Pause and replay of media content through bookmarks on a server device

• US 9,961,374 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2013
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 1, LLC
• Original Assignee: III Holdings 1, LLC
• Inventors: Kalmanje, Arun, Gupta, Sachin
• Primary Examiner(s): Pasia, Redentor
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mak, Peter
• Application Number:
  US14/050,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20140109127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,664 Days
• Field of Search: 725100, 725 88, 725138, 725135
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21805 enabling multiple viewpoints, e.g. using a plurality of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/231 Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers, prioritizing data for deletion
• 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 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; 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 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• 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 21/8455 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 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system of pause and replay of media content through bookmarks on a server device are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of a server device includes authenticating a user of a client device, communicating a media content to the client device through a network, processing a pause request of the client device to pause the media content, storing a bookmark location indicating a current playback location of the media content in the client device on the server device, processing a play request of the user to play the media content from the bookmark location (e.g., the play request may be received from a different client device of the user), and communicating the media content from the bookmark location to the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

creating a bookmark for a user, wherein the bookmark indicates a location in a paused content that is playable in a first user device and that originates at and is transmitted from a first server, wherein the paused content includes an unplayed portion remaining to be transmitted and a played portion previously transmitted, free of involvement of a second server, to the first user device by the first server;

copying, from the first server to store in the second server, the unplayed portion of the paused content remaining to be transmitted;

storing the bookmark and the unplayed portion remaining to be transmitted in the second server that is external relative to the first user device and the first server responsive to receiving the bookmark and the unplayed portion remaining to be transmitted from external sources, wherein the unplayed portion remaining to be transmitted originates at the second server for playback resumption;

responsive to an attempt in a second user device to resume playback of the unplayed portion remaining to be transmitted, providing, free of involvement of the first server, the bookmark from the second server to the second user device and streaming, free of involvement of the first server, the unplayed portion remaining to be transmitted from the second server to resume playback by the second user device from the location of the bookmark; and

responsive to fulfilling to the user transmission of the unplayed portion that originates at and is stored by the second server, deleting, free of involvement of the first server, the unplayed portion from the second server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the bookmark includes a plurality of fields, wherein the paused content is playable in a first content player of the first user device, and wherein the paused content is playable in a second content player of the second user device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the paused content includes one of a plurality of content types.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the location of the bookmark based on a transmission delay.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing comprises:

temporarily storing the bookmark in the first user device to avoid a transmission delay.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the bookmark is usable with a plurality of content server types.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein at least one of the content server types includes an application programming interface (API).

8. A method comprising:

creating a plurality of bookmarks for a plurality of users, wherein the plurality of bookmarks indicate locations in a plurality of paused content that are playable in a plurality of user devices of the plurality of users and that originate at and are transmitted from a plurality of first servers, wherein respective one of the plurality of paused content includes respective one of a plurality of unplayed portions remaining to be transmitted and a respective played portion previously transmitted, free of involvement of a second server, to at least one of the user devices by at least one of the first servers;

copying, from the first servers to store in the second server, the plurality of unplayed portions remaining to be transmitted that correspond to the plurality of paused content;

storing the plurality of bookmarks and the plurality of unplayed portions remaining to be transmitted in the second server that is external relative to the plurality of user devices and the plurality of first servers responsive to receiving the plurality of bookmarks and the plurality of unplayed portions remaining to be transmitted from external sources, wherein the plurality of unplayed portions remaining to be transmitted originate at the second server for playback resumption;

allowing the plurality of users to add information to the plurality of bookmarks of other users;

storing the information with the plurality of bookmarks; and

responsive to fulfilling to a respective user transmission of an unplayed portion of the plurality of unplayed portions that originate at and are stored by the second server, deleting, free of involvement of the first servers, the unplayed portion from the second server.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of bookmarks include a plurality of fields.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of paused content include one of a plurality of content types.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

adjusting a location of a bookmark based on a transmission delay.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the storing comprises:

temporarily storing a bookmark in a user device to avoid a transmission delay.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of bookmarks are usable with a plurality of content server types.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the content server types includes an application programming interface (API).

15. A method comprising:

creating a plurality of bookmarks for a user, wherein the plurality of bookmarks indicate locations in a plurality of paused content for a plurality of content types that are playable in a user device of the user and that originate at and are transmitted from a plurality of first servers, wherein respective one of the plurality of paused content includes respective one of the plurality of unplayed portions remaining to be transmitted and a respective played portion previously transmitted, free of involvement of a second server, to the user device by at least one of the first servers;

copying, from the first servers to store in the second server, the plurality of unplayed portions remaining to be transmitted that correspond to the plurality of paused content;

storing the plurality of bookmarks and the plurality of unplayed portions remaining to be transmitted in the second server that is external relative to the user device and the plurality of first servers responsive to receiving the plurality of bookmarks and the plurality of unplayed portions remaining to be transmitted from external sources, wherein the plurality unplayed portions remaining to be transmitted originate at the second server for playback resumption;

displaying the plurality of bookmarks for the plurality of content types on the user device;

responsive to a user selection, providing, free of involvement of the first servers, a corresponding bookmark from the second server to the user device and streaming, free of involvement of the first servers, a corresponding unplayed portion remaining to be transmitted from the second server to the user device to resume playback by the user device from a location of the corresponding bookmark; and

responsive to fulfilling to the user transmission of the corresponding unplayed portion that originates at and is stored by the second server, deleting, free of involvement of the first servers, the corresponding unplayed portion from the second server.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of bookmarks include a plurality of fields.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

adjusting a location of a bookmark based on a transmission delay.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the storing comprises:

temporarily storing a bookmark in the user device to avoid a transmission delay.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of bookmarks are usable with a plurality of content server types.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of the content server types includes an application programming interface (API).