Methods and system for remote control for multimedia seeking

• US 8,856,638 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2013
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TrackTime, LLC
• Original Assignee: Curt Evans
• Inventors: Evans, Curt
• Primary Examiner(s): Mills, Frank D
• Application Number:
  US14/099,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20140089799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• Field of Search: 715/206
• US Class Current: 715/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06009 with optically detectable marking G06K19/063, G06K19/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/18 Legal services
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440236 by media transcoding, e.g. video is transformed into a slideshow of still pictures, audio is converted into text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8233 : the additional signal being a character code signal

Abstract

The invention relates to multimedia seek sequence using a synchronization index and a mobile computing device. A mobile computing device displays text from a synchronization index. The synchronization index comprises respective times within multimedia corresponding to a word or range of words. A user may perform a gesture performed on a portion of screen of the mobile computing device corresponding to a word, or a range of words, from the synchronization index. The mobile computing device performs a timecode lookup, using the synchronization index, and in response to the gesture performed to select a word or range of words, the timecode lookup functions to associate a time within multimedia to the selected word or range of words. Multimedia is then delivered beginning at that time, or the user is provided instructions for the delivery of multimedia, to a receiving device. The multimedia delivered corresponds to the word or range of words selected by the gesture of the user.

Claims

1. A method for a multimedia seek sequence using a synchronization index and a mobile computing device comprising the steps:

providing, to a mobile computing device, information for displaying on the mobile computing device text from a synchronization index, wherein said synchronization index comprises an electronic transcript that indicates text corresponding to audio from the multimedia and respective times within multimedia corresponding to when a word or range of words is audible in the multimedia;

wherein said mobile computing device comprises a viewing screen and a touch-sensitive input interface;

displaying, after said providing step, at least a portion of said text from a synchronization index on said viewing screen, wherein said text is displayed other than as a web page;

receiving, from the mobile computing device, information indicating a user'"'"'s selected mobile computing device touch-sensitive input interface gesture performed on a portion of said viewing screen corresponding to a displayed word, or a range of words, from said synchronization index, wherein said gesture is recognized by said touch-sensitive input interface on the mobile computing device;

performing a timecode lookup, using the synchronization index, and in response to the gesture performed to select a word or range of words, said timecode lookup functioning to associate a time, t1, within multimedia to the selected word or range of words; and

delivering multimedia beginning at time t1, or providing instructions for the delivery of multimedia beginning at time t1, to a receiving device to play said multimedia, wherein said multimedia corresponds to the word or range of words selected by the gesture.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising seeking on said mobile computing device a multimedia file corresponding to said synchronization index, and if found, accessing multimedia at time t1.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving device is said mobile computing device, wherein delivered multimedia is able to be played with at least a portion of said text from a synchronization index on said viewing screen.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving device is other than said mobile computing device and configured to receive multimedia input from a source selected from the group comprising satellite receiver, internet connection, WiFi, computer network, cable television system, fiber optic cable delivery network for data, cellular communication channel, bluetooth, UPnP, and local wireless connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving device is selected from the group comprising a television, a computer monitor, an LCD display, a plasma display, an LED display, a multimedia projector, an in-vehicle entertainment system, a home entertainment system, a computer with monitor, a hardware appliance for receiving cable television or satellite television services, a gaming device with facility for receiving multimedia data, a streaming media player, a home theater appliance with facility to receive multimedia communication, a second mobile computing device, a digital video recorder, and a personal media player.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising caching within said mobile computing device at least a portion of the audio from said multimedia.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein multimedia is delivered at t1 and cached thereafter to memory accessible to said receiving device to facilitate subsequent seek operations.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile computing device comprises an operating system selected from the group comprising iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry OS, and Linux.

9. A method for a multimedia seek sequence using a synchronization index and a mobile computing device comprising the steps:

displaying on a mobile computing device text from a synchronization index, wherein said synchronization index comprises respective times within multimedia corresponding to a word or range of words and wherein said text is displayed other than as a web page;

wherein said mobile computing device comprises a viewing screen and a touch-sensitive input interface;

receiving information indicating a user'"'"'s selected mobile computing device touch-sensitive input interface gesture performed on a portion of said viewing screen corresponding to a word, or range of words, from said synchronization index, wherein said gesture is recognized by said touch-sensitive input interface;

performing a data lookup using said synchronization index, wherein said synchronization index is referenced to provide data for a time location t1 that corresponds to said word or range of words selected by the recognized gesture; and

seeking on said mobile computing device multimedia corresponding to said synchronization index, and if found, accessing multimedia at t1.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

requesting from a second computing device delivery of multimedia beginning at time t1;

delivering multimedia beginning at time t1, or providing instructions for the delivery of multimedia beginning at time t1, to a receiving device, wherein said multimedia comprises at least an audio element; and

caching within said mobile computing device at least a portion of said audio element.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

requesting from a second computing device delivery of multimedia beginning at time t1;

delivering multimedia beginning at time t1, or providing instructions for the delivery of multimedia beginning at time t1, to a receiving device; and

caching within said mobile computing device said multimedia or a portion thereof.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

requesting from a second computing device delivery of multimedia beginning at time t1;

delivering multimedia beginning at time t1, or providing instructions for the delivery of multimedia beginning at time t1, to a receiving device, wherein said receiving device is other than said mobile computing device; and

caching, within said receiving device, or memory accessible thereto, said multimedia or a portion thereof.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the mobile computing device comprises an operating system selected from the group comprising iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry OS, and Linux.

14. A method for a multimedia seek sequence using a synchronization index and a mobile computing device, said method comprising the steps:

providing a mobile computing device comprising a viewing screen and a touch-sensitive input interface;

providing a synchronization index that comprises an electronic transcript that indicates text corresponding to audio from the multimedia and indicates respective times within multimedia corresponding to when a word or range of words is audible in the multimedia;

providing a receiving device;

displaying on said mobile computing device text from the synchronization index, wherein said text is displayed other than as a web page;

receiving, by the mobile computing device, information indicating a user'"'"'s selected mobile computing device touch-sensitive input interface gesture performed on a portion of said viewing screen corresponding to a word, or range of words, from said synchronization index;

wherein said gesture is recognized by said touch-sensitive input interface;

performing a timecode lookup using the synchronization index, wherein said synchronization index is referenced to provide data for a time location t1 that corresponds to said word or range of words;

seeking on said receiving device multimedia corresponding to said synchronization index, and, if found, accessing multimedia at t1.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing a second computing device;

requesting from a second computing device delivery of multimedia beginning at time t1;

delivering multimedia beginning at time t1, or providing instructions for the delivery of multimedia beginning at time t1, to a receiving device, wherein said multimedia comprises at least an audio element; and

caching within said receiving device, or memory accessible thereto, at least a portion of said audio element.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing a second computing device;

requesting from a second computing device delivery of multimedia beginning at time t1;

delivering multimedia beginning at time t1, or providing instructions for the delivery of multimedia beginning at time t1, to a receiving device; and

caching, within said receiving device, or memory accessible thereto, said multimedia or a portion thereof.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiving device is said mobile computing device.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiving device is other than said mobile computing device and is configured to receive multimedia input from a source selected from the group comprising satellite receiver, internet connection, WiFi, computer network, cable television system, fiber optic cable delivery network for data, cellular communication channel, bluetooth, UPnP, and local wireless connection.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiving device is selected from the group comprising a television, a computer monitor, an LCD display, an LED display, a plasma display, a multimedia projector, an in-vehicle entertainment system, a home entertainment system, a computer with monitor, a hardware appliance for receiving cable television or satellite television services, a gaming device with facility for receiving multimedia data, a streaming media player, a home theater appliance with facility to receive multimedia communication, a second mobile computing device, a digital video recorder, and a personal media player.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the mobile computing device comprises an operating system selected from the group comprising iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry OS, and Linux.