Differentiating bookmarks in content access lists shared among multiple content player devices

• US 8,966,042 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2011
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Langer, Paul A., Minnick, Dan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hwang, Joon H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ndiaye, Cheikh
• Application Number:
  US13/301,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20130132543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 725/38, 725/58, 725/88, 725/134, 386/241
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/748 Hypervideo linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object in the context of video distribution systems H04N21/858

Abstract

A content player accesses content via a content access list shared by a network of players. The content is stored by one or more of the players. One or more of the players may be thin clients that can access content stored by other players but cannot themselves store content. The content access list lists available stored content. The content player associates a bookmark with the content and includes identification information that identifies the requestor related to generation of the bookmark. When the content player presents the content access list, bookmarks associated with content included in list are also be along with the identification information. In some implementations, the requestor related to generation of the respective bookmark may be the content player that generated the bookmark, the specific user that entered input that prompted generation of the bookmark, and/or a combination thereof.

Claims

1. A method for differentiating bookmarks in content access lists shared among multiple content player devices, the method comprising:

accessing, for a first time and for a second time, at least one instance of content via a content access list that lists the at least one instance of content, utilizing at least one content player of a plurality of networked content players, wherein the content access list is shared among the plurality of networked content players and wherein each of the plurality of networked content players can utilize the content access list to access the at least one instance of content listed by the content access list;

associating at least first and second bookmarks with the at least one instance of content utilizing the at least one content player wherein the first bookmark is associated with the at least one instance of content in response to the accessing for the first time and the second bookmark is associated with the at least one instance of content in response to the accessing for the second time; and

including, utilizing the at least one content player, identification information in each of the at least first and second bookmarks that identifies a requestor that requested generation of the at least first and second bookmarks, wherein the requestor that requested generation of the first bookmark comprises the at least one content player and the requestor that requested generation of the second bookmark comprises at least one specified user, wherein including identification information comprising the at least one content player is performed in response to an event wherein the content player initiates associating the at least one bookmark in response to a stop or pause playback command issued from the at least one specified user wherein playback of the at least one instance of content discontinues subsequent to the issuance of such command, and wherein including identification information comprising the at least one specified user is performed in response to an event wherein the content player initiates the associating the at least one bookmark in response to a bookmark generation command issued from the at least one specified user for revisiting a portion of the at least one instance of content wherein playback of the at least one instance of content continues subsequent to the issuance of such command.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting the content access list, utilizing the at least one content player, by listing the at least one instance of content, the at least one bookmark, and the identification information included in the at least one bookmark that identifies the requestor that requested generation of the at least one bookmark.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said operation of presenting the content access list also lists at least one additional bookmark associated with the at least one instance of content and additional identification information included in the at least one additional bookmark that identifies a requestor that requested generation of the at least one additional bookmark wherein the requestor that requested generation of the at least one bookmark and the requestor that requested generation of the at least one additional bookmark are different requestors.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising accessing a portion of the at least one instance of content corresponding to at least one of the at least one bookmark or the at least one additional bookmark in response to user input received in response to said operation of presenting the content access list.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said operation of presenting the content access list also lists recorder information associated with the at least one instance of content that identifies one of the plurality of networked content players that recorded the at least one instance of content.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein:

at least one additional bookmark is associated with the at least one instance of content and includes additional identification information identifying a requestor that requested generation of the at least one additional bookmark wherein the requestor that requested generation of the at least one bookmark and the requestor that requested generation of the at least one additional bookmark are different requestors and

wherein said operation of presenting the content access list omits the at least one additional bookmark when said operation of presenting the content access list is performed in response to at least one input received from the requestor that requested generation of the at least one bookmark.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one bookmark comprises at least one of a marker corresponding to a last accessed portion of the at least one instance of content or a marker corresponding to a user specified portion of the at least one instance of content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of networked content players can utilize the content access list to access a plurality of instances of content listed by the content access list that includes the at least one instance of content wherein the plurality of instances of content are stored by at least one of the plurality of networked content players.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one content player comprises a thin client that stores none of the plurality of instances of content listed by the content access list.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing an entirety of the at least one instance of content in a media storage device, prior to the step of accessing.

11. A system for differentiating bookmarks in content access lists shared among multiple content player devices, comprising:

at least one content player of a plurality of networked content players, comprising;

at least one content storage component that stores an entirety of at least one instance of content;

at least one communication component; and

at least one processing unit that accesses, for a first time and for a second time the stored entirety of the at least one instance of content, utilizing the at least one communication component, via a content access list that lists the at least one instance of content, wherein each of the plurality of networked content players can utilize the content access list to access the at least one instance of content listed by the content access list;

wherein the at least one processing unit associates at least first and second bookmarks with the at least one instance of content wherein the first bookmark is associated with the at least one instance of content in response to the accessing for the first time and the second bookmark is associated with the at least one instance of content in response to the accessing for the second time and includes identification information in each of the at least first and second bookmarks that identifies a requestor that requested generation of the at least first and second bookmarks, and

wherein the requestor that requested generation of the first bookmark comprises the at least one content player and the requestor that requested generation of the second bookmark comprises at least one specified user, wherein the processing unit including identification information comprising the at least one content player is performed in response to an event wherein the content player initiates associating the at least one bookmark in response to a stop or pause playback command issued from the at least one specified user wherein playback of the at least one instance of content discontinues subsequent to the issuance of such command, and wherein the processing unit including identification information comprising the at least one specified user is performed in response to an event wherein the content player initiates the associating the at least one bookmark in response to a bookmark generation command issued from the at least one specified user for revisiting a portion of the at least one instance of content wherein playback of the at least one instance of content continues subsequent to the issuance of such command.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of networked content players can utilize the content access list to access a plurality of instances of content listed by the content access list that includes the at least one instance of content wherein the plurality of instances of content are stored by at least one of the plurality of networked content players.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one content player comprises a thin client that stores none of the plurality of instances of content listed by the content access list.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one bookmark comprises at least one of a marker corresponding to a last accessed portion of the at least one instance of content or a marker corresponding to a user specified portion of the at least one instance of content.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising at least one output component wherein the at least one processing unit presents the content access list, utilizing the at least one output component, by listing the at least one instance of content, the at least one bookmark, and the identification information included in the at least one bookmark that identifies the requestor that requested generation of the at least one bookmark.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one processing unit also lists at least one additional bookmark associated with the at least one instance of content and additional identification information included in the at least one additional bookmark that identifies a requestor that requested generation of the at least one additional bookmark as part of presenting the content access list

wherein the requestor that requested generation of the at least one bookmark and the requestor that requested generation of the at least one additional bookmark are different requestors.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one processing unit accesses a portion of the at least one instance of content corresponding to at least one of the at least one bookmark or the at least one additional bookmark in response to user input received via the at least one communication component in response to the presented content access list.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one processing unit also lists recorder information as part of presenting the content access list that is associated with the at least one instance of content that identifies one of the plurality of networked content players that recorded the at least one instance of content.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein:

at least one additional bookmark is associated with the at least one instance of content and includes additional identification information identifying a requestor that requested generation of the at least one additional bookmark wherein the requestor that requested generation of the at least one bookmark and the requestor that requested generation of the at least one additional bookmark are different requestors and

wherein the at least one processing unit omits the at least one additional bookmark when presenting the content access list in response to at least one input received via the at least one communication component from the requestor that requested generation of the at least one bookmark.

20. A method for differentiating bookmarks in content access lists shared among multiple content player devices, the method comprising:

storing an entirety of at least one instance of content in a media storage device, and associating with the at least on instance of content a content access list that lists the at least one instance of content

accessing, for a first time and for a second time, the stored entirety of the at least one instance of content via the content access list that lists the at least one instance of content, utilizing at least one content player of a plurality of networked content players, wherein the content access list is shared among the plurality of networked content players and wherein each of the plurality of networked content players can utilize the content access list to access the at least one instance of content listed by the content access list;

associating at least first and second bookmarks with the stored entirety of the at least one instance of content utilizing the at least one content player, wherein the first bookmark is associated with the at least one instance of content in response to the accessing for the first time and the second bookmark is associated with the at least one instance of content in response to the accessing for the second time; and

including, utilizing the at least one content player, identification information in the at least first and second bookmarks that identifies a requestor that requested generation of the at least first and second bookmark, wherein the requestor that requested generation of the at least one first bookmark comprises either the at least one content player and the requestor that requested generation of the second bookmark comprises at least one specified user, wherein including identification information comprising the at least one content player is performed in response to an event wherein the content player initiates associating the at least one bookmark in response to a stop or pause playback command issued from the at least one specified user wherein playback of the at least one instance of content discontinues subsequent to the issuance of such command, and wherein including identification information comprising the at least one content player is performed in response to an event wherein the content player initiates associating the at least one bookmark in response to a bookmark generation command issued from the at least one specified user for revisiting a portion of the at least one instance of content wherein playback of the at least one instance of content continues subsequent to the issuance of such command.