Apparatus and mehtod for replacing a media content item

• US 20050273515A1
• Filed: 09/26/2003
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Bodlaender, Maarten Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,032,648 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/106 Receiver-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for outputting a media content item, the apparatus comprising a receiver (10) arranged to receive a first media content item, and output means (120) arranged to output said first item to a user. The apparatus comprises selection means (130) for user-operably inputting a command to replace said first item at a particular moment of outputting said first item, time-estimating means (140) arranged to estimate, upon inputting said command, a period of time necessary for outputting a remaining part of said first item, and search means (150) arranged to search for at least one second media content item, wherein a duration of said at least one second item is substantially equal to said period of time. The invention also relates to a method of outputting the media content item.

Claims

1. An apparatus for outputting a media content item, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver (110) arranged to receive a first media content item, and

output means (120) arranged to output said first item to a user, and

selection means (130) for user-operably inputting a command to replace said first item at a particular moment of outputting said first item, and

time-estimating means (140) arranged to estimate, upon inputting said command, a period of time necessary for outputting a remaining part of said first item, and

search means (150) arranged to search for at least one second media content item, wherein a duration of said at least one second item is substantially equal to said period of time.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said time-estimating means are arranged to estimate a time of searching said at least one second media item, and to decrease said period of time for said estimated time of searching.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said output means are arranged to adjust the output of said second item to said period of time.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said output means are arranged to fade out the output of said second item upon expiration of said period of time.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said time estimating means are arranged to determine a duration of said first item by identifying said first item in a database (160) storing data pertaining to a duration of a plurality of media content items.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said receiver is arranged to receive broadcast media content items, and further comprising:

monitoring means (170) arranged to identify a particular broadcast media content item and to store in said database a duration of said particular item upon completion of receiving said particular item.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said search means are arranged to search for said at least one second media content item in a database (180) storing a plurality of media content items.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said search means are arranged to establish for the first item being outputted a substitution list having at least one element indicating a particular second media content item to be used for replacing said first item at a particular moment of outputting said first item.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said search means are further arranged to select one of the second media items having the duration which is substantially equal to said period of time, based on user preferences (190).

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said search means are arranged to indicate a user'"'"'s dislike of said first item in user'"'"'s preferences (190).

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first and second items are audio content items.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said first and second items are radiobroadcast programs.

13. A consumer electronics device selected from a group of a television set, personal computer, audio player, portable equipment, wherein the device incorporates the apparatus as claimed in claim 1.

15. A computer program product enabling a programmable device, when executing said computer program product, to function as the apparatus as defined in claim 1.

14. A method of outputting a media content item, the method comprising:

a step of receiving a first media content item,

a step of outputting said first item to a user,

a step of user-operably inputting a command to replace said first item at a particular moment of outputting said first item,

a step of estimating, upon inputting said command, a period of time necessary for outputting a remaining part of said first item, and

a step of searching for at least one second media content item, wherein a duration of said at least one second item is substantially equal to said period of time.