Method and apparatus for storage and playback of programs

• US 20090092382A1
• Filed: 12/05/2008
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Hillis, W. Daniel, Lambert, Robert E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,649,658 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/248
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/91 Television signal processing therefor

Abstract

The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for playback of programs and other works recorded on random access storage media. One embodiment of the invention relates to random access storage media such as a DVD (“digital versatile disk” or “digital video disk”) used to distribute motion pictures and other audio/video programs or works. The invention involves a manner of utilizing secondary storage space of the storage media not used by the primary program being distributed to store secondary programs such as movie trailers and product advertisements, and to present the secondary programs to the user in a topical and interesting manner. In one embodiment, storage space, of a random access storage medium such as a DVD is allocated to a number of variously sized programs or program portions called “chapters.” In one embodiment, each primary and secondary program constitutes a separate chapter. In this embodiment, each time the primary chapter is played, the DVD playback device plays a limited selection of secondary chapters before and/or after the primary chapter. In one embodiment, the sequence of secondary chapters played back varies each time the DVD is played. In this manner, as a viewer repeatedly views the DVD over time, a large variety of promotional material can be presented to the viewer without overburdening the viewer with overly-long sequences of promotions and trailers. In addition, because the sequence of trailers changes each time the DVD is viewed viewer interest is maintained.

Claims

1. A method for playing back a first set of data recorded on a random access storage medium, said storage medium comprising a plurality of second sets of data in addition to said first set of data, said method comprising the steps of:

determining selection criteria applicable to said storage medium;

selecting and playing back a subset of said second sets of data according to said selection criteria in conjunction with playing back said first set of data.

2-44. -44. (canceled)