System and method for recording a multi-part performance on an internet protocol television network

• US 8,826,355 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2009
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bedingfield, James Carlton, DeLorme, David B. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Corbo, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huerta, Alexander Q
• Application Number:
  US12/433,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20100281503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,951 Days
• Field of Search: 725/40, 725/140
• US Class Current: 725/109
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17327 with deferred transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

An Internet protocol television (IPTV) system includes a server operable to send a performance guide and a time code over the IPTV system to two or more clients. The server receives a performance from each of the clients over the IPTV system, combines the performances into an overall performance, and sends the overall performance over the IPTV system to the clients.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

sending a performance guide over a television network to a first set-top box device of a first client and to a second client device of a second client, the performance guide comprising information that is readable, wherein the first set-top box device presents, at a first display device, a first media program of the performance guide received from the television network, wherein the performance guide further comprises a queue;

sending a time code over the television network to the first set-top box device and to the second client device, wherein the time code is associated with the performance guide, wherein the time code comprises timing information and counting information, wherein the timing information comprises a timing pulse display, wherein the counting information comprises a starting point and an index of the performance guide, wherein the timing pulse display allows both of the first set-top box device and the second client device to keep time during a each of a first performance of the first client or a second performance of the second client;

receiving first content from the first set-top box device and second content from the second client device, wherein the first content comprises the first performance by the first client that is captured at the first set-top box device, wherein the second content comprises the second performance by the second client that is captured at the second client device, wherein the queue comprises instructions to instruct the first set-top box to record first video information at a first set of predetermined times as part of the first content and to instruct the second client device to record second video information at second set of predetermined times as part of the second content, and

wherein the first content and second content are captured at different times;

generating an overall performance content based on the first content and the second content; and

sending the overall performance content over the internet protocol television network to one of the first set-top box device, the second client device, or a combination thereof.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the timing pulse display comprises one of a metronome signal or a visual timing pulse, wherein the timing pulse display is associated with both of the first content from the first set-top box device and the second content from the second client device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the performance guide is sent to the first set-top box device and the second client device with previously recorded content capturing a third performance by a third client, wherein the overall performance content includes the third performance.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

sending the performance guide over the television network to a third set-top box device;

sending the time code over the television network to the third set-top box device;

receiving third content that captures a third performance as third content from a third client associated with the third set-top box device, wherein queue further comprises instructions to instruct the third set-top box to record third video information at a third set of predetermined times as part of the third content; and

combining the third content with the first content and the second content into the overall performance content according to the queue.

5. A machine-executable code embedded within a non-transitory medium and including instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations comprising:

sending a performance guide to a first set-top box device and to a second client device, the performance guide comprising information that is readable, wherein the performance guide further comprises a queue, wherein the first set-top box device is associated with a first client, wherein the second client device is associated with a second client, and wherein the first set-top box device presents, at a first display device, a first media program received from a television network;

sending a time code to the first set-top box device and to the second client device;

wherein the time code comprises a timing pulse display and counting information, wherein the counting information comprises a starting point and an index of the performance guide, and wherein the counting information describes a position of the respective one of a first performance of the first client and the second performance of the second client;

receiving first content comprising a first performance of the first client that is captured at the first set-top box device and second content comprising a second performance of the second client that is captured at the second client device, wherein the queue comprises instructions to instruct the first set-top box to record first video information at a first set of predetermined times as part of the first content and to instruct the second client device to record second video information at second set of predetermined times as part of the second content, wherein the first content and the second content are captured without sending any previously captured performance content to the first set-top box device or the second client device, and wherein the first content and the second content are captured at different times;

generating an overall performance content based on the first performance and the second performance; and

sending the overall performance content to the first set-top box device.

6. The machine-executable code of claim 5, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising sending the overall performance content to the second client device.

7. The machine-executable code of claim 5, wherein the first content includes corrected content for a portion of the first performance that is reviewed and corrected by the first client prior to the receiving of the first content.

8. The machine-executable code of claim 7, wherein the performance guide and the time code are sent to the first set-top box device and the second client device without sending performance content.

9. The machine-executable code of claim 5, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

sending the performance guide to a third set-top box device;

sending the time code to the third set-top box device;

receiving third content that captures a third performance as third content from a third client associated with the third set-top box device, wherein queue further comprises instructions to instruct the third set-top box to record third video information at a third set of predetermined times as part of the third content; and

combining the third performance with the first and second performances into the overall performance content.

10. The machine-executable code of claim 5, wherein the timing pulse display allows both of the first set-top box device and the second client device to keep time during a respective one of the first performance or the second performance.

11. A method comprising:

sending, by a system comprising a processor, a performance guide to create overall performance content over a network to a first set-top box device and to a second client device, the performance guide comprising information that is readable, wherein the first set-top box device is associated with a first client, wherein the second client device is associated with a second client, wherein the first set-top box device presents, at a first display device, a first media program received from the network, and wherein the performance guide further comprises a queue;

sending, by the system, a time code over the network to the first set-top box device and to the second client device, wherein the time code comprises a timing pulse display and counting information, wherein the counting information comprises a starting point and an index of the performance guide, wherein the timing pulse display allows both of the first set-top box device and the second client device to keep time in each of a first performance of the first client or a second performance of the second client, and wherein the counting information describes a position of the respective one of a first performance of the first client and the second performance of the second client in the overall performance content;

receiving, by the system, first content comprising a first performance of the first client that is captured at the first set-top box device and second content comprising a second performance of the second client that is captured at the second client device, wherein the first content and the second content are captured without sending any previously captured performance content to the first set-top box device or the second client device, and wherein the first content and the second content are captured at different times;

generating by a server an overall performance content based on the first content, the second content; and

sending the overall performance content over the network to the first set-top box device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first content includes corrected content for a portion of the first performance that is reviewed and corrected by the first client prior to the receiving of the first content.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the performance guide and the time code are sent to the first set-top box device and the second client device without sending performance content.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the queue comprises instructions to instruct the first set-top box to record first video information at a first set of predetermined times as part of the first content and to instruct the second client device to record second video information at second set of predetermined times as part of the second content.