Programming content capturing and processing system and method

• US 20060090186A1
• Filed: 10/21/2004
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chen, Zhongming, Mahonchak, Craig, Riedl, Steve E., Santangelo, Bryan D., Bereketab, Amanuel
• Application Number:
  US10/970,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20060090186A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/87
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A method and system is provided for processing a program stream for interactive viewing, wherein the program stream includes programming content relating to a program having a plurality of program segments. The program stream is received and divided into at least one block comprising an expanse of the program stream. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a block is measured based upon the normal play time of the programming content, or some other predefined measurement. A determination is then made as to whether the block comprises at least one complete program segment. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a program segment is a logical portion of TV show or movie, such as a specific story of a news show, a scene in a movie, etc. Upon identifying one or more programming segments, these segment(s) may be made available for interactive viewing prior to receiving the end of the program. In another embodiment of the invention, a determination is made as to whether the block comprises an ending portion—but incomplete portion—of a program segment. In such instance, segment portions from multiple blocks may be accessed and appended to form a complete segment which may then be made available for interactive viewing. In yet another embodiment of the invention, content derived from blocks associated with a program segment may be combined with additional content relating to the program segment, even though the additional content is not within the plurality of blocks.

Claims

1. A method for processing a program stream containing at least one program, the at least one program including a plurality of program segments, the method comprising:

receiving the program stream;

dividing the program stream into a plurality of blocks;

identifying one or more of the plurality of blocks relating to a selected one of the program segments; and

deriving, from the identified blocks, content of the selected program segment.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the content of the selected program segment to be available for viewing prior to receiving the program in its entirety.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the program stream is divided into the plurality of blocks based upon a content amount.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the content amount is measured by play time of the at least one program.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

identifying at least one program type associated with the at least one program; and

wherein the program stream is divided into the plurality of blocks when the content amount meets a predetermined value, and wherein the predetermined value is based at least upon the at least one program type.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a plurality of the identified blocks relate to the selected one of the program segments; and

appending content of one of the identified blocks relating to the selected one of the program segments to content of another of the identified blocks relating to the selected one of the program segments, when a plurality of the identified blocks relate to the selected one of the program segments.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

combining the derived content with additional content relating to the selected program segment;

wherein the additional content is within the program stream and not the plurality of blocks.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing each of the plurality of blocks; and

associating a respective filename with each of the plurality of blocks, wherein the respective filename is descriptive of each of the plurality of blocks.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the filename identifies a source of the received program stream.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the filename identifies a time that the program stream is received.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether authorization data is received, the authorization data providing authorization to divide the program stream into the plurality of blocks; and

wherein the program stream is divided into the plurality of blocks if the authorization data is received.

12. A method for allowing interactive viewing of a program segment in a program, the method comprising:

recording a program stream containing the program, the recorded program stream being divided into a plurality of blocks;

storing the plurality of blocks in storage;

associating one or more of the plurality of blocks in storage with the program segment;

deriving, from the associated blocks, content of the program segment; and

making available the content of the program segment for interactive viewing thereof.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the content of the program segment is made available prior to recording the program in its entirety.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the program stream is divided into the plurality of blocks based upon a content amount.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the content amount is measured by a play time of the at least one program.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

identifying a program type associated with the program; and

wherein the program stream is divided into the plurality of blocks when the content amount meets a predetermined value, and wherein the predetermined value is based at least upon the program type.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether more than one of the associated blocks relate to the program segment; and

appending content of one of the associated blocks relating to the program segment to content of another of the associated blocks relating to the program segment, when more than one of the associated blocks relate to the program segment.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

combining the derived content with additional content relating to the program segment;

wherein the additional content is within the program stream and not the plurality of blocks.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

associating a respective filename with each of the plurality of blocks, wherein the respective filename is descriptive of each of the plurality of blocks.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the filename identifies a source of the recorded program stream.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the filename identifies a time that the program stream is recorded.

22. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether authorization data is received, the authorization data providing authorization to divide the program stream into a plurality of blocks; and

wherein the program stream is divided into the plurality of blocks if the authorization data is received.

23. A system for processing a program stream containing at least one program, the at least one program including a plurality of program segments, the system comprising:

an interface to receive the program stream; and

a processor programmed to;

divide the program stream into a plurality of blocks;

identify one or more of the plurality of blocks relating to a selected one of the program segments; and

derive, from the identified blocks, content of the selected program segment.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is further programmed to cause the content of the selected program segment to be available for viewing prior to receiving the program in its entirety.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the program stream is divided into the plurality of blocks based upon a content amount.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the content amount is measured by play time of the at least one program.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein the processor is further programmed to identify at least one program type associated with the at least one program;

and

wherein the program stream is divided into the plurality of blocks when the content amount meets a predetermined value, and wherein the predetermined value is based at least upon the at least one program type.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

determine whether more than one of the identified blocks relate to the selected one of the program segments; and

append content of one of the identified blocks relating to the selected one of the program segments to content of another of the identified blocks relating to the selected one of the program segments, when more than one of the identified blocks relate to the selected one of the program segments.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is further programmed to combine the derived content with additional content relating to the selected program segment;

wherein the additional content is within the program stream and not the plurality of blocks.

30. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

a storage device to store each of the plurality of blocks; and

wherein the processor is further programmed to associate a respective filename with each of the plurality of blocks, wherein the respective filename is descriptive of each of the plurality of blocks.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the filename identifies a source of the received program stream.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the filename identifies a time that the program stream is received.

33. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is further programmed to determine whether authorization data is received, the authorization data providing authorization to divide the program stream into the plurality of blocks;

and

wherein the program stream is divided into the plurality of blocks by the processor if the authorization data is received.

34. A system for allowing interactive viewing of a program segment in a program, the system comprising:

a storage device to record a program stream containing the program, the recorded program stream being divided into a plurality of blocks and store the plurality of blocks in storage; and

a processor programmed to;

associate one or more of the plurality of blocks in storage with the program segment;

derive from the associated blocks content of the program segment; and

make available the content of the program segment for interactive viewing thereof.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the processor is further programmed to make the available content of the program segment for interactive viewing prior to recording the program in its entirety.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the program stream is divided into the plurality of blocks based upon a content amount.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the content amount is measured by play time of the at least one program.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein the processor is further programmed to identify a program type associated with the program;

and

wherein the program stream is divided into the plurality of blocks when the content amount meets a predetermined value, and wherein the predetermined value is based at least upon the program type.

39. The system of claim 34, wherein the processor is further programmed to determine whether more than one of the associated blocks relate to the program segment, and to append content of one of the associated blocks relating to the program segment to content of another of the associated blocks relating to the program segment, when more than one of the associated blocks relate to the program segment.

40. The system of claim 34, wherein the processor is further programmed to combine the derived content with additional content relating to the program segment;

wherein the additional content is within the program stream and not the plurality of blocks.

41. The system of claim 34, wherein the processor is further programmed to associate a respective filename with each of the plurality of blocks, wherein the respective filename is descriptive of each of the plurality of blocks.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the filename identifies a source of the recorded program stream.

43. The system of claim 41, wherein the filename identifies a time that the program stream is recorded.

44. The system of claim 34, wherein the processor is further programmed to determine whether authorization data is received, the authorization data providing authorization to divide the program stream into a plurality of blocks;

and

wherein the program stream is divided into blocks by the processor if the authorization data is received.