APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING INFORMATION IN CONJUNCTION WITH MEDIA CONTENT

• US 20120291074A1
• Filed: 05/13/2012
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interactive Wearables, LLC (General Patent Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Poltorak Media LLC (General Patent Corporation)
• Inventors: Poltorak, Alexander I.
• Granted Patent: US 8,826,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/68
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/107 of operating tapes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• 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 21/4622 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 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• 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 21/845 Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/60 for the sound signals

Abstract

An apparatus and method for providing information in conjunction with media content, including a receiver, wherein the receiver receives at least one of a transmission of media content and a broadcast of media content, wherein the media content includes at least one of broadcast media content and entertainment media content, and further wherein the receiver receives information regarding the media content, a processor for processing at least one of the received media content and the received information regarding the media content, a display device for visually displaying the information regarding the media content, and/or a speaker device for audibly announcing the information regarding the media content.

Claims

1. A content player, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive media content and to receive information regarding the media content together with the media content, the information regarding the media content comprising a plot synopsis of the media content and a synopsis of transpired events in the media content;

a processor coupled to the receiver, the processor being configured to process the media content and the information regarding the media content;

media-playing device equipment coupled to the processor, the media-playing device equipment being configured to provide the media content to a user of the content player, the media-playing device equipment comprising a display device;

wherein the content player is configured to display on the display device at least a portion of the information regarding the media content received by the receiver, the portion of the information comprising the plot synopsis of the media content and the synopsis of transpired events in the media content.

2. A content player according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the information regarding the media content further comprises a start time of the media content, an end time of the media content, and a lapsed time of the media content.

3. A content player according to claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises a player configured to receive the media content from tape.

4. A content player according to claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises a player configured to receive the media content from optical storage media.

5. A content player according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the media content as compressed digital content.

6. A content player according to claim 5, wherein the receiver is configured to receive wirelessly the media content and the information regarding the media content.

7. A content player according to claim 5, wherein the receiver is configured to receive a wireless broadcast of the media content and the information regarding the media content.

8. A content player according to claim 5, wherein the receiver is configured to receive a wireless broadcast of the media content and the information regarding the media content, the wireless broadcast being selected from the group consisting of a radio broadcast and a television broadcast.

9. A content player according to claim 5, wherein the receiver comprises a satellite receiver configured to receive a satellite broadcast comprising the media content and the information regarding the media content.

10. A content player according to claim 1, wherein the information regarding the media content comprises price of the media content.

11. A content player according to claim 1, wherein the information regarding the media content comprises product information regarding at least one of a good and a service, and the portion of the information regarding the media content displayed on the display device comprises the product information.

12. A content player according to claim 1, wherein the information regarding the media content is at least one of transmitted as a header file to the media content, encoded into at least a portion of the media content, and transmitted during at least a portion of a transmission of the media content.

13. A content player according to claim 1, wherein the content player is configured to display the portion of the information regarding the media content during at least a portion of time when the content player plays the media content.

14. A content player according to claim 1, wherein the media-playing device equipment is configured to provide the media content to the user by displaying the media content on the display device.

15. A content player according to claim 1, wherein the content player is configured to display on the display device a lapsed time of the media content as a percentage of total duration of the media content.

16. A content player according to claim 1, wherein the media-playing device equipment further comprises an audio device configured to an play audio portion of the media content.

17. A content player according to claim 1, wherein the media-playing device equipment further comprises an audio device configured to announce audibly the information regarding the media content.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a content player according to claim 1; and

a remote control configured to input commands into the content player.

21. A method according to claim 18, wherein the step of receiving comprises receiving the media content from tape.

19. A method of providing content, the method comprising steps of:

receiving media content at a content player;

receiving at the content player information regarding the media content together with the media content, the information regarding the media content comprising a plot synopsis of the media content and a synopsis of transpired events in the media content;

providing the media content received in the step of receiving to a user through the content player;

displaying on a display device of the content player at least a portion of the information regarding the media content received in the step of receiving, the portion of the information comprising the plot synopsis of the media content and the synopsis of transpired events in the media content.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the portion of the information regarding the media content further comprises a start time of the media content, an end time of the media content, and a lapsed time of the media content.

22. A method according to claim 19, wherein the step of receiving comprises receiving the media content from optical storage media.

23. A method according to claim 19, wherein the step of receiving comprises receiving the media content as compressed digital content;

the method further comprises processing the compressed digital content using a processor of the content player to obtain processed content; and

the step of providing comprises playing the processed content.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein the step of receiving comprises receiving wirelessly the media content and the information regarding the media content.

25. A method according to claim 23, wherein the step of receiving comprises receiving wirelessly a broadcast of the media content and of the information regarding the media content.

26. A method according to claim 23, wherein the step of receiving comprises receiving wirelessly a broadcast of the media content and of the information regarding the media content, the broadcast being selected from the group consisting of a radio broadcast and a television broadcast.

27. A method according to claim 23, wherein the step of receiving comprises receiving a satellite broadcast comprising the media content and the information regarding the media content.

28. A method according to claim 19, wherein the information regarding the media content comprises price of the media content.

29. A method according to claim 19, wherein the information regarding the media content comprises product information regarding at least one of a good and a service, and the portion of the information regarding the media content displayed on the display device comprises the product information.

30. A method according to claim 19, wherein the information regarding the media content is at least one of transmitted as a header file to the media content, encoded into at least a portion of the media content, and transmitted during at least a portion of a transmission of the media content.

31. A method according to claim 19, wherein the step of displaying is performed during the step of providing.

32. A method according to claim 19, wherein the step of providing comprises displaying the media content on the display device.

33. A method according to claim 19, wherein the step of displaying comprises showing on the display device a lapsed time of the media content as a percentage of total duration of the media content.

34. A method according to claim 19, wherein the step of providing comprises reproducing audio of the media content through an audio device of the content player.

35. A method according to claim 19, further comprising:

receiving commands for the content player through a remote control of the content player.

36. A method of providing content, the method comprising steps of:

receiving media content at a content player;

receiving at the content player information regarding the media content together with the media content, the information regarding the media content comprising a plot synopsis of the media content and a synopsis of transpired events in the media content;

providing the media content received in the step of receiving to a user through the content player;

announcing through an audio device of the content player at least a portion of the information regarding the media content received in the step of receiving, said at least portion of the media content comprising the plot synopsis of the media content and the synopsis of transpired events in the media content.