INTERACTIVE VIEWING OF SPORTS VIDEO

• US 20100043040A1
• Filed: 08/18/2009
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Collab Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Brigham Young University (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)
• Inventors: Olsen, Dan R. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 9,432,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44012 involving rendering scenes according to scene graphs, e.g. MPEG-4 scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A primary video stream of a sporting event may be provided via the Internet. In addition, at least one secondary video stream of the sporting event may be provided via the Internet. Moreover, metadata corresponding to the primary video stream and the at least one secondary video stream may be provided via the Internet. The primary video stream, the at least one secondary video stream, and the metadata may be utilized to provide interactive viewing of the sporting event.

Claims

1. A method for providing interactive viewing of a sporting event, comprising:

accessing a plurality of video streams of the sporting event, including a primary video stream and at least one secondary video stream;

accessing metadata corresponding to the primary video stream and the at least one secondary video stream, wherein the metadata identifies time points in the plurality of video streams; and

using the primary video stream, the at least one secondary video stream, and the metadata to provide interactive viewing of the sporting event;

wherein providing interactive viewing comprises using the metadata to switch to different time points in the video streams in response to user input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing interactive viewing of the sporting event comprises logging user actions and using those actions to indicate plays of interest for dynamic abbreviation of a game.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing interactive viewing of the sporting event comprises:

interpreting at least one user'"'"'s participation in a social networking activity during a particular game unit within a game as indicating an increased level of interest in that game unit; and

considering the increased level of interest in the game unit when dynamically abbreviating the game.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing interactive viewing of the sporting event comprises:

automatically detecting which controller is being used; and

adapting an on-screen menu to match the physical layout of the controller that is being used.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing interactive viewing of the sporting event comprises switching among or cycling through alternate camera angles during play pause in response to user input.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing interactive viewing of the sporting event comprises automatically restarting a play when a user switches camera angles.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing interactive viewing of the sporting event comprises:

detecting user input to return to a previous play;

using the metadata to determine when the start of the previous play occurred; and

playing one of the video streams beginning at the point in time when the start of the previous play occurred.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein providing interactive viewing of the sporting event comprises interpreting a user'"'"'s request to enter review mode as a user-defined marker for replay start.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user'"'"'s request to enter the review mode comprises the user pressing a “

pause”

button on a controller.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein providing interactive viewing of the sporting event comprises at least one of the following while in a review mode:

switching to a different video stream corresponding to a different camera angle without changing play time; and

switching to the different video stream corresponding to the different camera angle and playing the different video stream beginning at a point in time that corresponds to a user-defined marker.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein providing interactive viewing of the sporting event comprises returning to a point of interest in the sporting event when switching back to the sporting event from another sporting event.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the point of interest is the previous location in the sporting event.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the point of interest is the start of the next play prior to the previous location in the sporting event.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein providing interactive viewing of the sporting event comprises:

providing a sport definition file that comprises a hierarchy of play periods for a particular sport; and

using the sport definition file to specialize a user interface of annotation software for the sport.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein providing interactive viewing of the sporting event comprises:

providing a sport definition file that comprises a hierarchy of play periods for a particular sport; and

using the sport definition file to specialize a user interface of player software for the sport.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein providing interactive viewing of the sporting event comprises filtering information that is displayed to a user based on what happened during a previous play.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the information that is filtered comprises rules for the sporting event.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata comprises a single set of annotations that is associated with the primary video stream and at least one secondary video stream.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein providing interactive viewing of the sporting event comprises interpreting a user request to exit a review mode as an indicator of an appropriate location for an advertisement to be inserted.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein providing interactive viewing of the sporting event comprises:

detecting a user'"'"'s request to send a message;

determining a current time that corresponds to the user'"'"'s request to send the message;

using event information in the metadata to determine a starting time for a current or previous play;

automatically selecting a video clip to accompany the message, wherein the video clip begins at the starting time for the current play and ends at the current time.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein providing interactive viewing of the sporting event comprises:

receiving a message;

determining that the message corresponds to a particular point in the sporting event;

determining that a recipient of the message has not seen the relevant point in the sporting event; and

delaying the display of the message until the recipient of the message has seen the relevant point in the sporting event.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein providing interactive viewing of the sporting event further comprises:

displaying the message when the recipient of the message has seen the relevant point in the sporting event; and

providing feedback to a sender of the message to indicate that the message has been delivered.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein providing interactive viewing of the sporting event further comprises displaying an indication to the recipient of the message of where in the sporting event the message is located.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein providing interactive viewing of the sporting event comprises:

determining, based on the interactive structure of a user interface, which skip forward events are possible; and

prefetching frames that correspond to the skip forward events that are possible.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein providing interactive viewing of the sporting event comprises retaining frames that are potential targets of skip backward interactive events until those frames are no longer interactive targets.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein providing interactive viewing of the sporting event comprises using statistics from other users'"'"' prior viewing of the sporting event to guide the use of caching resources.

27. An apparatus for providing interactive viewing of a sporting event, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable to;

access a plurality of video streams of the sporting event, including a primary video stream and at least one secondary video stream;

access metadata corresponding to the primary video stream and the at least one secondary video stream, wherein the metadata identifies time points in the plurality of video streams; and

use the primary video stream, the at least one secondary video stream, and the metadata to provide interactive viewing of the sporting event;

wherein providing interactive viewing comprises using the metadata to switch to different time points in the video streams in response to user input.

28. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to:

access a plurality of video streams of the sporting event, including a primary video stream and at least one secondary video stream;

access metadata corresponding to the primary video stream and the at least one secondary video stream, wherein the metadata identifies time points in the plurality of video streams; and

use the primary video stream, the at least one secondary video stream, and the metadata to provide interactive viewing of the sporting event;

wherein providing interactive viewing comprises using the metadata to switch to different time points in the video streams in response to user input.