In-program content telescoping

• US 20070094692A1
• Filed: 10/21/2005
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: de Heer, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,716,707 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/87
• 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 21/4312 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 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4385 Multiplex stream processing, e.g. multiplex stream decrypting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

In-program content telescoping can enable a subscriber to telescope into content that is specially associated with a broadcast program. The selectable content is stored as video-on-demand (VOD) assets that are related to particular portions of broadcast programs. In a described implementation, content providers created association linkages between broadcast programs and the VOD assets. Each association links a VOC asset to a broadcast program and a specific trigger location within the associated broadcast program. The association linkage may be include in VOD asset metadata and in trigger information. In a described operation, a client device detects trigger information in a media transport stream. In response to a request, the client receives asset representation indicators for the VOD assets that are associated with the upcoming trigger location. Upon arrival of the trigger location in the media transport stream, the client displays the asset representation indicators for consideration by the subscriber.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a content telescoping trigger in a media transport stream of a broadcast program; and

displaying at least one video-on-demand (VOD) asset representation indicator that is associated with the broadcast program and that corresponds to the content telescoping trigger.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the content telescoping trigger includes information that describes an association between at least one VOD asset and the broadcast program;

and

wherein the method further comprises;

sending to a network operator, responsive to detection of the content telescoping trigger, the information that describes the association between the at least one VOD asset and the broadcast program.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

receiving VOD asset metadata from the network operator in response to the sending, the VOD asset metadata including the at least one VOD asset representation indicator.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the VOD asset metadata further includes an identifier of the at least one VOD asset, an identification of the associated broadcast program, and location data for a trigger location within the media transport stream of the associated broadcast program.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the content telescoping trigger indicates a trigger location along the media transport stream;

and

wherein the at least one VOD asset representation indicator is displayed upon arrival of the trigger location along the media transport stream.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the displaying comprises at least one of:

displaying at least one prompt that indicates the existence of telescoped content;

or

displaying at least one image that indicates the existence of telescoped content.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

detecting user selection of the VOD asset representation indicator; and

playing a selected VOD asset corresponding to the selected VOD asset representation indicator.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

pausing a playing of the broadcast program;

establishing a VOD session for the selected VOD asset; and

upon completion or termination of the playing of the selected VOD asset, continuing the playing of the broadcast program.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

sending a VOD asset playing report to a network operator, the VOD asset playing report indicating how long the selected VOD asset corresponding to the selected VOD asset representation indicator was played by a subscriber.

10. One or more processor-accessible media comprising processor-executable instructions that include a media transport stream, the media transport stream comprising:

broadcast program media data, the broadcast program media data capable of being decoded by one or more processors into video frames of a broadcast program;

trigger information, the trigger information including;

a trigger type indicator that indicates the trigger information is related to a content telescoping event; and

an association description that describes an association between the broadcast program and at least one video-on-demand (VOD) asset.

11. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 10, wherein the association description comprises:

identification of the associated broadcast program; and

location data that references a trigger location within the media transport stream of the broadcast program.

12. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 10, wherein the processor-executable instructions further include VOD asset metadata, the VOD asset metadata comprising:

an identifier of a VOD asset that corresponds to the VOD asset metadata;

at least one asset representation indicator that comprises a prompt or image that can represent the VOD asset to a subscriber.

13. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 12, wherein the VOD asset metadata further comprises:

identification of the associated broadcast program; and

location data that references a trigger location within the media transport stream of the broadcast program.

14. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 13, wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed by at least one processor, direct a device to perform actions comprising:

receiving the association description from a client device;

determining that the association description matches the identification of the associated broadcast program and the location data; and

sending the at least one asset representation indicator to the client device responsive to the determining.

15. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 14, wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, direct the device to perform further actions comprising:

receiving a VOD session request from the client device that includes the identifier of the VOD asset that corresponds to the VOD asset metadata;

activating a VOD session; and

transmitting the VOD asset to the client device in the activated VOD session.

16. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 10, wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, direct a client device to perform actions comprising:

detecting the trigger information in the media transport stream;

sending the association description to a network operator; and

receiving VOD asset metadata from the network operator, the VOD asset metadata matching the association description and including at least one asset representation indicator corresponding to the at least one VOD asset.

17. A method comprising:

receiving an asset presentation information request from a client, the asset presentation information request including an association description that describes an association between a broadcast program and at least one video-on-demand (VOD) asset;

retrieving relevant VOD asset data responsive to the association description, the relevant VOD asset data including one or more VOD asset representation indicators corresponding to the at least one VOD asset; and

sending the relevant VOD asset data to the client.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a VOD session request for the at least one VOD asset from the client;

activating a VOD session to send the at least one VOD asset to the client; and

transmitting the at least one VOD asset to the client in real-time.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the relevant VOD asset data further includes an identifier of the corresponding at least one VOD asset, an identification of the associated broadcast program, and location data within a media transport stream of the associated broadcast program.

20. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

receiving multiple VOD asset playing reports from multiple clients, each VOD asset playing report including information regarding a playing of at least one VOD asset;

organizing the information from the multiple VOD asset playing reports; and

providing to one or more content providers specialized VOD asset playing reports based on the organized information.