Presentation of a multimedia experience

• US 7,683,937 B1
• Filed: 12/31/2003
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Blumenfeld, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): WANG, KENT F
• Application Number:
  US10/748,123
• Time in Patent Office: 2,274 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211.9, 348/211.11, 348/211.3, 348/159, 348/157, 348/142, 348/143, 348/211.99, 345/420, 345/419, 382/154
• US Class Current: 348/211.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

In one general sense, a user may be presented with a multimedia experience corresponding to an entertainment event or venue by managing a sensor array having at least two sensors that are made configured to provide a stream of data units, associating location information with sensors in the sensor array, enabling the user to perceive a map related to an entertainment event or venue, relating the perceived map to one or more sensors within the sensor array, receiving a user request identifying a selected position within the map, identifying one or more sensors within the sensor array corresponding to the selection, and presenting to the user a multimedia experience based on one or more streams of data units associated with the selected sensors.

Claims

1. A method of presenting a user with a multimedia experience corresponding to an entertainment event or venue, the method comprising:

managing a sensor array having at least two sensors that are each configured to provide a stream of data units;

determining first locations for the sensors in the sensor array at a first time to provide first location information;

enabling the user to perceive a map related to the entertainment event or venue;

enabling the user to perceive the first location of one or more of the sensors in the sensor array on the perceived map based on the first location information;

determining second locations for the sensors in the sensor array at a second time to provide second location information, the second locations being different from the first locations, and the second time being after the first time;

enabling the user to perceive the second location of the one or more of the sensors in the sensor array on the perceived map based on the second location information;

receiving a request from the user identifying a selected position within the perceived map;

identifying one or more of the sensors in the sensor array corresponding to the selected position; and

presenting to the user the multimedia experience based on one or more streams of data units associated with the identified one or more sensors.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein more than one sensor in the sensor array is identified, and wherein presenting to the user the multimedia experience includes providing a multimedia experience based on streams of data units received from the more than one identified sensors.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein managing the sensor array includes operating multiple camera systems, the camera systems each including a video capture system and a location provider system.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein determining the first locations for the sensors in the sensor array and determining the second locations for the sensors in the sensor array include using the location provider system of each of the camera systems to determine location information using at least one of a Global Positioning system receiver, a gyroscope, and a local beacon.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein operating the multiple camera systems includes operating two or more camera systems that provide video.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein managing the sensor array includes operating multiple microphone systems, the microphone systems each including a sound capture system and a location provider system.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein determining the first locations for the sensors in the sensor array and determining the second locations for the sensors in the sensor array include using the location provider system of each of the microphone systems to determine location information using at least one of a Global Positioning system receiver, a gyroscope, and a local beacon.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein managing the sensor array includes managing more than one type of sensor.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the first locations for the sensors in the sensor array and determining the second locations for the sensors in the sensor array include determining the locations relative to an architectural structure in the entertainment venue.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising using the first locations for the sensors in the sensor array and the second locations for the sensors in the sensor array in the entertainment venue to determine metadata descriptive of the multimedia experience.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein enabling the user to perceive the map, enabling the user to perceive the first location, and enabling the user to perceive the second location include using the metadata to describe the multimedia experience associated with the one or more sensors in the sensor array.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling the user to perceive the map, enabling the user to perceive the first location, and enabling the user to perceive the second location include generating a web page enabling the user to navigate among the sensors in the sensor array and to select one or more of the sensors in the sensor array.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a permission level for the user.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein determining the permission level includes determining a level of access to which the user has subscribed.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein determining the permission level includes identifying sensors in the sensor array as being accessible and inaccessible to the user, and regulating access by the user in response to the permission level.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein managing the sensor array, determining the first locations for the sensors in the sensor array, enabling the user to perceive the map, relating the perceived map, enabling the user to perceive the first location, determining the second locations for the sensors in the sensor array, enabling the user to perceive the second location, receiving the request, identifying the one or more of the sensors, and presenting to the user the multimedia experience include determining whether a stream of data units is available from a better-matching sensor that better matches a user'"'"'s perceived interest and notifying the user about the availability of the better-matching sensor.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein notifying the user about the availability of the better-matching sensor includes enabling the user to receive a stream of data units from the better-matching sensor.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein notifying the user about the availability of the better-matching sensor includes enabling the user to upgrade a permission level so that the user may receive a stream of data units from the better-matching sensor.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising determining that the permission level supports access to the stream of data units from the better-matching sensor before enabling access to the stream of data units from the better-matching sensor.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting to the user the multimedia experience includes combining the one or more streams of data units with other streams of data units from other sensors in the sensor array into a combined stream of data units and enabling the user to access the combined stream of data units.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein combining the one or more streams of data units includes presenting a three dimensional presentation.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein combining the one or more streams of data units includes enabling presentation of a simulated view from a location where no sensor is located.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting to the user the multimedia experience includes performing intermediary processing on the one or more streams of data units to generate an edited stream of data units and enabling the user to access the edited stream.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the first locations for the sensors in the sensor array and determining the second locations for the sensors in the sensor array include using at least one of a Global Positioning system receiver, a gyroscope, and a local beacon.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein managing the sensor array includes managing a camera system, the camera system including a video sensor and an audio sensor.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling the user to perceive the map includes enabling display, to the user, of the relative orientation and scale of physical elements of the entertainment event or venue, other than the streams of data units associated with the sensors in the sensor array.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein enabling the user to perceive the first location of the one or more of the sensors in the sensor array and enabling the user to perceive the second location of the one or more of the sensors in the sensor array include enabling display, to the user, of the relative location and orientation of the one or more sensors in the sensor array within the display of the relative orientation of the physical elements of the entertainment event or venue.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the one or more of the sensors in the sensor array corresponding to the selected position includes:

identifying multiple sensors in the sensor array; and

identifying two or more sensors in the sensory array in proximity to the selected position, the two or more sensors in the sensory array being fewer than all of the multiple sensors in the sensor array.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein presenting to the user the multimedia experience based on the one or more streams of data units associated with the identified sensors includes combining the streams of data units associated with the two or more sensors in closest proximity to the selected position.

30. A tangible computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program configured to present a user with a multimedia experience corresponding to an entertainment event or venue, the computer program comprising:

a management code segment structured and arranged to manage a sensor array having at least two sensors that are each configured to provide a stream of data units;

a first location code segment structured and arranged to determine first locations for the sensors in the sensor array at a first time to provide first location information;

a mapping code segment structured and arranged to enable the user to perceive a map related to the entertainment event or venue;

a first perception code segment structured and arranged to enable the user to perceive the first location of one or more of the sensors in the sensor array on the perceived map based on the first location information;

a second location code segment structured and arranged to determine second locations for the sensors in the sensor array at a second time to provide second location information, the second locations being different from the first locations, and the second time being after the first time;

a second perception code segment structured and arranged to enable the user to perceive the second location of the one or more of the sensors in the sensor array on the perceived map based on the second location information;

a user interface code segment structured and arranged to receive a request from the user identifying a selected position within the perceived map;

an identification code segment structured and arranged to identify one or more of the sensors in the sensor array corresponding to the selected position; and

a presentation code segment structured and arranged to present to the user the multimedia experience based on one or more streams of data units associated with the identified one or more sensors.

31. The medium of claim 30 wherein the mapping code segment, the first perception code segment, and the second perception code segment are structured and arranged to generate a web page enabling the user to navigate among the sensors in the sensor array and to select one or more of the sensors in the sensor array.

32. The medium of claim 30 further comprising an access control code segment structured and arranged to determine a permission level for the user.

33. The medium of claim 32 wherein the access control code segment is structured and arranged to determine a level of access to which the user has subscribed.

34. The medium of claim 32 wherein the access control code segment is structured and arranged to identify sensors in the sensor array that are accessible and inaccessible to the user, and regulate access by the user in response to the permission level.

35. The medium of claim 30 further comprising a notification code segment structured and arranged to determine whether a stream of data units is available from a better-matching sensor that better matches a user'"'"'s perceived interest and notify the user about the availability of the better-matching sensor.

36. The medium of claim 35 wherein the notification code segment is structured and arranged to enable the user to receive a stream of data units from the better-matching sensor.

37. The medium of claim 36 wherein the notification code segment is structured and arranged to enable the user to upgrade a permission level so that the user may receive a stream of data units from the better-matching sensor.

38. The medium of claim 37 wherein the notification code segment is structured and arranged to determine that the permission level supports access to the stream of data units from the better-matching sensor before enabling access to the stream of data units from the better-matching sensor.

39. The medium of claim 30 wherein the presentation code segment is structured and arranged to combine the one or more streams of data units with other streams of data units from other sensors in the sensor array into a combined stream of data units and enable the user to access the combined stream of data units.

40. The medium of claim 39 wherein the presentation code segment is structured and arranged to present a three dimensional presentation.

41. The medium of claim 39 wherein the presentation code segment is structured and arranged to enable presentation of a simulated view from a location where no sensor is located.

42. The medium of claim 30 wherein the first location code segment and the second location code segment are structured and arranged to use at least one of a Global Positioning system receiver, a gyroscope, and a local beacon to provide the location information.

43. A method of presenting a user with a multimedia experience corresponding to an entertainment event or venue, the method comprising:

managing a first sensor and a second sensor;

determining, at a first time, a first location of the first sensor and a first location of the second sensor;

enabling display, to a user, of a map related to the entertainment event or venue;

enabling display, to the user, of the first sensor'"'"'s first location and the second sensor'"'"'s first location on the map related to the entertainment event or venue;

determining, at a second time, a second location of the first sensor and a second location of the second sensor, wherein

the second time is after the first time,

the first sensor'"'"'s second location is different from the first sensor'"'"'s first location, and

the second sensor'"'"'s second location is different from the second sensor'"'"'s first location;

enabling display, to the user, of the first sensor'"'"'s second location and the second sensor'"'"'s second location on the map related to the entertainment event or venue;

receiving a request, from the user, identifying one of the first sensor and the second sensor; and

enabling display, to the user, of the multimedia experience based on one or more streams of data received from the identified one of the first sensor and the second sensor.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein the first sensor'"'"'s second location is different relative to the first sensor'"'"'s first location, and the second sensor'"'"'s second location is different relative to the second sensor'"'"'s first location.

45. The method of claim 43 wherein enabling display, to the user, of the first sensor'"'"'s second location and the second sensor'"'"'s second location on the map related to the entertainment even or venue includes removing, from the map, the first sensor'"'"'s first location and the second sensor'"'"'s first location.