Techniques to Consume Content and Metadata

• US 20090216745A1
• Filed: 02/26/2008
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Allard, James F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,301,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7837 using objects detected or recognised in the video content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Content and metadata associated with the content may be provided to a number of users. The content may be displayed on a display device while the metadata may be transmitted to a remote device corresponding to a receiving user. The user may further request desired information or metadata pertaining to the content and the requested information or metadata may be transmitted to the user'"'"'s remote device. Different users may request different information on the same or different objects being displayed or presented on a display device. Each requesting user may receive requested information on the same or different objects via corresponding remote devices.

Claims

1. A method comprising at a client device:

receiving content and associated metadata in a broadcast;

identifying a request for metadata regarding a current broadcast from a remote device that is communicatively coupled to the client device;

analyzing the request to identify the metadata that is relevant to the request; and

outputting the metadata that corresponds to the identified request to the remote device to cause the remote device to display the metadata that is relevant to the request.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the identifying and the outputting are performed in real time as the content and associated metadata are received.

3. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising storing the content and the associated metadata in storage at the client device, wherein the identifying and the outputting are performed as the content and associated metadata are stored.

4. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising storing the content and the associated metadata in storage at the client device, wherein the identifying and the outputting are performed as the content and associated metadata are output from the storage.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the remote device is communicatively coupled to the client device to cause the client device to implement one or more functions that are local to the client device.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the content and the associated metadata are streamed to the client device from a head end of a network operator.

7. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the identifying and the outputting are performed for a plurality of said remote devices such that each said remote device receives said metadata that is particular to respective preferences.

8. A method comprising at a remote device:

creating a persistent network connection between the remote device and a client device;

forming a request for metadata associated with content output in a current broadcast at the client device; and

outputting the metadata that corresponds to the identified request to the remote device to cause the remote device to display information relevant to the request.

9. A method as described in claim 8, wherein the network connection between the remote device and the client device is persistent such that the network connection between the remote device and the client device is automatically created without user intervention.

10. A method as described in claim 8, wherein:

the creating is performed for a plurality of said client devices; and

the network connection is persistent such that the network connection between the remote device and each said client device is automatically created.

11. A method as described in claim 8, wherein the remote device is configured to cause the client device to implement one or more functions that are local to the client device.

12. A method as described in claim 8, wherein:

the content and the metadata are streamed to the client device from a head end of a network operator; and

the remote device receives the metadata via the client device.

13. A method as described in claim 8, wherein:

the content is streamed to the client device from a head end of a network operator; and

the metadata is streamed directly to remote device without being streamed to the client device.

14. A method as described in claim 8, wherein the request identifies at least a portion of the content output by the client device.

15. A method comprising:

initiating an operation at a remote device to determine a particular point in time in an output of content at a client device;

receiving information that describes the particular point in time;

using the information to retrieve the content that corresponds to the particular point in time; and

outputting the content that corresponds to the particular point in time at the remote device.

16. A method as described in claim 15, wherein the particular point in time is determined through use of a timestamp or determination of a current offset.

17. A method as described in claim 15, wherein the information is received from the client device.

18. A method as described in claim 15, wherein the content is retrieved from a head end of a network provider that streamed the content to the client device.

19. A method as described in claim 15, wherein the content is streamed directly to the remote device and the client device from a head end of a network operator.

20. A method as described in claim 15, wherein the client device continuously broadcast the content to the remote device, which is then buffered by the remote device for the retrieval.