USER CONTROLLED MULTI-DEVICE MEDIA-ON-DEMAND SYSTEM

• US 20160119683A1
• Filed: 01/07/2016
• Published: 04/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Katz, Neil, Semple, Bruce P., Stern, Edith H., Willner, Barry E.
• Application Number:
  US14/990,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20160119683A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23109 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• 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 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method for providing configurable access to media in a media-on-demand system also can include delivering the media to a first client device in a format compatible with the first client device; interrupting the delivery of the media; recording a bookmark specifying a position in the media where the interruption occurred; and resuming delivery of the media to a second client device, the resumed delivery beginning at a position in the media specified by the recorded bookmark. The method further can include identifying device properties for each of the first and second client devices; delivering the media to the first client device in a format compatible with the identified device properties for the first client device; and, delivering the media to the second client device in a format compatible with the identified device properties for the second client device.

Claims

1-27. -27. (canceled)

28. A system for resuming transmission, to a device, from a point preceding a point in the video at which the video was paused at another device, the system comprising:

a first video receiving device configured to;

transmit a first request for a video, wherein the first request comprises a user identifier;

cause the video to be displayed; and

transmit a second request to pause the video at a pause point in the video;

a second video receiving device configured to;

transmit a third request to resume the video from the pause point; and

cause the video to be displayed;

a media-on-demand server configured to;

receive, from the first video receiving device, the first request for the video;

receive, from the first video receiving device, the second request to pause the video;

calculate a time code by subtracting a time offset from the pause point such that the calculated time code precedes the pause point;

transform a data structure associated with the user identifier to include an identifier of the video and the calculated time code;

receive, from the second video receiving device, the third request to resume the video from the pause point;

based on the third request, retrieve, from a memory, the data structure associated with the user identifier;

identify, based on the time code in the data structure, a resume point in the video; and

transmit the video, beginning from the resume point, to the second video receiving device.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the time offset is a set time offset.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein calculating the time code comprises subtracting the set time offset from the pause point.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the time offset is a variable time offset.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the media-on-demand server is further configured to calculate the variable time offset based on a transitory delay of the second request between the first video receiving device and the media-on-demand server.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein calculating the time code comprises subtracting the calculated variable time offset from the pause point.

34. The system of claim 28, wherein the data structure is a first data structure, wherein the calculated time code is a first time code, further comprising:

a second server configured to store a second data structure associated with the user identifier, wherein the second data structure includes a second identifier of the video and a second time code.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the second video receiving device is further configured to:

compare the first time code to the second time code;

determine that the first time code is different from the second time code; and

based on determining that the first time code is different from the second time code, provide an option to select which of the first time code and the second time code is a correct time code.

36. A system for resuming transmission, to a device, from a point preceding a point in the video at which the video was paused at another device, the system comprising:

a first video receiving device configured to;

transmit a first request for a video, wherein the first request comprises user identifier;

cause the video to be displayed; and

transmit a second request to pause the video at a pause point in the video;

a second video receiving device configured to;

transmit a third request to resume the video from the pause point, wherein the third request; and

cause the video to be displayed;

a media-on-demand server configured to;

receive, from the first video receiving device, the first request for the video;

receive, from the first video receiving device, the second request to pause the video;

transform a data structure associated with the user identifier to include an identifier of the video and a time code associated with the pause point;

receive, from the second video receiving device, the third request to resume the video from the pause point;

based on the third request, retrieve the data structure associated with the user identifier;

identify the time code in the data structure;

calculate a resumption point by subtracting a time offset from the time code; and

transmit the video, beginning from the resumption point, to the second video receiving device.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the time offset is a set time offset.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein calculating the resumption point comprises subtracting the set time offset from the time code.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein the time offset is a variable time offset.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the media-on-demand server is further configured to calculate the variable time offset based on a transitory delay of the second request between the first video receiving device and the media-on-demand server.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein calculating the resumption point comprises subtracting the calculated variable time offset from the time code.

42. The system of claim 36, wherein the data structure is a first data structure, wherein the time code is a first time code, further comprising:

a second server configured to store a second data structure associated with the user identifier, wherein the second data structure includes a second identifier of the video and a second time code.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the second video receiving device is further configured to:

compare the first time code to the second time code;

determine that the first time code is different from the second time code; and

based on determining that the first time code is different from the second time code, provide an option to select which of the first time code and the second time code is a correct time code.

44. A method for resuming transmission, to a device, from a point preceding a point in the video at which the video was paused at another device, the method comprising:

receiving, at a media-on-demand server, from a first video receiving device, a first request for the video, wherein the first request comprises a user identifier;

transmitting, from the media-on-demand server, the video for display on a display screen coupled to the first video receiving device;

receiving, at the media-on-demand server, from the first video receiving device, a second request to pause the video at a pause point in the video;

calculating a time code by subtracting a time offset from the pause point such that the calculated time code precedes the pause point;

transforming a data structure associated with the user identifier to include an identifier of the video and the calculated time code;

receiving, at the media-on-demand server, from a second video receiving device, a third request to resume the video from the pause point;

based on the third request, retrieving, from a memory, the data structure associated with the user identifier;

identifying, based on the time code in the data structure, a resume point in the video; and

transmitting the video, beginning from the resume point, from the media-on-demand server to the second video receiving device.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the time offset is a set time offset, wherein calculating the time code comprises subtracting the set time offset from the pause point.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the time offset is a variable time offset.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising calculating the variable time offset based on a transitory delay of the second request between the first video receiving device and the media-on-demand server.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein calculating the time code comprises subtracting the calculated variable time offset from the pause point.

49. The method of claim 44, wherein the data structure is a first data structure, wherein the calculated time code is a first time code, further comprising:

storing, at a second server, a second data structure associated with the user identifier, wherein the second data structure includes a second identifier of the video and a second time code.

50. The method of claim 49, further comprising:

comparing the first time code to the second time code;

determining that the first time code is different from the second time code; and

based on determining that the first time code is different from the second time code, causing an option to be provided at the second video receiving device, wherein the option allows the user to select which of the first time code and the second time code is a correct time code.

51. A method for resuming transmission, to a device, from a point preceding a point in the video at which the video was paused at another device, the method comprising:

receiving, at a media-on-demand server, from a first video receiving device, a first request for the video, wherein the first request comprises a user identifier;

transmitting, from the media-on-demand server, the video for display on a display screen coupled to the first video receiving device;

receiving, at the media-on-demand server, from the first video receiving device, a second request to pause the video at a pause point in the video;

transforming a data structure associated with the user identifier to include an identifier of the video and a time code associated with the pause point;

receiving, at the media-on-demand server, from a second video receiving device, a third request to resume the video from the pause point;

based on the third request, retrieving, from a memory, the data structure associated with the user identifier;

identifying the time code in the data structure;

calculating a resumption point by subtracting a time offset from the time code; and

transmitting the video, beginning from the resumption point, to the second video receiving device.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the time offset is a set time offset, wherein calculating the resumption point comprises subtracting the set time offset from the time code.

53. The method of claim 51, wherein the time offset is a variable time offset.

54. The method of claim 53, further comprising calculating the variable time offset based on a transitory delay of the second request between the first video receiving device and the media-on-demand server.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein calculating the resumption point comprises subtracting the calculated variable time offset from the time code.

56. The method of claim 51, wherein the data structure is a first data structure, wherein the calculated time code is a first time code, further comprising:

storing, at a second server, a second data structure associated with the user identifier, wherein the second data structure includes a second identifier of the video and a second time code.

57. The method of claim 56, further comprising:

comparing the first time code to the second time code;

determining that the first time code is different from the second time code; and

based on determining that the first time code is different from the second time code, causing an option to be provided at the second video receiving device, wherein the option allows the user to select which of the first time code and the second time code is a correct time code.