Playlist menu navigation

• US 20050278761A1
• Filed: 05/27/2004
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gonder, Thomas L., Carlucci, John B., Patel, Vipul B., Riedl, Steven E., Stebbins, John A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,434,118 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23617 by inserting additional data into a data carousel, e.g. inserting software modules into a DVB carousel arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• 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 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method of operating a communications system is disclosed comprising receiving a request for establishment of a session from a terminal, establishing the session with the terminal, and providing at least one navigation video segment to the terminal, via the session. The communications system may be a source of programming, such as a cable system, and the terminal may be a set-top terminal coupled to a display device. The navigation video segment may be used by the terminal to create selection menus to be displayed for user navigation. The video segments may be rich media video segments. A playlist may be generated comprising an indexed listing of a plurality of available video segments. The playlist may facilitate retrieval of video segments requested by a terminal. Communications systems, terminals and methods of operating a terminal are disclosed, as well.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communications system, the method comprising:

receiving a request for establishment of a session from a terminal;

establishing the session with the terminal; and

providing at least one navigation video segment to the terminal via the session, for display with at least one selection menu.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising establishing a session, at least in part, by:

allocating bandwidth for communication with the terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of navigation video segments are available, the method further comprising:

generating a playlist comprising an indexed listing of the plurality of navigation video segments.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising:

generating the playlist comprising pointers to storage locations of the video segments.

5. The method of claim 3, comprising:

generating the playlist indexed by normal play time (NPT).

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

providing a descriptor for each available navigation video segment to the terminal, wherein each descriptor comprises an identification of an index value of a respective navigation video segment.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing at least one navigation catalog to the terminal, the at least one navigation catalog comprising at least one selection link for at least one respective selection menu.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising:

providing the at least one navigation catalog with descriptive information related to at least one selection link.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising:

providing the descriptor for each available video segment, the descriptor further comprising an identification of a navigation catalog containing selection links to be used with a respective navigation video segment.

10. The method of claim 7, comprising:

providing the at least one navigation catalog via a carousel.

11. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a request for a navigation video segment from the terminal, the request comprising the indexed value of the segment; and

providing the requested video segment to the terminal.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving at least one additional request for a respective navigation video segment from the terminal, each request comprising a respective indexed value of the respective segment; and

providing the respective navigation video segment to the terminal.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to set up a session from the terminal.

14. The method of claim 1, comprising:

providing at least one navigation video segment comprising media rich graphics to the terminal.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a descriptor for each available navigation video segment to the terminal.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing navigation catalogs to the terminal, the navigation catalogs comprising selection links for respective selection menus.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for the at least one navigation video segment from the terminal; and

providing the requested video segment to the terminal.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications system provides at least one on demand service to the terminal.

19. A communications system comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing at least one navigation video segment for display with at least one selection menu;

the processor being programmed to;

establish a session with a terminal, upon request by the terminal; and

provide the at least one navigation video segment to the terminal via the session.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is programmed to:

establish the session by, at least in part, allocating bandwidth for communication with the terminal.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein a plurality of navigation video segments are available, the processor being further programmed to:

generate a playlist comprising an indexed listing of the plurality of navigation video segments.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

generate the playlist comprising pointers to storage locations of the video segments.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

generate the playlist indexed by normal play time (NPT).

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

provide a descriptor for each available navigation video segment to the terminal, wherein each descriptor comprises an identification of an index value of a respective navigation video segment.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

provide at least one navigation catalog to the terminal, the at least one navigation catalog comprising selection links for at least one respective selection menu.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

provide the at least one navigation catalog to the terminal, the at least one navigation catalog further comprising descriptive information related to at least one selection link.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

provide the descriptor for each available video segment, the descriptor further comprising an identification of a navigation catalog containing selection links to be used with a respective navigation video segment.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

provide the at least one navigation catalog via a carousel.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor receives a request for a video segment comprising an indexed value of the segment from the terminal, the processor being further programmed to:

provide the requested video segment to the terminal.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the processor receives at least one additional request for a respective navigation video segment, each request comprising an indexed value of the respective segment, the processor being further programmed to:

provide each requested video segment to the terminal.

31. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor comprises:

a first server; and

a second server in communication with the first server, wherein the navigation video segments are stored by the second server;

wherein;

the first server is programmed to generate the playlist and provide the playlist to the second server; and

the second server is programmed to;

identify a requested navigation video segment from the playlist;

retrieve the requested navigation video segment; and

provide the requested navigation video segment to the terminal via the session.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising:

a third server programmed to provide navigation catalogs to the terminal via a carousel.

33. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor receives a request to set up a session from the terminal.

34. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

provide a navigation video segment comprising media rich graphics to the terminal.

35. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

provide a descriptor for each available navigation video segment to the terminal.

36. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

provide navigation catalogs to the terminal, the navigation catalogs comprising selection links for respective selection menus.

37. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

receive a request for the at least one navigation video segment; and

provide the requested video segment.

38. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor is programmed to provide at least one on demand service to the terminal.

39. A terminal to receive programming from a source and to display the programming on a display, the terminal comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is programmed to;

request establishment of a session between a program source and the terminal;

store in memory at least one navigation video segment received via the session, for display with at least one selection menu to be displayed on the display device.

40. The terminal of claim 39, wherein the processor is programmed to:

tune to a bandwidth allocated during establishment of the session, to receive the at least one navigation video segment.

41. The terminal of claim 39, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

generate a selection menu comprising the navigation video segment.

42. The terminal of claim 41, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

generate the selection menu by superimposing at least one selection link over the navigation video segment during generation of the selection menu.

43. The terminal of claim 42, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

receive at least one navigation catalog comprising at least one selection link for the respective selection menu.

44. The terminal of claim 43, wherein at least one descriptor is received to identify at least one respective navigation video segment, the processor being programmed to:

request the at least one respective navigation video segment based on the descriptor.

45. The terminal of claim 44, wherein the terminal receives a plurality of descriptors from the source for a respective plurality of navigation video segments, the processor being further programmed to:

identify one of the plurality of descriptors;

request a navigation video segment identified by the one of the plurality of descriptors;

retrieve at least one selection link to be superimposed over the navigation video segment;

superimpose the at least one selection link over the received navigation video segment, to generate a selection menu; and

display the generated selection menu.

46. The terminal of claim 45, wherein the processor is programmed to:

identify the descriptor based on a user'"'"'s selection of a selection link on a displayed selection menu.

47. The terminal of claim 46, wherein the at least one selection link is retrieved from one of a plurality of navigation catalogs stored by the terminal and each of the plurality of navigation catalogs are associated with a respective descriptor, the processor being programmed to:

identify the navigation catalog containing the at least one selection link based on the descriptor.

48. The terminal of claim 44, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

receive an initial navigation video segment;

retrieve initial selection links from a navigation catalog;

superimpose the initial selection links over the initial navigation video segment; and

display an initial selection menu.

49. The terminal of claim 48, wherein the processor is programmed to:

receive a selection of an initial selection link, on the initial selection menu;

retrieve at least one second selection link associated with the selected initial selection link;

identify a descriptor corresponding to the selected initial selection link; and

if the corresponding descriptor is identified among the received descriptors;

request a navigation video segment identified by the descriptor;

superimpose the at least one second selection link over the requested navigation video segment to generate a second selection menu; and

display the generated second selection menu.

50. The terminal of claim 49, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

request a default navigation video segment;

if the corresponding descriptor is not identified among the received descriptors;

receive the default navigation video segment; and

superimpose the at least one second selection link over the default navigation video segment to generate the second selection menu.

51. A method of operating a terminal coupled to a communications system and a display device, the method comprising:

requesting establishment of a session with the communications system;

receiving at least one navigation video segment via the session; and

causing display of the at least one navigation video segment with at least one selection menu, on the display device.

52. The method of claim 51, further comprising:

generating the at least one selection menu by superimposing at least one selection link over at least one respective navigation video segment; and

displaying the at least one selection menu.