System and method for varying content according to a playback control record that defines an overlay

• US 8,522,301 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2009
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Zalewski, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): HARVEY, DAVID E
• Application Number:
  US12/631,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20100150530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,362 Days
• Field of Search: 386/240, 348563-565, 725/141, 725/153
• US Class Current: 725/141
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/00 Teaching music metronomes G04F5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• 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 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• 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 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• 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 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739

Abstract

A network media player enables the addition of one or more overlays during content playback. This allows insertion of images, sound, text, logos, ticker bars, and the like in video, audio, or other available content. Overlays may be user-generated to customize content playback, or network-generated to allow insertion of advertising, source identification, logos, messages, news, and the like.

Claims

1. A playback method for use in a network media player, the method comprising:

receiving content;

receiving a playback control record by the network media player from a server, wherein the received playback control record corresponds to the received content, defines an overlay to be applied to the received content, and is user-created, and wherein the received playback control record includes fast-forward and rewind rates of various playback devices; and

varying playback of the received content according to the playback control record enabling the network media player to perform variations and control functions based on the fast-forward and rewind rates corresponding to the network media player.

2. The playback method of claim 1, wherein the content is received from a local source.

3. The playback method of claim 1, wherein the content is received from a remote source.

4. The playback method of claim 1, wherein the content and the playback control record are received from different sources.

5. The playback method of claim 1, wherein the playback control record identifies an image to be overlaid during playback of the received content.

6. The playback method of claim 1, wherein the playback control record identifies audio to be overlaid during playback of the received content.

7. The playback method of claim 1, wherein the playback control record identifies video to be overlaid during playback of the received content.

8. The playback method of claim 1, wherein the playback control record identifies a source of overlay content.

9. The playback method of claim 8, further comprising receiving overlay content identified by the playback control record.

10. The playback method of claim 9, wherein the overlay content is received from a remote source.

11. A network media player, comprising:

a user input port;

a content input port;

an output port; and

a processor configured to receive content using the content input port, receive a playback control record from a server, wherein the playback control record corresponds to the received content and defines an overlay to be applied to the received content, wherein the received playback control record includes fast-forward and rewind rates of various playback devices, wherein the processor is further configured to receive information using the user input port to create a playback control record, and wherein the processor is further configured to vary playback of the received content through the output port according to the playback control record enabling the network media player to perform variations and control functions based on the fast-forward and rewind rates corresponding to the network media player.

12. The network media player of claim 11, wherein the playback control record stored on the server is stored without the received content.

13. A playback method for use in a network media player, the method comprising:

receiving content;

receiving a playback control record by the network media player from a server without the received content, wherein the received playback control record corresponds to the received content, defines an overlay to be applied to the received content, and is user-created, and wherein the received playback control record includes fast-forward and rewind rates of various playback devices; and

varying playback of the received content according to the playback control record enabling the network media player to perform variations and control functions based on the fast-forward and rewind rates corresponding to the network media player.