Method and system for distributing personalized editions of media programs using bookmarks

• US 7,032,177 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2001
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bison Patent Licensing, LLC
• Original Assignee: Digeo Incorporated (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Novak, Robert E., Okamoto, James K., Christensen, Kory D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Sy D.
• Application Number:
  US10/034,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20030126599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,573 Days
• Field of Search: 715716-726, 715/733, 715738-740, 715744-748, 715/760, 715/972, 715/500.1, 715/501.1, 715/513, 715/764, 725 37- 61
• US Class Current: 715/723
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/972 Inserted real-time video in operator interface

Abstract

An editing device accesses a media program and a user of the editing device designates excerpts within the media program. Bookmarks are generated for the designated excerpts. The bookmarks are transmitted via a network from the editing device to a playback device. By reference to the received bookmarks, the playback device presents an edited version of the media program that includes only the designated excerpts.

Claims

1. A method for distributing personalized editions of media programs, the method comprising:

accessing a media program at an editing device;

receiving a designation of at least one excerpt of the media program for inclusion in a personalized edition of the media program;

generating at least one bookmark defining each designated excerpt of the media program;

encapsulating the at least one bookmark within a program information object (PIO) for the media program, the PIO comprising one or more attributes including information about a media program and one or more user-selectable actions performable in connection with the media program, wherein the PIO is to be represented by a visual indicator displayable in a graphical user interface to facilitate user interaction with the PIO; and

transmitting the PIO including the at least one bookmark to a playback device having access to the media program, wherein the at least one bookmark is usable by the playback device to present the personalized edition of the media program including only the at least one designated excerpt.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing the media program at the playback device from a source other than the editing device;

receiving the at least one bookmark at the playback device; and

presenting the personalized edition of the media program on the playback device including only the at least one designated excerpt.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein presenting comprises:

skipping at least one non-designated excerpt.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein skipping comprises:

starting presentation of the media program at a point defined by a next bookmark.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting comprises:

transmitting the at least one bookmark from the editing device to the playback device via a network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the network is selected from the group consisting of a cable television network, a direct broadcast satellite network, and the Internet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting comprises:

transmitting the at least one bookmark from the editing device to the playback device using a wireless technique.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting comprises:

physically transporting the at least one bookmark from the editing device to the playback device on a removable storage medium.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the storage medium is selected from a group consisting of a magnetic disk, an optical disc, and a non-volatile flash memory card.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one excerpt comprises a plurality of excerpts, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a designation of a presentation order for the plurality of excerpts; and

transmitting an indicator of the sequential order to the playback device, wherein the indicator is useable by the playback device to present the plurality of excerpts in the designated presentation order.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one bookmark comprises a time reference.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one bookmark comprises a non-time positional reference.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one bookmark marks a beginning point of an excerpt within the media program.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one bookmark marks an end point of an excerpt within the media program.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one bookmark marks both a beginning point and an end point of an excerpt within the media program.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one bookmark comprises a directive to skip to an earlier point within the media program to facilitate a non-chronological presentation of program content.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing comprises downloading the media program from a server.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing comprises digitally recording the media program from a broadcast medium.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing comprises accessing a removable storage medium including the media program.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the removable storage medium comprises a digital versatile disk (DVD).

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one excerpt comprises a segment of interest within the media program.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the playback device comprises an interactive television (ITV) system.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the editing device comprises an interactive television (ITV) system.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one excerpt comprises a segment of interest within the media program.

25. A system for creating and distributing personalized editions of media programs, the system comprising:

a media interface component within an editing device that accesses a media program;

an excerpt designation component that receives a designation of at least one excerpt of the media program for inclusion in a personalized edition of the media program;

a bookmark generation component that generates at least one bookmark defining each designated excerpt of the media program, wherein the at least one bookmark is an attribute of a program information object (PIO) for the media program, the PIO comprising one or more attributes including information about a media program and one or more user-selectable actions performable in connection with the media program, wherein the PIO is to be represented by a visual indicator displayable in a graphical user interface to facilitate user interaction with the PIO; and

a bookmark transmission component that transmits the PIO including the at least one bookmark to a playback device having access to the media program, wherein the at least one bookmark is usable by the playback device to present the personalized edition of the media program including only the at least one designated excerpt.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the playback device comprises:

a media interface component that accesses the media program from a source other than the editing device;

a bookmark reception component that receives the at least one bookmark; and

a playback control component that presents the personalized edition of the media program on the playback device including only the at least one designated excerpt.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the playback control component skips at least one non-designated excerpt.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the playback control component starts presentation of the media program at a point defined by a next bookmark.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the bookmark transmission component transmits the at least one bookmark from the editing device to the playback device via a network.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the network is selected from the group consisting of a cable television network, a direct broadcast satellite network, and the Internet.

31. The system of claim 25, wherein the bookmark transmission component transmits the at least one bookmark from the editing device to the playback device using a wireless technique.

32. The system of claim 25, wherein the bookmark transmission component stores the at least one bookmark on a removable storage medium to be physically transported from the editing device to the playback device.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the storage medium is selected from a group consisting of a magnetic disk, an optical disc, and a non-volatile flash memory card.

34. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one excerpt comprises a plurality of excerpts, wherein the system further comprises:

an order designation component that receives a designation of a presentation order for the plurality of excerpts; and

wherein the bookmark transmission component transmits an indicator of the sequential order to the playback device, wherein the indicator is useable by the playback device to present the plurality of excerpts in the designated presentation order.

35. The system of claim 25, wherein at least one bookmark comprises a time reference.

36. The system of claim 25, wherein each bookmark comprises at least one non-time positional reference.

37. The system of claim 25, wherein at least one bookmark marks a beginning point of an excerpt within the media program.

38. The system of claim 25, wherein at least one bookmark marks an end point of an excerpt within the media program.

39. The system of claim 25, wherein at least one bookmark marks both a beginning point and an end point of an excerpt.

40. The system of claim 25, wherein at least one bookmark comprises a directive to skip to an earlier point within the media program to facilitate a non-chronological presentation of program content.

41. The system of claim 25, wherein the media interface component downloads the media program from a server.

42. The system of claim 25, wherein the media interface component digitally records a broadcast media program.

43. The system of claim 25, wherein the media interface component accesses a removable storage medium including the media program.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the removable storage medium comprises a digital versatile disk (DVD).

45. The system of claim 25, wherein the playback device comprises an interactive television (ITV) system.