Browser for use in navigating a body of information, with particular application to browsing information represented by audiovisual data

• US 8,176,515 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2007
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Interval Licensing LLC
• Original Assignee: Interval Licensing LLC
• Inventors: Ahmad, Subutai, Cousins, Steve B., Farber, Emanuel E., Horner, Christopher D., Ullmer, Brygg A., Bhadkamkar, Neal A., Freiberger, Paul A., Piernot, Philippe P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): Raman, Usha
• Application Number:
  US11/682,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20070204319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,891 Days
• Field of Search: 725/43, 725/41, 725/40, 725/52, 725/51, 715/719, 715/721
• US Class Current: 725/43
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/738 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/739 in form of a video summary, e.g. the video summary being a video sequence, a composite still image or having synthesized frames
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7834 using audio features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7844 using original textual content or text extracted from visual content or transcript of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/785 using colour or luminescence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02

Abstract

A system and method for review of news content (audio, video and/or textual news content), such that an overview of the news content can be quickly ascertained and flexibility in the manner in which it is presented are provided. News programs (e.g. television news programs) and news stories (e.g., on-line news) are acquired and the system enables the user to easily move among and randomly access the segments of news programs and quickly locate the segments of a particular subject. News stories related to the segment of news program being viewed can be identified and displayed. Flexible playback allows speeding-up the display of the news program while displaying summary of one or more program segments and accelerating playback of a paused program after resuming from the pause. The system can additionally indicate to the user which news story is currently being viewed, and which news stories have already been viewed.

Claims

1. A method for reviewing multiple television programs, wherein at least one of the multiple television programs is received in real time, the method comprising:

displaying one of the multiple television programs to a user by a first display device;

simultaneous with the displaying of the one television program by the first display device, displaying primary and secondary information to the user in real time by a second display device, wherein the primary information is for controlling the multiple television programs, and wherein the secondary information is related to the one television program displayed by the first display device, and wherein

the second display device is physically separate from and untethered to the first display device,

the second display device includes a graphical user interface for displaying the primary information and the secondary information,

the primary information enables the user to select among the multiple television programs for display by the first display,

the primary information comprises a plurality of selectable segments related to the information being displayed on the first display device,

the secondary information comprises a plurality of articles related to the information being displayed on the first display device,

the secondary information is dynamically determined based upon the television program displayed by the first display device, and

the secondary information is displayed in response to selection by the user of one of the multiple television programs;

selecting another television program using the primary information displayed by the graphical user interface of the second display device; and

in response to the selection of the other television program by the user, displaying by the graphical user interface of the second display device secondary information related to the selected second television program,

wherein upon selecting one of the plurality of segments from the primary information, the information being displayed on the first display device is changed, and the related secondary information displayed on the second display device changes accordingly.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the other television program is a news television program, and wherein the secondary information is news information related to the news television program.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the secondary information is dynamically determined based upon a threshold level of similarity with at least a portion of the television program displayed by the first display device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a program map displayable on the second display device, wherein the program map displays several linear graphical representations of program information, where subdivisions in each linear representation represent breaks between different stories within a program.

5. A non-transitory computer readable medium or media whose contents cause a computer system to perform a method for enabling review of multiple television programs, wherein at least one of the multiple television programs is received in real time, the method comprising:

displaying one of the multiple television programs to a user by a first display device;

simultaneous with the displaying of the one television program by the first display device, displaying primary and secondary information to the user in real time by a second display device, wherein the primary information is for controlling the multiple television programs, and wherein the secondary information is related to the one television program displayed by the first display device, and wherein

the second display device is physically separate from and untethered to the first display device,

the second display device includes a graphical user interface for displaying the primary information and the secondary information,

the primary information enables the user to select among the multiple television programs for display by the first display,

the primary information comprises a plurality of selectable segments related to the information being displayed on the first display device,

the secondary information comprises a plurality of articles related to the information being displayed on the first display device,

the secondary information is dynamically determined based upon the television program displayed by the first display device, and

the secondary information is displayed in response to selection by the user of one of the multiple television programs;

selecting another television program using the primary information displayed by the graphical user interface of the second display; and

in response to the selection of the other television program by the user, displaying by the graphical user interface of the second display device secondary information related to the selected second television program,

wherein upon selecting one of the plurality of segments from the primary information, the information being displayed on the first display device is changed, and the related secondary information displayed on the second display device changes accordingly.

6. The computer readable medium or media of claim 5, wherein the other television program is a news television program, and wherein the secondary information is news information related to the news television program.

7. The computer readable medium or media of claim 5, further comprising displaying a program map displayable on the second display device, wherein the program map displays several linear graphical representations of program information, where subdivisions in each linear representation represent breaks between different stories within a program.

8. A system for acquiring and enabling the review of multiple television programs, wherein at least one of the multiple television programs is received in real time, the system comprising:

first means for acquiring in real time, or in near real time, one or more of the multiple television programs;

second means for acquiring in real time, or in near real time, internet content;

first display means for generating in real time, or in near real time, a display of one of the one or more multiple television programs as the one television program is acquired by the means for acquiring for display to a user;

means for comparing the one television program to the internet content to determine, according to one or more predetermined criteria, a set of internet content that is related to the one television program; and

second display means for generating a display of a portion of, or a representation of, the set of internet content determined to be related to the one television program and for generating a display of information for controlling the multiple television programs for display to the user, wherein

the second display means is physically separate from and untethered to the first display means,

the second display means includes a graphical user interface for displaying the portion of or representation of the set of internet content and the information for controlling the multiple television programs,

the information enables the user to select among the multiple television programs for display by the first display means,

the information comprises a plurality of selectable segments related to the television programs being displayed on the first display means,

the set of internet content comprises a plurality of articles related to the television programs being displayed on the first display means,

the set of internet content is dynamically determined based upon the one television program, and

the second display means displays the portion or representation of the set of internet content in response to the selection by the user of one of the multiple television programs,

wherein upon selecting one of the plurality of segments from the information, the information being displayed on the first display means is changed, and the set of Internet content displayed on the second display means changes accordingly.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the second display means displays a text display of a portion or representation of the set of internet content.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the first display means is a television; and

the second display means is a computer display monitor.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising means for selecting the set of internet content for which a portion or representation is displayed by the second display means, wherein selection of such set of internet content causes the first display means to display at least some of the selected set of internet content.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising means for controlling operation of the system.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for controlling is physically separate from the first display means.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the means for controlling is portable.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising means for enabling wireless communication between the first display means and the means for controlling.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for controlling and the second display means are embodied in the same apparatus.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for controlling comprises a graphical user interface for enabling specification of control instructions.

18. The system of claim 8, wherein the one television program is a news television program, and wherein the set of internet content is news internet content related to the news television program.