METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY ASSOCIATING MEDIA SEGMENTS WITH BROADCAST MEDIA STREAMS

• US 20120331169A1
• Filed: 06/22/2012
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tout
• Original Assignee: Tout
• Inventors: MCINTIRE, JOHN P., Downing, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,681,160 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/278 Content descriptor database or directory service for end-user access details of content or meta data based information retrieval of video data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• 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 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

A method for creating a compound media stream includes obtaining a first media segment, obtaining a first matching criterion, and automatically associating the first media segment with an existing media stream to produce the compound media stream.

Claims

1. A method for creating a compound media stream, the method comprising:

obtaining a first media segment;

obtaining a first matching criterion; and

automatically associating the first media segment with an existing media stream to produce the compound media stream.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the existing media stream is longer in duration than the first media segment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the existing media stream is obtained from a media broadcaster.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the existing media stream is a news broadcast.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the news broadcast includes live footage of an event.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first media segment is a video recorded by an attendee of the event, wherein the attendee is a person other than the media broadcaster.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

delivering the compound media stream to a source of the existing media stream for distribution to consumers.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a duration of the first media segment is less than a defined maximum length.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first matching criterion is explicitly obtained from a user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first matching criterion is inferred from metadata associated with at least one of the first media segment and the existing media stream.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first matching criterion specifies a keyword associated with the first media segment and the existing media stream.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the keyword describes a content of the first media segment and the existing media stream.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first matching criterion specifies a time period during which the first media segment and the existing media stream are created.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first matching criterion specifies a time period during which the first media segment and the existing media stream are received.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first matching criterion specifies a time period during which the first media segment and the existing media stream are created.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the matching criterion is obtained from a source of at least one of the first media segment and the existing media stream.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the matching criterion is obtained from a request received from a user who wishes to access the compound media stream.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding related content other than the first media segment and the existing media stream to the compound media stream prior to distributing the compound media stream.

19. A tangible computer readable medium containing an executable program for creating a compound media stream, where the program performs operations comprising:

obtaining a first media segment;

obtaining a first matching criterion; and

automatically associating the first media segment with an existing media stream to produce the compound media stream.

20. A system for creating a compound media stream, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable medium containing an executable program that causes the processor to perform operations comprising;

obtaining a first media segment;

obtaining a first matching criterion; and

automatically associating the first media segment with an existing media stream to produce the compound media stream.