a first display area listing bookmarks, each one being associated with one or more multimedia programs;

an executable process, that is configured to stream a request for a multimedia program when its associated listing is selected;

this request is sent to a communicatively coupled multimedia server and asks the server to stream the multimedia program associated with the bookmark of the selected listing from the point of that bookmark.

50. A medium as recited in claim 49, the UI further comprising a second display area indicating a particular multimedia program associated with all of the bookmarks listed in the first area.

51. A medium as recited in claim 49, wherein the bookmarks are listed in the first display area, based upon one or more properties associated therewith.

52. A medium as recited in claim 49, wherein the bookmarks are listed in the first display area, based upon one or more properties associated therewith;

the properties are selected from a group consisting of;

identity of the multimedia content;

relative point of bookmark during the presentation;

most recently bookmarked multimedia programs;

category of multimedia content bookmarked;

locus of system where the presentation was bookmarked;

identity of user who manually bookmarked the presentation;

chronological time of the bookmark generating;

chronological date of the bookmark generating;

relative time during the presentation where the presentation was bookmarked.

53. A processor-readable medium having processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, produces a user interface (UI) of multimedia presentation system, the UI comprising:

a first display area listing multimedia programs having at least one bookmark associated therewith;

an executable process that is configured to stream a request for a multimedia program when its associated listing is selected;

this request is sent to a communicatively coupled multimedia server and asks the server to stream the multimedia program associated with the selected listing from the point of a bookmark associated therewith.

54. A medium as recited in claim 53, wherein programs listed in the first area are part of broadcast media transmissions.

55. A medium as recited in claim 53, wherein the bookmarks of the programs listed in the first display area are chosen to be listed based upon one or more properties associated with the bookmarks or the programs.

56. A medium as recited in claim 53, wherein the bookmarks of the programs listed in the first display area are chosen to be listed based upon one or more properties associated with the bookmarks or the programs;

the properties are selected from a group consisting of;

identity of the multimedia content;

relative point of bookmark during the presentation;

most recently bookmarked multimedia programs;

category of multimedia content bookmarked;

locus of system where the presentation was bookmarked;

identity of user who manually bookmarked the presentation;

chronological time of the bookmark generating;

chronological date of the bookmark generating;

relative time during the presentation where the presentation was bookmarked.

57. A processor-readable medium having processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, produces a user interface (UI) of a multimedia presentation system, the UI comprising:

a first display area listing broadcast multimedia programs, wherein such listing includes one or more broadcast media programs that are bookmarked;

an executable process associated with the listing of each program that is configured to stream a request when its associated listing is selected;

this request is sent to a communicatively coupled multimedia server and asks the server to stream the multimedia program associated with the selected listing from the point of a bookmark associated therewith.

58. A medium as recited in claim 57, wherein a listing of broadcast multimedia programs in the first area is in a grid-like pattern based upon presentation schedule of such broadcast multimedia programs.

59. A medium as recited in claim 57, wherein the bookmarks of the programs listed in the first display area are chosen to be listed based upon one or more properties associated with the bookmarks or the programs.

60. A medium as recited in claim 57, wherein the bookmarks of the programs listed in the first display area are chosen to be listed based upon one or more properties associated with the bookmarks or the programs;

the properties are selected from a group consisting of;

identity of the multimedia content;

relative point of bookmark during the presentation;

most recently bookmarked multimedia programs;

category of multimedia content bookmarked;

locus of system where the presentation was bookmarked;

identity of user who manually bookmarked the presentation;

chronological time of the bookmark generating;

chronological date of the bookmark generating;

relative time during the presentation where the presentation was bookmarked.

61. A medium as recited in claim 57, wherein broadcast multimedia programs are received via one or more broadcast media transmissions which are selected from a group consisting of incoming live television broadcast, incoming live cable television signal, incoming live satellite signal, incoming live video-on-demand signal, and incoming live pay-per-view signal.

62. A “

bookmarked”

multimedia program, which is a multimedia program having one or more bookmarks associated with it, where such bookmarks are indicative of a resumption point for presentation of the program, generated in accordance with the following acts;

providing a server computer in a communications with a communications network;

receiving input from a client computer by way of the communications network, the input providing a parameter indicative of a request for a “

bookmarked”

multimedia program and of one or more bookmarks;

retrieving a selected data from a database, wherein the data is selected based upon the parameter provided by the user input; and

presenting the “

bookmarked”

multimedia program as a function of the selected data.

63. A multimedia presentation system which is configured to be communicatively coupled to at least one multimedia server, the presentation system comprising:

a multimedia rendering unit configured to present multimedia content and one or more user interfaces (Uls); and

a computing unit configured to communicate with a multimedia server over the network and further configured to generate a UI for presentation on the presentation device,

wherein the a UI graphically illustrates one or more of the following;

identity of one or more bookmarked multimedia program;

relative point of bookmark during presentation of one or more bookmarked multimedia programs;

most recently bookmarked multimedia programs;

category of one or more bookmarked multimedia programs;

locus of system where one or more bookmarked multimedia programs were bookmarked;

identity of user who manually bookmarked one or more bookmarked multimedia programs;

chronological time of that one or more bookmarked multimedia programs were bookmarked;

chronological date of that one or more bookmarked multimedia programs were bookmarked;

relative time of that one or more bookmarked multimedia programs were bookmarked;

graphical depiction of relative time of that one or more bookmarked multimedia programs were bookmarked.