System and method for creating and utilizing metadata regarding the structure of program content stored on a DVR

• US 8,321,466 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Black, Jeremy, Hayes, Patrick H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tang, Jieying
• Application Number:
  US11/315,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20070156739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,532 Days
• Field of Search: 707/999.1, 707/999.102, 707/802, 707/805, 707/825, 725/38, 725/131, 348/563, 348/734, 386/201, 386/234, 386/248
• US Class Current: 707/802
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440281 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. by frame skipping television signal recording using magnetic recording on tape for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

Metadata regarding program content is created by monitoring a manner in which a first rendering of the program content is affected by a user whereupon the metadata will include data which defines one or more segments within the program content. The data within the metadata is then usable during a second rendering of the program content to inhibit, e.g., advance over during playing or omit during copying, the rendering of the one or more segments within the program content defined by the data within the metadata.

Claims

1. A method for using metadata while rendering program content to inhibit a rendering of one or more program content segments defined by data within the metadata, comprising:

retrieving from memory the metadata for the program content, the metadata comprising data defining the one or more segments of the program content;

commencing the rendering of the program content by a playback device; and

using the data within the metadata to inhibit the rendering of the one or more segments within the program content defined by the data within the metadata;

wherein the step of using the data within the metadata to inhibit the rendering of the one or more segments of the program content comprises using the data within the metadata by a hand-held remote control device to cause the hand-held remote control device to automatically transmit commands to the playback device to affect the program content while the program content is being rendered by the playback device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of using the data within the metadata comprises using the data within the metadata to cause the hand-held remote control device to automatically transmit commands to advance over the one or more segments within the program content during the playing of the program content by the playback device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of retrieving from memory the metadata for the program content comprises attempting to retrieve the metadata from a network server.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of commencing the rendering of the program content comprises using a reference stored within the metadata to thereby synchronize the rendering of the program content with the metadata.

5. A method for using metadata related to program content to inhibit a rendering of one or more program content segments defined by data within the metadata, comprising:

monitoring a manner in which a first rendering of program content is affected by a user to create the metadata whereby the metadata comprises data which defines the one or more segments within the program content;

causing the metadata to be stored in a memory;

retrieving from the memory the metadata;

commencing a second rendering of the program content by a playback device; and

using the data within the metadata during the second rendering of the program content to inhibit the rendering of the one or more segments within the program content defined by the data within the metadata;

wherein the step of using the data within the metadata to inhibit the rendering of the one or more segments of the program content comprises using the data within the metadata by a hand-held remote control device to cause the hand-held remote control device to automatically transmit commands to the playback device to affect the program content while the program content is being rendered by the playback device.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the step of using the data within the metadata during the second rendering comprises using the data within the metadata to cause the hand-held remote control device to automatically transmit commands to advance over the one or more segments within the program content during the playing of the program content by the playback device.

7. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the step of retrieving from memory the metadata for the program content comprises attempting to retrieve the metadata from a network server.

8. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the step of commencing the second rendering of the program content comprises using a reference stored within the metadata to thereby synchronize the second rendering of the program content with the metadata.

9. The method as recited in claim 5, comprising determining a time relative to a reference point at which the first rendering of the program content is affected by a user and storing within the metadata data indicative of the time.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, comprising determining a duration during which the first rendering of the program content is affected by the user and storing within the metadata data indicative of the duration.

11. The method as recited in claim 5, comprising storing within the metadata data which allows the program content to be uniquely identified.

12. The method as recited in claim 5, comprising monitoring transmissions from a remote control to determine if a command has been issued from the remote control for affecting the first rendering of the program content.

13. The method as recited in claim 5, comprising monitoring input provided to a remote control to determine if the remote control is being used for affecting the first rendering of the program content.

14. The method as recited in claim 5, comprising storing the metadata in the memory of a device used to render the program content.

15. The method as recited in claim 5, comprising storing the metadata in the memory of a device used to remotely affect the rendering of the program content.

16. The method as recited in claim 5, comprising storing the metadata in the memory associated with a central server.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, comprising receiving plural versions of the metadata at the central server and using the plural versions of the metadata and one or more analytical methods to create an adjusted version of the metadata wherein the adjusted version of the metadata is the metadata used in connection with the second rendering of the program content.