Method and system for embedding information into streaming media

• US 8,151,298 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2002
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Begeja, Lee, Gibbon, David Crawford, Huber, Kenneth Mervin, Liu, Zhu, Markowitz, Robert Edward, Renger, Bernard S., Shahraray, Behzad, Zamchick, Gary Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): HOSSAIN, FARZANA E
• Application Number:
  US10/163,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20030030752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,589 Days
• Field of Search: 725/86, 725/38, 725/93, 725/94, 725/134
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/26603 for automatically generating descriptors from content, e.g. when it is not made available by its provider, using content analysis techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method and system for embedding information into streaming media is disclosed. In order to avoid a prolonged waiting period between the time a video stream is selected for viewing and the time it actually begins to play, information relevant to the content of the video stream is independently obtained and locally stored. This information may be advertising, text, games or any other media which may be of interest to the user. The information is embedded into the video or other media stream to be presented to the viewer and played immediately, so that the user avoids any wait time in viewing the selected stream that may occur due to bandwidth shortages or other system considerations.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a primary video stream comprising primary content and displaying relevant information that is relevant to the primary content, wherein the primary video stream and the relevant information are automatically generated based on a user profile, the method comprising:

receiving all of the relevant information;

storing all of the received relevant information;

receiving the primary video stream after all of the received relevant information has been stored;

initiating buffering of the primary video stream while the primary video stream is being received;

initiating displaying of the stored relevant information while the primary video stream is buffering;

determining whether the primary video stream has completed buffering;

upon determining that the primary video stream has not completed buffering, continuing the displaying of the stored relevant information; and

upon determining that the primary video stream has completed buffering;

in response to a first user command, continuing the displaying of the stored relevant information; and

in response to a second user command, discontinuing the displaying of the stored relevant information and initiating displaying of the buffered primary video stream.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the relevant information comprises an advertisement.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the relevant information comprises entertainment.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the entertainment comprises a game.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the relevant information comprises a media stream previously designated by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the relevant information comprises audio information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the relevant information comprises a plurality of pieces of relevant information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein displaying the relevant information comprises:

displaying a representation of each of the plurality of pieces of relevant information;

receiving a designation from the user for at least one of the plurality of pieces of relevant information; and

displaying the at least one of the plurality of pieces of relevant information designated to the user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein displaying a representation of each of the plurality of pieces of relevant information comprises displaying at least one of a video thumbscreen and a thumbnail image.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program instructions for displaying a primary video stream comprising primary content and displaying relevant information that is relevant to the primary content, wherein the primary video stream and the relevant information are automatically generated based on a user profile, the computer program instructions defining a method comprising:

receiving all of the relevant information;

storing all of the received relevant information;

receiving the primary video stream after all of the received relevant information has been stored;

initiating buffering of the primary video stream while the primary video stream is being received;

initiating displaying of the stored relevant information while the primary video stream is buffering;

determining whether the primary video stream has completed buffering;

upon determining that the primary video stream has not completed buffering, continuing the displaying of the stored relevant information; and

upon determining that the primary video stream has completed buffering;

in response to a first user command, continuing the displaying of the stored relevant information; and

in response to a second user command, discontinuing the displaying of the stored relevant information and initiating displaying of the buffered primary video stream.