System for previewing video trailers

• US 6,668,377 B1
• Filed: 07/09/1999
• Issued: 12/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Dunn, Matthew W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Application Number:
  US09/350,953
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.5445, H04/N.716, H04/N.7173, G06/F.300, G06/F 1.300, 725/37, 725/38, 725/39, 725/40, 725/91, 725/86, 725/87, 725/88, 725/89, 725/90, 725/102, 725/100, 725/104, 725/1, 725/8, 725/2, 725/5, 707/1-10
• US Class Current: 725/92
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

An interactive entertainment network system has a video-on-demand (VOD) application which enables viewers to select criteria for grouping various video content programs (e.g., movies, games, TV shows, etc.) into manageable sets for convenient review. Once grouped, the previews or “trailers” for the set of programs are displayed. The VOD application permits the viewer to browse the trailers at their own rate, skipping forward to the next trailer or backward to the previous trailer. If the viewer settles on a particular program, the VOD application also allows the user to rent the program immediately from the trailer being displayed on their television set, without returning to a menu or other order screen.

Claims

1. In an interactive entertainment network system in which a content provider serves video content programs and associated preview video trailers to a user interface unit over a distribution network, a system comprising:

a memory at the user interface unit;

an application resident at the user interface unit to search an SQL database that includes program IDs for full length video programs, trailer IDs for preview video trailers and associated preview video trailer monikers, viewer IDs for viewers, star IDs for stars wherein a first join table correlates program IDs and star IDs, a second join table correlates program IDs and trailer IDs, a third join table correlates program IDs and viewer IDs, and a viewer table associates viewer IDs and viewers and wherein the program IDs and the trailer IDs are usable as shorthand ID tags for rapid search of the SQL database, to receive trailer monikers from the SQL database, and to queue the trailer monikers in a sequential order in the user interface unit memory;

a preview browse user interface which executes at the user interface unit to facilitate display of the preview video trailers in the sequential order, the preview video trailers retrieved from storage locations in a video media database, the storage locations associated with the trailer monikers; and

the preview browse user interface having next/previous control icon buttons which enable a user to skip directly from a presently displayed preview video trailer to a next or previous preview video trailer in the sequential order.

2. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the preview browse user interface has an operable order icon to enable the user to order the video content program that corresponds to the displayed preview video trailer and the system to associate the ordered program with the user, and a rental price.

3. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the preview browse user interface presents at least one list of criteria that can be used by a user to select a group of preview video trailers for display.

4. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the preview browse user interface presents a first list of criteria from which a user can select a criteria, and upon selection of the criteria, the preview browse interface presents a second list of video content programs that meet that selected criteria from the first list.

5. A user interface unit comprising:

a processor;

a network I/O configured to receive preview video trailers from a continuous media server and to receive information associated with preview video trailers from an SQL database server that includes program IDs for full length video programs, trailer IDs for preview video trailers, viewer IDs for viewers, star IDs for stars wherein a first join table correlates program IDs and star IDs, a second join table correlates program IDs and trailer IDs, a third join table correlates program IDs and viewer IDs, and a viewer table associates viewer IDs and viewers and wherein the program IDs and the trailer IDs are usable as shorthand ID tags for rapid search of the SQL database;

a memory to store the information associated with the preview video trailers;

a preview browse user interface which executes on the processor to facilitate display of preview video trailers in a sequential order; and

the preview browse user interface having actuatable next/previous control buttons which enable a user to skip directly from a presently displayed preview video trailer to a next or previous preview video trailer.

6. A user interface unit as recited in claim 5 wherein the information associated with the displayed preview video trailer includes a moniker associated with the video content program.

7. A user interface unit as recited in claim 5 wherein the preview browse user interface presents at least one list of criteria that can be used by a user to select a group of preview video trailers for display.

8. A user interface unit as recited in claim 5 wherein the preview browse user interface presents a first list of criteria from which a user can select a criteria, and upon selection of the criteria, the preview browse interface presents a second list of video content programs that meet that selected criteria from the first list.

9. A headend server accessible through a browser user interface, the browser interface capable of displaying media stored in the headend server, the headend server comprising:

an SQL database server that includes program IDs for full length video programs, trailer IDs for preview video trailers, viewer IDs for viewers wherein a first join table correlates program IDs and star IDs, a second join table correlates program IDs and trailer IDs, a third join table correlates program IDs and viewer IDs, and a viewer table associates viewer IDs and viewers and wherein the program IDs and the trailer IDs are usable as shorthand ID tags for rapid search of the SQL database;

a continuous media server that includes the full length video programs and the preview video trailers; and

the headend server responsive to an order request from the browser user interface wherein the SQL database server associates user information; and

at least one of the full length video programs and the preview video trailers and wherein the continuous media server provides access to the at least one of the full length video programs and the preview video trailers.

10. A headend server of claim 9 wherein the order request from the browser user interface corresponds to a full length video program associated with a preview video trailer displayed on the browser user interface.

11. A headend server of claim 9 wherein the continuous media server further comprises at least two pointers, the at least two pointers capable of simultaneously indexing media in a single media file to allow for access to media from the single media file by at least two users at the same time.

12. An SQL database comprising:

an input to receive search commands;

an output to communicate search results;

program IDs for full length video programs stored in a continuous media database;

trailer IDs for preview video trailers stored in the continuous media database;

viewer IDs for viewers;

star IDs for stars;

a first join table that correlates program IDs and star IDs;

a second join table that correlates program IDs and trailer IDs;

a third join table that correlates program IDs and viewer IDs;

a viewer table that associates viewer IDs and viewers; and

wherein the program IDs and the trailer IDs are usable as shorthand ID tags for rapid search of the SQL database.

13. The SQL database of claim 12 wherein the search results facilitate access to one or more of the full length video programs and the preview video trailers stored in the continuous media database.

14. The SQL database of claim 12 further comprising program monikers for the full length video programs and trailer monikers for the preview video trailers.

15. The SQL database of claim 14 wherein the monikers facilitate access to the full length video programs and the preview video trailers.

16. The SQL database of claim 14 wherein the search results include at least one of the program monikers and the trailer monikers.

17. A method comprising:

identifying a full length video program having an associated moniker that facilitates access to the full length video program in a continuous media database and an associated program ID that serves as a shorthand ID tag for rapid search of an SQL database;

correlating the program ID with a star ID using a first join table;

correlating the program ID with a trailer ID using a second join table wherein the program ID and trailer ID serves as a shorthand ID tag for rapid search of the SQL database;

correlating the program ID with a viewer ID using a third join table; and

associating the viewer ID with a viewer, using a viewer table;

wherein the trailer ID has an associated preview video trailer and an associated moniker that facilitates access to the preview video trailer in a continuous media database.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising communicating the moniker to a user interface unit.