Customizing streaming content presentation

• US 8,667,533 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2010
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Apfel, Darren A., McDowell, Brian C., Malabuyo, Paolo V., Weinberg, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAIG, SAHAR A
• Application Number:
  US12/765,621
• Publication Number:
  US 20110265113A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 725/32, 725/34, 725/138, 725/38
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43074 of additional data with content streams on the same device, e.g. of EPG data or interactive icon with a TV program
• 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 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/025 Systems for the transmission of digital non-picture data, e.g. of text during the active part of a television frame transmission of digital non-picture data during the vertical blanking interval only H04N7/088

Abstract

Streaming content customization techniques are described. In an implementation, metadata, that is associated with an element, is synchronized with a stream of content that includes the element. The element is configured to accept an input to access related content that provides context for a scene that includes the element. After the related content is output, playback of the stream of content is resumed from the point at which the input was accepted to access the related content.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

synchronizing metadata, that is associated with an element, with a stream of content that includes the element, wherein the element is configured to accept an input via an interface layer to access related content that provides context for a scene that includes the element, the interface layer presented over the stream of content and enables interaction with multiple elements included in the stream of content to access customized presentation behaviors associated with the multiple elements that are included as part of multiple scenes of the content, at least one of the multiple elements is accessible to cause a scene in which the at least one element appears for output as part of the scene to be presented from a perspective of the at least one element, the at least one element being selectable from the scene via the interface layer while the at least one element is output as part of the scene, the related content is not output for presentation absent the input via the interface layer to access the related content; and

resuming output of the stream of content, after output of the related content, from a point during playback of the stream of content at which the input was accepted to access the related content.

2. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising providing the interface layer to receive the input to access the related content.

3. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the stream of content is obtained from one or more of a cable television system, an online content system, a satellite, an on-demand video system, a digital video disk, or stored in memory.

4. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the related content comprises a flashback.

5. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the related content is included in the stream of content.

6. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the related content is associated with the element by a link included in the metadata.

7. A system comprising:

an interface module configured to receive an input directed to an element that is included in a stream of content to control whether portions of the stream of content are to be directed to a primary output device or an auxiliary output device that is separate from the primary output device, the input being received via an interface layer that is presented over the stream of content and includes an indication that appears over the element and indicates that the element is selectable from a scene in which the element appears to access customized presentation behaviors associated with the element; and

an output module configured to output a portion of the stream of content that corresponds to an auxiliary perspective to the auxiliary output device responsive to receipt of an input, the auxiliary perspective that is to be output to the auxiliary device is different from a primary perspective that is to be output to the primary device and the output module is further configured to synchronize the output of the portion of the stream of content with output of at least one other portion of the stream of content that corresponds to the primary perspective to the primary output device.

8. The system as described in claim 7, wherein the portion of the stream of content is not scheduled to be output by the primary output device.

9. The system as described in claim 7, wherein the output module is configured to communicate with a server to provide the portion of the stream content to the auxiliary output device.

10. The system as described in claim 9, wherein the output module is configured to provide a short message service (SMS) number associated with the auxiliary output device to the server.

11. The system as described in claim 7, wherein the auxiliary output device comprises one or more of a mobile phone or a computing system.

12. The system as described in claim 7, wherein the portion of the stream of content comprises audio for a telephone conversation.

13. The system as described in claim 7, wherein the system comprises one or more of a cable television receiver, an online content system, a video game console, a satellite receiver, or a video console.

14. One or more computer-readable storage devices comprising instructions, that responsive to being executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:

synchronizing metadata associated with an element with a stream of content that includes the element, the element appearing in a scene of the content and configured to accept an input to control from what perspective the stream of content is to be output; and

outputting the stream of content from an auxiliary perspective, responsive to receipt of an input that involves selection of the element from the scene of the content while the scene is output from a primary perspective and that is effective to interact with the element to select the auxiliary perspective, the auxiliary perspective comprising a perspective of the element such that the scene in which the element appears is presented from the perspective of the element in lieu of from the primary perspective, the stream of content is output from the primary perspective and not from the selected auxiliary perspective absent the input that interacts with the element to select the auxiliary perspective, the stream of content is output differently from the primary perspective than from the auxiliary perspective.

15. One or more computer-readable storage devices as described in claim 14, wherein the auxiliary perspective comprises one or more of a visual perspective from which the stream of content is to be presented.

16. One or more computer-readable storage devices as described in claim 14, wherein the auxiliary perspective comprises one or more of a visual or an audio perspective for a character represented in the stream of content.

17. One or more computer-readable storage devices as described in claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise providing an interface layer to receive the input directed to the element.

18. One or more computer-readable storage devices as described in claim 14, wherein the stream of content comprises an audio-visual program.

19. One or more computer-readable storage devices as described in claim 14, wherein the stream of content comprises one or more of a movie, a television show, or a webcast.

20. One or more computer-readable storage devices as described in claim 14, wherein the auxiliary perspective comprises a camera angle represented in the stream of content.