System and method for reduced playback of recorded video based on video segment priority

• US 7,046,911 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2001
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Zimmerman, John, Dimitrova, Nevenka, Parameswaran, Lekshmy
• Primary Examiner(s): Chevalier, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shibru, Helen
• Application Number:
  US09/967,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20030063407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,690 Days
• Field of Search: 386/68, 386/69, 386/105, 386111-112
• US Class Current: 386/344
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/218 Write-once discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2516 Hard disks
• 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 2220/455 said record carriers being in one device and being used as primary and secondary/backup media, e.g. HDD-DVD combo device, or as source and target media, e.g. PC and portable player
• 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 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/107 of operating tapes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate

Abstract

There is disclosed a video playback device for playing back a recorded television program in time-compressed mode on a display screen coupled to the video playback device. The video playback device comprises: 1) a disk storage system for storing the recorded television program as a plurality of audio-video segments; and 2) a fast playback controller for determining a limited time period during which the recorded television program must be played back and further capable of using at least one priority value associated with each of the plurality of audio-video segments to identify selected ones of the plurality of audio-video segments capable of being sequentially played-back during the limited time period.

Claims

1. A video playback device capable of playing back a recorded television program in time-compressed mode on a display screen coupled to said video playback device, said video playback device comprising:

a disk storage system capable of storing said recorded television program as a plurality of audio-video segments; and

a fast playback controller capable of determining a limited time period during which said recorded television program must be played back and further capable of using at least one priority value associated with each of said plurality of audio-video segments to identify selected ones of said plurality of audio-video segments capable of being sequentially played-back during said limited time period.

2. The video playback device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fast playback controller determines said limited time period from Ainput data received from a viewer.

3. The video playback device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said fast playback controller further comprises a graphical user interface capable of receiving said input data from said viewer.

4. The video playback device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fast playback controller is capable of determining a time duration associated with each of said plurality of audio-video segments.

5. The video playback device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said selected ones of said plurality of audio-video segments identified by said fast playback controller have relatively high priority levels.

6. The video playback device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fast playback controller further comprises a segment prioritization controller capable of analyzing said plurality of audio-video segments and determining a priority value for each of said plurality of audio-video segments.

7. The video playback device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said segment prioritization controller determines said priority value for said each audio-video segment based on video content of said each audio-video segment.

8. The video playback device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said segment prioritization controller determines said priority value for said each audio-video segment based on audio content of said each audio-video segment.

9. The video playback device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said segment prioritization controller determines said priority value for said each audio-video segment based on transcript content of said each audio-video segment.

10. The video playback device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said segment prioritization controller determines said priority value for said each audio-video segment based on a viewer-specific priority profile.

11. The video playback device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said segment prioritization controller determines said priority value for said each audio-video segment as said recorded television program is being stored on said disk storage system.

12. The video playback device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said segment prioritization controller determines said priority value for said each audio-video segment after said recorded television program has been stored on said disk storage system.

13. A method of playing back a recorded television program in time-compressed mode on a display screen coupled to a video playback device, the method comprising the steps of:

storing the recorded television program on a disk storage system as a plurality of audio-video segments; and

determining a limited time period during which the recorded television program must be played back; and

using at least one priority value associated with each of the plurality of audio-video segments to identify selected ones of the plurality of audio-video segments capable of being sequentially played-back during the limited time period.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13 wherein the step of determining the limited time period comprises the step of determining the limited time period from input data received from a viewer.

15. The method as set forth in claim 14 wherein the step of determining comprises the sub-step of receiving the input data from the viewer via a graphical user interface.

16. The method as set forth in claim 13 further comprising the step of determining a time duration associated with each of the plurality of audio-video segments.

17. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein the selected identified ones of the plurality of audio-video segments have relatively high priority levels.

18. The method as set forth in claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

analyzing the plurality of audio-video segments; and

determining a priority value for each of the plurality of audio-video segments.

19. The method as set forth in claim 18 further comprising the sub-step of determining the priority value for each audio-video segment based on video content of each audio-video segment.

20. The method as set forth in claim 18 further comprising the sub-step of determining the priority value for each audio-video segment based on audio content of each audio-video segment.

21. The method as set forth in claim 18 further comprising the sub-step of determining the priority value for each audio-video segment based on transcript content of each audio-video segment.

22. The method as set forth in claim 18 further comprising the sub-step of determining the priority value for each audio-video segment based on a viewer-specific priority profile.

23. The method as set forth in claim 18 further comprising the sub-step of determining the priority value for each audio-video segment as the recorded television program is being stored on the disk storage system.

24. The method as set forth in claim 18 further comprising the sub-step of determining the priority value for each audio-video segment after the recorded television program has been stored on the disk storage system.

25. A video playback device capable of playing back a recorded television program in time-compressed mode on a display screen coupled to said video playback device, said video playback device comprising:

a disk storage system capable of storing said recorded television program as a plurality of audio-video segments; and

a fast playback controller capable of receiving from a viewer a first playback speed command and, in response thereto, further capable of selecting for playback ones of said plurality of audio-video segments based on priority values associated with said plurality of audio-video segments, wherein each of said selected audio-video segments has an associated priority value higher than a priority value corresponding to said first playback speed command.

26. The video playback device as set forth in claim 25 wherein said fast playback controller further comprises a segment prioritization controller capable of analyzing said plurality of audio-video segments and determining a priority value for each of said plurality of audio-video segments.

27. The video playback device as set forth in claim 25 wherein said segment prioritization controller determines said priority value for said each audio-video segment as said recorded television program is being stored on said disk storage system.

28. The video playback device as set forth in claim 25 wherein said segment prioritization controller determines said priority value for said each audio-video segment after said recorded television program has been stored on said disk storage system.

29. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a television program, said television program comprising a plurality of audio-video segments, each of said plurality of audio-video segments having at least one priority value associated therewith, wherein said at least one priority value is usable by a video playback device to which said television program is transmitted to identify selected ones of said plurality of audio-video segments capable of being sequentially played back during a viewer-determined time period.