User interface for displaying highlights of an event or plurality of events

• US 9,032,296 B1
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jeffs, Alistair E., Feldstein, David E., Dean, Jon M., Shanks, David E., Lin, Yves S.
• Primary Examiner(s): TILLERY, RASHAWN N
• Application Number:
  US12/200,863
• Time in Patent Office: 2,448 Days
• Field of Search: 715/718, 715/719, 715/716, 725/151, 725/153, 725/41, 725/45
• US Class Current: 715/719
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4725 using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots details of information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02

Abstract

A method and system for providing highlight clips to a user device includes the user device having a display with a user interface and a content processing system communicating a plurality of highlight links to the user device. The user device displays the plurality of highlight links on the display and communicates a selection signal to the content processing system. The content processing system communicates a highlight clip corresponding to the selection signal to the user device. The user device displays the content clip in the user interface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying a first video from a live feed in a first video display area of a screen display;

communicating a plurality of highlight links to a user device, said highlight links corresponding to highlight clips of selected portions of the live feed;

displaying the plurality of highlight links in a second display area of the screen display simultaneously with the first video in the first video display area;

selecting a first link of the plurality of highlight links to form a selection signal;

communicating the selection signal to a remote location located remotely from the user device;

communicating a highlight clip of the highlight clips corresponding to the selection signal to the user device from the remote location;

displaying the highlight clip in the first video display area by replacing the live feed; and

when the highlight clip is complete, redisplaying the live feed in the first video display area.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a live feed;

selecting a portion of the live feed to form the highlight clip;

associating metadata with the highlight clip; and

storing the highlight clip and the metadata in the remote location.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 further comprising determining a thumbnail for the highlight clip and storing the thumbnail with the metadata and the highlight clip.

4. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein prior to storing, formatting the highlight clip into a mobile format and an Internet format different than the mobile format.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein prior to communicating a plurality of highlight links, selecting a plurality of sports teams to form selected teams and wherein communicating comprises communicating highlights links corresponding to the selected teams.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating a plurality of highlight links to a user device comprises communicating the plurality of highlight links from an ongoing live event.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating a plurality of highlight links to a user device comprises communicating the plurality of highlight links from a live event displayed in a video window in the user interface.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein displaying the plurality of highlight links comprises displaying the plurality of highlight links in reverse chronological order.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein displaying the plurality of highlight links comprises displaying the plurality of highlight links with a thumbnail for each of the plurality of highlight links.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein displaying the plurality of highlight links comprises displaying the plurality of highlight links in the second display partially over first the video display area.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating a plurality of highlight links comprises communicating a plurality of highlight links in time order.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating highlights links comprises communicating highlight links for a sporting event.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating highlights links comprises communicating highlight links for a plurality of sporting events.

14. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating a highlight clip comprises communicating highlights for user-selectable sporting events.

15. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating a plurality of highlight links comprises continually communicating highlight links of a live event.

16. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating a plurality of highlight links to a user device comprises communicating the plurality of highlight links to a mobile device.

17. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating a plurality of highlight links to a user device comprises communicating the plurality of highlight links to a set top box.

18. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a team from a plurality of teams to form a team selection;

communicating the team selection to a content delivery network;

and wherein communicating a plurality of highlight links to a user device comprises communicating the plurality of highlight links corresponding to the team selection.

19. A method as recited in claim 18 wherein selecting a team comprises selecting a team from a pull down menu displayed in a highlights area of the user interface.

20. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein displaying the plurality of highlight links comprises continually updating the plurality of highlight links.

21. A system comprising:

a user device having a screen display with a user interface, said screen display comprising a first video display area displaying a live feed and a second display area; and

a content processing system located remotely from the user device communicating a plurality of highlight links to the user device, said highlight links corresponding to highlight clips of selected portions of the live feed;

a content delivery network;

said user device displaying the plurality of highlight links in the second display area of the display, said user device communicating a selection signal corresponding to a first highlight link of the plurality of highlight links to the content delivery network;

said content delivery network communicating a first highlight clip corresponding to the first highlight link of the selection signal to the user device;

said user device displaying the first highlight clip in the first video display area in response to communicating the first highlight clip and redisplaying the live feed in the first video display area when the highlight clip is complete.

22. A system as recited in claim 21 wherein the content processing system receives a plurality of live feeds for a plurality of events, selects portions of the events to form video clips, associates metadata to the video clips and stores the video clip and the metadata.

23. A system as recited in claim 22 wherein the content processing system stores a thumbnail with the metadata and the video clip.

24. A system as recited in claim 22 wherein the content processing system formats the video clip into a mobile format and an Internet format.

25. A system as recited in claim 22 wherein the user interface comprises selections for selecting a plurality of sports teams to form selected teams and wherein the content processing system communicates highlights links corresponding to the selected teams.

26. A system as recited in claim 21 wherein the highlight links comprise live event highlight links.

27. A system as recited in claim 21 wherein the first video display area, and the second display area are simultaneously displayed on the screen display.

28. A system as recited in claim 21 wherein the user interface displays the plurality of highlight links in time order.

29. A system as recited in claim 21 wherein the highlights links comprise highlight links for one sporting event.

30. A system as recited in claim 21 wherein the highlights links comprise highlight links for a plurality of sporting events.

31. A system as recited in claim 21 wherein the user device comprises a mobile device.

32. A system as recited in claim 21 wherein the user device comprises a set top box.

33. A system as recited in claim 21 wherein the user interface comprises a team selector for forming a plurality of teams to form a team selection, said content processing system communicating a plurality of highlight links to the user device corresponding to the team selection.

34. A system as recited in claim 33 wherein the team selector is disposed in a pull down menu displayed in a highlights area of the user interface.