Apparatus and method for providing media content

• US 8,789,095 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2012
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaw, Venson, Shen, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marandi, James R
• Application Number:
  US13/471,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20130312042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• US Class Current: 725/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/393 Enlarging or reducing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234372 for performing aspect ratio conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440245 the reformatting operation being performed only on part of the stream, e.g. a region of the image or a time segment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440272 for performing aspect ratio conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44029 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/45 Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies, resolving scheduling conflicts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/45455 applied to a region of the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0117 involving conversion of the spatial resolution of the incoming video signal for graphics images G09G2340/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0122 the input and the output signals having different aspect ratios

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, receiving video content at a mobile device, utilizing the mobile device for adjusting dimensions of an area of attention in an image of the video content based on a desired display resolution, utilizing the mobile device for adjusting dimensions of a peripheral portion that surrounds the area of attention, and replacing the image with the adjusted image during presentation of the video content. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a display;

a memory storing computer instructions; and

a processor coupled with the memory and the display, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising;

receiving video content over a network from a video server;

parsing the video content;

accessing user preferences for identifying first and second areas of attention in the video content based on the user preferences;

identifying the first area of attention in a first image of the video content based on the parsing and the user preferences;

determining a first shape for the first area of attention;

identifying the second area of attention in a second image of the video content based on the parsing and the user preferences;

determining a second shape for the second area of attention;

adjusting the first shape based on a desired display resolution for the video content to generate an adjusted first shape for the first area of attention in an adjusted first image;

adjusting the second shape based on the desired display resolution to generate an adjusted second shape for the second area of attention in an adjusted second image;

identifying a first peripheral portion of the first image that surrounds the first shape;

identifying a second peripheral portion of the second image that surrounds the second shape;

stretching the first peripheral portion in at least one of a horizontal or vertical direction based on the adjusting of the first shape, the desired display resolution and a desired aspect ratio for the video content to generate an adjusted first peripheral portion for the adjusted first image;

stretching the second peripheral portion in at least one of the horizontal or vertical direction based on the adjusting of the second shape, the desired display resolution and the desired aspect ratio for the video content to generate an adjusted second peripheral portion for the adjusted second image; and

presenting the adjusted first and second images in place of the first and second images during presentation of the video content at the display.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the adjusted first image has at least two different display resolutions, wherein a first display resolution of the at least two display resolutions of the adjusted first image is utilized within the adjusted first shape of the first area of attention and wherein a second display resolution of the at least two display resolutions of the adjusted first image is utilized within the adjusted first peripheral portion of the adjusted first image.

3. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising:

identifying a boundary zone between the adjusted first shape of the first area of attention and the adjusted first peripheral portion of the adjusted first image, wherein the boundary zone utilizes a third display resolution having a value between the first and second display resolutions.

4. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein the first display resolution is a highest display resolution enabled by the mobile device.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the adjusted first image has at least two different display resolutions, and wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising:

providing a linear change of a display resolution along a transition area between the adjusted first shape of the first area of attention and the adjusted first peripheral portion of the adjusted first image.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the video content is received from the video server via one of a broadcast or a multicast, and wherein the first and second shapes are determined based on a shape of the display of the mobile device.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising:

accessing metadata associated with the video content; and

determining a subject matter of the video content based on the parsing and the metadata, wherein the first and second areas of attention are identified based on the subject matter.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising:

performing image recognition analysis to identify objects in the first and second images, wherein the first and second areas of attention are identified based on the objects.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising:

accessing user preferences, wherein at least one of the desired display resolution or the desired aspect ratio is determined based on the user preferences.

10. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the adjusting of the first shape proportionally enlarges the first area of attention.

11. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the adjusted first peripheral portion removes a portion of the first peripheral portion.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer instructions, which, responsive to being executed by a processor of a media device, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving video content over a network from a video server;

identifying an area of attention in an image of the video content based on user preferences;

adjusting a size of the area of attention based on a desired display resolution to generate an adjusted area of attention;

adjusting a size of a peripheral portion that surrounds the area of attention in at least one of a horizontal or vertical direction based on the adjusted area of attention, the desired display resolution and a desired aspect ratio to generate an adjusted peripheral portion of an adjusted image that utilizes a first display resolution within the adjusted area of attention and a second display resolution in the adjusted peripheral portion; and

replacing the image with the adjusted image during presentation of the video content at a display of the media device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the receiving of the video content is via one of a broadcast or a multicast, and wherein the computer instructions, responsive to being executed by the processor of the media device, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

parsing the video content; and

applying image pattern recognition to the image to identify objects in the image, wherein the identifying of the area of attention is based on the parsing and the objects.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the adjusting of the size of the area of attention comprises adjusting an aspect ratio for the area of attention based on the user preferences or dimensions of the display of the media device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the computer instructions, responsive to being executed by the processor of the media device, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

parsing the video content; and

accessing metadata associated with the video content, wherein the identifying of the area of attention is based on the parsing and the metadata.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the computer instructions, responsive to being executed by the processor of the media device, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting a fault associated with the video content;

transmitting a request to the video server for another version of the video content that is different from a first version of the video content received by the media device;

responsive to the request, receiving the other version of the video content, wherein the other version of the video content includes more error correction data than is included with the first version of the video content;

identifying another area of attention in another image of the other version of the video content;

adjusting a size of the other area of attention based on the desired display resolution to generate another adjusted area of attention;

adjusting a size of another peripheral portion that surrounds the other area of attention in at least one of the horizontal or vertical direction based on the other adjusted area of attention, the desired display resolution and the desired aspect ratio to generate another adjusted peripheral portion of another adjusted image that utilizes the first display resolution within the adjusted area of attention and a third display resolution in the adjusted peripheral portion; and

replacing the other image with the other adjusted image during presentation of the other version of the video content at the display of the media device.

17. A method comprising:

receiving video content at a mobile device via a network from a video server, wherein a single version of the video content is provided by the video server to a group of mobile devices that includes the mobile device;

adjusting, by the mobile device, dimensions of an area of attention in an image of the video content based on a desired display resolution to generate an adjusted area of attention of an adjusted image;

adjusting, by the mobile device, dimensions of a peripheral portion that surrounds the area of attention based on the adjusted area of attention to generate an adjusted peripheral portion in the adjusted image; and

replacing the image with the adjusted image during presentation of the video content at a display of the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the adjusted image utilizes a first display resolution within the adjusted area of attention and a second display resolution in the adjusted peripheral portion, and wherein the dimensions of the peripheral portion are adjusted based on the desired display resolution and a desired aspect ratio.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising providing, by the mobile device, a linear change of a display resolution along a transition area between the adjusted area of attention and the adjusted peripheral portion.