Methods and apparatus for providing virtual media channels based on media search

• US 20070106693A1
• Filed: 06/02/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cxense ASA
• Original Assignee: BBNT Solutions LLC (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Houh, Henry, Meteer, Marie, Stern, Jeffrey, Spina, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,697,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

A computerized method and apparatus for providing a virtual media channel based on media search is featured. The method and apparatus features the steps of, or structure for, obtaining a set of rules that define instructions for obtaining media content that comprise the content for a media channel, the set including at least one rule with instructions to include media content resulting from a search; searching for candidate media content according to a search query defined by the at least one rule; and merging one or more of the candidate media content resulting from the search into the content for the media channel. The candidate media content can include segments of the media content resulting from the search. The set of rules can additionally include a rule with instructions to add media content from a predetermined location.

Claims

1. A computerized method of providing content for a media channel, comprising:

obtaining a set of rules that define instructions for obtaining media content that comprise the content for a media channel, the set including at least one rule with instructions to include media content resulting from a search;

searching for candidate media content according to a search query defined by the at least one rule; and

merging one or more of the candidate media content resulting from the search into the content for the media channel.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the candidate media content includes segments of the media content resulting from the search.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of rules includes at least one rule with instructions to include media content resulting from a search and at least one rule with instructions to add media content from a predetermined location.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the media content from the predetermined location includes factual, informational or advertising content.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the candidate media content are associated with a story, topic, scene or channel.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the search query of the at least one rule is predetermined by a content provider of the media channel.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the search query of the at least one rule is configurable by a content provider of the media channel or an end user requesting access to the media channel.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing a database for a plurality of metadata documents descriptive of media files or streams, each of the plurality of metadata documents including searchable text of an audio portion of a corresponding media file or stream; and

searching for the candidate media content that satisfy the search query defined by the at least one rule within the database.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein each of the plurality of metadata documents includes an index of content segments available for playback within a corresponding media file or stream, including timing information defining boundaries of each of the content segments, and the method further comprising:

merging one or more of the content segments of the candidate media content from a set of media files or streams using the timing information from metadata documents corresponding to the set of media files or streams.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein at least one of the plurality of metadata documents includes an index of content segments derived using one or more media processing techniques.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the one or more media processing techniques include at least one automated media processing technique.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the one or more media processing techniques include at least one manual media processing technique.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

merging one or more of the candidate media content resulting from the search according to a specific or relative number allocated by the at least one rule.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

merging one or more of the candidate media content resulting from the search according to a maximum duration of content for the media channel.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

merging the content for the media channel into one or more media files or stream for delivery.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

merging the content for the media channel into a playlist for delivery.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an indication of a selected media channel from among a plurality of available media channels; and

obtaining the set of rules that define instructions for obtaining media content that comprise the selected media channel, the set of rules for the selected media channel being different from the set of rules for other available media channels.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

filtering and sorting the order of candidate media content for inclusion into the content for the media channel.

19. An apparatus for providing content for a media channel, comprising:

a channel selector that obtains a set of rules that define instructions for obtaining media content that comprise the content for a media channel, the set including at least one rule with instructions to include media content resulting from a search;

a search engine capable of searching for candidate media content according to a search query defined by the at least one rule; and

a media merge module that merges one or more of the candidate media content resulting from the search into the content for the media channel.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the candidate media content include segments of the media content resulting from the search.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising:

a segment cropper capable of identifying timing boundaries of the segments of media content resulting from the search.

22. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the candidate segments are associated with a story, topic, scene, or channel.

23. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the search query of the at least one rule is predetermined by a content provider of the media channel.

24. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the channel selector enables a content provider of the media channel or an end user requesting access to the media channel to configure the search query of the at least one rule.

25. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising:

a database storing a plurality of metadata documents descriptive of media files or streams, each of the plurality of metadata documents including searchable text of an audio portion of a corresponding media file or stream; and

the search engine searching for the candidate media content that satisfy the search query defined by the at least one rule within the database.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein each of the plurality of metadata documents includes an index of content segments available for playback within a corresponding media file or stream, including timing information defining boundaries of each of the content segments, and the media merge module being capable of merging one or more of the content segments of the candidate media content from a set of media files or streams using the timing information from metadata documents corresponding to the set of media files or streams.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein at least one of the plurality of metadata documents includes an index of content segments derived using one or more media processing techniques.

28. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising:

an engine capable of filtering and sorting the order of candidate inclusion into the content for the media channel.