Customization schemes for content presentation in a device with converged functionality

• US 6,429,879 B1
• Filed: 09/30/1997
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Zickefoose, Donald K., Sturgeon, Derrill L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadesse
• Application Number:
  US08/940,651
• Time in Patent Office: 1,771 Days
• Field of Search: 345/354, 345/328, 345/352, 345/353, 345/327, 345/329, 345/355, 345/716, 345/733, 345/723, 345/741, 345/747, 707/100-102, 369/27, 348/552, 386/35, 386/70
• US Class Current: 715/723
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/02 Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• 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 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• 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

Abstract

Schemes for customization of content presentation relating to a Digital Versatile/Video Disc source, which source is preferably integrated into a convergence device system. A user preferences or settings database is provided that is automatically maintained or supported by a computer subsystem, wherein records containing user preference values are indexed to a DVD title or volume having an identity tag. Changed values are also stored and applied during the next playback of the title. The present invention also provides a censor block database structure containing individualized viewing sequences from a title for different users with different levels of censorship.

Claims

1. A system of the type including a display monitor, comprising:

a video playback source for providing playback from a recorded medium of a recorded video program sequence to be viewable on said display monitor, wherein said program sequence is characterized by at least one user specified parameter for affecting the playback presentation thereof;

a computer subsystem for managing the playback presentation of said program sequence on said display monitor, said computer subsystem comprising a persistent storage unit and a processing unit; and

said persistent storage unit incorporating a database structure for use by said computer subsystem to manage playback of said program sequence, wherein said database structure comprises a stored record including an identity tag identifying said program sequence and a value or values representing the or each user specified parameter in said program sequence such that each playback of that program sequence is customized in response to the or each said stored user specified value; and

wherein said data structure also includes in said stored record at least one user-specified value operable to enable an auto-resume bookmark to mark the location in said program sequence where the playback thereof is interrupted such that the playback can be resumed at a later time from said auto-resume bookmark.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said recorded medium comprises a Digital Versatile/Video (DV) Disc.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said parameters include at least one of:

audio language, subtitle language, picture aspect ratio.

4. A system of the type including a display monitor, comprising:

a video playback source for providing playback from a recorded medium of a recorded video program sequence to be viewable on said display monitor, wherein said program sequence is characterized by at least one user specified parameter for affecting the playback presentation thereof;

a computer subsystem for managing the playback presentation of said program sequence on said display monitor, said computer subsystem comprising a persistent storage unit and a processing unit; and

said persistent storage unit incorporating a database structure for use by said computer subsystem to manage playback of said program sequence, wherein said database structure comprises a stored record including an identity tag identifying said program sequence and a value or values representing the or each user specified parameter in said program sequence such that each playback of that program sequence is customized in response to the or each said stored user specified value; and

wherein the data structure includes in said stored record, one or more user-specified specific-position bookmark values for marking one or more predetermined locations in said at least one program sequence such that the playback thereof can be user-selected to resume automatically from the or each specific-position bookmark.

5. A method of customizing the playback presentation of a recorded video program sequence from a storage disc, by a user operable computer system having a persistent storage unit, wherein said program sequence is characterized by at least one parameter affecting the presentation thereof, comprising the steps of:

creating and maintaining a database record stored in said persistent storage unit, said stored database record including an identity tag identifying said program sequence and user-modifiable values indexed to said tag, said user modifiable values representing different value settings of each of a plurality of said parameter affecting presentation of the program sequence associated with said identity tag, and by user input to the computer system selecting and storing in said database record in the persistent storage unit, a value setting of at least one of said parameters to customize management by the computer system of subsequent playback presentation of said program sequence.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein said at least one presentation affecting parameter includes one or more of audio language, subtitle language, picture aspect ratio.

7. The method as recited in claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

during a said playback presentation, by user input to the computer system changing one or more of said user-modifiable value settings in said database record responsive to a user input to update said database record;

storing said updated database record in said persistent storage unit; and

applying said updated stored database record to control subsequent playback management of said program sequence by said computer system.

8. The method as recited in claim 5, further including the step of creating a value in said stored record that is operable to enable an auto-resume location bookmark to mark the position in said program sequence where the playback thereof is interrupted such that a subsequent playback is resumed from said auto-resume location bookmark.

9. The method as recited in claim 5, further including effecting user input to the computer system to enter a in said database record stored in said persistent storage unit, a value setting associated with a predetermined position in said program sequence such that the playback can be resumed at a later time from said predetermined position.

10. A method of censoring a program sequence recorded on a video storage medium, during playback by a user operable playback system including persistent memory different from said video storage medium, comprising the steps of:

storing in said persistent memory unit a database record including identification of said program sequence;

marking a first user selectable location in said program sequence responsive to a first input to said playback system by a first access privileged user, wherein said first location is positioned relative to a start time associated with said program sequence and storing in said persistent memory unit a time value associated with said first location;

incrementing a user selectable program time associated with said program sequence corresponding to a second location in said program sequence;

marking said second location in said program sequence responsive to a second input to said playback system by said first access privileged user and storing in said persistent memory unit a time value associated with said second location; and

user indexing said database record of said program sequence such that during playback of said program sequence initiated by a user different than said privileged access user, content of said program sequence between said time values associated with said first and second locations is not displayed.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said second location is positioned relative to said start time associated with said program sequence.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said second location is positioned relative to said first location.

13. A system for playback of video program sequences recorded on discs, said program sequences characterized by parameters for affecting the playback presentation thereof, comprising:

a computer subsystem for managing the playback of said program sequences, said computer subsystem comprising a persistent storage unit and a processing unit; and

said persistent storage unit incorporating a database structure for use by said computer subsystem in managing program sequence playback, wherein said database structure comprises, for each program sequence, a stored record including;

(a) an identity tag indexed to said program sequence;

(b) at least one user-specified, user-modifiable stored value relating to at least one of said parameters for customizing management by said computer subsystem of each playback presentation of said program sequence;

(c) a user-specified value to enable an auto-resume bookmark to mark the location in said program sequence where the playback thereof is interrupted such that the playback can be resumed at a later time from said auto-resume bookmark; and

(d) at least one user-specified and user-modifiable value to enable a specific-position bookmark for marking a user selectable location in said program sequence such each subsequent playback thereof can be user-selected to resume from said at least one specific-position bookmark.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, including for at least one user identified program sequence, a stored record in said database structure which includes:

user-specified and user modifiable censor bookmarks to mark in said user identified program sequence, a first location and a second location, subsequent in said program sequence to said first location, said censor bookmarks indexed to a different user, said censor bookmarks operable during playback of said user identified program sequence identified with said different user, to prevent playback of content of said user identified program sequence between said first and second locations designated by said censor bookmarks.

15. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein said user modifiable parameters include at least one of:

audio language, subtitle language, picture aspect ratio.

16. The system as recited in claim 13, further including a display unit for playback display of a said video sequence recorded on a said disc.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, further including a graphical user interface operable by a user input device to effect selection and/or modification of said user-specified and/or user-modifiable values in said stored record during playback of the program sequence associated with that stored record.

18. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein said disc is a DVD.

19. A system for playback of video program sequences recorded on discs, comprising:

a computer subsystem for managing the playback of said program sequences according to user specified parameters affecting the playback presentation, said computer subsystem comprising a persistent storage unit and a processing unit;

a database structure created and maintained in said computer subsystem persistent storage unit, wherein said database structure comprises, for each program sequence a record including an individual identity tag of that program sequence and user modifiable values indexed to said tag corresponding to different value settings of each of a plurality of said playback parameters affecting presentation of the program sequence associated with said identity tag;

at least one user input device operable to select and change said value settings of said stored user-modifiable playback parameters maintained in said persistent storage unit to change playback management of that program sequence by said computer subsystem; and

wherein operation of said user operable device during playback of a program sequence to modify one or more of the user-modifiable specified parameters, changes the stored value setting for the or each modified parameter stored in the persistent storage unit to create an updated record stored in said persistent storage unit indexed to that program sequence which is applied for subsequent playback management of that program sequence by said computer subsystem customized according to the updated record of value settings of user specified playback parameters.

20. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein said database structure includes, for at least one of said program sequences, a user-specified value to enable an auto-resume bookmark to mark the location in that program sequence where the playback thereof is interrupted such that the playback can be resumed at a later time from said auto-resume bookmark;

and

wherein said database structure also includes for at least one of said program sequences, at least one user-specified and user-modifiable value to enable a specific-position bookmark for marking a user selectable location in that program sequence such that the playback thereof can be user-selected to resume from said at least one specific-position bookmark.

21. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein said user specified parameters include at least one of:

audio language, subtitle language, picture aspect ratio.

22. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein said stored record further includes:

user-specified and user modifiable censor bookmarks to mark in said program sequence, a first location and a second location, subsequent in said program sequence to said first location, said censor bookmarks indexed to a different user, said censor bookmarks operable during playback of said program sequence identified with said different user, to prevent playback of content of said program sequence between said first and second locations designated by said censor bookmarks.

23. The system as recited in claim 19, further including a graphical user interface operable by a user input device to effect selection and/or modification of said user-specified and/or user-modifiable values in a said stored record.

24. A system for playback of video program sequences recorded on discs, comprising:

a computer subsystem for managing the playback of said program sequences according to parameters including at least one user specified parameter affecting the playback presentation, said computer subsystem comprising a persistent storage unit and a processing unit;

said persistent storage unit incorporating a database structure comprising for each program sequence, a record including an individual identity tag indexed to that program sequence and a stored value or values each corresponding to a user specified playback parameter whereby playback of that program sequence is managed by said computer subsystem according to the or each stored record value;

at least one user operable device to change one or more of said user specified playback parameters and to update an associated stored record value to correspond to a changed user specified parameter such that the or each changed user specified parameter is effective during playback of that program sequence;

said persistent storage unit database structure also including for at least one user selected program sequence, a user-specified value to enable an auto-resume bookmark to mark the location in that program sequence where the playback thereof is interrupted such that the playback can be resumed at a later time from said auto-resume bookmark; and

said persistent storage unit database structure further including for at least one user identified program sequence, user-specified and user modifiable censor bookmarks specified and modifiable by a first user having privileged access, to mark in said user identified program sequence, a first location and a second location, subsequent in said user identified program sequence to said first location, said censor bookmarks indexed to a user not having said privileged access, said censor bookmarks operable during playback of said program sequence identified with a said not having said privileged access, to prevent playback by a user not having said privileged access, of content of said identified program sequence between said first and second locations designated by said censor bookmarks.

25. The system as recited in claim 24, wherein said user specified parameters include at least one of:

audio language, subtitle language, picture aspect ratio.

26. The system as recited in claim 24, further including a graphical user interface operable by a user input device to effect selection and/or modification during playback of a program sequence, of said user-specified values in said stored record associated with that program sequence thereby creating a new stored record operable during playback of that program sequence.

27. A method of automatically customizing playback of program sequences stored on video storage discs by a playback system including a processor and a persistent storage device to which control data can be entered and stored by user controlled input, comprising:

for one or more of said video program sequences including user specified playback presentation parameters, creating in said persistent storage device an individual record including a video program sequence identity tag and value settings corresponding to the or each user-specified playback presentation parameter associated with that particular video program sequence to enable playback presentation of said program sequence by said playback system according to selected value settings stored in the persistent storage unit of the or each said presentation parameter;

during playback of the video program sequence identified by a said identity tag, effecting a user controlled input to the persistent storage unit to change one or more value settings in the stored record associated with that identity tag, corresponding to one or more corresponding user specified playback parameters of that program sequence to change playback presentation of that program sequence change during the current and subsequent playbacks in accordance with the or each changed value setting.