Method and System for Correlating Content with Linear Media

• US 20070273754A1
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Systems New Zealand Ltd. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ectus Ltd (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cockerton, Craig, Kunz, Patrick, Moodie, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,363,084 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.80
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23412 for generating or manipulating the scene composition of objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot

Abstract

A method and system for correlating content with linear media. More particularly, but not exclusively, the method and system correlate synchronous content with linear media by linking the content to a portion of the linear media, and including creating content related to the linear media; identifying a portion of the linear media corrected to the content; and linking the content to the portion; wherein the content is not synchronized with the linear media and the content is created non-contemporaneously with creation of the linear media.

Claims

1-41. -41. (canceled)

42. A method of correlating content to linear media, comprising:

i) creating content related to the linear media;

ii) identifying a portion of the linear media correlated to the content; and

iii) linking the content to the portion;

wherein the content is not synchronized with the linear media, the content is created non-contemporaneously with creation of the linear media, and the link between the content and the portion is a two-way link.

47. A method as claimed in claim 42, wherein the linear media is one or more selected from the set of streaming video, streaming audio, streaming presentation, Flash presentations, Director/Authorware presentations, HTTP pseudo-streaming video, HTTP pseudo-streaming audio, CD/DVD based video, CD/DVD based audio, CD/DVD based synchronized media presentations, hard disk based video, hard disk based audio, hard disk based synchronized media presentations, image sequences, IPTV, digital television, 3G video, and audio CD.

48. A method as claimed in claim 42, wherein the content is one or more selected from the set of textual, chat transcript, speech to text transcript of audio content of linear media, streaming audio/streaming video response, downloaded audio/video, still image, link to another instance of the invention, link to a web site or content on a web site, streaming video, streaming audio, streaming presentation, Flash presentations, Director/Authorware presentations, HTTP pseudo-streaming video, HTTP pseudo-streaming audio, CD/DVD based video, CD/DVD based audio, CD/DVD based synchronized media presentations, hard disk based video, hard disk based audio, hard disk based synchronized media presentations, image sequences, IPTV, digital television, 3G video, and audio CD.

49. A method as claimed in claim 42, wherein a user identifies the portion within the linear media and creates the content.

50. A method as claimed in claim 42, wherein a user identifies the portion within the linear media but does not create the content.

51. A method as claimed in claim 42, wherein the portion is a specific point in time.

52. A method as claimed in claim 42, wherein the portion is a range in time.

53. A method as claimed in claim 42, wherein the portion is identified with assistance of a user.

54. A method as claimed in claim 42, wherein the portion is identified with assistance of a computer based on rules put in place by a user at an earlier time.

55. A method as claimed in claim 42, wherein the portion is identified in the identifying (ii) by one or more of:

a) a user selecting a specific point in time for the portion based on viewing/listening to the linear media;

b) a user selecting a range in time for the portion based on viewing/listening to the linear media;

c) identifying the portion based on the range in time of linear media viewed by a user;

d) identifying the portion based on a random selection;

e) identifying the portion based on a specific event within the linear media;

f) identifying the portion based on the location of a word or phrase within the linear media;

g) identifying the portion based on analysis of video content of linear media;

h) identifying the portion by reference through a link to content already identifying a portion;

i) identifying the portion based on a predefined set of rules; and

j) identifying the portion based on a set of content wherein each content within the set is linked to a portion of the linear media, the identified portion being the range of time within the linear media from the earliest link in the set of content to the latest link in the set of content.

56. A method as claimed in claim 55, wherein the portion is identified based on a specific event within the linear media, wherein the H.323, SIP, H.234, or H.234/M protocol, or protocols covered under the H.323 umbrella, is used to identify the specific event.

57. A method as claimed in claim 42, wherein the portion is identified based on user selection with a margin of error.

58. A method as claimed in claim 42, further comprising at least one of streaming to a user computer, downloading to a user computer, and storing on recordable media for use by a user computer, before the creating i).

59. A method as claimed in claim 42, wherein the linear media is video and the content is text.

60. A method as claimed in claim 42, further comprising a user replying to the content with a second content.

61. A method as claimed in claim 60, wherein the second content is linked to the portion linked to by the content.

62. A method as claimed in claim 60, wherein the second content is not linked to the portion linked to by the content.

63. A method as claimed in claim 42, further comprising time-stamping the creation of the content.

64. A method as claimed in claim 42, wherein information identifying the portion is stored with the content.

81. Collaborative media resulting from any one of methods, system, apparatus or software as claimed in claim 42.

43. A method as claimed in claim 43 further comprising recording the linear media before the creating (i).

46. A method as claimed in claim 43, wherein the user provides the content after the user elects to link the content and wherein the playing of the linear media is paused when the user provides the content.

44. A method as claimed 42, wherein the portion is identified in the identifying (ii) by:

playing the linear media; and

a user electing to link the content;

wherein the portion identified is the position within the linear media when the user elects to link content.

45. A method as claimed in claim 44, wherein the user provides the content after the user elects to link the content and wherein the linear media continues playing when the user provides the content.

65. A method of correlating content with linear media, comprising:

i) a plurality of users each identifying a portion within the linear media;

ii) each user creating content relating to the corresponding portion; and

iii) linking each content to its corresponding portion;

wherein the content is not synchronized with the linear media, the content is created non-contemporaneously with creation of the linear media, and the link between each content and its corresponding portion is a two-way link.

66. A method as claimed in claim 65, further comprising time-stamping the creation of each content.

67. A method of providing a collaborative media, comprising:

i) recording a linear media;

ii) a plurality of users identifying a portion within the linear media;

iii) each user creating content related to the corresponding portion;

iv) linking each content to its corresponding portion;

v) displaying an interface containing the plurality of content to a user;

vi) the user selecting one content; and

vii) the interface displaying the portion of the linear media corresponding to the selected content;

wherein at least one content is not synchronized with the linear media, at least one content is created non-contemporaneously with the creation of the linear media, and each link between each content and its corresponding portion is a two-way link.

68. A method as claimed in claim 67, further comprising time-stamping the creation of each content.

69. A method as claimed in claim 67, wherein none of the content is synchronized with the linear media.

70. A method as claimed in claim 67, wherein all of the content is created non-contemporaneously with the creation of the linear media.

71. A system for correlating content with linear media, comprising:

a server configured to stream linear media to a client device; and

a client device configured to receive the linear media, to accept user input to identify a portion of the linear media, to create content, and to link the content with the portion, and wherein the link is a two-way link.

72. A system as claimed in claim 71, wherein the server communicates with the client device over a digital network.

73. A system as claimed in claim 71, including a plurality of the client devices.

80. Electronic signals transmitted between the server and the client in a system as claimed in claim 71.

74. A system for providing collaborative media, comprising:

a first device configured to display linear media, to accept user input to identify a portion of the linear media, to create content, and to link the content with the portion by a two-way link; and

a second device configured to display the content, to receive user input to select the content, and to display the portion of the linear media linked to the content.

75. An apparatus for correlating asynchronous content with linear media, comprising:

a memory configured to store the linear media and for storing the content;

an output device configured to output the linear media to a user;

an input device configured to receive user input to assist identification of a portion of the linear media; and

a processor configured to link a portion of the linear media to the content with a two-way link.

76. An apparatus as claimed in claim 75, wherein the input device is further configured to receive user input to create the content.

77. A server for correlating asynchronous content with linear media configured to receive content, receive identification of a portion of the linear media, and link the content to the linear media with a two-way link, wherein the content is created non-contemporaneously with the creation of the linear media.

78. A client for correlating asynchronous content with linear media configured to create the content, receive user input to assist identification of a portion of the linear media, send the content and the identification to a server, wherein the content is created non-contemporaneously with the creation of the linear media, and to link the content to the linear media with a two-way link.

79. Software for correlating asynchronous content with linear media, comprising:

a user interface configured to display the linear media, to receive user input to identify a portion of the linear media, and to receive user input to assist the creation of content; and

a collaboration module configured to link the content to the portion of the linear media with a two-way link, wherein the content is created non-contemporaneously with the linear media.

82. Collaborative media, comprising:

linear media;

content; and

timing information providing a two-way link between the content and a portion of the linear media.