Method and apparatus for controlling time-scale modification during multi-media broadcasts

• US 6,598,228 B2
• Filed: 06/03/1999
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Virentem Ventures LLC
• Original Assignee: Enounde Incorporated
• Inventors: Hejna, Jr., Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, KIEU OANH T
• Application Number:
  US09/325,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20020013949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709/232, 709/233, 709/248, 348/7, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13, 725/85, 725/86, 725/90, 725/98, 725/93, 725/105, 725/118, 725/131, 725/8, 725/88, 725/89, 725/100, 725/102, 725/91, 725/114, 725/116, 725/117
• US Class Current: 725/91
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• 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 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234381 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. decreasing the frame rate by frame skipping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23805 Controlling the feeding rate to the network, e.g. by controlling the video pump
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26616 for merging a unicast channel into a multicast channel, e.g. in a VOD application, when a client served by unicast channel catches up a multicast channel to save bandwidth data multicast over packet-switching network H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440281 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. by frame skipping television signal recording using magnetic recording on tape for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate H04N5/783
• 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 21/458 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6332 directed to client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/654 : Transmission by server directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 : by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention is a method for presentation of information received from a broadcaster which comprises the steps of: (a) receiving broadcast information; (b) receiving guidance information relating to presentation of the broadcast information; (c) analyzing the guidance information to determine a presentation rate; and (d) presenting the information at the presentation rate.

Claims

1. A method for broadcasting information to a client device, which device utilizes presentation rates to present information at various presentation rates, and which method comprises steps of:

broadcasting information; and

broadcasting guidance information used to determine presentation rates for use by the client device in presentation of the information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the guidance information comprises one or more presentation rates relating to one or more portions of the broadcast information.

3. A method for presentation of information received from a broadcaster by a client device, which device utilizes presentation rates to present information at various presentation rates, and which method comprises steps of:

receiving broadcast information;

receiving guidance information relating to presentation of the broadcast information;

analyzing the guidance information to determine a presentation rate; and

presenting the information at the presentation rate.

4. The method of claim 3 which further comprises a step of receiving a user input presentation rate and wherein the step of analyzing includes a step of analyzing the guidance information and the user input presentation rate to determine the presentation rate.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the guidance information comprises one or more presentation rates relating to one or more portions of the broadcast information.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of presenting the information comprises Time-Scale Modifying the information in accordance with the one or more presentation rates.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the guidance information comprises information to provide presentation rates related to conceptual information content.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein presentation rates differ depending on one or more of conceptual information content and an intended audience for conceptual information content.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the guidance information specifies that predetermined portions of a media work must be viewed at a predetermined presentation rate or skipped.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the presentation rates are increased over normal for portions containing one or more of violence, adult scenes, and adult language.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the presentation rates are increased over a normal rate for portions containing one or more of violence, adult scenes, and adult language and the client device is configured for general audience viewing.

12. The method of claim 3 wherein the guidance information specifies that predetermined portions of the broadcast information may be presented at presentation rates that are specified by one or more of a user interactively, a device programmed by the user, and a device programmed by a broadcaster.

13. The method of claim 3 wherein the client device uses the guidance information to provide presentation rates for portions of the broadcast information in conjunction with one or more of user interactive input, input from a device programmed by the user, and input from a device programmed by a broadcaster.

14. The method of claim 3 wherein the guidance information comprises a presentation rate along with an indication that the presentation rate should take effect immediately upon receipt.

15. The method of claim 3 wherein the guidance information comprises an increment, decrement, or scale factor that is applied to a current presentation rate to provide an altered presentation rate along with an indication that the altered presentation rate should take effect immediately upon receipt.

16. The method of claim 3 wherein the guidance information comprises a title of the broadcast information and one or more of time values, sample counts, timing-marks, segues, and indicators that identify segments or portions of the broadcast information.

17. The method of claim 3 wherein the guidance information comprises insistence information that specifies a measure of importance of utilizing presentation rate information contained in the guidance information.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the measure of importance comprises one or more of an indication that it is mandatory to utilize presentation rate information, an indication that it is strongly-encouraged to utilize the presentation rate information, an indication that it is suggested to utilize the presentation rate information, and an indication that it is optional to utilize the presentation rate information.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the measure of importance further comprises a multiplicity of values.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the measure of importance comprises an increment, decrement, or scale factor that is applied to a current insistence level to provide an altered insistence value along with an indication that the altered insistence value should take effect immediately upon receipt.

21. The method of claim 3 wherein the guidance information comprises codes which are processed using one or more of look-up tables, rules, and algorithms by:

(a) the user interactively, (b) a device programmed by the user, or (c) a device programmed by the broadcaster which is located in the client device or elsewhere;

to obtain a presentation rate for a portion of the broadcast information.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the rules are stored in the form of one or more of look-up tables, processor memory, and data structures on the client device.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the one or more of look-up tables, rules, and algorithms are transmitted at or before a time of broadcast of the broadcast information.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the one or more of look-up tables, rules, and algorithms are transmitted at a predetermined time each day.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the one or more of look-up tables, rules, and algorithms include control commands necessary to change client device configuration data and to effectuate changes to the client device that are required to load and process new rules.

26. The method of claim 3 wherein the guidance information comprises future information that is used to process guidance information received at a future time, which future information is utilized to obtain presentation rates for portions of the broadcast information being received at the future time.

27. The method of claim 3 wherein the guidance information comprises time-stamp information that is used by the client device in analyzing the guidance information in light of a time of presentation.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the step of analyzing comprises one or more of altering and ignoring presentation rates for time sensitive material in the broadcast information.

29. The method of claim 3 wherein the guidance information comprises multiple presentation rates that are appropriate for multiple audiences.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the multiple presentation rates comprise a presentation rate for children, a presentation rate for teenagers, and a presentation rate for adults.

31. An apparatus which presents information received from a broadcaster, which apparatus utilizes presentation rates to present information at various presentation rates, and which apparatus comprises:

a receiver of the broadcast information and guidance information relating to presentation of the broadcast information;

a rate determiner that analyzes the guidance information to determine a presentation rate; and

a presentation apparatus that, in response to the broadcast information and the presentation rate, presents the information.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 which further comprises a user input device that receives a user input guidance information;

and

wherein the rate determiner comprises an analyzer module that analyzes the guidance information and the user guidance information to provide the presentation rate.

33. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the presentation apparatus comprises Time-Scale Modification apparatus that presents a time-scale modified version of the broadcast information in accordance with the presentation rate.

34. A method for broadcasting information to a client device, which device utilizes presentation rates to present information at various presentation rates, and which method comprises steps of:

broadcasting information having a first presentation rate; and

broadcasting guidance information used to determine a second presentation rate for use by the client device in presentation of the information.