Methods and systems for providing media assets over a network

• US 20070300258A1
• Filed: 05/01/2007
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Connor, Daniel, Pascarella, Mark, Donovan, Patrick, McPherson, Jeremy
• Application Number:
  US11/799,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20070300258A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/44
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 2/52 Adding ingredients adding preservatives A23L2/44
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 33/105 Plant extracts, their artificial duplicates or their derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/782 Enzyme inhibitors; Enzyme antagonists
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 36/48 Fabaceae or Leguminosae (Pea or Legume family); Caesalpiniaceae; Mimosaceae; Papilionaceae
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 36/54 Lauraceae (Laurel family), e.g. cinnamon or sassafras
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 36/899 Poaceae or Gramineae (Grass family), e.g. bamboo, corn or sugar cane
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 47/24 containing atoms other than carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, halogen, nitrogen or sulfur, e.g. cyclomethicone or phospholipids
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/553 Phospholipids, e.g. lecithin
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/60 Sugars; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/68 Sphingolipids, e.g. ceramides, cerebrosides, gangliosides
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0014 Skin, i.e. galenical aspects of topical compositions non-active ingredients are additionally classified in A61K47/00; A61K9/0009, A61K9/0021, A61K9/7015, A61K9/7023 take precedence; cosmetic preparations A61K8/00, A61Q; preparations for wound dressings or bandages A61L26/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 19/00 Preparations for care of the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 5/02 Preparations for cleaning the hair
• 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: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 : using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/74 : using programme related information, e.g. title, composer or interpreter
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 : characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 : being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/426 : Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 : Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/4335 : Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 : Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 : involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• 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 21/44213 : Monitoring of end-user related data arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 : Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 : involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 : Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4661 : Deriving a combined profile for a plurality of end-users of the same client, e.g. for family members within a home user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4663 : involving probabilistic networks, e.g. Bayesian networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 : for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 : for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 : for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 : for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 : communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 : using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 : using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 : for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 : for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 : Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 : involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 : Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8405 : represented by keywords
• 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 21/8456 : by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 : involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 : by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 : the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• 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

The invention relates to methods and apparatus for providing media assets over a network. First metadata corresponding to a first video asset is generated. The first metadata includes text describing contents displayed when the first video asset is played and a pointer to a location within a video file that corresponds to the first video asset. The pointer includes at least two of a start location, an end location, and a duration. The first metadata is transmitted for receipt by a client system capable of playing the first video asset. The client system displays portions of the text of the first metadata to a user of the client system, and uses the pointer of the first metadata to facilitate requesting the first video asset from a video server for transmitting video assets over the network.

Claims

1. A method for providing video assets over a network, comprising

generating first metadata corresponding to a first video asset, the first metadata comprising

text describing contents displayed when the first video asset is played, and

a pointer to a location within a video file that corresponds to the first video asset, the pointer comprising at least two of a start location, an end location, and a duration, and

transmitting the first metadata for receipt by a client system capable of playing the first video asset, wherein

the client system displays portions of the text of the first metadata to a user of the client system, and

in response to the user indicating the first metadata, the client system uses the pointer of the first metadata to facilitate requesting the first video asset from a video server for transmitting video assets over the network.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising transmitting second metadata corresponding to a second video asset for receipt by the client system, wherein the second metadata is related to the first metadata.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the client system simultaneously displays portions of the first metadata and portions of the second metadata to the user.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising associating the first metadata with at least one contextual group of a plurality of contextual groups.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein contextual groups of the plurality of contextual groups are organized according to a tree structure.

6. The method of claim 4, comprising forming a playlist of metadata each associated with the same contextual group of the plurality of contextual groups.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein metadata associated with a contextual group are related.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of contextual groups includes at least one of music, sports, news, entertainment, most recent, most popular, top ten, a musical artist, and a musical genre.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein

the portions of the text of the first metadata displayed by the client system are related to a first contextual group of the at least one contextual group, and

the client system displays other metadata associated with the first contextual group simultaneously with the portions of the text of the first metadata.

10. The method of claim 4, comprising generating second metadata corresponding to the first video asset, wherein the first metadata is associated with a first contextual group of the plurality of contextual groups and the second metadata is associated with a second contextual group of the plurality of contextual groups.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising forming a playlist of metadata corresponding to video assets, wherein metadata of the playlist are related, and transmitting the playlist for display by the client system.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising

receiving a search request transmitted from the client system, wherein the transmitting the first metadata occurs in response to the receiving the search request, and

locating a plurality of metadata based on the search request, wherein the plurality of metadata includes the first metadata and are related to the search request.

13. The method of claim 1.2, wherein the locating the first metadata comprises

querying a metadata index according to the search request, and

receiving a storage location within a metadata store at which the first metadata is stored.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the client system displays advertisements selected based at least in part on the first metadata.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first metadata comprises advertisement instructions for facilitating transmittal of advertisements to the client system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the advertisement instructions comprise instructions to not display an advertisement in conjunction with the first video asset.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the advertisement instructions comprise a designation for an advertisement type.

18. The method of claim 1, comprising tracking usage of metadata to generate a metadata usage record.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the metadata server associates the first metadata with at least one contextual group of a plurality of contextual groups.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein contextual groups of the plurality of contextual groups are organized according to a tree structure.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the metadata server forms a playlist of metadata each associated with the same contextual group of the plurality of contextual groups.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein metadata associated with a contextual group are related.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the plurality of contextual groups includes at least one of music, sports, news, entertainment, most recent, most popular, top ten, a musical artist, and a musical genre.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein

the portions of the text of the first metadata displayed by the client system are related to a first contextual group of the at least one contextual group, and

the client system displays other metadata of the first contextual group simultaneously with the portions of the text of the first metadata.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein the metadata server generates second metadata corresponding to the first video asset, wherein the first metadata is associated with a first contextual group of the plurality of contextual groups and the second metadata is associated with a second contextual group of the plurality of contextual groups.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the metadata server forms a playlist of metadata corresponding to video assets, wherein metadata of the playlist are related, and transmitting the playlist for display by the client system.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein the metadata server

receives a search request transmitted from the client system, wherein the transmitting the first metadata occurs in response to the receiving the search request, and

locates a plurality of metadata based on the search request, wherein the plurality of metadata includes the first metadata and are related to the search request.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the metadata server

queries a metadata index according to the search request, and

receives a storage location within a metadata store at which the first metadata is stored.

19. A system for providing video assets over a network, comprising

a metadata generator for generating first metadata corresponding to a first video asset, the first metadata comprising

text describing contents displayed when the first video asset is played, and

a pointer to a location within a video file that corresponds to the first video asset, the pointer comprising at least two of a start location, an end location, and a duration, and

a metadata server for transmitting the first metadata for receipt by a client system capable of playing the first video asset, wherein

the client system displays portions of the text of the first metadata to a user of the client system, and

in response to the user indicating the first metadata, the client system uses the pointer of the first metadata to facilitate requesting the first video asset from a video server for transmitting video assets over the network.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the metadata server transmits second metadata corresponding to a second video asset for receipt by the client system, wherein the second metadata is related to the first metadata.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the client system simultaneously displays portions of the first metadata and portions of the second metadata to the user.

32. The system of claim 19, wherein the client system displays advertisements selected based at least in part on the first metadata.

33. The system of claim 19, wherein the first metadata comprises advertisement instructions for facilitating transmittal of advertisements to the client system.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the advertisement instructions comprise instructions to not display an advertisement in conjunction with the first video asset.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the advertisement instructions comprise

an advertisement location within the video file that represents at least one of a beginning point, a midpoint, and an endpoint of the first video asset, and

instructions to play a video advertisement at the advertisement location.

36. The system of claim 19, wherein the metadata server tracks usage of metadata to generate a metadata usage record.