Disc storing a variable-content-video and a user interface

• US 6,002,833 A
• Filed: 11/08/1997
• Issued: 12/14/1999
• 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): TRAN, THAI Q
• Application Number:
  US08/966,061
• Time in Patent Office: 766 Days
• Field of Search: 386/1, 386/46, 386/45, 386/40, 386/69, 386/70, 386/82, 386/95, 386/108, 386/124, 386/125, 386/126, 386/98, 360/1, 360/20, 360/32, 360/48, 369/124, 369/48
• US Class Current: 386/261
• 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 laser readable disc comprising at least one spiral track storing a video program including within at least three segments containing respectively (1) content unique to one of at least two versions of, and playable from within, the video program, (2) content unique to another of the at least two versions, and (3) content common to the at least two versions, the laser readable disc storing a user interface particular to the video program, and storing segment information (e.g. information defining and linking segments) for playing, by means of a random accessing and buffering, and responsive to a preference with respect to, for example, at least one category of detail and/or a category of possibly objectionable content, such as motion picture rating, at least one seamless version of, and from within, the video program, and for seamlessly skipping at least one segment containing content not included in the version being played; and wherein a segment (e.g. a parallel, transitional, or overlapping segment) containing content unique to the one of the at least two versions provides, for example, for a scene at a different level of detail, explicitness, and/or violence, than that provided by a segment containing content unique to the another of the at least two versions.

Claims

1. A laser readable disc comprising at least one spiral track storing a video program including within at least three segments containing respectively (1) content unique to one of at least two versions of, and playable from within, the video program, (2) content unique to another of said at least two versions, and (3) content common to said at least two versions, the laser readable disc storing a user interface particular to the video program and enabling content selection, and storing information defining and linking segments for playing, by means of a random accessing and buffering, a seamless version of, and from within, the video program, and for seamlessly skipping at least one segment containing content not included in the version being played.

2. The laser readable disc of claim 1 wherein a segment containing content unique to the one of said at least two versions provides for a scene at a different level of explicitness than that provided by a segment containing content unique to the another of said at least two versions.

3. The laser readable disc of claim 1 wherein a segment containing content unique to the one of said at least two versions provides for a scene at a different level of detail than that provided by a segment containing content unique to the another of said at least two versions.

4. The laser readable disc of claim 1 wherein a segment containing content unique to the one of said at least two versions is parallel to a segment containing content unique to the another of said at least two versions.

5. The laser readable disc of claim 1 wherein a segment containing content unique to the one of said at least two versions is a transitional segment.

6. The laser readable disc of claim 1 wherein a segment containing content unique to the one of said at least two versions is responsive to a motion picture rating.

7. The laser readable disc of claim 1 wherein a segment containing content unique to the one of said at least two versions provides, responsive to a motion picture rating, for a scene at a different level of explicitness than that provided by a segment containing content unique to the another of said at least two versions.

8. A laser readable disc comprising at least one spiral track storing a video program including within at least three segments containing respectively (1) content unique to one of at least two versions of, and playable from within, the video program, (2) content unique to another of said at least two versions, and (3) content common to said at least two versions, the laser readable disc storing a user interface particular to the video program and enabling content selection, and storing segment information for playing, by means of a random accessing and buffering, a seamless version of, and from within, the video program, and for seamlessly skipping at least one segment containing content not included in the version being played.

9. The laser readable disc of claim 8 wherein a segment containing content unique to the one of said at least two versions provides for a scene at a different level of explicitness than that provided by a segment containing content unique to the another of said at least two versions.

10. The laser readable disc of claim 8 wherein a segment containing content unique to the one of said at least two versions provides for a scene at a different level of detail than that provided by a segment containing content unique to the another of said at least two versions.

11. The laser readable disc of claim 8 wherein a segment containing content unique to the one of said at least two versions is parallel to a segment containing content unique to the another of said at least two versions.

12. The laser readable disc of claim 8 wherein a segment containing content unique to the one of said at least two versions is a transitional segment.

13. The laser readable disc of claim 8 wherein a segment containing content unique to the one of said at least two versions is responsive to a motion picture rating.

14. The laser readable disc of claim 8 wherein a segment containing content unique to the one of said at least two versions provides, responsive to a motion picture rating, for a scene at a different level of explicitness than that provided by a segment containing content unique to the another of said at least two versions.

15. A laser readable disc comprising at least one spiral track storing a video program including within at least three segments containing respectively (1) content unique to one of at least two versions of, and playable from within, the video program, (2) content unique to another of said at least two versions, and (3) content common to said at least two versions, the laser readable disc storing a user interface particular to the video program and enabling content selection, and storing information defining and linking segments for playing, by means of a random accessing and buffering, and responsive to a preference with respect to at least one motion picture rating, a seamless version of, and from within, the video program, and for seamlessly skipping at least one segment containing content not included in the version being played.

16. The laser readable disc of claim 15 wherein a segment containing content unique to the one of said at least two versions provides for a scene at a different level of explicitness than that provided by a segment containing content unique to the another of said at least two versions.

17. The laser readable disc of claim 15 wherein a segment containing content unique to the one of said at least two versions provides for a scene at a different level of violence than that provided by a segment containing content unique to the another of said at least two versions.

18. The laser readable disc of claim 15 wherein a segment containing content unique to the one of said at least two versions is parallel to a segment containing content unique to the another of said at least two versions.

19. The laser readable disc of claim 15 wherein a segment containing content unique to the one of said at least two versions is a transitional segment.

20. The laser readable disc of claim 15 wherein a segment containing content unique to the one of said at least two versions provides, responsive to a motion picture rating, for a scene at a different level of violence than that provided by a segment containing content unique to the another of said at least two versions.

21. A laser readable disc comprising:

at least one spiral track storing a video program including within at least three addressable video segments containing respectively, (1) content unique to one of at least two versions of, and playable from within, said video program, (2) content unique to another of said at least two versions, and (3) content common to said at least two versions;

a user interface particular to said video program, said user interface presenting said user with an option for selecting one of said at least two versions for playback; and

segment addressing information for enabling random accessing and buffering of segments during playback to seamlessly play, from within said video program, and without requiring an alternate video program source, a selected video program version, and to seamlessly skip, within the said video program, at least one segment not included in said selected video program version.