Method for generating time based preview image for a video stream

• US 9,271,042 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2014
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• 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 I
• Application Number:
  US14/470,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20140373037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• 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 of displaying a sequence of video frames, the method comprising:

receiving information representative of the sequence of video frames for a display to be generated, the display comprising at least one other element that is relatively static in relation to at least a first portion of the sequence of video frames being displayed;

receiving video information associated with the at least the first portion of the sequence of video frames, wherein the received video information includes a rewind stream that includes at least a third portion of the sequence of video frames corresponding to a first play position that is prior to the current play position and wherein the received video information includes a forward stream that includes at least a fourth portion of the sequence of video frames corresponding to a second play position that is after to the current play position;

storing the received rewind stream in a rewind buffer;

storing the received forward stream in a forward buffer;

generating, for inclusion in the display during play of the at least the first portion of the sequence of video frames, a play position indication region for display within or proximate to the display of the at least the first portion of the sequence of video frames, wherein the play position indication region represents at least a portion of a duration of playing of the at least the first portion of the sequence of video frames, and wherein proximate to the play position indication region during at least some portion of the play of the at least the first portion of the sequence of video frames is a first indicator of a current play position within the sequence of video frames relative to the duration of the play of the at least the first portion of the sequence of video frames;

detecting an input associated with a second indicator that is identified independently from the first indicator of the current play position, from a user, during play of the at least the first portion of the sequence of video frames, associated with the play position indication region, that visually distinguishes another play position at any available point in time displaced along the play position indication region from the current play position, the visually distinguished another play position representing a first point in the sequence of video frames that is different from a second point in the sequence of video frames represented by the current play position indicator;

identifying that a portion of the received video information corresponds at least approximately to the first point in the sequence of video frames substantially temporally with the detecting of the input;

processing at least a portion of the identified portion of the received video information, substantially temporally with the detecting, based on the identified portion of the video information, such that a first image can be generated to represent at least one of the video frames in the sequence of video frames, the first image being at least an approximation of what the generated display would be during play of at least a second portion of the sequence of video frames at about the another play position at the any available point in time in the sequence of video frames, the first image being generated to correspond to the another play position at the any available point in time visually distinguished by the input from the user;

generating, using the identified portion of the video information based on the processing, substantially temporally with the detecting of the input, the first image for display, in response to the detecting of the input from the user that visually distinguishes the another play position at the any available point in time, within or proximate to the play position indication region and the at least the first portion of the sequence of video frames being generated for the display, wherein the first image at least approximates a second image of the at least the second portion of the sequence of video frames substantially proximate to the sequence of video frames at the first point represented by the visually distinguished another play position, and wherein the first image when displayed within or proximate to the at least the first portion of the sequence of video frames is displayed in a first region of the display that is smaller than a second region in which the first portion of the sequence of video frames is being displayed;

generating for display, a rewind indicator associated with the first play position; and

generating for display, a forward indicator associated with the second play position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequence of video frames contains encoded frames, the identified portion of video information comprising at least a portion of a single encoded frame.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first image is displayed in a window.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the another play position associated with the first image corresponds to a play position later than the current play position.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequence of video frames is received from a video-on-demand source.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the forward indicator is associated with a current frame of the stored forward stream.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying advertisements in the received sequence of video frames; and

storing some of the sequence of video frames to skip the identified advertisements.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a user selection of the first image; and

playing at least the second portion of the sequence of video frames from the another play position associated with the first image in response to receiving the user selection.

9. A system for causing a display of a sequence of video frames, the system comprising:

control circuitry configured to;

receive information representative of the sequence of video frames for a display to be generated, the display comprising at least one other element that is relatively static in relation to at least a first portion of the sequence of video frames being displayed;

receive video information associated with the at least the first portion of the sequence of video frames,

wherein the received video information includes a rewind stream that includes at least a third portion of the sequence of video frames corresponding to a first play position that is prior to the current play position and wherein the received video information includes a forward stream that includes at least a fourth portion of the sequence of video frames corresponding to a second play position that is after to the current play position;

store the received rewind stream in a rewind buffer;

store the received forward stream in a forward buffer;

generate, for inclusion in the display during play of the at least the first portion of the sequence of video frames, a play position indication region for display within or proximate to the display of the at least the first portion of the sequence of video frames, wherein the play position indication region represents at least a portion of a duration of playing of the at least the first portion of the sequence of video frames, and wherein proximate to the play position indication region during at least some portion of the play of the at least the first portion of the sequence of video frames is a first indicator of a current play position within the sequence of video frames relative to the duration of the play of the at least the first portion of the sequence of video frames;

detect an input associated with a second indicator that is identified independently from the first indicator of the current play position, from a user, during play of the at least the first portion of the sequence of video frames, associated with the play position indication region, that visually distinguishes another play position at any available point in time displaced along the play position indication region from the current play position, the visually distinguished another play position representing a first point in the sequence of video frames that is different from a second point in the sequence of video frames represented by the current play position indicator;

identify that a portion of the received video information corresponds at least approximately to the first point in the sequence of video frames substantially temporally with the detecting of the input;

process at least a portion of the identified portion of the received video information, substantially temporally with the detecting, based on the identified portion of the video information, such that a first image can be generated to represent at least one of the video frames in the sequence of video frames, the first image being at least an approximation of what the generated display would be during play of at least a second portion of the sequence of video frames at about the another play position at the any available point in time in the sequence of video frames, the first image being generated to correspond to the another play position at the any available point in time visually distinguished by the input from the user;

generate, using the identified portion of the video information based on the processing, substantially temporally with the detecting of the input, the first image for display, in response to the detecting of the input from the user that visually distinguishes the another play position at the any available point in time, within or proximate to the play position indication region and the at least the first portion of the sequence of video frames being generated for the display, wherein the first image at least approximates a second image of the at least the second portion of the sequence of video frames substantially proximate to the sequence of video frames at the first point represented by the visually distinguished another play position, and wherein the first image when displayed within or proximate to the at least the first portion of the sequence of video frames is displayed in a first region of the display that is smaller than a second region in which the first portion of the sequence of video frames is being displayed;

generate for display, a rewind indicator associated with the first play position; and

generate for display, a forward indicator associated with the second play position.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the sequence of video frames contains encoded frames, the identified portion of video information comprising at least a portion of a single encoded frame.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first image is displayed in a window.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the another play position associated with the first image corresponds to a play position later than the current play position.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the sequence of video frames is received from a video-on-demand source.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the forward indicator is associated with a current frame of the stored forward stream.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

identify advertisements in the received sequence of video frames; and

store some of the sequence of video frames to skip the identified advertisements.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive a user selection of the first image; and

play at least the second portion of the sequence of video frames from the play position associated with the first image in response to receiving the user selection.