Systems and Methods to Control Viewed Content

• US 20100180297A1
• Filed: 01/15/2009
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Levine, David Alberto, Malik, Dale
• Granted Patent: US 9,253,430 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

Systems and methods to allow a user to control viewed content. A particular method includes receiving at least one selected video stream of multiple video streams associated with a particular event. The method includes forming an output stream from the at least one selected video stream based on a user modifiable template. The method also includes sending the output stream to a display device for playback as indicated by the user modifiable template. The user modifiable template indicates a display region location where the at least one selected video stream is to be displayed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving at least one selected video stream, wherein the at least one selected video stream is selected from multiple video streams associated with a particular event;

forming an output stream from the at least one selected video stream based on a user modifiable template; and

sending the output stream to a display device for playback as indicated by the user modifiable template, wherein the user modifiable template indicates a display region location where the at least one selected video stream is to be displayed.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at least one audio stream related to the particular event; and

synchronizing the at least one selected video stream with the at least one audio stream as indicated by the user modifiable template.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one selected video stream is received by a set-top box device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a multicast group join request associated with the at least one selected video stream.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a text stream, wherein the output stream includes the text stream, and wherein display location information of the text stream is indicated by the user modifiable template.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting at least one data stream, wherein data of the at least one data stream pertains to the particular event, and wherein the output stream includes the data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one selected video stream comprises an asynchronous stream that includes information supplemental to the particular event.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein playback of the output stream comprises presenting a first display at a first location of the display device, and presenting a second display at a second location of the display device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the user modifiable template from a plurality of templates based on a type of the particular event.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the user modifiable template from an e-commerce store.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a second output stream from the at least one selected video stream, and sending the second output stream to a second display device as indicated by the user modifiable template.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating a graphical user interface with selectable control options that enables a user to switch a first display shown on the display device with a second display shown on the second display device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first display device and the second display device comprises a mobile device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the user modifiable template indicates when at least a portion of the output stream is to be displayed.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular event is a football game, and wherein the output stream includes a first display that shows the football game from a first vantage point located at about a 50-yard line position on a first side of a football field.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the output stream includes a second display that shows the football game from a second vantage point of a mobile camera that is moved to a location adjacent to a position of the football before a play begins.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the user modifiable template is modified using an editor.

18. A system, comprising:

a scheduler to request a video stream of a plurality of video streams associated with a particular event;

a network interface to receive the requested video stream; and

an output interface to generate an output stream to be sent to a display device, wherein a user modifiable template indicates a display region location where the requested video stream is to be displayed.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a buffer to store at least a portion of the requested video stream.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the output stream comprises advertising content.

21. The system of claim 18, further comprising an editor to modify the user modifiable template.

22. A method comprising:

receiving first input specifying a first display location of a first output stream associated with a particular event;

receiving second input specifying a second display location of a second output stream associated with the particular event; and

storing information specifying the first display location and the second display location in a template, wherein the template is useable by a scheduler to receive at least one media stream of multiple media streams associated with the particular event, to generate the first output stream for display on a first display device, and to generate the second output stream for display on a second display device.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising selecting at least one media stream to be included in the first output stream from a list of media streams associated with the particular event.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising selecting the particular event, wherein the template causes the generation of a list of media streams associated with the particular event.

25. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising:

operational instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to receive multiple video streams;

operational instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to select a video stream of the multiple video streams; and

operational instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate an output stream to be displayed on a display device, wherein a user modifiable template indicates a display region location where the selected video stream is to be displayed.