Managing content versions

• US 9,158,765 B1
• Filed: 10/08/2012
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audible Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Audible Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Story, Guy A. Jr., Walloga, Edward J., Hatch, Steven D.
• Primary Examiner(s): DYER, ANDREW R
• Application Number:
  US13/647,274
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 715/201, 715/203, 715/229, 715/234
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• 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: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier

Abstract

Items of content may be available in any of a number of versions. Major aspects of each content version, such as overall plot and major characters, may generally overlap. However, minor aspects, such as level of description, minor characters, or sub-plots may vary between versions. Accordingly, systems and methods are provided for managing playback of multiple content versions, and enabling users to switch between such content versions. In some embodiments, a playback path including portions of multiple content versions may be provided, such that a user may consume only desired portions of each content version. In other embodiments, a determined playback path may be utilized to create a customized content version, which may be provided to a user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing output of multiple versions of a content item, the computer-implemented method implemented under control of one or more computing devices configured with specific executable instructions, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving synchronization information corresponding to a content item, wherein;

the synchronization information associates each position of a plurality of positions within a first version of the content item to at least a respective position within an abridged version of the content item,

the first version of the content item contains at least a portion of content omitted from the abridged version of the content item, and

at least one position of the plurality of positions within the first version of the content item is within the portion of content omitted from the abridged version of the content item; and

in response to output of at least a portion of the first version of the content item on a user computing device, receiving a request to output the abridged version of the content item;

determining a current position of consumption within the first version of the content item;

identifying, from the synchronization information, a first position within the first version of the content item that corresponds to the current position of consumption;

identifying, from the synchronization information, a second position within the abridged version of the content item that is associated with the first position within the first version of the content item; and

outputting, on the user computing device, the abridged version of the content item from the second position within the abridged version of the content item.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the content item corresponds to at least one of an e-book, an audio book, a video, a movie, and a periodical.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first version of the content item corresponds to at least one of an original version of the content item, an unabridged version of the content item, and an expanded version of the content item.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization information further identifies one or more positions within the abridged version of the content item, and wherein the synchronization information associates each of the one or more positions within the abridged version to at least a respective position within a third version of the content item.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 further comprising:

in response to output of at least a portion of the abridged version of the content item on the user computing device, receiving a request to output the third version of the content item;

determining a current position of consumption within the abridged version of the content item;

identifying, from the synchronization information, a third position within the abridged version of the content item that corresponds to the current position of consumption within the abridged version of the content item;

identifying, from the synchronization information, a fourth position within the third version of the content item that is associated with the third position within the abridged version of the content item; and

outputting, on the user computing device, the third version of the content item from the fourth position within the third version of the content item.

6. A system for managing output of multiple versions of a content item, the system comprising:

one or more processors configured to;

receive synchronization information corresponding to a content item, wherein;

the synchronization information associates each position of a plurality of positions within a first version of the content item to at least a respective position within an abridged version of the content item,

the first version of the content item contains at least a portion of content omitted from the abridged version of the content item, and

at least one position of the plurality of positions within the first version of the content item is within the portion of content omitted from the abridged version of the content item;

receive a request to output the abridged version of the content item;

determine a current position of consumption within the first version of the content item;

identify, from the synchronization information, a first position within the first version of the content item that corresponds to the current position of consumption;

identify, from the synchronization information, a second position within the abridged version of the content item that is associated with the first position within the first version of the content item; and

cause output of the abridged version of the content item from the second position within the abridged version of the content item.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first and the abridged versions of the content item differ in at least one of level of description, amount of dialogue, inclusion of characters, and inclusion of sub-plots.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the synchronization information further identifies one or more positions within the abridged version of the content item, and wherein the synchronization information associates each of the one or more positions within the abridged version of the content item to at least a respective position within a third version of the content item.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

receive a request to output the third version of the content item;

determine a current position of consumption within the abridged version of the content item;

identify, from the synchronization information, a third position within the abridged version of the content item that corresponds to the current position of consumption within the abridged version of the content item;

identify, from the synchronization information, a fourth position within the third version of the content item that is associated with the third position within the abridged version of the content item; and

cause output of the third version of the content item from the fourth position within the third version of the content item.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to modify the abridged version based at least in part on the current position of consumption within the first version of the content item.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are configured to modify the abridged version based at least in part on the current position of consumption within the first version of the content item in order to remove at least one of a character, a sub-plot, and a location, within the abridged version of the content item.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause output of the abridged version of the content item from the second position within the abridged version of the content item by transmitting at least one of a portion of the abridged version or the synchronization information to a user computing device.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable modules for managing output of multiple versions of a content item, the computer-executable modules comprising:

a content version management module configured to;

in response to output of at least a portion of a first version of a content item on a user computing device, receive a request to output a shortened version of the content item;

obtain synchronization information corresponding to the content item, wherein;

the synchronization associates each of a plurality of positions within the first version of the content item to at least a respective position within the shortened version of the content item,

the first version of the content item contains at least a portion of content omitted from the shortened version of the content item, and

at least one of the plurality of positions within the first version of the content item is within the portion of content omitted from the shortened version of the content item;

determine a current position of consumption within the first version of the content item;

identify, from the synchronization information, a first position within the first version of the content item that corresponds to the current position of consumption;

identify, from the synchronization information, a second position within the shortened version of the content item that is associated with the first position within the first version of the content item; and

transmit at least one of the shortened version or the synchronization information to a user computing device for output from the second position within the shortened version of the content item.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the first and the shortened versions of the content item differ in at least one of level of description, amount of dialogue, inclusion of one or more characters, inclusion of one or more locations, and inclusion of one or more sub-plots.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the synchronization information further identifies one or more positions within the shortened version of the content item, and wherein the synchronization information associates each of the one or more positions within the shortened version of the content item to at least a respective position within a third version of the content item.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the content version management module is further configured to:

receive a request to output the third version of the content item;

determine a current position of consumption within the shortened version of the content item;

identify, from the synchronization information, a third position within the shortened version of the content item that corresponds to the current position of consumption within the shortened version of the content item;

identify, from the synchronization information, a fourth position within the third version of the content item that is associated with the third position within the shortened version of the content item; and

transmit at least a portion of the third version to the user computing device for output from the fourth position within the third version of the content item.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the content version management module is further configured to modify the shortened version based at least in part on the current position of consumption within the first version of the content item.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the content version management module is configured to modify the shortened version based at least in part on the current position of consumption within the first version of the content item in order to remove references to at least one of a character, a location, and sub-plot within the shortened version of the content item.

19. A computer-implemented method for managing playback of multiple versions of a content item, the computer-implemented method implemented under control of one or more computing devices configured with specific executable instructions, the computer-implemented method comprising:

in response to output of at least a portion of a first version of a content item on a user computing device, receiving a request to output a condensed version of the content item;

obtaining synchronization information corresponding to the content item, wherein;

the synchronization information associates each position of a plurality of positions within the first version of the content item to at least a respective position within the condensed version of the content item,

the first version of the content item contains at least a portion of content omitted from the condensed version of the content item, and

at least one position of the plurality of positions within the first version of the content item is within the portion of content omitted from the condensed version of the content item;

determining a current position of consumption within the first version of the content item;

identifying, from the synchronization information, a first position within the first version of the content item that corresponds to the current position of consumption;

identifying, from the synchronization information, a second position within the condensed version of the content item that is associated with the first position within the first version of the content item; and

causing output of the condensed version on a user computing device from the second position within the condensed version of the content item.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein the first version of the content item and the condensed version of the content item differ in at least one of level of description, amount of dialogue, inclusion of characters, or inclusion of sub-plots.

21. Computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein the synchronization information further identifies one or more positions within the condensed version of the content item, and wherein the synchronization information associates each of the one or more positions within the condensed version of the content item to at least a respective position within a third version of the content item.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 21 further comprising:

receiving a request to output the third content version of the content item;

determining a current position of consumption within the condensed version of the content item;

identifying, from the synchronization information, a third position within the condensed version of the content item that corresponds to the current position of consumption within the condensed version of the content item;

identifying, from the synchronization information, a fourth position within the third version that is associated with the third position within the abridged version of the content item; and

causing output of the third version from the fourth position within the third version of the content item.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 further comprising modifying the condensed version based at least in part on the current position of consumption within the first version of the content item in order to remove references to at least one of a character, a location, or sub-plot within the condensed version of the content item.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein causing output of the condensed version from the second position within the condensed version comprises transmitting at least one of a portion of the condensed version or the synchronization information to a user computing device.