Systems and methods for enhanced trick-play functions

• US 9,088,827 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2011
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Craner, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Montoya, Oschta
• Application Number:
  US13/102,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20110286721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 21/26616 for merging a unicast channel into a multicast channel, e.g. in a VOD application, when a client served by unicast channel catches up a multicast channel to save bandwidth data multicast over packet-switching network H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47208 for requesting near-video-on-demand content
• 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 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

Systems and methods for rewinding a video to a point before the video was first viewed. Video transmitted by a media source is cached by a remote server. Upon a trick-play request for the video, the server generates a rewind stream that includes the video that was transmitted by the media source before the user started to view the video. Upon receiving the rewind stream, the user'"'"'s equipment may cache the rewind stream in a rewind buffer and rewind or play from the rewind buffer. The server may also generate and transmit a forward stream of the video that the media source has not yet transmitted. The user'"'"'s equipment may cache the forward stream in a forward buffer. To perform trick-play operations with the video, the user'"'"'s equipment may migrate the playback of the video to the rewind and forward buffers and rewind or fast-forward the video from the buffers.

Claims

1. A method for rewinding a non-on-demand video, the method comprising:

accessing the video at a first access point after a start point of video transmission;

generating for display the accessed video;

receiving a rewind stream that includes all of the content of the video transmitted prior to the first access point, wherein the rewind stream is received in substantially continuous reverse order from the first access point toward the beginning of the video;

storing content of the rewind stream in a rewind buffer; and

generating for display a transport control bar that comprises a rewind bar while the accessed video is displayed, wherein;

the rewind bar begins at the first access point and ends at a rewind indicator,

the rewind indicator moves backwards from the first access point toward the beginning of the video, without input from a user, while the accessed video is played back from the first access point toward an end of the video, and as the content of the rewind stream is being stored in the rewind buffer, and

a position of the rewind indicator indicates an earliest point at which content of the video is accessible.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein content of the video that is earlier than the rewind indicator is inaccessible.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating for display a rewind preview image corresponding to a current position of the rewind indicator.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

receiving a user selection of the rewind preview image; and

in response to receiving the user selection, playing the video from the current position of the rewind indicator corresponding to the selected rewind preview image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transport control bar further comprises a current indicator indicating the current playback location for the user.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a forward stream comprising content of the video that has not yet been transmitted, wherein;

the forward stream streams the video forward from after the time when the video was first accessed toward the end of the video, and

the forward stream is transmitted faster than real time; and

storing content of the forward stream in a forward buffer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the transport control bar further comprises a forward bar, and wherein:

the forward bar begins at the first access point and ends at a forward indicator;

the forward indicator moves forward from the first access point toward the end of the video as the content of the forward stream is being stored in the forward buffer; and

a position of the forward indicator indicates a latest point at which content of the video is accessible.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising generating for display a forward preview image corresponding to a current position of the forward indicator.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving a user selection of the forward preview image; and

in response to receiving the user selection, playing the video from the current position of the forward indicator corresponding to the selected forward preview image.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating for display a plurality of rewind indicators and a plurality of rewind preview images associated with respective ones of the rewind indicators.

11. A system for rewinding a non-on-demand video comprising a recording device, and control circuitry, the control circuitry configured to:

access the video at a first access point after a start point of video transmission;

direct a display device to generate for display the accessed video;

receive a rewind stream that includes all of the content of the video transmitted prior to the first access point, wherein the rewind stream is received in substantially continuous reverse order from the first access point toward the beginning of the video;

direct the recording device to store content of the rewind stream in a rewind buffer; and

direct the display device to generate for display a transport control bar that comprises a rewind bar while the accessed video is displayed, wherein;

the rewind bar begins at the first access point and ends at a rewind indicator,

the rewind indicator moves backwards from the first access point toward the beginning of the video, without input from a user, while the accessed video is played back from the first access point toward an end of the video, and as the content of the rewind stream is being stored in the rewind buffer, and

a position of the rewind indicator indicates an earliest point at which content of the video is accessible.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein content of the video that is earlier than the rewind indicator is inaccessible.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to direct the display device to display a rewind preview image corresponding to a current position of the rewind indicator.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive a user selection of the rewind preview image; and

in response to receiving the user selection, play the video from the current position of the rewind indicator corresponding to the selected rewind preview image.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the transport control bar further comprises a current indicator indicating the current playback location for the user.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive a forward stream comprising content of the video that has not yet been transmitted, wherein;

the forward stream streams the video forward from after the time when the video was first accessed toward the end of the video, and

the forward stream is transmitted faster than real time; and

direct the recording device to store content of the forward stream in a forward buffer.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the transport control bar further comprises a forward bar, and wherein:

the forward bar begins at the first access point and ends at a forward indicator;

the forward indicator moves forward from the first access point toward the end of the video as the content of the forward stream is being stored in the forward buffer; and

a position of the forward indicator indicates a latest point at which content of the video is accessible.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to direct the display device to display a forward preview image corresponding to a current position of the forward indicator.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive a user selection of the forward preview image; and

in response to receiving the user selection, play the video from the current position of the forward indicator corresponding to the selected forward preview image.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to direct the display device to display a plurality of rewind indicators and a plurality of rewind preview images associated with respective ones of the rewind indicators.