CREATING AND VIEWING CUSTOMIZED MULTIMEDIA SEGMENTS

• US 20110110646A1
• Filed: 01/15/2011
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Adam Feder, James M. Barton, Kevin P. Smith, Paul Stevens
• Inventors: Smith, Kevin P., Stevens, Paul, Feder, Adam, Barton, James M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,106,949 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/241
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/40 in video content extracting overlay text G06V20/62; video retrieval G06F16/70; processing of video elementary streams in video servers H04N21/234; processing of video elementary streams in video clients H04N21/44
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/31 using in-band signals, e.g. subsonic or cue signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• 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 21/43 Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/432 Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium, e.g. hard-disk details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• 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 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 21/8545 : for generating interactive applications
• 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 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0885 : for the transmission of subtitles

Abstract

A system for creating and viewing customized multimedia segments allows a user to create event identification data from in-band data in a program stream. The in-band data is processed and compiled into event identification data associated with the content stream. The event identification data identifies patterns or sequences of in-band data associated with events in the content stream. Metadata are also included in the event identification data. The event identification data is provided to multimedia devices which receive multimedia content streams containing content streams with in-band data. The in-band data are parsed and compared to the event identification data. If a match occurs, the multimedia device uses the metadata to identify events or perform specified actions.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving input indicating a location within a content stream, the content stream comprising in-band data;

determining one or more portions of the in-band data in vicinity of the location within the content stream;

determining at least two hash values from the one or more portions;

determining one or more time values representing a period of time between when one hash value of the at least two hash values was determined and when the other hash value of the at least two hash values was determined; and

storing location identification data comprising the at least two hash values and the one or more time values.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content stream comprises a plurality of sub-streams, one sub-stream of the plurality of sub-streams comprising the in-band data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

playing the content stream; and

determining the one or more portions of the in-band data while playing the content stream.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording the content stream; and

determining the one or more portions of the in-band data while recording the content stream.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving the input, determining a timestamp indicating the location within the content stream.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the one or more portions of the in-band data comprises determining one or more portions of the in-band data that temporally precede the location within the content stream.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the one or more time values comprises determining a time value and a time offset value for at least one hash value of the at least two hash values.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input indicating an action or event associated with the location within the content stream;

determining metadata that represents the action or event; and

storing the location identification data comprising the metadata.

9. A method comprising:

receiving input indicating a beginning location of a segment of a content stream and an end location of the segment of the content stream, the content stream comprising in-band data,

determining, as one or more beginning portions, one or more portions of the in-band data in vicinity of the beginning location within the content stream;

determining, as one or more end portions, one or more portions of the in-band data in vicinity of the end location within the content stream;

determining, as at least two beginning hash values, at least two hash values from the one or more beginning portions;

determining, as at least two end hash values, at least two hash values from the one or more end portions; and

storing segment identification data comprising the at least two beginning hash values and the at least two end hash values.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining, as one or more beginning time values, one or more time values representing a period of time between when one hash value of the at least two beginning hash values was determined and when the other hash value of the at least two beginning hash values was determined; and

determining, as one or more end time values, one or more time values representing a period of time between when one hash value of the at least two end hash values was determined and when the other hash value of the at least two end hash values was determined; and

storing the segment identification data comprising the one or more beginning time values and the one or more end time values.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving input indicating an action or event associated with the segment of the content stream;

determining metadata that represents the action or event; and

storing the segment identification data comprising the metadata.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the input indicating the action or event comprises receiving input indicating that the segment, when identified in a content stream based at least in part upon the segment identification data, should be skipped.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the input indicating the action or event comprises receiving input indicating that the segment, when identified in a content stream based at least in part upon the segment identification data, should be stored.

14. A method comprising:

receiving event identification data comprising at least two hash values and metadata associated with the at least two hash values;

determining at least two hash values from one or more portions of in-band data of a content stream;

in response to determining that the at least two hash values in the location identification data match the at least two hash values determined from the one or more portions of the in-band data of the content stream, processing the metadata.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

playing the content stream; and

determining the at least two hash values from the one or more portions of the in-band data of the content stream while playing the content stream.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

in response to determining that the at least two hash values in the location identification data match the at least two hash values determined from the one or more portions of the in-band data of the content stream, inserting tag data into the content stream at a location in the content stream in vicinity of the one or more portions of the in-band data in the content stream.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein processing the metadata comprises determining, based at least in part upon the metadata, the tag data to insert into the content stream.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising removing in-band data from the content stream.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the event identification data further comprises one or more time values representing a period of time between when one hash value of the at least two hash values in the event identification data was determined and when the other hash value of the at least two hash values in event identification data was determined.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining one or more time values representing a period of time between when one hash value of the at least two hash values determined from the one or more portions of the in-band data of the content stream was determined and when the other hash value of the at least two hash values determined from the one or more portions of the in-band data of the content stream was determined; and

processing the metadata in response to determining that one or more of the one or more time values in the location identification data match one or more of the one or more time values determined from the at least two hash values determined from the one or more portions of the in-band data of the content stream.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein processing the metadata comprises skipping playback of a segment of the content stream in vicinity of the one or more portions of the in-band data in the content stream.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein processing the metadata comprises storing a segment of the content stream in vicinity of the one or more portions of the in-band data in the content stream.

23. A device comprising one or more logic elements operable to perform:

receiving input indicating a location within a content stream, the content stream comprising in-band data;

determining one or more portions of the in-band data in vicinity of the location within the content stream;

determining at least two hash values from the one or more portions;

determining one or more time values representing a period of time between when one hash value of the at least two hash values was determined and when the other hash value of the at least two hash values was determined; and

storing location identification data comprising the at least two hash values and the one or more time values.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the content stream comprises a plurality of sub-streams, one sub-stream of the plurality of sub-streams comprising the in-band data.

25. The device of claim 23, further comprising one or more logic elements operable to perform:

playing the content stream; and

determining the one or more portions of the in-band data while playing the content stream.

26. The device of claim 23, further comprising one or more logic elements operable to perform:

recording the content stream; and

determining the one or more portions of the in-band data while recording the content stream.

27. The device of claim 23, further comprising one or more logic elements operable to perform:

in response to receiving the input, determining a timestamp indicating the location within the content stream.

28. The device of claim 23, wherein determining the one or more portions of the in-band data comprises determining one or more portions of the in-band data that temporally precede the location within the content stream.

29. The device of claim 23, wherein determining the one or more time values comprises determining a time value and a time offset value for at least one hash value of the at least two hash values.

30. The device of claim 23, further comprising one or more logic elements operable to perform:

receiving input indicating an action or event associated with the location within the content stream;

determining metadata that represents the action or event; and

storing the location identification data comprising the metadata.

31. A device comprising one or more logic elements operable to perform:

receiving input indicating a beginning location of a segment of a content stream and an end location of the segment of the content stream, the content stream comprising in-band data,

determining, as one or more beginning portions, one or more portions of the in-band data in vicinity of the beginning location within the content stream;

determining, as one or more end portions, one or more portions of the in-band data in vicinity of the end location within the content stream;

determining, as at least two beginning hash values, at least two hash values from the one or more beginning portions;

determining, as at least two end hash values, at least two hash values from the one or more end portions; and

storing segment identification data comprising the at least two beginning hash values and the at least two end hash values.

32. The device of claim 31, further comprising one or more logic elements operable to perform:

determining, as one or more beginning time values, one or more time values representing a period of time between when one hash value of the at least two beginning hash values was determined and when the other hash value of the at least two beginning hash values was determined; and

determining, as one or more end time values, one or more time values representing a period of time between when one hash value of the at least two end hash values was determined and when the other hash value of the at least two end hash values was determined; and

storing the segment identification data comprising the one or more beginning time values and the one or more end time values.

33. The device of claim 31, further comprising one or more logic elements operable to perform:

receiving input indicating an action or event associated with the segment of the content stream;

determining metadata that represents the action or event; and

storing the segment identification data comprising the metadata.

34. The device of claim 33, wherein receiving the input indicating the action or event comprises receiving input indicating that the segment, when identified in a content stream based at least in part upon the segment identification data, should be skipped.

35. The device of claim 33, wherein receiving the input indicating the action or event comprises receiving input indicating that the segment, when identified in a content stream based at least in part upon the segment identification data, should be stored.

36. A device comprising one or more logic elements operable to perform:

receiving event identification data comprising at least two hash values and metadata associated with the at least two hash values;

determining at least two hash values from one or more portions of in-band data of a content stream;

in response to determining that the at least two hash values in the location identification data match the at least two hash values determined from the one or more portions of the in-band data of the content stream, processing the metadata.

37. The device of claim 36, further comprising one or more logic elements operable to perform:

playing the content stream; and

determining the at least two hash values from the one or more portions of the in-band data of the content stream while playing the content stream.

38. The device of claim 36, further comprising one or more logic elements operable to perform:

in response to determining that the at least two hash values in the location identification data match the at least two hash values determined from the one or more portions of the in-band data of the content stream, inserting tag data into the content stream at a location in the content stream in vicinity of the one or more portions of the in-band data in the content stream.

39. The device of claim 38, wherein processing the metadata comprises determining, based at least in part upon the metadata, the tag data to insert into the content stream.

40. The device of claim 38, further comprising one or more logic elements operable to perform removing in-band data from the content stream.

41. The device of claim 36, wherein the event identification data further comprises one or more time values representing a period of time between when one hash value of the at least two hash values in the event identification data was determined and when the other hash value of the at least two hash values in event identification data was determined.

42. The device of claim 41, further comprising one or more logic elements operable to perform:

determining one or more time values representing a period of time between when one hash value of the at least two hash values determined from the one or more portions of the in-band data of the content stream was determined and when the other hash value of the at least two hash values determined from the one or more portions of the in-band data of the content stream was determined; and

processing the metadata in response to determining that one or more of the one or more time values in the location identification data match one or more of the one or more time values determined from the at least two hash values determined from the one or more portions of the in-band data of the content stream.

43. The device of claim 36, wherein processing the metadata comprises skipping playback of a segment of the content stream in vicinity of the one or more portions of the in-band data in the content stream.

44. The device of claim 36, wherein processing the metadata comprises storing a segment of the content stream in vicinity of the one or more portions of the in-band data in the content stream.

45. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions thereon implementing a method comprising:

receiving input indicating a location within a content stream, the content stream comprising in-band data;

determining one or more portions of the in-band data in vicinity of the location within the content stream;

determining at least two hash values from the one or more portions;

determining one or more time values representing a period of time between when one hash value of the at least two hash values was determined and when the other hash value of the at least two hash values was determined; and

storing location identification data comprising the at least two hash values and the one or more time values.

46. The medium of claim 45, wherein the content stream comprises a plurality of sub-streams, one sub-stream of the plurality of sub-streams comprising the in-band data.

47. The medium of claim 45, further comprising:

playing the content stream; and

determining the one or more portions of the in-band data while playing the content stream.

48. The medium of claim 45, further comprising:

recording the content stream; and

determining the one or more portions of the in-band data while recording the content stream.

49. The medium of claim 45, further comprising:

in response to receiving the input, determining a timestamp indicating the location within the content stream.

50. The medium of claim 45, wherein determining the one or more portions of the in-band data comprises determining one or more portions of the in-band data that temporally precede the location within the content stream.

51. The medium of claim 45, wherein determining the one or more time values comprises determining a time value and a time offset value for at least one hash value of the at least two hash values.

52. The medium of claim 45, further comprising:

receiving input indicating an action or event associated with the location within the content stream;

determining metadata that represents the action or event; and

storing the location identification data comprising the metadata.

53. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions thereon implementing a method comprising:

receiving input indicating a beginning location of a segment of a content stream and an end location of the segment of the content stream, the content stream comprising in-band data,

determining, as one or more beginning portions, one or more portions of the in-band data in vicinity of the beginning location within the content stream;

determining, as one or more end portions, one or more portions of the in-band data in vicinity of the end location within the content stream;

determining, as at least two beginning hash values, at least two hash values from the one or more beginning portions;

determining, as at least two end hash values, at least two hash values from the one or more end portions; and

storing segment identification data comprising the at least two beginning hash values and the at least two end hash values.

54. The medium of claim 53, further comprising:

determining, as one or more beginning time values, one or more time values representing a period of time between when one hash value of the at least two beginning hash values was determined and when the other hash value of the at least two beginning hash values was determined; and

determining, as one or more end time values, one or more time values representing a period of time between when one hash value of the at least two end hash values was determined and when the other hash value of the at least two end hash values was determined; and

storing the segment identification data comprising the one or more beginning time values and the one or more end time values.

55. The medium of claim 53, further comprising:

receiving input indicating an action or event associated with the segment of the content stream;

determining metadata that represents the action or event; and

storing the segment identification data comprising the metadata.

56. The medium of claim 56, wherein receiving the input indicating the action or event comprises receiving input indicating that the segment, when identified in a content stream based at least in part upon the segment identification data, should be skipped.

57. The medium of claim 56, wherein receiving the input indicating the action or event comprises receiving input indicating that the segment, when identified in a content stream based at least in part upon the segment identification data, should be stored.

58. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions thereof implementing a method comprising:

receiving event identification data comprising at least two hash values and metadata associated with the at least two hash values;

determining at least two hash values from one or more portions of in-band data of a content stream;

in response to determining that the at least two hash values in the location identification data match the at least two hash values determined from the one or more portions of the in-band data of the content stream, processing the metadata.

59. The medium of claim 58, further comprising:

playing the content stream; and

determining the at least two hash values from the one or more portions of the in-band data of the content stream while playing the content stream.

60. The medium of claim 58, further comprising:

in response to determining that the at least two hash values in the location identification data match the at least two hash values determined from the one or more portions of the in-band data of the content stream, inserting tag data into the content stream at a location in the content stream in vicinity of the one or more portions of the in-band data in the content stream.

61. The medium of claim 60, wherein processing the metadata comprises determining, based at least in part upon the metadata, the tag data to insert into the content stream.

62. The medium of claim 60, further comprising removing in-band data from the content stream.

63. The medium of claim 58, wherein the event identification data further comprises one or more time values representing a period of time between when one hash value of the at least two hash values in the event identification data was determined and when the other hash value of the at least two hash values in event identification data was determined.

64. The medium of claim 63, further comprising:

determining one or more time values representing a period of time between when one hash value of the at least two hash values determined from the one or more portions of the in-band data of the content stream was determined and when the other hash value of the at least two hash values determined from the one or more portions of the in-band data of the content stream was determined; and

processing the metadata in response to determining that one or more of the one or more time values in the location identification data match one or more of the one or more time values determined from the at least two hash values determined from the one or more portions of the in-band data of the content stream.

65. The medium of claim 58, wherein processing the metadata comprises skipping playback of a segment of the content stream in vicinity of the one or more portions of the in-band data in the content stream.

66. The medium of claim 58, wherein processing the metadata comprises storing a segment of the content stream in vicinity of the one or more portions of the in-band data in the content stream.