INTERACTIVE TELEVISION SYSTEM WITH AUTOMATIC SWITCHING FROM BROADCAST MEDIA TO STREAMING MEDIA

• US 20100150525A1
• Filed: 11/13/2009
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Walker, Todd A.
• Application Number:
  US12/617,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20100150525A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234381 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. decreasing the frame rate by frame skipping
• 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 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

An interactive television system is provided in which a user may perform playback control functions while watching a broadcast television program. When the user requests such a function, a television distribution facility may transmit an interactive streaming media version of the program to the user'"'"'s equipment. The user equipment switches the broadcast television program with the interactive streaming media version. The interactive streaming media version, once displayed on the given user'"'"'s user equipment, may be controlled by the user with playback control functions.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user with playback options while viewing a broadcast television program on user equipment, the method comprising:

providing the broadcast television program that is currently being broadcast to the user equipment;

receiving a request, at a remote server, from the user to perform a playback option while viewing the broadcast television program that is currently being broadcast; and

providing a streaming version of a portion of the currently broadcast television program from the remote server to the user equipment for use by the user equipment instead of the broadcast television program in response to the received request, wherein the streaming version of the broadcast television program is generated before the broadcast of the television program.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising charging the user a fee when the user requests to perform the playback option.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a request from the user to return to the broadcast of the broadcast television program.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically returning to the broadcast of the broadcast television program after the end of the streaming version of the television program.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically returning to the broadcast of the broadcast television program after a predetermined amount of time.

6. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the generated streaming version of the broadcast television program is substantially the same as the broadcast television program.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the playback option is selected from the group consisting of:

pause, resume, play, fast forward, rewind, slow forward, slow reverse, jump to another time point, scan, frame-by-frame advance, frame backward, skip, and restart program.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing the streaming version comprises determining the time point in the broadcast television program at which the user requests to perform the playback option.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the providing the streaming version further comprises providing the streaming version of the television program at substantially the same time point.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining the time point comprises determining the amount of elapsed time of the broadcast at which the user requests to perform the playback option.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the broadcast television program is associated with an index of time points, and wherein the determining the time point comprises using the associated index to determine the time point at which the user requests to perform the playback option.

12. The method defined in claim 11, wherein the associated index includes a plurality of embedded markers in the broadcast television program, and wherein the using the associated index comprises determining the time point corresponding to the embedded marker at which the user requests to perform the playback option.

13. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the streaming version is the entire broadcast television program.

14. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the providing the streaming version includes detecting at least one embedded marker.

57. The method of claim 1, wherein the playback option includes playing the streaming version of the broadcast television program starting at the beginning of the program.

15. A system for providing a user with playback options while viewing a broadcast television program on user equipment, the system comprising:

a television distribution facility configured to;

provide the broadcast television program that is currently being broadcast to the user equipment;

receive a request, at a remote server, from the user to perform a playback option while viewing the broadcast television program that is currently being broadcast; and

provide a streaming version of a portion of the currently broadcast television program from the remote server to the user equipment for use by the user equipment instead of the broadcast television program in response to the received request, wherein the streaming version of the broadcast television program is generated before the broadcast of the television program.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the television distribution facility is further configured to charge the user a fee when the user requests to perform the playback option.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the television distribution facility is further configured to receive a request from the user to return to the broadcast of the broadcast television program.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the television distribution facility is further configured to automatically return to the broadcast of the broadcast television program after the end of the streaming version of the television program.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the television distribution facility is further configured to automatically return to the broadcast of the broadcast television program after a predetermined amount of time.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the generated streaming version of the broadcast television program is substantially the same as the broadcast television program.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the playback option is selected from the group consisting of:

pause, resume, play, fast forward, slow forward, slow reverse, rewind, jump to another time point, scan, frame-by-frame advance, frame backward, skip, and restart program.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the television distribution facility, when configured to provide the streaming version, is configured to determine the time point in the broadcast television program at which the user requests to perform the playback option.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the television distribution facility, when configured to provide the streaming version, is configured to provide the streaming version of the television program at substantially the same time point.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the television distribution facility, when configured to determine the time point, is configured to determine the amount of elapsed time of the broadcast at which the user requests to perform the playback option.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the broadcast television program is associated with an index of time points, and wherein the television distribution facility, when configured to determine the time point, is configured to use the associated index to determine the time point at which the user requests to perform the playback option.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the associated index includes a plurality of embedded markers in the broadcast television program, and wherein the television distribution facility, when configured to use the associated index, is configured to determine the time point corresponding to the embedded marker at which the user requests to perform the playback option.

27. The system of claim 15, wherein the streaming version is the entire broadcast television program.

28. The system of claim 15, wherein the providing the streaming version includes detecting at least one embedded marker.

58. The system of claim 15, wherein the playback option includes playing the streaming version of the broadcast television program starting at the beginning of the program.

29. A system for providing a user with playback options while viewing a broadcast television program on user equipment, the system comprising:

means for providing the broadcast television program that is currently being broadcast to the user equipment;

means for receiving, at a remote server, a request from the user to perform a playback option while viewing the broadcast television program that is currently being broadcast; and

means for providing a streaming version of a portion of the currently broadcast television program from the remote server to the user equipment for use by the user equipment instead of the broadcast television program in response to the received request, wherein the streaming version of the broadcast television program is generated before the broadcast of the television program.

30. The system of claim 29 further comprising means for charging the user a fee when the user requests to perform the playback option.

31. The system of claim 29 further comprising means for receiving a request from the user to return to the broadcast of the broadcast television program.

32. The system of claim 29 further comprising means for automatically returning to the broadcast of the broadcast television program after the end of the streaming version of the television program.

33. The system of claim 29 further comprising means for automatically returning to the broadcast of the broadcast television program after a predetermined amount of time.

34. The system of claim 29, wherein the generated streaming version of the broadcast television program is substantially the same as the broadcast television program.

35. The system of claim 29, wherein the playback option is selected from the group consisting of:

pause, resume, play, fast forward, slow forward, slow reverse, rewind, jump to another time point, scan, frame-by-frame advance, frame backward, skip, and restart program.

36. The system of claim 29, wherein the means for providing the streaming version comprises means for determining the time point in the broadcast television program at which the user requests to perform the playback option.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the means for providing the streaming version further comprises means for providing the streaming version of the television program at substantially the same time point.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein the means for determining the time point comprises means for determining the amount of elapsed time of the broadcast at which the user requests to perform the playback option.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein the broadcast television program is associated with an index of time points, and wherein the means for determining the time point comprises means for using the associated index to determine the time point at which the user requests to perform the playback option.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the associated index includes a plurality of embedded markers in the broadcast television program, and wherein the means for using the associated index comprises means for determining the time point corresponding to the embedded marker at which the user requests to perform the playback option.

41. The system of claim 29, wherein the streaming version is the entire broadcast television program.

42. The system of claim 29, wherein the providing the streaming version includes detecting at least one embedded marker.

59. The system of claim 29, wherein the playback option includes playing the streaming version of the broadcast television program starting at the beginning of the program.

43. Machine-readable media for use in an television distribution facility, in which the television distribution facility provides a user with playback options while viewing a broadcast television program on user equipment, wherein the media is encoded with machine-readable instructions for performing the method comprising:

providing the broadcast television program that is currently being broadcast to the user equipment;

receiving a request, at a remote server, from the user to perform a playback option while viewing the broadcast television program that is currently being broadcast; and

providing a streaming version of a portion of the currently broadcast television program from the remote server to the user equipment for use by the user equipment instead of the broadcast television program in response to the received request, wherein the streaming version of the broadcast television program is generated before the broadcast of the television program.

44. The machine-readable media of claim 43, wherein the method further comprises charging the user a fee when the user requests to perform the playback option.

45. The machine-readable media of claim 43, wherein the method further comprises receiving a request from the user to return to the broadcast of the broadcast television program.

46. The machine-readable media of claim 43, wherein the method further comprises automatically returning to the broadcast of the broadcast television program after the end of the streaming version of the television program.

47. The machine-readable media of claim 43, wherein the method further comprises automatically returning to the broadcast of the broadcast television program after a predetermined amount of time.

48. The machine-readable media of claim 43, wherein the generated streaming version of the broadcast television program is substantially the same as the broadcast television program.

49. The machine-readable media of claim 43, wherein the playback option is selected from the group consisting of:

pause, resume, play, fast forward, slow forward, slow reverse, rewind, jump to another time point, scan, frame-by-frame advance, frame backward, skip, and restart program.

50. The machine-readable media of claim 43, wherein the providing the streaming version comprises determining the time point in the broadcast television program at which the user requests to perform the playback option.

51. The machine-readable media of claim 50, wherein the providing the streaming version further comprises providing the streaming version of the television program at substantially the same time point.

52. The machine-readable media of claim 50, wherein the determining the time point comprises determining the amount of elapsed time of the broadcast at which the user requests to perform the playback option.

53. The machine-readable media of claim 50, wherein the broadcast television program is associated with an index of time points, and wherein the determining the time point comprises using the associated index to determine the time point at which the user requests to perform the playback option.

54. The machine-readable media of claim 53, wherein the associated index includes a plurality of embedded markers in the broadcast television program, and wherein the using the associated index comprises determining the time point corresponding to the embedded marker at which the user requests to perform the playback option.

55. The machine-readable media of claim 43, wherein the streaming version is the entire broadcast television program.

56. The machine-readable media of claim 43, wherein the providing the streaming version includes detecting at least one embedded marker.

60. The machine-readable media of claim 43, wherein the playback option includes playing the streaming version of the broadcast television program starting at the beginning of the program.