Media playback system with multiple video formats

• US 8,843,974 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2009
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brightcove Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Brightcove Incorporated
• Inventors: McGowan, Albert John, Godlewski, Michael Edmund
• Primary Examiner(s): Chokshi, Pinkal R
• Application Number:
  US12/549,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20100057782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,853 Days
• Field of Search: 725/62, 725/78, 725/80, 725/86, 725/88, 725/89, 725/102, 725/114, 725/115, 725/131, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153, 725/29, 725/46, 386/241, 386/349, 386/350, 707/E17.009, 707/809
• US Class Current: 725/88
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23109 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a process for a user viewing a media item. The process comprises the user viewing the media item on a first device in a first format, and the user pausing the media item at a stop time. The stop time is saved in the first format and a second format. The process further comprises the user choosing to view the media item on a second device requiring the second format. The media item is resumed in the second format from the saved stop time.

Claims

1. A system for allowing playback of a media file using at least one of a first device or a second device, the system comprising:

a database that stores the media file in a first format and a second format, where the first format can be played on the first device and the second format can be played on the second device; and

a processing unit that determines which of the first format and the second format to provide for viewing the media file using at least one of the first device and the second device;

a memory for saving information indicating a resume point of the media file associated with a user profile, wherein the information indicates the resume point in the first format and separately indicates the resume point in the second format such that the media file can be resumed at the resume point in one of;

the first format using the first device, and

the second format using the second device.

2. The system for allowing playback of the media file using the at least one of the first device or the second device, as recited in claim 1, wherein the memory is configured to store the information indicating the resume point in a record, the record further including a name of the media file.

3. The system for allowing playback of the media file using the at least one of the first device or the second device, as recited in claim 2, wherein:

the database is configured to store a plurality of media files; and

the memory is further configured to store a plurality of records, wherein each record corresponds to a different media file.

4. The system for allowing playback of the media file using the at least one of the first device or the second device, as recited in claim 3, wherein the plurality of records is associated with a user profile including at least one data item from a group of data items consisting of:

user account information,

user viewing history information, and

user search history.

5. The system for allowing playback of the media file using the at least one of the first device or the second device, as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the media file includes images; and

the memory is further configured to store a screenshot of the media file, the screenshot corresponding to an image of the media file at the resume point.

6. The system for allowing playback of the media file using the at least one of the first device or the second device, as recited in claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

receive an indication that playback of the media file has been stopped; and

determine the resume point of the media file in the first format and the second format based, at least in part, on the receiving the indication that the playback of the media file has been stopped.

7. The system for allowing playback of the media file using the at least one of the first device or the second device, as recited in claim 6, wherein the processing unit determines the resume point of the media file after receiving an indication that an option to resume playback at a later point in time has been selected.

8. The system for allowing playback of the media file using the at least one of the first device or the second device, as recited in claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further configured to determine one or both of:

a bandwidth associated with playback of the media file with using the first device, or

a bandwidth associated with playback of the media file with using second device.

9. The system for allowing playback of the media file using the at least one of the first device or the second device, as recited in claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further configured to determine one or both of:

a type of device of the first device, or

a type of device of the second device.

10. A process for allowing playback of a media file to be stopped using a first device and resumed using a second device, the process comprising:

receiving, with a network interface, a request to view the media file on the first device;

determining to provide the media file to the first device using a first format;

providing, via the network interface, the media file in the first format to the first device;

receiving an indication that playback of the media file on the first device has been stopped;

automatically generating, with a processor, information related to a resume point of the media file, based on the indication that the playback of the media file on the first device has been stopped, wherein the information indicates the resume point in the first format and separately indicates the resume point in the second format;

associating the information related to the resume point of the media file with a user profile;

storing the information related to the resume point of the media file;

receiving, with the network interface, a request to view the media file on the second device, wherein the request to view the media file on the second device is associated with the user profile;

determining to provide the media file to the second device using a second format;

retrieving, for the media file in the second format, the information related to the resume point; and

providing, via the network interface, the media file in the second format to the second device such that playback of the media file using the second device can begin at a point in the media file corresponding to the resume point.

11. The process for allowing playback of the media file to be stopped using the first device and resumed using the second device, as recited in claim 10, further comprising providing a database in which the media file is stored in the first format and the second format.

12. The process for allowing playback of the media file to be stopped using the first device and resumed using the second device, as recited in claim 10 allowing for playback of a plurality of media files, further comprising storing a plurality of records wherein each record corresponds to a different media file.

13. The process for allowing playback of the media file to be stopped using the first device and resumed using the second device, as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a search query; and

searching the plurality of records based, at least in part, on the search query.

14. The process for allowing playback of the media file to be stopped using the first device and resumed using the second device, as recited in claim 10, further including creating a record having information related to a resume point, wherein the creating includes determining, for the media file in both the first and second formats, the resume point.

15. The process for allowing playback of the media file to be stopped using the first device and resumed using the second device, as recited in claim 14, wherein the determining further includes using a recorded time elapsed.

16. The process for allowing playback of the media file to be stopped using the first device and resumed using the second device, as recited in claim 14, wherein:

the media file includes images; and

the determining further includes using a snapshot of the media file to find the resume point.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for allowing playback of a media file to be stopped using a first device and resumed using a second device, the computer-readable medium having instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive a request to view the media file on the first device;

determine to provide the media file to the first device using a first format;

provide the media file in the first format to the first device;

receive an indication that playback of the media file on the first device has been stopped;

generate information related to a resume point of the media file, based on the indication that the playback of the media file on the first device has been stopped, wherein the information indicates the resume point in the first format and separately indicates the resume point in the second format;

associate the information related to the resume point of the media file with a user profile;

store the information related to the resume point of the media file;

receive a request to view the media file on the second device, wherein the request to view the media file on the second device is associated with the user profile;

determine to provide the media file to the second device using a second format;

retrieve, for the media file in the second format, the information related to the resume point; and

provide the media file in the second format to the second device such that playback of the media file using the second device can begin at a point in the media file corresponding to the resume point.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium for allowing playback of a media file to be stopped using the first device and resumed using a second device, as recited in claim 17, wherein the providing the media file in the first and second formats comprises streaming the media file.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium for allowing playback of a media file to be stopped using the first device and resumed using a second device, as recited in claim 17, wherein the media file is one of a plurality of media files, further including instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive a search query; and

search the plurality of media files using the search query.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium for allowing playback of a media file to be stopped using the first device and resumed using a second device, as recited in claim 19, wherein the search query comprises an image.