METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR IMPLEMENTING A NAVIGATIONAL SEARCH STRUCTURE FOR MEDIA CONTENT

• US 20080250358A1
• Filed: 04/06/2007
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zimler, Randy, Mitchem, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 8,631,439 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/855
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• 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

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for navigating during playback of media content on a content viewing device are provided. A method includes associating a descriptor with a time element. The time element references an instantiation of the descriptor in a content file. The method also includes applying a reference tag that identifies the descriptor to a location on the navigational search structure associated with the content file. The location is determined by the time element. The method further includes displaying the reference tag on the navigational search structure at the content viewing device while viewing the content file in playback mode.

Claims

1. A method for navigating during playback of media content on a content viewing device, comprising:

associating a descriptor with a time element, the time element referencing an instantiation of the descriptor in a content file;

applying a reference tag that identifies the descriptor to a location on a navigational search structure associated with the content file, the location determined by the time element; and

displaying the reference tag on the navigational search structure at the content viewing device when displaying the content file in playback mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content file includes at least one of a:

broadcast program;

video-on-demand program; and

locally stored program.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the descriptor characterizes a content element in the content file, the descriptor including at least one of a:

name;

location;

event;

abstract concept; and

relationship among one or more name, location, event, and abstract concept.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

searching for content during playback of the content file based upon matching a search term with terms identified by reference tags;

storing results of the search; and

communicating the results to another content viewing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigational search structure includes a timing mechanism, the method further comprising:

tracking content frames within the content file; and

associating tags with at lest one of a time interval or a begin time of the content file or a portion of the content file.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigational search structure is represented as a bar shape, the bar shape having a length corresponding to a length or duration of the content file.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein descriptors are identified in a content file via filtering a closed captioning file associated with the content file and classifying the descriptors using an indexing scheme.

8. A system for navigating during playback of media content, comprising:

a content viewing device; and

a processor executing on the content viewing device, the processor including logic for implementing a method, comprising;

associating a descriptor with a time element, the time element referencing an instantiation of the descriptor in a content file;

applying a reference tag that identifies the descriptor to a location on a navigational search structure associated with the content file, the location determined by the time element; and

displaying the reference tag on the navigational search structure at the content viewing device when displaying the content file in playback mode.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the content file includes at least one of a:

broadcast program;

video-on-demand program; and

locally stored program.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the descriptor characterizes a content element in the content file, the descriptor including at least one of a:

name;

location;

event;

abstract concept; and

relationship among one or more name, location, event, and abstract concept.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor further includes logic for implementing:

searching for content during playback of the content file based upon matching a search term with terms identified by reference tags;

storing results of the search; and

communicating the results to another content viewing device.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the navigational search structure includes a timing mechanism, the processor further including logic for implementing:

tracking content frames within the content file; and

associating tags with at lest one of a time interval or a begin time of the content file or a portion of the content file.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the navigational search structure is represented as a bar shape, the bar shape having a length corresponding to a length or duration of the content file;

and

wherein descriptors are identified in a content file via filtering a closed captioning file associated with the content file and classifying the descriptors using an indexing scheme.

14. A computer program product for navigating during playback of media content on a content viewing device, the computer program product including instructions for causing a computer to implement a method, comprising:

associating a descriptor with a time element, the time element referencing an instantiation of the descriptor in a content file;

applying a reference tag that identifies the descriptor to a location on a navigational search structure associated with the content file, the location determined by the time element; and

displaying the reference tag on the navigational search structure at the content viewing device when displaying the content file in playback mode.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the content file includes at least one of a:

broadcast program;

video-on-demand program; and

locally stored program.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the descriptor characterizes a content element in the content file, the descriptor including at least one of a:

name;

location;

event;

abstract concept; and

relationship among one or more name, location, event, and abstract concept.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising instructions for implementing:

searching for content during playback of the content file based upon matching a search term with terms identified by reference tags;

storing results of the search; and

communicating the results to another content viewing device.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the navigational search structure includes a timing mechanism, the method further comprising:

tracking content frames within the content file; and

associating tags with at lest one of a time interval or a begin time of the content file or a portion of the content file.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the navigational search structure is represented as a bar shape, the bar shape having a length corresponding to a length or duration of the content file.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein descriptors are identified in a content file via filtering a closed captioning file associated with the content file and classifying the descriptors using an indexing scheme.