Automatic playback overshoot correction system

• US 6,850,691 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2000
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Stam, Wijnand Van, Vallone, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/539,295
• Time in Patent Office: 1,769 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/68, 386/70, 386/80, 386/81, 386/82, 386/95, 369/44.11
• US Class Current: 386/350
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1417 Boot up procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/032 on tapes G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/036 Insert-editing
• 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: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 : Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 : for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 : using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

An automatic playback overshoot correction system predicts the position in the program material where the user expects to be when the user stops the fast forward or reverse progression of the program material. The invention determines the position where the program material was stopped. The media controller transitions to the new mode that the user selected, starting at the stopped position with an overshoot correction factor added or subtracted from it. The invention adapts to the user by remembering how much the user corrects after he stops the fast forward or reverse mode. Correction factors are calculated using the user'"'"'s corrections and adjusting the correction factors if the user continues to make corrections. The invention also uses a prediction method to correctly place the user within the program upon transition out of either mode and determines if the speed of the fast forward or reverse modes and then automatically subtracts or adds, respectively, a time multiple to the frame where the transition was detected and positions the user at the correct frame. The time multiple is fine tuned if the user is consistently correcting after the fast forward or rewind mode stops. Another method initially tests the user'"'"'s reaction time using a test video and asks the user to press the fast forward or reverse button on his control device during the test video and then asks the user to position the video to the place that he expected the system to have been. This time span is then used whenever the user uses the fast forward or reverse modes and is adjusted with a multiple for each speed. A final method allows the user to simply set a sensitivity setting that the system will use as a correction factor and a multiple is subtracted or added to the release frame whenever the user uses the fast forward or reverse modes, respectively.

Claims

1. A process for automatically correcting the playback position within an audio or video program'"'"'s material after a user terminates a fast forward or reverse progression through the program material, comprising the steps of:

providing a media controller;

receiving user command input;

terminating the fast forward or reverse progression through the program material based on the user'"'"'s command;

wherein said media controller detects the current position in said program material where said termination occurred;

calculating a new position by adding a positional offset to said current position when reverse mode has been terminated or subtracting a positional offset from said current position when fast forward mode has been terminated; and

commanding said media controller to display said program material starting at said new position.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein said positional offset is determined by observing the amount that the user corrects by reversing or fast forwarding again after the user terminates the fast forward or reverse progression then setting said positional offset to a factor of the user'"'"'s corrections.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein said positional offset is adjusted when the user continues to make corrections.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein said positional offset is a fixed value.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein said positional offset is calculated by testing the user'"'"'s reaction time using a test video where the user initiates and then terminates the fast forward or reverse mode while the test video is playing, the user then positions the video to the position that he expected the termination to occur, the difference between the termination point and the expected point is the value of the positional offset.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein said positional offset is calculated using a sensitivity setting that is selected by the user.

7. An apparatus for automatically correcting the playback position within an audio or video program'"'"'s material after a user terminates a fast forward or reverse progression through the program material, comprising:

a media controller;

a module for receiving user command input;

a module for terminating the fast forward or reverse progression through the program material based on the user'"'"'s command;

wherein said media controller detects the current position in said program material where said termination occurred;

a module for calculating a new position by adding a positional offset to said current position when reverse mode has been terminated or subtracting a positional offset from said current position when fast forward mode has been terminated; and

a module for commanding said media controller to display said program material starting at said new position.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said positional offset is determined by observing the amount that the user corrects by reversing or fast forwarding again after the user terminates the fast forward or reverse progression then setting said positional offset to a factor of the user'"'"'s corrections.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said positional offset is adjusted when the user continues to make corrections.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said positional offset is a fixed value.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said positional offset is calculated by testing the user'"'"'s reaction time using a test video where the user initiates and then terminates the fast forward or reverse mode while the test video is playing, the user then positions the video to the position that he expected the termination to occur, the difference between the termination point and the expected point is the value of the positional offset.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said positional offset is calculated using a sensitivity setting that is selected by the user.

13. A program storage medium readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for automatically correcting the playback position within an audio or video program'"'"'s material after a user terminates a fast forward or reverse progression through the program material, comprising the steps of:

providing a media controller;

receiving user command input;

terminating the fast forward or reverse progression through the program material based on the user'"'"'s command;

wherein said media controller detects the current position in said program material where said termination occurred;

calculating a new position by adding a positional offset to said current position when reverse mode has been terminated or subtracting a positional offset from said current position when fast forward mode has been terminated; and

commanding said media controller to display said program material starting at said new position.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said positional offset is determined by observing the amount that the user corrects by reversing or fast forwarding again after the user terminates the fast forward or reverse progression then setting said positional offset to a factor of the user'"'"'s corrections.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said positional offset is adjusted when the user continues to make corrections.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said positional offset is a fixed value.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein said positional offset is calculated by testing the user'"'"'s reaction time using a test video where the user initiates and then terminates the fast forward or reverse mode while the test video is playing, the user then positions the video to the position that he expected the termination to occur, the difference between the termination point and the expected point is the value of the positional offset.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein said positional offset is calculated using a sensitivity setting that is selected by the user.