Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing multi-viewpoint media content services

• US 8,065,709 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Liu, Jerry Chieh, Tischer, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry; Hunter B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHNURR, JOHN R
• Application Number:
  US11/413,864
• Publication Number:
  US 20060195882A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,034 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.02, 715/756, 725/99, 725/105, 725/114, 725/131
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21805 enabling multiple viewpoints, e.g. using a plurality of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• 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 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for providing multi-viewpoint media content services is provided. The method includes receiving a feed of content from at least one communications device that is observing an event from a specified viewpoint and/or relaying the feed of content received from another communications device. The method also includes classifying the content according to a viewpoint identifier and a content identifier. The content identifier specifies a defined portion of the event. The method further includes providing access to user-selectable viewpoints of the content via a corresponding viewpoint identifier and content identifier. Content of selected viewpoints is modifiable for creating customized content.

Claims

1. A method for providing multi-viewpoint media content services, comprising:

receiving, at a centralized server, live feeds of content from a first end user device and a second end user device that are observing an event from different viewpoints;

classifying, by the centralized server, each of the live feeds of content received from the first and second end user devices according to viewpoint identifiers of the live feeds of content, device identifiers of the first and second end user devices, and content identifiers, each of the content identifiers specifying a defined portion of the event;

providing the first and second end user devices with access to user-selectable viewpoints of the live feeds of content via the viewpoint identifiers, the device identifiers, and the content identifiers, the user-selectable viewpoints including the first and second end user devices'"'"' own content provided via the live feeds of content, and the live feeds of content associated with the user-selectable viewpoints are modifiable for creating customized content; and

modifying content of user-selected viewpoints from the live feeds of content by combining the content of the user-selected viewpoints to follow a time sequence corresponding with a timeline of the event, the combining resulting in the customized content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a source location of each of the different viewpoints;

assigning the viewpoint identifiers to the different viewpoints in response to the identifying;

receiving time signals from the first and second end user devices, each of the time signals specifying a time of transmission of the live feeds of content; and

mapping the viewpoint identifiers to respective content identifiers via the time signals.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing classified content in a database including begin and end times and duration of the classified content; and

mapping the viewpoint identifiers to the content identifiers via the begin and end times;

wherein providing the first and second end user devices with access to the user-selectable viewpoints further includes providing access to post-production media.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the device identifiers of the first and second end user devices, wherein the classifying includes classifying the live feeds of content according to the device identifiers, and the providing the first and second end user devices with access to the user-selectable viewpoints of the live feeds of content includes providing access to viewpoints of the live feeds of content that correspond to a data feed provided by the first and second end user devices via respective device identifiers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein portions of the event are defined by:

parsing data received from the live feeds of content;

identifying logical content segments responsive to the parsing;

applying time-based parameters to each of the logical content segments; and

associating a content descriptor with the content identifiers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein

the first and second end user devices are each portable communications devices.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing content enhancements for creating the customized content, the content enhancements including advertising, and the live feeds of content include digital video streams.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the live feeds of content include

biometric data corresponding to the event.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the content of the user-selected viewpoints includes providing access to a website storing event-related content, wherein the first and second end user devices create the customized content by combining the content of the user-selected viewpoints with selected event-related content from the website.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the website storing the event-related content includes a program library of customized content created by a plurality of end user devices, and wherein creating the customized content includes combining the customized content from the plurality of end user devices with the user-selected viewpoints.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the centralized server, a live feed of content from a production system that is observing the event; and

providing the first and second end user devices with access to a viewpoint corresponding to the live feed of content received from the production system,

wherein modifying the content of the user-selected viewpoints includes combining the content of the user-selected viewpoints with content from the production system.

12. A system for providing multi-viewpoint media content services, comprising:

a computer processing device in communication with a first end user device and a second end user device over a network; and

a multi-viewpoint media access application executing on the computer processing device, performing;

receiving live feeds of content from the first and second end user devices the first and second end user device observing an event from different viewpoints;

classifying each of the live feeds of content received from the first and second end user devices according to viewpoint identifiers of the live feeds of content, device identifiers of the first and second end user devices, and content identifiers, each of the content identifiers specifying a defined portion of the event;

providing the first and second end user devices with access to user-selectable viewpoints of the live feeds of content via the viewpoint identifiers, the device identifiers, and the content identifier, wherein the user-selectable viewpoints including the first and second end user devices'"'"' own content provided via the live feeds of content, and the live feeds of content associated with the user-selectable viewpoints are modifiable for creating customized content; and

modifying content of user-selected viewpoints from the live feeds of content by combining the content of the user-selected viewpoints to follow a time sequence corresponding with a timeline of the event, the combining resulting in the customized content.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the multi-viewpoint media access application further performs:

identifying a source location of each of the different viewpoints;

assigning the viewpoint identifiers to the different viewpoints in response to the identifying;

receiving time signals from the first and second end user devices, each of the time signals specifying a time of transmission of the live feeds of content; and

mapping the viewpoint identifiers to respective content identifiers via the time signals.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising a database in communication with the computer processing device, the multi-viewpoint media access application further performing:

storing classified content in the database including begin and end times and duration of the classified content; and

mapping the viewpoint identifiers to the content identifiers via the begin and end times;

wherein providing the first and second end user devices with access to the user-selectable viewpoints further includes providing access to post-production media.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the multi-viewpoint media access application further performs:

receiving the device identifiers of the first and second end user devices, wherein the classifying includes classifying the live feeds of content according to the device identifiers, and the providing the first and second end user devices with access to the user-selectable viewpoints of the live feeds of content includes providing access to viewpoints of the live feeds of content that corresponds to a data feed provided by the first and second end user devices via respective device identifiers.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein portions of the event are defined by:

parsing data received from the live feeds of content;

identifying logical content segments responsive to the parsing;

applying time-based parameters to each of the logical content segments; and

associating a content descriptor with the content identifiers.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the first and second end user devices are each portable communications devices.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the multi-viewpoint media access application further performs:

providing content enhancements for creating the customized content, the content enhancements including advertising, and the live feeds of content include digital video streams.

19. A computer program product for providing multi-viewpoint media content services, the computer program product including a computer-readable storage medium having instructions embodied thereon, which when executed by a computer processor cause the computer process to implement a method, the method comprising:

receiving live feeds of content from a firs end user device and a second end user device that are observing an event from different viewpoints;

classifying each of the live feeds of content received from the first and second end user devices according to viewpoint identifiers of the live feeds of content, device identifiers of the first and second end user devices, and content identifiers, each of the content identifiers specifying a defined portion of the event;

providing the first and second end user devices with access to user-selectable viewpoints of the live feeds of content via the viewpoint identifiers, the device identifiers, and the content identifiers, the user-selectable viewpoints including the first and second end user devices'"'"' own content provided via the live feeds of content, and the live feeds of content associated with the user-selectable viewpoints are modifiable for creating customized content; and

modifying content of user-selected viewpoints from the live feeds of content by combining the content of the user-selected viewpoints to follow a time sequence corresponding with a timeline of the event, the combining resulting in the customized content.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising instructions for implementing:

identifying a source location of each of the different viewpoints;

assigning the viewpoint identifiers to the different viewpoints in response to the identifying;

receiving time signals from the first and second end user devices, each of the time signals specifying a time of transmission of the live feeds of content; and

mapping the viewpoint identifiers to respective content identifiers via the time signals.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising instructions for implementing:

storing classified content in a database including begin and end times and duration of the classified content; and

mapping the viewpoint identifiers to the content identifiers via the begin and end times;

wherein providing the first and second end user devices with access to the user-selectable viewpoints further includes providing access to post-production media.

22. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising instructions for implementing:

receiving the device identifiers of the first and second end user devices, wherein the classifying includes classifying the live feeds of content according to the device identifiers, and the providing the first and second end user devices with access to the user-selectable viewpoints of the live feeds of content includes providing access to viewpoints of the live feeds of content that corresponds to a data feed provided by the first and second end user devices via respective device identifiers.

23. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein portions of the event are defined by:

parsing data received from the live feeds of content;

identifying logical content segments responsive to the parsing;

applying time-based parameters to each of the logical content segments; and

associating a content descriptor with the content identifiers.

24. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising instructions for providing content enhancements for creating the customized content, the content enhancements including advertising, and the live feeds of content include digital video streams.