Content map for seamlessly skipping a retrieval of a segment of a video

• US 5,724,472 A
• Filed: 05/01/1995
• Issued: 03/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissim Corp.
• Original Assignee: Nissim Corp.
• Inventors: Abecassis, Max
• Primary Examiner(s): Chevalier, Robert
• Application Number:
  US08/432,507
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 358/335, 358/342, 358/310, 360/33.1, 360/13, 360/14.1, 360/14.2, 360/14.3, 360/27, 348/6, 348/7, 348/12, 348/13
• US Class Current: 386/290
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/02 Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/022 Control panels
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/04 Arrangements for preventing, inhibiting, or warning against double recording on the same blank or against other recording or reproducing malfunctions
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/12 by sensing distinguishing features of or on records, e.g. diameter end mark
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/14 specially adapted to record on, or to reproduce from, more than one track simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/10 Arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or the distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 : Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications
• 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 21/4755 : for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 : Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 : for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• 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 21/8405 : represented by keywords
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/4448 : for frame-grabbing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 : the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

A variable content video comprising a video and a segment map, the segment map defining a plurality of video segments of the video responsive to at least one preestablished content category, the segment map providing information for a video system to automatically select, retrieve, and transmit as a continuous video, video segments from the plurality of video segments responsive to a preference with respect to the at least one preestablished content category. The content category may be a category of possibly unsuitable content such as violence. The plurality of video segments may comprise parallel segments to provide greater variety in the level of explicitness. In an embodiment the variable content video is stored in a memory device such as a portable laser readable memory.

Claims

1. A content map comprising:

a plurality of segment definitions defining a plurality of segments of a video responsive to an at least one preestablished content category;

a descriptor associated with at least one of the segment definitions responsive to said at least one preestablished content category; and

a linkage of said plurality of segment definitions for enabling a video player, responsive to a preference with respect to said at least one preestablished content category and by means of a buffering, to seamlessly skip a retrieval of an at least one segment of said video, said video being provided by a single source, and thereby play from said single source a seamless version of said video differing in length than the length of said video.

2. The content map of claim 1, wherein said plurality of segments of said video comprise a non-sequential segment.

3. A content map comprising:

defining and linking means for defining and linking a plurality of segments of a video responsive to a preestablished content rating;

descriptor means for describing the contents of an at least one of said plurality of segments responsive to said preestablished content rating; and

said defining and linking means enabling a video player, responsive to a preference with respect to said content rating and by means of a buffering, to seamlessly skip a retrieval of an at least one segment of said video, said video being provided by a single source, and thereby play from said single source a seamless version of said video differing in length than the length of said video.

4. The content map of claim 3, wherein said video comprises a non-sequential segment, and wherein said single source providing said video is a laser readable disc.

5. A method of producing a content map comprising the steps of:

producing a plurality of segment definitions defining a plurality of segments of a video responsive to an at least one preestablished content category;

associating a descriptor with at least one of the segment definitions responsive to said at least one preestablished content category; and

linking said plurality of segment definitions for enabling a video player, responsive to a preference with respect to said at least one preestablished content category and by means of a buffering, to seamlessly skip a retrieval of an at least one segment of said video, said video being provided by a single source, and thereby play from said single source a seamless version of said video differing in length than the length of said video.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said plurality of segments of said video comprise a non-sequential segment.

7. A content map comprising:

a plurality of segment definitions defining a plurality of segments of a video responsive to a preestablished content rating;

a label associated with said plurality of segment definitions responsive to said preestablished content rating; and

a linkage of said plurality of segment definitions for enabling a video player, responsive to a preference with respect to said preestablished content rating and by means of a buffering, to seamlessly skip a retrieval of an at least one segment of said video, said video being provided by a single source, and thereby play from said single source a seamless version of said video differing in length than the length of said video.

8. The content map of claim 7, wherein said video comprises a non-sequential segment.

9. A memory device storing a video and at least one content map, said content map comprising:

defining and linking means for defining and linking a plurality of segment of said video responsive to a preestablished content rating;

labeling means, responsive to said preestablished content rating, for labeling said content map; and

said defining and linking means enabling a video player, responsive to a preference with respect to said preestablished content rating and by means of a buffering, to seamlessly skip a retrieval of an at least one segment of said video, said video being provided by said memory device, and thereby play from said memory device a seamless version of said video differing in length than the length of said video.

10. The memory device of claim 9, wherein said video comprises a non-sequential segment, and wherein said memory device is a laser readable disc.