Chapterized streaming of video content

• US 9,538,232 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Carney, Mark D., McKee, Martin W, Jackson, Jeffrey A., Pacella, Dante J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, An Son P
• Application Number:
  US13/826,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20140282681A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 725/28
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

A method includes sending, by a user device, a request for video content based on a selected video content chapter of the video content. The method also includes receiving video content information that includes a list of video content chapters of the video content. The method includes determining, for each listed video content chapter, whether the video content chapter has been previously stored on the user device. The method further includes downloading particular chapters of the video content in a priority order based on the selected chapter in response to a determination that the particular chapters have not been previously stored on the user device, and playing the video content based on the selected chapter.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a video streaming device, from at least one user device, a request for a video content program based on a selected video content chapter of the video content program, wherein each video content chapter is a viewing unit that is a segment of the video content program determined based on a viewer observable logical scheme, and each video content chapter is restricted in length in a predetermined range within a particular scene;

sending, to the at least one user device, video content information that includes a list of video content chapters of the video content program,

wherein the at least one user device is to;

determine, for each listed video content chapter, whether the video content chapter has been previously stored on the at least one user device,

download particular chapters of the video content program in a priority order based on a selected chapter in response to a determination that the particular chapters have not been previously stored on the user device, and

play the video content program based on the selected chapter;

determining whether a plurality of user devices are streaming the video content program based on the selected chapter;

multicasting, by the video streaming device, a remainder of the video content program beyond the selected chapter at a predetermined interval to a plurality of user devices including the at least one user device in response to a determination that the plurality of user devices are streaming the video content program based on the selected chapter;

determining, by the at least one user device, whether the particular chapters are not filterable; and

downloading the particular chapters regardless of parental control settings and user preferences associated with the at least one user device when the particular chapters are not filterable.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, at the at least one user device, the downloaded chapters of the video content program;

indexing the downloaded chapters based on a video program identifier, a stream block identifier and a checksum; and

comparing the video content information to the video program identifier, the stream block identifier and the checksum to determine whether the particular chapters match the downloaded chapters.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein downloading the particular chapters of the video content program in the priority order by the at least one user device further comprises:

downloading the selected chapter at a first priority download rate; and

downloading remaining chapters of the video content program at a second priority download rate, wherein the second priority download rate is lower than the first priority download rate.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

reserving a portion of a cache associated with the at least one user device to store video content chapters and associated information.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting, by the at least one user device, the video content chapters in a disc storage presentation format.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the video content chapters include subchapters that include portions of the video content chapters.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein downloading, by the at least one user device, the particular chapters of the video content program further comprises:

downloading the particular chapters via a web server or a streaming media server.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein downloading, by the at least one user device, the particular chapters of the video content program further comprises:

excluding one or more of the particular chapters from download based on one or more of parental control settings or user preferences associated with the at least one user device.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the parental control settings include block settings for video content chapters that include one or more of a racial slur, nudity, blasphemy, offensive language, a thing or a person in the video content.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, by the at least one user device, a chapter variant associated with one of the particular chapters; and

determining an offset for the chapter variant.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein downloading the particular video content chapters further comprises:

downloading the video content chapters based on a mobile network, wherein the mobile network is associated with at least one of a motor vehicle or aircraft.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting a download status associated with the video content chapters in a graphical user interface associated with the at least one user device.

13. A video streaming device, comprising:

a memory to store a plurality of instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions in the memory to;

receive, from at least one user device, a request for a video content program based on a selected video content chapter of the video content program, wherein each video content chapter is a viewing unit that is a segment of the video content program determined based on a viewer observable logical scheme, and each video content chapter is restricted in length in a predetermined range within a particular scene;

send, to the at least one user device, video content information that includes a list of video content chapters of the video content program,

wherein the at least one user device is to;

determine, for each listed video content chapter, whether the video content chapter has been previously stored on the at least one user device,

download portions of particular chapters of the video content program in a priority order based on a selected chapter in response to a determination that the particular chapters have not been previously stored on the at least one user device,

play the video content program based on the selected chapter, and

store the downloaded portions of the particular chapters of the video content program;

determine whether a plurality of user devices are streaming the video content program based on the selected chapter;

multicast a remainder of the video content program beyond the selected chapter at a predetermined interval to a plurality of user devices including the at least one user device in response to a determination that the plurality of user devices are streaming the video content program based on the selected chapter;

determine whether the particular chapters are not filterable; and

download the particular chapters regardless of parental control settings

and user

preferences associated with the at least one user device when the particular chapters

are not

filterable.

14. The video streaming device of claim 13, where the processor is further to:

send the downloaded portions of the particular chapters of the video content program to be stored at the at least one user device in one of a last in last out basis or a most frequently accessed basis.

15. The video streaming device of claim 13, where the processor is further to:

exclude one or more of the particular chapters from download based on one or more of parental control settings or user preferences associated with the at least one user device.

16. The video streaming device of claim 13, where the processor is further to:

provide instructions to the at least one user device to present a download status associated with the video content chapters in a graphical user interface associated with the at least one user device.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions to be executed by a processor in a video streaming device, the instructions including one or more instructions, when executed by the processor, for causing the processor to:

receive, from at least one user device, a request for a video content program based on a selected video content chapter of the video content program, wherein each video content chapter includes a viewing unit that is a segment of the video content program determined based on a viewer observable logical scheme, and each video content chapter is restricted in length in a predetermined range within a particular scene;

send, to the at least one user device, video content information that includes a list of video content chapters of the video content program,

wherein the at least one user device is to;

determine, for each listed video content chapter, whether the video content chapter has been previously stored in an associated device storage,

download particular chapters of the video content program in a priority order based on a selected chapter in response to a determination that the particular chapters have not been previously stored in the associated device storage, and play the video content program based on the selected chapter; and

exclude one or more of the particular chapters from download based on one or more of parental control settings and user preferences associated with a user account;

determine whether a plurality of user devices are streaming the video content program based on the selected chapter;

multicast a remainder of the video content program beyond the selected chapter at a predetermined interval to a plurality of user devices including the at least one user device in response to a determination that the plurality of user devices including the at least one user device are streaming the video content program based on the selected chapter;

determine whether the particular chapters are not filterable; and

download the particular chapters regardless of parental control settings and user preferences associated with the at least one user device when the particular chapters are not filterable.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more instructions further includes instructions for causing the processor to:

present a download status associated with the video content chapters in a graphic user interface associated with the device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein, when sending the video content information that includes the list of video content chapters of the video content program, the one or more instructions further includes instructions for causing the processor to:

determine a status associated with an associated mobile network; and

limit streaming to the at least one user device based on the status associated with the associated mobile network.