System for holding a current track during playback of a multi-track media production

• US 20060150100A1
• Filed: 01/03/2005
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: MX Entertainment, Inc.
• Inventors: Rice, Joe, Braun, Jeffrey, Lutjens, Ole, Vella, Zane
• Granted Patent: US 8,045,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• 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

Abstract

A “hold” feature on a user operated remote control allows a currently displayed track or view to be maintained while a video presentation is being played. As a user is watching a presentation that uses multiple camera views shown one-at-a-time as in a standard edited cut (i.e., “director'"'"'s cut”) of a movie, the user can press a button when the user sees a camera view or scene of particular interest. Thereafter, the track associated with the camera view or scene that was showing when the hold button was pressed will continue to be played in place of the presentation. To return to the edited cut the user depresses the hold button again. The held track will continue to play until the user decides to resume presentation of the edited program or until the held track ends. Upon ending, the program track is resumed. While holding a track the user is free to select other available tracks in addition to jumping back to the program track at any time.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a video track during playback of a media presentation, wherein the media presentation includes a program track definition for displaying portions of first and second video tracks in a predetermined sequence, the method comprising:

playing back the program track;

accepting a signal from a user-input device to indicate a user selection;

determining whether a portion of the program track playing at the time of accepting the user selection is the first or the second track; and

playing back the determined track.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the program track definition includes an edited cut.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the program track definition is stored as a sequence of frames.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the program track definition includes an edit decision list.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a track is obtained from a physical medium.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a physical medium includes an optical disk.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein a physical medium includes a magnetic disk.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein a physical medium includes random access memory.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a track is obtained from a broadcast signal.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a track is obtained from a digital network.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accepting a subsequent signal from the user input device; and

in response to the subsequent signal playing back the program track at a point in the program track as if the program track had continued playing instead of the determined track.

12. An apparatus for selecting a video track during playback of a media presentation, wherein the media presentation includes a program track definition for displaying portions of first and second video tracks in a predetermined sequence, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a machine-readable medium including instructions executable by the processor including;

one or more instructions for playing back the program track;

one or more instructions for accepting a signal from a user-input device to indicate a user selection;

one or more instructions for determining whether a portion of the program track playing at the time of accepting the user selection is the first or the second track; and

one or more instructions for playing back the determined track.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the program track definition includes an edit decision list.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the machine-readable medium further includes:

one or more instructions for accepting a subsequent signal from the user input device; and

one or more instructions for, in response to the subsequent signal, playing back the program track at a point in the program track as if the program track had continued playing instead of the determined track.

15. A machine-readable medium including instructions for selecting a video track during playback of a media presentation, wherein the media presentation includes a program track definition for displaying portions of first and second video tracks in a predetermined sequence, the machine-readable medium comprising:

one or more instructions for playing back the program track;

one or more instructions for accepting a signal from a user-input device to indicate a user selection;

one or more instructions for determining whether a portion of the program track playing at the time of accepting the user selection is the first or the second track; and

one or more instructions for playing back the determined track.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the program track definition includes an edit decision list.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the machine-readable medium further includes:

one or more instructions for accepting a subsequent signal from the user input device; and

one or more instructions for, in response to the subsequent signal, playing back the program track at a point in the program track as if the program track had continued playing instead of the determined track.

18. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, the computer data signal including instructions for selecting a video track during playback of a media presentation, wherein the media presentation includes a program track definition for displaying portions of first and second video tracks in a predetermined sequence, the computer data signal comprising:

one or more instructions for playing back the program track;

one or more instructions for accepting a signal from a user-input device to indicate a user selection;

one or more instructions for determining whether a portion of the program track playing at the time of accepting the user selection is the first or the second track; and

one or more instructions for playing back the determined track.

19. The computer data signal of claim 18, wherein the program track definition includes an edit decision list.

20. The computer data signal of claim 18, further including:

one or more instructions for accepting a subsequent signal from the user input device; and

one or more instructions for, in response to the subsequent signal, playing back the program track at a point in the program track as if the program track had continued playing instead of the determined track.