SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR LINKING MEDIA CONTENT

• US 20100192188A1
• Filed: 01/26/2009
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sling Media LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sling Media Incorporated (Dish Network Corporation)
• Inventors: Rao, Padmanabha R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,438,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/91
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for presenting a plurality of media clips to a viewer using a media player device. A first media clip is displayed on the media player, and an indicator corresponding to a second media clip is provided during playback of the first media clip. In response to the viewer selecting the indicator, playback of the first media clip is suspended, and information is stored about the first media clip on the media player device. The second media clip can then be subsequently displaying on the media player device. After displaying the second media clip, the stored information can be retrieved, and playback of the first media clip can resume from the point that playback was previously interrupted.

Claims

1. A method for presenting a plurality of media clips to a viewer using a media player device, the method comprising:

displaying a first one of the plurality of media clips on the media player device;

during playback of one the first one of the plurality of media clips, providing an indicator corresponding to a second one of the plurality of media clips on the media player device; and

in response to the viewer selecting the indicator, suspending playback of the first one of the plurality of media clips, storing information about the first one of the plurality of media clips on the media player device, and subsequently displaying the second one of the plurality of media clips on the media player device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising subsequently retrieving the information about the first one of the plurality of media clips and displaying the first one of the plurality of media clips based upon the retrieved information.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the information about the first one of the plurality of media clips comprises a time indicator corresponding to a point in the first one of the plurality of media clips when playback was suspended.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the information about the first one of the plurality of media clips comprises at least a portion of a time shift buffer associated with the first one of the plurality of media clips.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the information about the first one of the plurality of media clips comprises contextual information about the first one of the plurality of media clips.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the indicator is provided only during a portion of the playback of the first one of the plurality of media clips.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the second one of the plurality of media clips is selected based upon the content of the first one of the plurality of media clips during the portion of the playback that the indicator is provided.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying time shift imagery on the media player device that corresponds to a time shift buffer that is navigable by the viewer to play a portion of the first one of the plurality of media clips.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the indicator is provided proximate the time shift imagery when content of the first one of the plurality of media clips corresponds to the content of the second one of the plurality of media clips.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the information stored about the first one of the plurality of media clips comprises the contents of the time shift buffer.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising restoring the contents of the time shift buffer to thereby resume playing of the first one of the plurality of media clips.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the contents of the time shift buffer are restored in response to a viewer selection of a second indicator displayed with the second one of the plurality of media clips.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising processing metadata associated with the first one of the plurality of media clips, wherein the metadata comprises identification information about the second one of the plurality of media clips.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the identification information comprises the indicator.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the identification information comprises timing information that identifies a portion of the first one of the plurality of media clips when the indicator is visible to the viewer.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the identification information comprises the indicator, timing information that identifies a portion of the first one of the plurality of media clips when the indicator is visible to the viewer, and linking information identifying a location of the second one of the plurality of media clips.

17. A system for presenting a plurality of media clips to a viewer, the system comprising:

means for displaying a first one of the plurality of media clips and for providing an indicator corresponding to a second one of the plurality of media clips on the media player device during playback of one the first one of the plurality of media clips;

means for receiving a viewer input corresponding to the indicator from the viewer; and

means for processing playback of the plurality of media clips, the controlling means comprising means for suspending playback of the first one of the plurality of media clips and for subsequently directing the display of the second one of the plurality of media clips on the media player device in response to the viewer input corresponding to the indicator; and

means for storing information about the first one of the plurality of media clips on the media player device while the second one of the plurality of video clips is being displayed.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the processing means is further configured to subsequently retrieve the information about the first one of the plurality of media clips and to play the first one of the plurality of media clips based upon the retrieved information.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the processing means is further configured to direct the display of time shift imagery on the displaying means, wherein the time shift imagery corresponds to a time shift buffer that is navigable by the viewer to play a portion of the first one of the plurality of media clips.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the processing means is further configured to provide the indicator proximate the time shift imagery when content of the first one of the plurality of media clips corresponds to content of the second one of the plurality of media clips.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the information stored about the first one of the plurality of video clips comprises the contents of the time shift buffer.

22. A device for presenting a plurality of media clips to a viewer, the device comprising:

a display;

a digital storage medium;

a user interface configured to accept inputs from the viewer; and

a processor configured to present a first one of the plurality of media clips to the viewer on the display and to provide an indicator corresponding to a second one of the plurality of media clips on the media player device during playback of the first one of the plurality of media clips, and, in response to the inputs from the viewer indicating a selection of the indicator, to suspend playback of the first one of the plurality of media clips, to store information about the first one of the plurality of media clips on the digital storage medium and to subsequently present the second one of the plurality of media clips on the display.

23. The device of claim 22 wherein the processor is further configured to subsequently retrieve the stored information about the first one of the plurality of media clips and to play the first one of the plurality of media clips based upon the retrieved information.

24. The device of claim 22 wherein the processor is further configured to direct the display of time shift imagery on the display, wherein the time shift imagery corresponds to a time shift buffer in the digital storage medium that is navigable by the viewer to play a portion of the first one of the plurality of media clips.

25. The device of claim 24 wherein the processor is further configured to provide the indicator proximate the time shift imagery when content of the first one of the plurality of media clips corresponds to content of the second one of the plurality of media clips.

26. The device of claim 24 wherein the information stored about the first one of the plurality of media clips comprises the contents of the time shift buffer.

27. The device of claim 26 wherein the processor is further configured to restore the contents of the time shift buffer to thereby resume playing of the first one of the plurality of media clips.

28. The device of claim 22 wherein the processor is further configured to process metadata associated with the first one of the plurality of media clips, wherein the metadata comprises identification information about the second one of the plurality of media clips.

29. The device of claim 28 wherein the identification information comprises the indicator, timing information that identifies a portion of the first one of the plurality of media clips when the indicator is visible to the viewer, and linking information identifying a location of the second one of the plurality of media clips.