Network-based service to provide on-demand video summaries of television programs

• US 6,829,781 B1
• Filed: 05/24/2000
• Issued: 12/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DigiMedia Tech, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bhagavath, Vijay K, Markowitz, Robert Edward, OʼNeil, Joseph Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoye, Michael W.
• Application Number:
  US09/577,642
• Time in Patent Office: 1,658 Days
• Field of Search: 725/86-104, 725/105, 725/121, 725/131
• US Class Current: 725/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 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 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot

Abstract

A network-based device allows customers to receive television programming and to view summaries of the programming. A method of providing the summaries comprises: dividing a received program into program segments each identified by index marks, summarizing each program segment into summary segments identified by similar index marks, storing the summary segments and accessing the summary segments to supply the summary segments in lieu of program segments upon demand.

Claims

1. A method of processing programming to facilitate selection and delivery of summaries of the programming to recipients of the programming, comprising the steps of:

providing the programming to the recipient via a program channel;

applying index markers to the programming to divide the programming into segments;

generating summary segments of parts of the programming segments and having index markers corresponding to the index markers of the programming;

generating metadata files associated with a summary channel for delimiting beginning and end of segments in the summary and program channels and including indexing information for facilitating links between the programming segments and the summary segments;

selecting a summary segment by activating a link between the programming segment and the summary segment by utilizing a metadata file included with the summary channel; and

transmitting a selected summary segment and associated metadata to the recipient via summary channel.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising a step of:

including the metadata file within a data stream included in a program stream according to MPEG-2 standards.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising a step of:

including user data with each group of pictures corresponding to program segments.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising a step of:

activating a link connection by a single physical command.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising a step of:

including in the step of generating summary segments a step of dynamically generating summaries of live programming in real-time by dynamic editing software.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising a step of:

constructing the metadata file in XML language to define the message.

7. The method of claim 1 whereby the step of:

selecting by activating a link utilizes a one-way link.

8. The method of claim 1, whereby the step of:

selecting by activating a link utilizes a two-way link.

9. A method of providing summaries of audio/video programming to a recipient, comprising:

providing from a program source a streaming programming signal;

dividing programs into program segments each identified by index marks;

summarizing each program segment into corresponding summary segments identified by similar index marks;

storing the summary segments in a storage medium;

accessing via a two-way video hyperlink the summary segments by linking a recipient to the storage medium, wherein the accessing via the two-way hyperlink further includes a viewer viewing a summary segment and selecting a link function during that summary segment whereby control passes to a beginning of a corresponding program segment;

supplying the summary segments in lieu of program segments on demand of the recipient; and

passing control at a completion of the corresponding program segment to a beginning of a next summary segment.

10. A method of providing summaries of audio/video programming to a recipient, comprising:

providing from a program source a streaming programming signal;

dividing programs into program segments each identified by index marks;

summarizing each program segment into corresponding summary segments identified by similar index marks;

storing the summary segments in a storage medium;

accessing via a two-way video hyperlink the summary segments by linking a recipient to the storage medium, wherein the accessing via the two-way video hyperlink further includes a viewer viewing a program segment and selecting a link function during the program segment whereby control passes to a beginning of a corresponding summary segment;

supplying the summary segments in lieu of program segments on demand of the recipient; and

passing control at a completion of the corresponding summary segment to a beginning of a next program segment.