VIDEO PRESENTATION INTERFACE WITH ENHANCED NAVIGATION FEATURES

• US 20140123160A1
• Filed: 10/24/2013
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bart Pe Van Coppenolle, Philip W.J. Vandormael
• Original Assignee: Bart Pe Van Coppenolle, Philip W.J. Vandormael
• Inventors: van Coppenolle, Bart P.E., Vandormael, Philip W.J.
• Application Number:
  US14/062,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20140123160A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1467 involving prepayment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/108 when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23412 for generating or manipulating the scene composition of objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A system and technique for simultaneously presenting multiple, content object data streams on a user interface in a manner which encourages multidimensional browsing using directional navigation commands from a traditional remote control allows a viewer to select from live broadcast content, previously recorded content, and content which has yet to be recorded. According to another aspect of the disclosure, a viewer may view in a time shifted manner, not only previously recorded content, but any advertisements or commercials contained in, including possibly skipping an advertisement, if the profile associated with the viewer has earned enough viewing credit to perform such activity.

Claims

1. A method for selectively navigating advertisement content in a video stream of a content object comprising:

A) maintaining, in a computer memory, a viewer profile having associated therewith an account balance representing value to a viewer;

B) receiving, from the viewer, a command instruction to perform a navigation activity other than viewing an advertisement content section in a video stream of a content object;

C) determining if the account balance associated with the viewer profile is within an acceptable range of a predetermined threshold value; and

D) enabling execution of the command instruction to perform the navigation activity if the account balance is within an acceptable range of the predetermined threshold value, else preventing execution of the command instruction.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

E) modifying the account balance associated with the viewer profile if execution of the command instruction was enabled.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein E) comprises:

E1) debiting the account balance associated with the viewer profile.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the value of the account balance associated with the viewer profile represents a time quantity and wherein E1) comprises:

E1a) debiting the value of the account balance by an amount equal to viewing time duration of the advertisement content section.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

E) modifying the account balance associated with the viewer profile if the advertisement content section is video streamed.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein E) comprises:

E1) crediting the value of the account balance associated with the viewer profile.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the value of the account balance associated with the viewer profile represents a time quantity and wherein E1) comprises:

E1a) crediting the value of the account balance by an amount equal to viewing time duration of the advertising content section.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the advertising content section was not originally part of the content object and wherein E1) comprises:

E1a) crediting the value of the account balance by an amount equal to viewing time duration of the advertisement content section multiplied by a scaling factor of greater than one.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the account balance associated with the viewer profile is further associated with a content channel.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the account balance associated with the viewer profile is further associated with a plurality of content channels.

11. A system for selectively navigating advertisement content in a content object comprising:

a video display;

a video playback engine responsive to viewer navigation commands for streaming video to the video display;

a memory for storing a viewer profile having associated therewith an account balance representing value to a viewer;

a processor operatively coupled with the memory and video playback engine and configured to;

i) maintain, in the memory, the viewer profile having and the associated account balance,

ii) receive, from the viewer, a command instruction to perform a navigation activity other than viewing an advertisement content section in a video stream of a content object,

iii) determine if the account balance associated with the viewer profile is within an acceptable range of a predetermined threshold value, and

iv) enable execution of the command instruction to perform the navigation activity if the account balance is within an acceptable range of the predetermined threshold value, else preventing execution of the command instruction.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the value of the account balance associated with the viewer profile represents a time quantity and wherein the processor is further configured to:

v) debit the value of the account balance by an amount equal to viewing time duration of the advertisement content section.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the value of the account balance associated with the viewer profile represents a time quantity and wherein the processor is further configured to:

v) credit the value of the account balance by an amount equal to viewing time duration of the advertisement content section, if the advertisement content section is video streamed by the video playback engine to the video display.