System to provide markers to affect rendering and navigation of content on demand

• US 20070169159A1
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadband Royalty Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aaby, Cliff, Parker, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 8,104,065 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/97
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A content on demand system includes logic to deliver at least one audio and/or video stream and to insert markers in the at least one stream, the markers indicating a position in the at least one stream, and logic to receive from a set top box a marker for an audio and/or video stream for which the set top box has paused or suspended viewing, and upon a signal from the set top box to resume streaming of the audio and/or video stream from a position proximate to the marker.

Claims

1. A content on demand system comprising:

logic to deliver at least one audio and/or video stream and to insert markers in the at least one stream, the markers indicating a position in the at least one stream; and

logic to receive from a set top box a marker for an audio and/or video stream for which the set top box has paused or suspended viewing, and upon a signal from the set top box to resume streaming of the audio and/or video stream from a position proximate to the marker.

2. A content on demand system comprising:

logic to deliver at least one audio and/or video stream and to insert markers in the at least one stream, the markers indicating a rating of content of the stream proximate to a position of the marker.

3. A content on demand system comprising:

logic to deliver at least one audio and/or video stream and to insert markers in the at least one stream, the markers indicating a proximity to advertisements in the at least one stream.

4. A set top box comprising:

logic to scan an audio and/or video stream for markers; and

when one or more markers indicate a restricting condition, inhibiting rendering and/or navigation of the audio and/or video stream according to the restricting condition.

5. The set top box of claim 4, wherein the restricting condition further comprises:

proximity of an end of the audio and/or video stream.

6. The set top box of claim 4, wherein the restricting condition further comprises:

proximity of an advertisement in the audio and/or video stream.

7. The set top box of claim 4, wherein the restricting condition further comprises:

a rating of content of the audio and/or video stream.

8. The set top box of claim 4, wherein the logic to inhibit rendering and/or navigation of the audio and/or video stream further comprises:

logic to inhibit at least one of fast forward, rewind, pausing, skipping, or playing of the audio and/or video stream.

9. The set top box of claim 4, wherein logic to inhibit rendering and/or navigation of the audio and/or video stream further comprises:

logic to inhibit at least one of viewing or listening of the audio and/or video stream when the rating is mature content.

10. The set top box of claim 4, further comprising:

logic to terminate rendering of the audio and/or video stream when an insufficient number of markers are detected within a time interval.

11. The set top box of claim 10, further comprising:

logic to enable rendering and/or navigation of the audio and/or video stream when a marker indicating an end to the restricting condition is encountered in the audio and/or video stream.

12. The set top box of claim 11, wherein the restricting condition further comprises:

proximity of an end of the audio and/or video stream.

13. The set top box of claim 11, wherein the restricting condition further comprises:

proximity of an advertisement in the audio and/or video stream.

14. The set top box of claim 11, wherein the restricting condition further comprises:

a rating of content of the audio and/or video stream.

15. The set top box of claim 11, wherein the logic to enable rendering and/or navigation of the audio and/or video stream further comprises:

the logic to enable at least one of fast forward, rewind, pausing, skipping, or playing of the audio and/or video stream.

16. The set top box of claim 11, wherein the logic to enable rendering and/or navigation of the audio and/or video stream further comprises:

the logic to enable at least one of viewing or listening of the audio and/or video stream when the rating is no longer mature content.