BOOKMARKING MEDIA PROGRAMS FOR SUBSEQUENT VIEWING

• US 20120093482A1
• Filed: 03/29/2011
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Wei, Eugene Chuan-Huai, Zheng, Hua, Sargent, Peter E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,693,844 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/241
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/237 Communication with additional data server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2408 Monitoring of the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. client requests monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/40 Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
• 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 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44226 on social networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/79 Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording

Abstract

A method, system, apparatus, and computer program product provide the ability to bookmark a media program for subsequent viewing. A first interface is displayed and identifies a first media program. Via the first interface, a user requests that the first media program be recorded as a bookmark in a list of maintained bookmarks. The list of bookmarks is displayed. A user selects one of the bookmarks from the list and in response, the first media program is displayed to the first viewer.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for bookmarking a media program for subsequent viewing, comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying a first interface that identifies a first media program;

(b) accepting, via the first interface, input from a first viewer requesting that the first media program be recorded as a bookmark in a list of one or more maintained bookmarks, wherein the list of one or more maintained bookmarks identifies corresponding one or more media programs for subsequent viewing by the first viewer;

(c) displaying the list of the one or more maintained bookmarks;

(d) accepting input from the first viewer selecting the bookmark in the list; and

(e) in response to the selecting, displaying the first media program to the first viewer.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first interface identifies the first media program via a recommended media program advertisement trailer.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the recommended media program advertisement trailer is based on information regarding the first viewer.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first interface is displayed during an advertising break of a playing media program.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the list of one or more bookmarks comprise one or more bookmarks that have been added to the list by the first viewer.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first interface comprises a search result interface that displays results for a search of media programs.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first interface is displayed on a cellular phone.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first interface is displayed via a social networking application.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the list of the one or more maintained bookmarks is sorted based on a profile of the first viewer.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the list is maintained on a server across a network from a media program player application.

11. A system for bookmarking a media program for subsequent viewing in a computer system comprising:

(a) a computer having a memory; and

(b) a media program player executing on the computer, wherein the media program player is configured to;

(a) display a first interface that identifies a first media program;

(b) accept, via the first interface, input from a first viewer requesting that the first media program be recorded as a bookmark in a list of one or more maintained bookmarks, wherein the list of one or more maintained bookmarks identifies corresponding one or more media programs for subsequent viewing by the first viewer;

(c) display the list of the one or more maintained bookmarks;

(d) accept input from the first viewer selecting the bookmark in the list; and

(e) in response to the selecting, displaying the first media program to the first viewer.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first interface identifies the first media program via a recommended media program advertisement trailer.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the recommended media program advertisement trailer is based on information regarding the first viewer.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the first interface is displayed during an advertising break of a playing media program.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the list of one or more bookmarks comprise one or more bookmarks that have been added to the list by the first viewer.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the first interface comprises a search result interface that displays results for a search of media programs.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the first interface is displayed via a social networking application.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the list of the one or more maintained bookmarks is sorted based on a profile of the first viewer.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the list is maintained on a server across a network from the media program player.

20. A computer-implemented method for bookmarking a media program for subsequent viewing, comprising the steps of:

(a) maintaining a list of one or more maintained bookmarks, wherein the list of one or more maintained bookmarks identifies corresponding one or more media programs for subsequent viewing by a first viewer;

(b) receiving request input from a first viewer requesting that a first media program be recorded as a bookmark in the list of one or more maintained bookmarks

(c) transmitting the list of the one or more maintained bookmarks for display;

(d) receiving select input from the first viewer selecting the bookmark in the list; and

(e) in response to the selecting, enabling the first media program to be displayed to the first viewer.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, further comprising:

transmitting a recommended media program advertisement trailer, wherein the input requesting that the first media program be recorded as a bookmark is received via an interface displayed with the recommended media program advertisement trailer.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the recommended media program advertisement trailer is based on information regarding the first viewer.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the recommended media program advertisement trailer is displayed during an advertising break of a playing media program.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, wherein the list of one or more bookmarks comprise one or more bookmarks that have been added to the list by the first viewer.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving a search request from the first viewer for media programs; and

in response to the search request, transmitting a search result that is displayed to the first viewer, wherein the search result includes an identification of the first media program.

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, wherein the request input and select input are received from a cellular phone.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, wherein the request input and selected input are received via a social networking application.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, wherein the list of the one or more maintained bookmarks is sorted based on a profile of the first viewer.

29. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, wherein the list is maintained on a server across a network from a media program player application.

31. The system of claim 20, wherein the bookmark maintenance engine is further configured to:

transmit a recommended media program advertisement trailer, wherein the input requesting that the first media program be recorded as a bookmark is received via an interface displayed with the recommended media program advertisement trailer.

32. The system of claim 21, wherein the recommended media program advertisement trailer is based on information regarding the first viewer.

33. The system of claim 21, wherein the recommended media program advertisement trailer is displayed during an advertising break of a playing media program.

34. The system of claim 20, wherein the list of one or more bookmarks comprise one or more bookmarks that have been added to the list by the first viewer.

35. The system of claim 20, wherein the bookmark maintenance engine is further configured to:

receive a search request from the first viewer for media programs; and

in response to the search request, transmit a search result that is displayed to the first viewer, wherein the search result includes an identification of the first media program.

36. The system of claim 20, wherein the request input and select input are received from a cellular phone.

37. The system of claim 20, wherein the request input and select input are received via a social networking application.

38. The system of claim 20, wherein the list of the one or more maintained bookmarks is sorted based on a profile of the first viewer.

39. The system of claim 20, wherein the list is maintained on a server across a network from a media program player application.

30. A system for bookmarking a media program for subsequent viewing in a computer system comprising:

(a) a computer having a memory; and

(b) a bookmark maintenance engine executing on the computer, wherein the bookmark maintenance engine is configured to;

(a) maintain a list of one or more maintained bookmarks, wherein the list of one or more maintained bookmarks identifies corresponding one or more media programs for subsequent viewing by a first viewer;

(b) receive request input from a first viewer requesting that a first media program be recorded as a bookmark in the list of one or more maintained bookmarks

(c) transmit the list of the one or more maintained bookmarks for display;

(d) receive select input from the first viewer selecting the bookmark in the list; and

(e) in response to the receipt of the select input, enable the first media program to be displayed to the first viewer.