Playback of Audio/Video Content with Control Codes

• US 20080075426A1
• Filed: 08/03/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Lang, Richard, Walters, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,380,049 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/83
• 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: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• 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 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• 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 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A system and method for time-shifted viewing of broadcast television programs is disclosed. Simultaneous recording and playback are provided by using buffer storage as the source and destination of compressed or uncompressed digital video/audio programs. Full VCR-like control is provided for all playback within the buffer storage. Playback and control of recorded programs may be initiated by the user at any time after initiation of the broadcast program with simultaneous continuous recording of the ongoing live broadcast. Larger archival storage and removable is also provided for storing and building a library of programs. Viewer playback control data may be stored as part of the program or used as edit points prior to archival. Numerous options are provided for features such as continuous automatic recording in a circular buffer fashion, program archival, editing, Internet interfaces, multiple-channel recording and more.

Claims

1. A method for time-delayed viewing of audio/video content, comprising:

receiving audio/video content from an audio/video source;

receiving a playback control command from a viewer of the audio/video content, the playback control command received in response to the viewer having viewed at least a portion of the audio/video content; and

storing at least a portion of the audio/video content in archival memory, wherein the stored portion of the audio/video content includes a control code corresponding to the received playback control command and that may be used to control subsequent playback of the stored portion of the audio/video content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising subsequently playing back the stored audio/video content from archival memory, wherein the playback of the stored audio/video content includes automatic execution of the playback control command identified by the corresponding control code.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising reporting the execution of the playback control command to a computing device for third-party analysis of viewer preferences.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the playback control command received from the viewer of the audio/video content includes a fast forward command and subsequent playback of the stored audio/video content automatically fast forwards through the audio/video content stored in archival memory.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the fast forwarding commences at a first edit point identified in the stored audio/video content and terminates at a second edit point identified in the stored audio/video content, the first and second edit points corresponding to the commencement and termination of the playback control command received from the viewer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second edit points further correspond to the beginning and end of a commercial.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second edit points further correspond to the end and the beginning of a commercial.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second edit points further correspond to the end of a first segment of audio/video content and the beginning of a second segment of audio/video content.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second edit points further correspond to the beginning of a segment of audio/video content and the end of the segment of audio/video content.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the playback control command received from the viewer of the audio/video content includes a fast forward command and wherein the portion of the audio/video content subjected to the fast forward command is not stored in archival memory such that subsequent playback of the audio/video content skips the portion of the audio/video content subjected to the fast forward command.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the portion of the audio/video content subjected to the fast forward command is a commercial.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first and second edit points correspond to the end of a first segment and the beginning of a second segment in the audio/video content.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the portion of the audio/video content subjected to the fast forward command is objectionable material.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising reporting the execution of the fast forward command to an advertiser.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising reporting the execution of the fast forward to command to a ratings entity.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the control of subsequent playback of the stored portion of the audio/video content through the control code may be configured through an on-screen menu displayed to the viewer of the audio/video content.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the control of subsequent playback of the stored portion of the audio/video content through the control code may be configured through a remote control device.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the control of subsequent playback of the stored portion of the audio/video content through the control code may be configured through a touch pad device.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the control of subsequent playback of the stored portion of the audio/video content through the control code may be configured through voice control.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the playback control command received from the viewer includes a pause command and play command.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the playback control command received from the viewer includes a rewind command.

22. An apparatus for time-delayed viewing of audio/video content, comprising:

an input configured to receive audio/video content from an audio/video source;

a playback control software module executable by a processor, the software module configured to interpret and execute a received playback control command from a viewer of the audio/video content, the playback control command received in response to the viewer having viewed at least a portion of the audio/video content; and

archival memory configured to store at least a portion of the audio/video content, wherein the stored portion of the audio/video content includes a control code corresponding to the received playback control command and that may be used to control subsequent playback of the stored portion of the audio/video content.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the playback control software module automatically executes the playback control command during subsequent playback of the stored audio/video content, the playback control software module executing the playback control command in response to identifying a control code corresponding to the playback control command.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the archival memory is configured not to store a portion of the audio/video content subjected to a playback control command received from a viewer, the playback control command including a fast forward command, and subsequent playback of the audio/video content skips the portion of the audio/video content subjected to the fast forward command.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a network interface coupled to a telecommunications cloud and wherein execution of the fast forward command is reported to an advertiser via the network interface and telecommunications cloud, the advertiser being associated with the portion of the audio/video content subjected to the fast forward command.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a network interface coupled to a telecommunications cloud and wherein execution of the fast forward command is reported to a ratings entity via the network interface and telecommunications cloud.

28. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein subsequent playback of the stored portion of the audio/video content may be controlled through an on-screen menu displayed to the viewer of the audio/video content.

29. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein subsequent playback of the stored portion of the audio/video content may be controlled through a remote control device.

30. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein subsequent playback of the stored portion of the audio/video content may be controlled through a touch pad device.

31. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein subsequent playback of the stored portion of the audio/video content may be controlled through voice control.

32. A computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for time-delayed viewing of audio/video content, the method comprising:

receiving audio/video content from an audio/video source;

receiving a playback control command from a viewer of the audio/video content, the playback control command received in response to the viewer having viewed at least a portion of the audio/video content; and

storing at least a portion of the audio/video content in archival memory, wherein the stored portion of the audio/video content includes a control code corresponding to the received playback control command and that may be used to control subsequent playback of the stored portion of the audio/video content.

33. An apparatus for time-delayed viewing of audio/video content, comprising:

means for receiving audio/video content from an audio/video source;

means for interpreting and executing a received playback control command from a viewer of the audio/video content, the playback control command received in response to the viewer having viewed at least a portion of the audio/video content; and

means for storing at least a portion of the audio/video content, wherein the stored portion of the audio/video content includes a control code corresponding to the received playback control command and that may be used to control subsequent playback of the stored portion of the audio/video content.