Dynamic composition at the set-top box

• US 7,222,354 B1
• Filed: 10/05/1999
• Issued: 05/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Willner, Barry E., Hsiao, Eric, Ching, Jennie, Stern, Edith H., Lee, Peter S.
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, NGOC K
• Application Number:
  US09/412,969
• Time in Patent Office: 2,786 Days
• Field of Search: 725/109, 725/32, 725/36, 725/33, 725/138, 725/152, 725/140, 725 34- 35, 725 46- 47, 725/59, 725/132, 709/201, 709/203, 709217-219, 707/102, 707/104.1, 707/205
• US Class Current: 725/35
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• 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 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A method for displaying on a viewer information processing system with an interface to a display (a device for rendering audio and video), a set of multimedia segments to form a multimedia presentation. The method comprising the steps of receiving the play-list, wherein the play-list is a list of instructions for rendering each of the multimedia segments, and the sequence of the multimedia segments in the play-list is directed by the provider of the presentation; receiving multimedia segments and rendering the multimedia segments received based on the play-list.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, an information processing system and computer readable storage medium is disclosed for carrying out the above method.

Claims

1. A method for displaying program content on a viewer information processing system with an interface to a display, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a play-list and program content from a program provider, wherein the play-list is a list of instructions for the rendering of one or more multimedia segments into a multimedia presentation;

wherein the play-list is based on a user'"'"'s demographics assembled by the program provider;

wherein the play-list contains pointers to indicate where each of the one or more multimedia segments selected from a group of primary media sources is located;

wherein the play-list contains a multimedia segment availability time when each of the one or more multimedia segments in the play-list is to be received prior to the time the multimedia segment is to be rendered;

receiving, from the program provider, at least one of the one or more multimedia segments required by the play-list;

determining if all the one or more multimedia segments required by the play-list have been received according to the multimedia segment availability time and in response to at least one of the one or more multimedia segments not being so received, then requesting one or more missing multimedia segments from a secondary media source different than the primary media source from which the one or more multimedia segments were previously requested but not received, wherein the secondary media source is selected from the group of secondary media sources consisting of a second broadcast channel, internet, and removable computer readable medium; and

displaying the multimedia presentation on the display by rendering the one or more multimedia segments as directed by the play-list.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving at least one of the one or more multimedia segments includes storing at least one multimedia segment.

3. The method for displaying according to claim 1, wherein the step of receiving at least one of the one or more multimedia segments includes receiving at least one multimedia segment over a broadcast infrastructure.

4. The method for displaying according to claim 1, wherein the step of receiving at least one of the one or more multimedia segments includes receiving at least one multimedia segment from a computer readable storage medium.

5. The method for displaying according to claim 1, wherein the step of receiving at least one of the one or more multimedia segments includes receiving at least one multimedia segment over a telecommunications network.

6. The method for displaying according to claim 5, wherein the step of receiving at least one multimedia segment over a telecommunications network includes receiving at least one multimedia segment over the Internet.

7. The method for displaying according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

displaying the one or more multimedia segments from the information processing system on a television set.

8. The method for displaying according to claim 1, wherein the step of receiving at least one of the one or more multimedia segments includes receiving at least one multimedia segment which is an advertisement.

9. The method for displaying according to claim 1, wherein the step of receiving at least one of the one or more multimedia segments includes receiving at least one multimedia segment which is program content.

10. The method for displaying according to claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a play-list includes receiving a play-list with a date when the multimedia segment is to be rendered.

11. A method for distributing program content from a program provider over a telecommunications infrastructure to a plurality of clients, the method on a program provider comprising the steps of:

breaking program content into a plurality of multimedia segments;

transmitting at least one play-list and program content to at least one client, wherein the play-list is a list of instructions for the rendering of one or more multimedia segments within the plurality of multimedia segments into a multimedia presentation;

wherein the play-list is based on a user'"'"'s demographics assembled by the program provider;

wherein the play-list contains pointers to indicate where each of the one or more multimedia segments selected from a group of primary media sources is located;

wherein the play-list contains a multimedia segment availability time when each respective multimedia segment within the one or more multimedia segments in the play-list is to be received prior to the time that the respective multimedia segment is to be rendered;

determining if all the one or more multimedia segments required by the play-list have been received according to the multimedia segment availability time and in response to at least one of the one or more multimedia segments not being so received, then requesting one or more missing multimedia segments from a secondary media source different than the primary media source from which the one or more multimedia segments were previously requested but not received, wherein the secondary media source is selected from the group of secondary media sources consisting of a second broadcast channel, internet, and removable computer readable medium; and

transmitting the one or more multimedia segments required by said play-lists that form the multimedia presentation.

12. The method of claim 11, where the program provider transmits at least one multimedia segment to at least one client prior to the multimedia presentation by the client.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

grouping one or more clients receiving a play-list based on the demographics of the viewers of the multimedia presentation; and

wherein the step of transmitting at least one play-list includes transmitting the identical play-list to one or more clients based on the grouping.

14. The method of claim 11 for distributing program content, wherein the step of transmitting the one or more multimedia segments includes transmitting at least one multimedia segment on a computer readable storage medium.

15. The method of claim 11 for distributing program content wherein the step of transmitting the one or more multimedia segments includes transmitting at least one multimedia segment over a cable network.

16. The method of claim 11 for distributing program content, wherein the step of transmitting the one or more multimedia segments includes transmitting at least one multimedia segment over a telecommunications network.

17. The method of claim 16, for distributing program content wherein the step of transmitting at least one multimedia segments over a telecommunications network includes transmitting at least one multimedia segment on the Internet.

18. A computer readable medium comprising programming instructions for displaying program content on a viewer information processing system with an interface to a display, the programming instructions comprising

receiving a play-list and program content from a program provider, wherein the play-list is a list of instructions for the rendering of one or more multimedia segments into a multimedia presentation;

wherein the play-list is based on a user'"'"'s demographics assembled by the program provider;

wherein the play-list contains pointers to indicate where each of the one or more multimedia segments selected from a group of primary media sources is located;

wherein the play-list contains a multimedia segment availability time when each of the one or more multimedia segments in the play-list is to be received prior to the time the multimedia segment is to be rendered;

receiving, from the program provider, at least one of the one or more multimedia segments required by the play-list;

determining if all the one or more multimedia segments required by the play-list have been received according to the multimedia segment availability time and in response to at least one of the one or more multimedia segments not being so received, then requesting one or more missing multimedia segments from a secondary media source different than the primary media source from which the one or more multimedia segments were previously requested but not received, wherein the secondary media source is selected from the group of secondary media sources consisting of a second broadcast channel, internet, and removable computer readable medium; and

displaying the multimedia presentation on the display by rendering the one or more multimedia segments as directed by the play-list.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein said programming instruction includes receiving at least one of the one or more multimedia segments prior to the presentation being displayed, and storing at least one multimedia segment.

20. The computer readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the programming instruction of receiving at least one of the one or more multimedia segments includes receiving at least one multimedia segment over a broadcast infrastructure.

21. The computer readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the programming instruction of receiving at least one of the one or more multimedia segments includes receiving at least one multimedia segment from a computer readable storage medium.

22. The computer readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the programming instruction of receiving at least one of the one or more multimedia segments includes receiving at least one multimedia segment over a telecommunications network.

23. The computer readable medium according to claim 22, wherein the programming instruction of receiving at least one multimedia segment over a telecommunications network includes receiving at least one multimedia segment over the Internet.

24. The computer readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the programming instruction of displaying includes displaying the one or more multimedia segments from the information processing system on a television set.

25. The computer readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the programming instruction for receiving at least one of the one or more multimedia segments includes receiving at least one multimedia segment of an advertisement.

26. The computer readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the programming instruction for receiving at least one of the one or more multimedia segments includes receiving at least one multimedia segment of program content.

27. The computer readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the programming instruction for receiving a play-list includes receiving a play-list with a date when the multimedia segment is to be rendered.

28. A viewer information processing system with an interface to a display for program content, the viewer information system comprising

a receiver for receiving a play-list and program content from a program provider wherein the play-list is a list of instructions for the rendering of one or more multimedia segments into a multimedia presentation;

wherein the play-list is based on a user'"'"'s demographics assembled by the program provider;

wherein the play-list contains pointers to indicate where each of the one or more multimedia segments selected from a group of primary media sources is located;

wherein the play-list contains a multimedia segment availability time when the one or more multimedia segments in the play-list is to be received prior to the time the multimedia segment is to be rendered;

a receiver for receiving at least one of the one or more multimedia segments from the program provider;

means for determining if all the one or more multimedia segments required by the play-list have been received according to the multimedia segment availability time and in response to at least one of the one or more multimedia segments not being so received, then requesting one or more missing multimedia segments from a secondary media source different than the primary media source from which the one or more multimedia segments were previously requested but not received, wherein the secondary media source is selected from the group of secondary media sources consisting of a second broadcast channel, internet, and removable computer readable medium;

a means for rendering the one or more multimedia segments into the multimedia presentation as directed by the play-list; and

an interface to a display for displaying said multimedia presentation.

29. The viewer information processing system of claim 28, further comprising an interface to storage for storing at least one multimedia segment.

30. The viewer information processing system according to claim 28, wherein the receiver has an interface to a broadcast infrastructure.

31. The viewer information processing system according to claim 28, wherein the receiver has an interface to a computer readable storage medium.

32. The viewer information processing system according to claim 28, wherein the receiver has an interface to a telecommunications network.

33. The viewer information processing system according to claim 32, wherein the receiver interface to a telecommunications network includes an interface to the Internet.