Indication of trickplay availability for selected multimedia stream

• US 8,401,362 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2008
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bedingfield, James Carlton Sr., Stefanik, John
• Primary Examiner(s): HOFFMAN, BRANDON S
• Application Number:
  US12/107,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20090269025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,791 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 386/206
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42227 the keys being reprogrammable, e.g. soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• 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 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/87 Regeneration of colour television signals H04N9/80 takes precedence

Abstract

A user is able to select a multimedia stream from a plurality of multimedia streams available at a multimedia receiver. The availability of one or more trickplay features for the selected multimedia stream is determined in response to the selection of the multimedia stream. A visual indicator, an audible indicator, or both are selectively provided for display/output based on the determined availability status of the corresponding trickplay feature. The selective provision of a trickplay indicator can include providing a first trickplay indicator when the trickplay feature is available and providing a second, different trickplay indicator when the trickplay feature is unavailable. Alternately, the selective provision of a trickplay indicator includes providing the trickplay indicator when the trickplay feature is unavailable and omitting provision of the trickplay indicator when the trickplay feature is available, or vice versa.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

selecting, at a multimedia receiver, a select multimedia stream from a plurality of multimedia streams available at the multimedia receiver based on user input;

determining, at the multimedia receiver, based on an analysis of an encoding format of the select multimedia stream an availability of a trickplay feature for controlling a presentation of the select multimedia stream; and

responsive to determining the availability of the trickplay feature, presenting a visual indicator indicating the availability of the trickplay feature for the select multimedia stream.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

presenting the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for the select multimedia stream; and

omitting a presentation of the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for the select multimedia stream.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

presenting a first visual indicator as the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for the select multimedia stream; and

presenting a second visual indicator, different than the first visual indicator, as a second visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for the select multimedia stream.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second visual indicator is different than the first visual indicator in at least one of color, luminosity, transparency, shape, size, or position.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

presenting for display an array of graphical representations, each graphical representation associated with a corresponding multimedia stream of at least a subset of the plurality of multimedia streams, the array of graphical representations comprising a select graphical representation associated with the select multimedia stream; and

receiving user input indicating selection of the select graphical representation from the array of graphical representations.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising:

presenting for display a listing of a plurality of entries, each entry associated with a corresponding multimedia stream of at least a subset of the plurality of multimedia streams, the listing comprising a select entry associated with the select multimedia stream; and

receiving user input indicating selection of the select entry from the listing.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the presentation of the visual indicator indicating the availability of the trickplay feature for the select multimedia stream is a first presentation for a limited time period, and further comprising:

detecting motion of a remote controller associated with the multimedia receiver;

presenting the visual indicator in a second presentation responsive to the detected motion; and

presenting the select multimedia stream for display in response to selection of the select multimedia stream.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising detecting an aspect of the select multimedia stream that characterizes whether the select multimedia stream supports the trickplay feature based in part on a source of the select multimedia stream and a buffering capability for the select multimedia stream.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising detecting than aspect of the select multimedia stream that characterizes whether the select multimedia stream supports the trickplay feature based in part on a transmission protocol of the select multimedia stream.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising detecting the aspect of the select multimedia stream that characterizes whether the select multimedia stream supports the trickplay feature based in part on metadata received at the multimedia receiver in association with the select multimedia stream.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a set of computer instructions executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:

selecting a select multimedia stream from a plurality of multimedia streams available at the multimedia receiver based on user input;

detecting an aspect of the select multimedia stream that characterizes whether the select multimedia stream supports a trickplay feature, wherein the aspect is detected based on an analysis of at least one of an encoding format of the select multimedia stream, a source of the select multimedia stream or metadata associated with the select multimedia stream;

determining according to the detected aspect an availability of the trickplay feature for controlling a presentation of the select multimedia stream; and

responsive to determining the availability of the trickplay feature, presenting a visual indicator indicating an availability of the trickplay feature for the first multimedia stream.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, comprising computer instructions executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:

omitting a presentation of the visual indicator in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for the select multimedia stream.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, comprising computer instructions executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:

presenting a first visual indicator as the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for the select multimedia stream; and

presenting a second visual indicator, different than the first visual indicator, as a second visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for the select multimedia stream.

14. A method comprising:

receiving, at a multimedia receiver, a plurality of multimedia streams;

detecting, at the multimedia receiver, an aspect of each of the plurality of multimedia streams that characterizes which of the plurality of multimedia streams supports a trickplay feature, wherein the aspect is detected based on an analysis of at least one of an encoding format of the plurality of multimedia streams, a source of the plurality of multimedia streams or metadata associated with the plurality of multimedia streams;

determining, for each multimedia stream of the plurality of multimedia streams, according to the detected aspect of each multimedia stream an availability status of a trickplay feature for the multimedia stream;

presenting a plurality of graphical representations for concurrent display, each graphical representation comprising graphical content of a corresponding multimedia stream of the plurality of multimedia streams; and

for each multimedia stream of the plurality of multimedia streams, selectively presenting a visual indicator for display in association with the corresponding graphical representation, the visual indicator indicating an availability of the trickplay feature for the multimedia stream.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising:

presenting the visual indicator in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for a corresponding multimedia stream; and

omitting a presentation of the visual indicator in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for the corresponding multimedia stream.

16. The method of claim 14, comprising:

presenting a first visual indicator as the visual indicator in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for a corresponding multimedia stream; and

presenting a second visual indicator as a second visual indicator in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for the corresponding multimedia stream.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein each graphical representation comprises one of a still image or a video clip.

18. A multimedia receiver comprising:

a memory storing computer instructions and being coupled to a processor, wherein the processor when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising;

selecting a multimedia stream of a plurality of multimedia streams available at the multimedia receiver based on user input;

detecting an aspect of the select multimedia stream that characterizes whether the select multimedia stream supports a trickplay feature, wherein the aspect is detected based on an analysis of at least one of an encoding format of the select multimedia stream, a source of the select multimedia stream or metadata associated with the select multimedia stream;

determining according to the detected aspect an availability of the trickplay feature for controlling a presentation of the select multimedia stream; and

responsive to determining the availability of the trickplay feature, presenting a visual indicator for display based on the availability of the trickplay feature for the select multimedia stream, the visual indicator indicating the availability of the trickplay feature for the select multimedia stream.

19. The multimedia receiver of claim 18 wherein the processor when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising:

presenting the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for the select multimedia stream; and

omitting a presentation of the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for the select multimedia stream.

20. The multimedia receiver of claim 19 wherein the processor when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising:

presenting a first visual indicator as the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for the select multimedia stream; and

presenting a second visual indicator, different than the first visual indicator, as a second visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for the select multimedia stream.

21. The multimedia receiver of claim 19 wherein the processor when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising:

presenting for display an array of graphical representations of at least a subset of the plurality of multimedia streams, the array of graphical representations comprising a select graphical representation associated with the select multimedia stream; and

receiving user input indicating selection of the select graphical representation from the array of graphical representations.

22. The multimedia receiver of claim 19 wherein the processor when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising:

presenting a listing of a plurality of entries, each entry associated with a corresponding multimedia stream of at least a subset of the plurality of multimedia streams, the listing comprising a select entry associated with the select multimedia stream; and

receiving user input indicating selection of the select entry from the listing.