Method and apparatus to provide multimedia service using time-based markup language

• US 8,359,303 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2008
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xiang Li, Xiaosong Du, Yanlin Guan
• Original Assignee: Xiang Li, Xiaosong Du, Yanlin Guan
• Inventors: Du, Xiaosong, Guan, Yanlin, Li, Xiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh, Amresh
• Application Number:
  US12/329,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20090150369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,509 Days
• Field of Search: 707/706, 707/913, 707/E17.056, 715/719, 715/205, 715/760
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/489 using time information

Abstract

A multimedia player and method is disclosed for displaying multimedia content on a video screen. A video stream and a markup language segment associated with the video stream are received, wherein the markup language segment comprising a time stamp identifying a target segment of the video stream, and at least one keyword associated with the time stamp. The keyword is transmitted over a network to a search engine, and related content is received from the search engine over the network, wherein the related content is related to the keyword. When the target segment of the video stream is displayed on the video screen, the related content is concurrently displayed on the video screen.

Claims

1. A method of displaying multimedia content on a video screen for a viewer, the method comprising:

receiving a video stream and a markup language segment associated with the video stream, the markup language segment received from a provider, the markup language segment comprising;

a time stamp identifying a target segment of the video stream; and

at least one predetermined keyword configured by the provider, wherein the predetermined keyword is associated with the time stamp;

automatically transmitting the predetermined keyword over a network to a search engine independent of user input;

receiving related content from the search engine over the network, wherein the related content is related to the predetermined keyword; and

while the target segment of the video stream is displayed on the video screen, concurrently displaying the related content on the video screen for the viewer,

wherein the viewer is unaware of the predetermined keyword.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the markup language segment further comprises a pointer to a next markup language segment to process.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the time stamp comprises an offset from the start of the video stream to the beginning of the target segment.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the time stamp comprises a duration of the target segment.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the related content comprises advertising content.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the related content comprises news content.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the search engine performs a search of substantially the entire Internet based on the keyword to locate the related content.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the video stream and markup language segment are received over a network.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the video stream and the markup language segment are received from a local storage device.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the video stream is received over a first channel, and the markup language segment is received over a second channel.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the video stream is received over a first channel, and the markup language segment is received over the first channel.

12. A method of displaying multimedia content on a video screen for a viewer, the method comprising:

receiving a video stream and a markup language segment associated with the video stream, the markup language segment received from a provider, the markup language segment comprising;

a time stamp identifying a target segment of the video stream; and

at least one predetermined keyword configured by the provider, wherein the predetermined keyword is associated with the time stamp;

comparing the predetermined keyword to a user preference file;

when there is a match between the predetermined keyword and the user preference file, automatically transmitting a content identifier over a network to a first server independent of user input;

receiving related content from the first server over the network, wherein the related content is related to the content identifier; and

while the target segment of the video stream is displayed on the video screen, concurrently displaying the related content on the video screen for the viewer,

wherein the viewer is unaware of the predetermined keyword.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the markup language segment further comprises a pointer to a next markup language segment to process.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising a user editing a matching criteria in the user preference file.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the user preference file specifies a website to locate the related content associated with the match.

16. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising receiving the user preference file from a second server over the network.

17. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising receiving the user preference file from a local storage device.

18. A multimedia player for displaying multimedia content on a video screen for a viewer, the multimedia player comprising an engine for:

receiving a video stream and a markup language segment associated with the video stream, the markup language segment received from a provider, the markup language segment comprising;

a time stamp identifying a target segment of the video stream; and

at least one predetermined keyword configured by the provider, wherein the predetermined keyword is associated with the time stamp;

automatically transmitting the predetermined keyword over a network to a search engine independent of user input;

receiving related content from the search engine over the network, wherein the related content is related to the predetermined keyword; and

while the target segment of the video stream is displayed on the video screen, concurrently displaying the related content on the video screen for the viewer,

wherein the viewer is unaware of the predetermined keyword.

19. The multimedia player as recited in claim 18, wherein the markup language segment further comprises a pointer to a next markup language segment to process.

20. The multimedia player as recited in claim 18, wherein the time stamp comprises an offset from the start of the video stream to the beginning of the target segment.

21. The multimedia player as recited in claim 18, wherein the time stamp comprises a duration of the target segment.

22. The multimedia player as recited in claim 18, wherein the related content comprises advertising content.

23. The multimedia player as recited in claim 18, wherein the related content comprises news content.

24. The multimedia player as recited in claim 18, wherein the search engine performs a search of substantially the entire Internet based on the keyword to locate the related content.

25. The multimedia player as recited in claim 18, wherein the control circuitry receives the video stream and markup language segment over a network.

26. The multimedia player as recited in claim 18, wherein the control circuitry receives at least one of the video stream and the markup language segment from a local storage device.

27. The multimedia player as recited in claim 18, wherein the control circuitry receives the video stream over a first channel, and receives the markup language segment over a second channel.

28. The multimedia player as recited in claim 18, wherein the control circuitry receives the video stream over a first channel, and receives the markup language segment over the first channel.

29. A multimedia player for displaying multimedia content on a video screen for a viewer, the multimedia player comprising an engine for:

receiving a video stream and a markup language segment associated with the video stream, the markup language segment received from a provider, the markup language segment comprising;

a time stamp identifying a target segment of the video stream; and

at least one predetermined keyword configured by the provider, wherein the predetermined keyword is associated with the time stamp;

comparing the predetermined keyword to a user preference file;

when there is a match between the predetermined keyword and the user preference file, automatically transmitting a content identifier over a network to a first server independent of user input;

receiving related content from the first server over the network, wherein the related content is related to the content identifier; and

while the target segment of the video stream is displayed on the video screen, concurrently displaying the related content on the video screen for the viewer,

wherein the viewer is unaware of the predetermined keyword.

30. The multimedia player as recited in claim 29, wherein the markup language segment further comprises a pointer to a next markup language segment to process.

31. The multimedia player as recited in claim 29, wherein the control circuitry comprises an interface for a user to edit a matching criteria in the user preference file.

32. The multimedia player as recited in claim 29, wherein the user preference file specifies a website to locate the related content associated with the match.

33. The multimedia player as recited in claim 29, wherein the control circuitry receives the user preference file from a second server over the network.

34. The multimedia player as recited in claim 29, wherein the control circuitry receives the user preference file from a local storage device.

35. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising code segments for:

receiving a video stream and a markup language segment associated with the video stream, the markup language segment received from a provider, the markup language segment comprising;

a time stamp identifying a target segment of the video stream; and

at least one predetermined keyword configured by the provider, wherein the predetermined keyword is associated with the time stamp;

automatically transmitting the predetermined keyword over a network to a search engine independent of user input;

receiving related content from the search engine over the network, wherein the related content is related to the predetermined keyword; and

while the target segment of the video stream is displayed on the video screen, concurrently displaying the related content on the video screen for a viewer,

wherein the viewer is unaware of the predetermined keyword.

36. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 35, wherein the markup language segment further comprises a pointer to a next markup language segment to process.

37. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 35, wherein the time stamp comprises an offset from the start of the video stream to the beginning of the target segment.

38. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 35, wherein the time stamp comprises a duration of the target segment.

39. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 35, wherein the related content comprises advertising content.

40. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 35, wherein the related content comprises news content.

41. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 35, wherein the search engine performs a search of substantially the entire Internet based on the keyword to locate the related content.

42. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 35, wherein the video stream and markup language segment are received over a network.

43. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 35, wherein at least one of the video stream and the markup language segment are received from a local storage device.

44. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 35, wherein the video stream is received over a first channel, and the markup language segment is received over a second channel.

45. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 35, wherein the video stream is received over a first channel, and the markup language segment is received over the first channel.

46. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising code segments for:

receiving a video stream and a markup language segment associated with the video stream, the markup language segment received from a provider, the markup language segment comprising;

a time stamp identifying a target segment of the video stream; and

at least one predetermined keyword configured by the provider, wherein the predetermined keyword is associated with the time stamp;

comparing the predetermined keyword to a user preference file;

when there is a match between the predetermined keyword and the user preference file, automatically transmitting a content identifier over a network to a first server independent of user input;

receiving related content from the first server over the network, wherein the related content is related to the content identifier; and

while the target segment of the video stream is displayed on the video screen, concurrently displaying the related content on the video screen for a viewer,

wherein the viewer is unaware of the predetermined keyword.

47. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 46, wherein the markup language segment further comprises a pointer to a next markup language segment to process.

48. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 46, further comprising code segments for a user editing a matching criteria in the user preference file.

49. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 46, wherein the user preference file specifies a website to locate the related content associated with the match.

50. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 46, further comprising code segments for receiving the user preference file from a second server over the network.

51. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 46, further comprising code segments for receiving the user preference file from a local storage device.