Method and apparatus for exchanging preferences for replaying a program on a personal video recorder

• US 20050132401A1
• Filed: 12/10/2003
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bryan, David, Boccon-Gibod, Gilles
• Application Number:
  US10/733,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20050132401A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/107 of operating tapes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• 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 21/4325 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 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• 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 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 : using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction

Abstract

Personal video recorders (PVRs) contain many desirable features, including the ability to skip undesirable portions of a recorded broadcast program. Disclosed is a method and system for a PVR user to share with other users tags identifying desirable program portions or segments (“Hot-Spots”) and undesirable segments (“Cold-Spots”). Other users are able to either automatically or manually to adjust the replay of the program based on the tags.

Claims

1. A method for sharing television program-viewing experiences, the method comprising:

creating a set of tags for the segments of a viewed program indicative of the opinion of a first user; and

distributing said set of tags to a plurality of other users to allow said other users to replay said program in accordance with said tags.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tags are distributed via email.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the tags are distributed through a centralized server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the tags are distributed through a peer-to-peer network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein tags are applied to segments of particular interest to the first user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein tags are applied to segments of little interest to the first user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of distributing includes providing the set of tags at no charge.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of distributing includes selling the set of tags.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of distributing includes providing the set of tags as a component of a subscription service.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

viewing the program by at least one of the other users and using the tags to alter the program playback.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein altering the program playback comprises skipping one or more segments of the program.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein altering the program playback comprises playing only one or more segments of the program.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein altering the program playback comprises playing only segments of the program that are indicated as desirable.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein altering the program playback is performed automatically by a personal video recorder.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein altering the program playback is performed selectively in accordance with commands from the other users.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the set of tags are received by a server.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the set of tags are received directly by the other users.

18. A method for indicating viewing preferences associated with a program to a community of PVR users, the method comprising:

creating a tag file for the program, the tag file including a plurality of tags associated with certain portions of the program, each tag indicating one of a desirable and an undesirable rating of a first user;

transmitting said tag file from at least one PVR;

receiving the tag file by a second PVR;

displaying on a TV associated with the second PVR tags from the tag file to indicate program segment viewing preferences from the first PVR.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second PVR receives the tag file from a network server.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the displayed tags are used to skip portions of a viewed program.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the skipped portions are skipped automatically by the PVR.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the skipped portions are manually skipped by the user viewing the program.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the displayed tags are used to indicate portions of the program that are more desirable to view.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the displayed tags are used to indicate portions of the program that are less desirable to view.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the displayed tags display the information in a binary format.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the displayed tags display the information in an analog format.

27. A personal video recorder comprising:

a personal video recording unit for viewing and recording programs;

a remote control unit, including a key for sending viewer preference commands to the personal video recording unit;

a tag file generating unit for creating tags of program segments of a predetermined character based on preference commands; and

a network connection, attached to the personal video recording unit, for sharing the tag file.

28. A personal video recorder comprising:

a personal video recording unit for recording programs and playing back previously recorded programs;

a network connection, attached to the personal video recording unit, for receiving a tag file with tags associated with user preferences; and

a processing unit for adjusting playback of the personal video recording unit based on said tag file.