System and method for creating and utilizing metadata regarding the structure of program content stored on a DVR

• US 20070156739A1
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Black, Jeremy, Hayes, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 8,321,466 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• 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 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440281 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. by frame skipping television signal recording using magnetic recording on tape for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

Metadata regarding program content is created by monitoring a manner in which a first rendering of the program content is affected by a user whereupon the metadata will include data which defines one or more segments within the program content. The data within the metadata is then usable during a second rendering of the program content to inhibit, e.g., advance over during playing or omit during copying, the rendering of the one or more segments within the program content defined by the data within the metadata.

Claims

1. A method for creating metadata regarding program content, comprising:

defining a reference point within the program content;

determining a time relative to the reference point at which a rendering of the program content is affected by a user; and

storing within the metadata data indicative of the time.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising determining a duration during which the rendering of the program content is affected by the user and storing within the metadata data indicative of the duration.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising storing within the metadata data which allows the program content to be uniquely identified.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of determining the time comprises monitoring transmissions from a remote control to determine if a command has been issued from the remote control for affecting the rendering of the program content.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of determining the time comprises monitoring input provided to a remote control to determine if the remote control is being used to affect the rendering of the program content.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising determining a second time relative to the reference start point at which the rendering of the program content stops being affected by the user and storing within the metadata data indicative of the second time.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, comprising adjusting the second time prior to storing the data indicative of the second time within the metadata to compensate for error when the rendering of the program content stops being affected by the user.

8. The method as recited in claim 2, comprising adjusting the duration prior to storing the data indicative of the duration within the metadata to compensate for error when the rendering of the program content stops being affected by the user.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising storing the metadata on a device used to render the program content.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising storing the metadata on a device used to remotely affect the rendering of the program content

11. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising uploading the metadata for storage on a central server.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, comprising receiving plural versions of the metadata at the central server and using the plural versions of the metadata and one or more analytical methods to create an adjusted version of the metadata.

13. The method as recited in claim 6, comprising using a speed at which a device affects rendering of the content in response to the user input when determining the second time.

14. The method as recited in claim 2, comprising using a speed at which a device affects rendering of the content in response to the user input when determining the duration.

55. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of defining a reference point within the program content comprises using a start of the program content as the reference point.

56. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of defining a reference point within the program content comprises using a start of a predetermined segment within the program content as the reference point.

57. The method as recited in claim 56, comprising using the start of a first advertisement as the predetermined segment.

58. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of defining a reference point within the program content comprises using a user demarked point within the program content as the reference point.

15. A readable media having stored thereon a metadata structure, the metadata structure comprising:

a first data field having data which uniquely identifies program content;

at least one second data field having data which identifies a starting point of a segment within the program content; and

at least one third data field having data which identifies an ending point of the segment within the program content.

16. The readable media as recited in claim 15, wherein the data within the second data field comprises data indicative of a point within the program content at which the segment within the program content starts relative to a reference point within the program content.

17. The readable media as recited in claim 16, wherein the reference point comprises a point within the program content demarked by a user.

18. The readable media as recited in claim 15, wherein the data within the third data field comprises data indicative of a duration of the segment within the program content.

19. A readable media having instructions for use in creating metadata regarding program content, the instructions performing steps comprising:

defining a reference point for the program content;

determining a time relative to the reference point at which a rendering of the program content is affected by a user; and

storing within the metadata data indicative of the time.

20. The readable media as recited in claim 19, wherein the instructions determine a duration during which the rendering of the program content is affected by the user and the instructions store within the metadata data indicative of the duration.

21. The readable media as recited in claim 19, wherein the instructions store within the metadata data which allows the program content to be uniquely identified.

22. The readable media as recited in claim 19, wherein the step of determining comprises monitoring transmissions from a remote control to determine if a command has been issued from the remote control for affecting the rendering of the program content.

23. The readable media as recited in claim 19, wherein the step of determining comprises monitoring input provided to a remote control to determine if the remote control is being used for affecting the rendering of the program content.

24. The readable media as recited in claim 19, wherein the instructions determine a second time relative to the reference point at which the rendering of the program content stops being affected by the user and stores within the metadata data indicative of the second time.

25. The readable media as recited in claim 24, wherein the instructions adjust the second time prior to storing the data indicative of the second time within the metadata to compensate for error when the rendering of the program content stops being affected by the user.

26. The readable media as recited in claim 20, wherein the instructions adjust the duration prior to storing the data indicative of the duration within the metadata to compensate for error when the rendering of the program content stops being affected by the user.

27. The readable media as recited in claim 19, wherein the instructions store the metadata on a device used to render the program content.

28. The readable media as recited in claim 19, wherein the instructions store the metadata on a device used to remotely affect the rendering of the program content

29. The readable media as recited in claim 19, wherein the instructions upload the metadata for storage on a central server.

30. The readable media as recited in claim 25, wherein the instructions use a speed at which a device affects rendering of the content in response to the user input when determining the second time.

31. The readable media as recited in claim 20, wherein the instructions use a speed at which a device affects rendering of the content in response to the user input when determining the duration.

32. A method for using metadata when rendering program content, comprising:

retrieving from memory the metadata for the program content, the metadata comprising data defining one or more segments of the program content;

commencing the rendering of the program content; and

using the data within the metadata to inhibit the rendering of the one or more segments within the program content defined by the data within the metadata.

33. The method as recited in claim 32, wherein the step of rendering the program content comprises playing the program content on a playback device and wherein the step of using the data within the metadata comprises using the data within the metadata to advance over the one or more segments within the program content during the playing of the program content on the playback device.

34. The method as recited in claim 32, wherein the step of rendering the program content comprises creating a copy of the program content and wherein the step of using the data within the metadata comprises omitting the copying of the one or more segments within the program content when creating the copy of the program content.

35. The method as recited in claim 32, wherein the step of retrieving from memory the metadata for the program content comprises attempting to retrieve the metadata from a memory associated with a device capable of playing the program content.

36. The method as recited in claim 32, wherein the step of retrieving from memory the metadata for the program content comprises attempting to retrieve the metadata from a network server.

37. The method as recited in claim 32, wherein the step of commencing the rendering of the program content comprises using a reference stored within the metadata to thereby synchronize the rendering of the program content with the metadata.

38. The method as recited in claim 32, wherein the step of using the data within the metadata to inhibit the rendering of the one or more segments of the program content comprises using the data within the metadata to cause a remote control to transmit commands to affect a playing of the program content on a playback device.

39. A method for using metadata related to program content, comprising:

monitoring a manner in which a first rendering of program content is affected by a user to create the metadata whereby the metadata comprises data which defines one or more segments within the program content;

causing the metadata to be stored in a memory;

retrieving from the memory the metadata;

commencing a second rendering of the program content; and

using the data within the metadata during the second rendering of the program content to inhibit the rendering of the one or more segments within the program content defined by the data within the metadata.

40. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein the second rendering of the program content comprising playing the program content on a playback device and wherein the step of using the data within the metadata during the second rendering comprises using the data within the metadata to advance over the one or more segments within the program content during the playing of the program content on the playback device.

41. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein the second rendering of the program content comprises creating a copy of the program content and wherein the step of using the data within the metadata during the second rendering comprises omitting the copying of the one or more segments within the program content when creating the copy of the program content.

42. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein the step of retrieving from memory the metadata for the program content comprises attempting to retrieve the metadata from a memory associated with a device capable of playing the program content.

43. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein the step of retrieving from memory the metadata for the program content comprises attempting to retrieve the metadata from a network server.

44. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein the step of commencing the second rendering of the program content comprises using a reference stored within the metadata to thereby synchronize the second rendering of the program content with the metadata.

45. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein the step of using the data within the metadata during the second rendering of the program content comprises using the data within the metadata to cause a remote control to transmit commands to affect a playing of the program content on a playback device.

46. The method as recited in claim 39, comprising determining a time relative to a reference point at which the first rendering of the program content is affected by a user and storing within the metadata data indicative of the time.

47. The method as recited in claim 46, comprising determining a duration during which the first rendering of the program content is affected by the user and storing within the metadata data indicative of the duration.

48. The method as recited in claim 39, comprising storing within the metadata data which allows the program content to be uniquely identified.

49. The method as recited in claim 39, comprising monitoring transmissions from a remote control to determine if a command has been issued from the remote control for affecting the first rendering of the program content.

50. The method as recited in claim 39, comprising monitoring input provided to a remote control to determine if the remote control is being used for affecting the first rendering of the program content.

51. The method as recited in claim 39, comprising storing the metadata in the memory of a device used to render the program content.

52. The method as recited in claim 39, comprising storing the metadata in the memory of a device used to remotely affect the rendering of the program content

53. The method as recited in claim 39, comprising storing the metadata in the memory associated with a central server.

54. The method as recited in claim 53, comprising receiving plural versions of the metadata at the central server and using the plural versions of the metadata and one or more analytical methods to create an adjusted version of the metadata wherein the adjusted version of the metadata is the metadata used in connection with the second rendering of the program content.