METHODS, SYSTEMS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR PLAYING BACK PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED CONTENT

• US 20090132610A1
• Filed: 11/19/2007
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bedingfield, James Carlton SR.
• Granted Patent: US 7,895,157 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/487 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/489 using time information

Abstract

Previously published content is played back by identifying a previous time in which the previously published content was previously published and automatically adding an indication of the previous time in which the content was previously published, while playing back the previously published content. The indication may include a timestamp of the previous time, ambience and/or historical context of the previous time, an electronic program guide for the previous time, a current events guide for the previous time and/or archived content for the previous time that is related to the user of the content. Related systems, methods, computer program products and content playback devices are described.

Claims

1. A method of playing back previously published content comprising:

playing back previously published content;

identifying a previous time in which the previously published content was previously published; and

automatically adding an indication of the previous time in which the content was previously published, while playing back the previously published content.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the previously published content is visual content and wherein automatically adding an indication of a previous time comprises surrounding the previously published visual content by a frame that indicates the previous time in which the visual content was previously published, while displaying the previously published content.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the previously published content is visual content and wherein automatically adding an indication of a previous time comprises overlaying the previously published visual content with an overlay that indicates the previous time in which the visual content was previously published, while displaying the previously published content.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein automatically adding an indication of a previous time comprises automatically adding a timestamp of the previous time in which the content was previously published, while playing back the previously published content.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein automatically adding an indication of a previous time comprises automatically adding ambience and/or historical context of the previous time in which the content was previously published, while playing back the previously published content.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein automatically adding an indication of a previous time comprises automatically adding an electronic program guide for the previous time, while playing back the previously published content.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein automatically adding an indication of a previous time comprises automatically adding a current events guide for the previous time, while playing back the previously published content.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein automatically adding an indication of a previous time comprises automatically adding archived content for the previous time that is related to a user who is playing back the previously published content, while playing back the previously published content.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein automatically adding an indication of a previous time comprises automatically adding an indication of a previous time in which the content was previously published and an indication of a geographic location, while playing back the previously published content.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein automatically adding an indication of a previous time comprises automatically adding a first type of indication of a previous time if the previous time is before a given time and automatically adding a second type of indication of a previous time if the previous time is after the given time, while playing back the previously published content.

11. A method according to claim 1 further comprising playing back the previously published content on a first playback device, wherein automatically adding an indication of a previous time comprises automatically adding an indication of a previous time in which the content was previously published, on a second playback device, while playing back the previously published content on the first playback device.

12. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer-readable program code comprising:

computer-readable program code that is configured to play back previously published content on a content player;

computer-readable program code that is configured to identify a previous time in which the previously published content was previously published; and

computer-readable program code that is configured to automatically add an indication of the previous time in which the content was previously published, while playing back the previously published content on the content player.

13. A computer program product according to claim 12 wherein the computer-readable program code that is configured to automatically add an indication of the previously published content comprises computer-readable program code that is configured to automatically add a timestamp of the previous time in which the content was previously published, while playing back the previously published content.

14. A computer program product according to claim 12 wherein the computer-readable program code that is configured to automatically add an indication of the previously published content comprises computer-readable program code that is configured to automatically add an electronic program guide for the previous time, while playing back the previously published content.

15. A computer program product according to claim 12, wherein the computer-readable program code that is configured to automatically add an indication of the previously published content comprises computer-readable program code that is configured to automatically add a current events guide for the previous time, while playing back the previously published content.

16. A computer program product according to claim 12, wherein the computer-readable program code that is configured to automatically add an indication of the previously published content comprises computer-readable program code that is configured to automatically add archived content for the previous time that is related to a user who is playing back the previously published content, while playing back the previously published content.

17. A computer program product according to claim 12, further comprising computer-readable program code that is configured to play back a previously published content on a first playback device, wherein the computer-readable program code that is configured to automatically add an indication of a previous time comprises computer-readable program code that is configured to automatically add an indication of a previous time in which the content was previously published, on a second playback device, while playing back the previously published content on the first playback device.

18. A user interface for playing back content, the user interface comprising:

a first display portion that is configured to display therein content that was previously published; and

a second display portion that is configured to display therein an indication of a previous time in which the content that is displayed on the first display portion was previously published.

19. A user interface according to claim 18 wherein the second display portion frames the first display portion and/or overlays the first display portion.

20. A user interface according to claim 18 wherein the second portion comprises a timestamp of the previous time, ambience and/or historical context of the previous time, an electronic program guide for the previous time, a current events guide for the previous time and/or archived content for the previous time that is related to a user of the user interface.