Menus For Audiovisual Content

• US 20090034931A1
• Filed: 12/15/2005
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZOO Digital Ltd. (ZOO Digital Group Plc)
• Original Assignee: ZOO Digital Ltd. (ZOO Digital Group Plc)
• Inventors: Stone, Elizabeth Susan, Green, Stuart Antony
• Granted Patent: US 8,490,022 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/239
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/025 'Virtual' control panels, e.g. Graphical User Interface [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/213 Read-only discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to audiovisual content authoring methods and systems and in particular to novel menu systems and the production thereof, for example implemented for DVD-Video discs. In one aspect, the present invention relates to a method of authoring an audiovisual product, for example a DVD-Video disc, comprising the steps of providing audiovisual content, generating at least a first menu (505) and a second menu (510), each menu comprising at least one menu option (506, 511), arranging the first menu (505) to be displayed during playback of the audiovisual content and arranging a menu option (506) of the first menu to cause display of the second menu during playback of the audiovisual content. Such a method facilitates hierarchical menu generation for DVD-Videos and the like.

Claims

1. A method of authoring an audiovisual product, the method comprising the steps of:

providing audiovisual content, generating at least a first menu and a second menu, each menu comprising at least one menu option, arranging the first menu to be displayed during playback of the audiovisual content and arranging a menu option of the first menu to cause display of the second menu during playback of the audiovisual content.

2. A method according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:

generating at least one first-level menu comprising at least one menu option and at least two second-level menus, each second-level menu comprising at least one menu option that is different from the menu option or all menu options of the or each other second-level menu;

arranging the at least one first-level menu to be displayed during one or more portions of the playback of the audiovisual content and arranging a menu option of the or each first-level menu to cause display of a different second-level menu at different times during the playback of the audiovisual content.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the same first-level menu is arranged to cause display of different second-level menus at different times during playback.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein different first-level menus are arranged to cause display of different second-level menus at different times during playback.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of generating one or more additional menus, each having at least one menu option, and arranging an additional menu to be displayed by a menu option of the first, second or another additional menu during playback of the audiovisual content.

6. A method according to claim 1, comprising the step of defining a menu hierarchy, comprising plural menus, wherein a menu that is higher in the hierarchy has an option to cause display of a menu that is lower in the hierarchy during playback of the audiovisual content.

7. A method according to claim 6, comprising the step of providing a menu that is lower in the hierarchy with a menu option to display a menu that is higher in the hierarchy.

8. A method according to claim 1, comprising the step of providing a menu image for at least one menu.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein, a menu that is displayed by a menu option of another menu is arranged to comprise an image, which includes an image representing both menus.

10. A method according to claim 1, comprising the step of defining a cascaded menu hierarchy.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one menu is arranged to partially or fully overlay the audiovisual content during playback thereof.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein each menu is arranged to partially or fully overlay the audiovisual content during playback thereof.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the at least one menu is arranged to fully overlay the audiovisual content during playback thereof.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one menu option that causes the display of another menu is arranged to be displayed transparently.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein each menu option that causes the display of another menu is arranged to be displayed transparently.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one menu option that causes the display of another menu is arranged to be associated with a command that executes automatically on selection of that option.

17. A method according to claim 1, wherein each menu option that causes the display of another menu is arranged to be associated with a command that executes automatically on selection of that option.

18. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least the first menu is arranged to comprise plural menu options, wherein a first menu option is arranged to provide the user with a route to a second menu option, which is arranged to cause the display of another menu.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein, the first menu option is provided with a route to the second menu option via a user activating or navigating away from the first menu option.

20. A method according to claim 18, wherein, the first menu option is arranged to be transparent.

21. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one menu option of the first menu is or are arranged to be transparent.

22. A method according to claim 1, comprising the step of providing additional audiovisual content and at least one redirection menu option, which is arranged to redirect playback to that audiovisual content during playback of the first mentioned audiovisual content.

23. A method according to claim 22, comprising the step of providing means for storing information, on user selection of said redirection menu option, which identifies a point in the playback of the first mentioned audiovisual content that coincides with user selection of the redirection menu option.

24. A method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of providing a means using said stored information, after playback of the additional audiovisual content has ceased, to resume playback of the first mentioned audiovisual content at or near the same said point.

25. A method according to claim 1, comprising the step of generating menu definition data for each menu.

26. A method according to claim 25, comprising, for each menu, the step of expanding the menu definition data into a sequence of individual instances, which are arranged to coincide, temporally at least, with a playback sequence of the audiovisual content.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein the individual instances of the first menu or menus are arranged into one or more addressable data streams and the individual instances of the second menu or menus are arranged into one or more different addressable data streams.

28. A method according to claim 26, wherein there are plural second menus and the individual instances of each second menu are arranged into the same addressable data stream.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein individual instances of the first menu or menus include a menu option that switches to a display of the addressable data stream of the second menu or menus.

30. A method according to claim 26, wherein there are plural second menus and the individual instances of each second menu are arranged into different addressable data streams.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein individual instances of the first menu or menus include a menu option that switches to a display of one of the addressable data streams of the second menu or menus.

32. A method according to claim 26, wherein the individual instances of at least one menu differ in displayed appearance.

33. A method according to claim 32, wherein the difference between instances is arranged to change over time during playback of the audiovisual content.

34. A method according to claim 33, wherein the difference in appearance is arranged to provide an animation effect.

35. A method according to claim 32, wherein the difference in appearance is arranged to provide a timer.

36. A method according to claim 26, wherein the step of expanding is automated by using a computer program.

37. A method according to claim 36, wherein the program is executed on a computer and includes the steps of running an iterative loop to create, for each iteration of the iterative loop, at least one instance and associated timing information, which is defined according to a variable as adjusted for each iteration of the iterative loop, and adding each instance to the sequence according to its associated timing information.

72. An audiovisual product made using the method of claim 1.

75. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of manufacturing an audiovisual product.

76. A method according to claim 75, wherein the audiovisual product comprises an optical disc product.

77. A method according to claim 76, wherein the audiovisual product comprises an optical disc product conforming to the DVD-Video specification.

78. A method according to claim 1, comprising the step of storing authored audiovisual content on a storage medium.

79. A method according to claim 78, comprising the step of using the stored audiovisual content to manufacture an optical disc master.

80. A method according to claim 79, comprising the step of using the master to manufacture plural optical discs containing the audiovisual content.

81. An audiovisual content authoring system, which implements a method according to claim 1.

38. An audiovisual product comprising audiovisual content and at least a first menu and a second menu, each menu comprising at least one menu option, the first menu being arranged to be displayed during playback of the audiovisual content and comprising a menu option to cause display of the second menu during playback of the audiovisual content.

39. An audiovisual product according to claim 38, comprising at least one first-level menu comprising at least one menu option and at least two second-level menus, each second-level menu comprising at least one menu option that is different from the menu option or all menu options of the or each other second-level menu, wherein the at least one first-level menu is arranged to be displayed during one or more portions of the playback of the audiovisual content and a menu option of the or each first-level menu is arranged to cause display of a different second-level menu at different times during the playback of the audiovisual content.

40. An audiovisual product according to claim 39, wherein the same first-level menu is arranged to cause display of different second-level menus at different times during playback.

41. An audiovisual product according to claim 39, wherein different first-level menus are arranged to cause display of different second-level menus at different times during playback.

42. An audiovisual product according to claim 38, further comprising one or more additional menus, each having at least one menu option, wherein a further menu is arranged to be displayed by a menu option of the first, second or another additional menu during playback of the audiovisual content.

43. An audiovisual product according to claim 38, comprising a menu hierarchy, comprising plural menus, wherein a menu that is higher in the hierarchy has an option to cause display of a menu that is lower in the hierarchy during playback of the audiovisual content.

44. An audiovisual product according to claim 43, comprising a menu that is lower in the hierarchy with a menu option to display a menu that is higher in the hierarchy.

45. An audiovisual product according to claim 38, wherein at least one menu comprises an image.

46. An audiovisual product according to claim 45, wherein a menu that is displayed by a menu option of another menu is arranged to comprise an image, which includes an image representing both menus.

47. An audiovisual product according to claim 38, comprising a cascaded menu hierarchy.

48. An audiovisual product according to claim 38, wherein at least one menu is arranged to partially or fully overlay the audiovisual content during playback thereof.

49. An audiovisual product according to claim 38, wherein each menu is arranged to partially or fully overlay the audiovisual content during playback thereof.

50. An audiovisual product according to claim 48, wherein the at least one menu is arranged to fully overlay the audiovisual content during playback thereof.

51. An audiovisual product according to claim 38, wherein at least one menu option that causes the display of another menu is arranged to be displayed transparently.

52. An audiovisual product according to claim 38, wherein each menu option that causes the display of another menu is arranged to be displayed transparently.

53. An audiovisual product according to claim 38, wherein at least one menu option that causes the display of another menu is arranged to be associated with a command that executes automatically on selection of that option.

54. An audiovisual product according to claim 38, wherein each menu option that causes the display of another menu is arranged to be associated with a command that executes automatically on selection of that option.

55. An audiovisual product according to claim 38, wherein at least the first menu is arranged to comprise plural menu options, wherein a first menu option is arranged to provide a user with a route to a second menu option, which is arranged to cause the display of another menu.

56. An audiovisual product according to claim 55, wherein the first menu option is provided with a route to the second menu option via a user activating or navigating away from the first menu option.

57. An audiovisual product according to claim 38, wherein, the first menu option is arranged to be transparent.

58. An audiovisual product according to claim 38, wherein the menu option of the first menu is or are arranged to be transparent.

59. An audiovisual product according to claim 38, comprising additional audiovisual content and at least one redirection menu option, which is arranged to redirect playback to that audiovisual content during playback of the first mentioned audiovisual content.

60. An audiovisual product according to claim 59, comprising means for storing information, on user selection of said redirection menu option, which identifies a point in the playback of the first mentioned audiovisual content that coincides with user selection of the redirection menu option.

61. An audiovisual product according to claim 60, further comprising means for using said stored information after playback of the additional audiovisual content has ceased to resume playback of the first mentioned audiovisual content at or near the same said point in the playback of the first mentioned audiovisual content.

62. An audiovisual product according to claim 38, wherein each menu comprises a sequence of individual instances, which are arranged to coincide, temporally at least, with a playback sequence of the audiovisual content.

63. An audiovisual product according to claim 62, wherein the individual instances of the first menu or menus are arranged into one or more addressable data streams and the individual instances of the second menu or menus are arranged into one or more different addressable data streams.

64. An audiovisual product according to claim 62, wherein there are plural second menus and the individual instances of each second menu are arranged into the same addressable data stream.

65. An audiovisual product according to claim 64, wherein individual instances of the first menu or menus include a menu option that switches to a display of the addressable data stream of the second menu or menus.

66. An audiovisual product according to claim 62, wherein there are plural second menus and the individual instances of each second menu are arranged into different addressable data streams.

67. An audiovisual product according to claim 64, wherein individual instances of the first menu or menus include a menu option that switches to a display of one of the addressable data streams of the second menu or menus.

68. An audiovisual product according to claim 62, wherein the individual instances of at least one menu differ in displayed appearance.

69. An audiovisual product according to claim 68, wherein the difference between instances is arranged to change over time during playback of the audiovisual content.

70. An audiovisual product according to claim 69, wherein the difference in appearance is arranged to provide an animation effect.

71. An audiovisual product according to claim 68, wherein the difference in appearance is arranged to provide a timer.

73. An audiovisual product, as claimed in claim 38, comprising an optical disc product.

74. An audiovisual product, as claimed in claim 38, comprising an optical disc product conforming to the DVD-Video specification.

82. A method of authoring an audiovisual product, the method comprising:

providing audiovisual content;

generating at least a first menu and a second menu, each menu comprising at least one menu option;

generating menu definition data for each menu;

expanding the menu definition data into a sequence of individual instances, each of which is arranged to temporally coincide with a playback sequence of the audiovisual content, wherein each individual instance is arranged into one or more addressable data streams;

arranging the first menu to be displayed during playback of the audiovisual content;

arranging a menu option of the first menu to cause display of the second menu during playback of the audiovisual content.