Methods, systems, and computer program products for implementing a navigational search structure for media content

• US 8,631,439 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2007
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mitchem, Matthew, Zimler, Randy
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tilahun, Alazar
• Application Number:
  US11/697,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20080250358A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,475 Days
• Field of Search: 725 37- 61, 715/700
• US Class Current: 725/52
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• 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

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for navigating during playback of media content on a content viewing device are provided. A method includes associating a descriptor with a time element. The time element references an instantiation of the descriptor in a content file. The method also includes applying a reference tag that identifies the descriptor to a location on the navigational search structure associated with the content file. The location is determined by the time element. The method further includes displaying the reference tag on the navigational search structure at the content viewing device while viewing the content file in playback mode.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

associating a descriptor with time elements, each of the time elements referencing a separate and corresponding instantiation of a content item within a content file, the content item indicative of a media representation of the descriptor, and the content file comprising a program, wherein the descriptor characterizes the content item in the content file, the descriptor specifying a relationship between two descriptors;

storing the descriptor and the time elements in a database;

providing a search window on a display screen of a content viewing device, the search window overlaying a presentation of the content file;

receiving the descriptor from a user at the content viewing device, the descriptor being a text string received via the search window;

retrieving, from the database, the descriptor and the time elements;

applying a reference tag that identifies the descriptor from the user to locations on a navigational search structure associated with the content file, the locations determined by corresponding time elements;

displaying only the reference tag corresponding to the descriptor from the user on the navigational search structure at the content viewing device;

searching for content during playback of the content file based upon matching a search term with a term identified in the reference tag; and

storing results of the searching, and communicating the results to another content viewing device;

wherein the descriptor is identified in the content file via filtering a closed captioning file associated with the content file and the descriptor is classified using an indexing scheme.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the program includes a broadcast program.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the navigational search structure includes a timing mechanism, the method further comprising:

tracking content frames within the content file; and

associating reference tags with a time interval of the content file.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigational search structure includes a timing mechanism, the method further comprising:

tracking content frames within the content file; and

associating reference tags with a portion of the content file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigational search structure is represented as a bar shape, the bar shape having a length corresponding to a duration of the content file.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a brief description of the content item in response to selection of the reference tag on the navigational search structure by the user, the brief description displayed absent any display of the content file;

wherein associating the descriptor with the time elements includes associating the descriptor with a brief description of the content item.

6. A system, comprising:

a content viewing device; and

a processor executing on the content viewing device, the processor including logic for implementing a method, comprising;

associating a descriptor with time elements, each the time elements referencing a separate and corresponding instantiation of a content item within a content file, the content item indicative of a media representation of the descriptor, and the content file comprising a program, wherein the descriptor characterizes the content item in the content file, the descriptor specifying a relationship between two descriptors;

storing the descriptor and the time elements in a database;

providing a search window on a display screen of a content viewing device, the search window overlaying a presentation of the content file;

receiving the descriptor from a user at the content viewing device, the descriptor being a text string received via the search window;

retrieving, from the database, the descriptor and the time elements;

applying a reference tag that identifies the descriptor from the user to locations on a navigational search structure associated with the content file, the locations determined by corresponding time elements;

displaying only the reference tag corresponding to the descriptor from the user on the navigational search structure at the content viewing device;

searching for content during playback of the content file based upon matching a search term with a term identified in the reference tag; and

storing results of the searching, and communicating the results to another content viewing device;

wherein the descriptor is identified in the content file via filtering a closed captioning file associated with the content file and the descriptor is classified using an indexing scheme.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the program includes a video-on-demand program.

9. The system of claim 6,

wherein the navigational search structure includes a timing mechanism, the method further comprising:

tracking content frames within the content file; and

associating reference tags with a time interval of the content file.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the navigational search structure includes a timing mechanism, the processor further including logic for implementing:

tracking content frames within the content file; and

associating reference tags with a portion of the content file.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the navigational search structure is represented as a bar shape, the bar shape having a length corresponding to a duration of the content file.

12. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium storing instructions, which when executed by a computer implement a method, comprising:

associating a descriptor with time elements, each of the time elements referencing a separate and corresponding instantiation of a content item descriptor within a content file, the content item indicative of a media representation of the descriptor, and the content file comprising a program, wherein the descriptor characterizes the content item in the content file, the descriptor specifying a relationship between two descriptors;

storing the descriptor and the time elements in a database;

providing a search window on a display screen of a content viewing device, the search window overlaying a presentation of the content file;

receiving the descriptor from a user at the content viewing device, the descriptor being a text string received via the search window;

retrieving, from the database, the descriptor and the time elements;

applying a reference tag that identifies the descriptor from the user to locations on a navigational search structure associated with the content file, the locations determined by corresponding time elements;

displaying only the reference tag corresponding to the descriptor from the user on the navigational search structure at the content viewing device;

searching for content during playback of the content file based upon matching a search term with a term identified in the reference tag; and

storing results of the searching, and communicating the results to another content viewing device;

wherein the descriptor is identified in the content file via filtering a closed captioning file associated with the content file and the descriptor is classified using an indexing scheme.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the program includes a locally stored program.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the navigational search structure includes a timing mechanism, the method further comprising:

tracking content frames within the content file; and

associating reference tags with a time interval of the content file.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the navigational search structure includes a timing mechanism, the method further comprising:

tracking content frames within the content file; and

associating reference tags with a portion of the content file.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the navigational search structure is represented as a bar shape, the bar shape having a length corresponding to a duration of the content file.