NETWORK MEDIA PLAYER AND OVERLAY FEATURE

• US 20100150530A1
• Filed: 12/04/2009
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Zalewski, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 8,522,301 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/241
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/00 Teaching music metronomes G04F5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• 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 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739

Abstract

A network media player enables the addition of one or more overlays during content playback. This allows insertion of images, sound, text, logos, ticker bars, and the like in video, audio, or other available content. Overlays may be user-generated to customize content playback, or network-generated to allow insertion of advertising, source identification, logos, messages, news, and the like.

Claims

1. A playback method for use in a network media player, the method comprising:

receiving content;

receiving an overlay descriptor corresponding to the received content, the overlay descriptor defining an overlay to be applied to the received content; and

varying playback of the received content according to the overlay descriptor.

2. The playback method of claim 1, wherein the content is received from a local source.

3. The playback method of claim 1, wherein the content is received from a remote source.

4. The playback method of claim 1, wherein the content and the overlay descriptor are received from different sources.

5. The playback method of claim 1, wherein the overlay descriptor identifies an image to be overlaid during playback of the received content.

6. The playback method of claim 1, wherein the overlay descriptor identifies audio to be overlaid during playback of the received content.

7. The playback method of claim 1, wherein the overlay descriptor identifies video to be overlaid during playback of the received content.

8. The playback method of claim 1, wherein the overlay descriptor identifies a source of overlay content.

9. The playback method of claim 8, further comprising receiving overlay content identified by the overlay descriptor.

10. The playback method of claim 9, wherein the overlay content is received from a remote source.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the overlay descriptor is user-generated.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the overlay descriptor is embedded in the received content.

13. A network media player, comprising:

a content input port;

an output port; and

a processor configured to receive content using the content input port, receive an overlay descriptor corresponding to the received content, and to vary playback of the received content through the output port according to the overlay descriptor.

14. The network media player of claim 13, further comprising a user input port.

15. The network media player of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to receive information using the user input port to create an overlay descriptor.