Multifunction Multimedia Device

• US 20110135283A1
• Filed: 12/04/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Poniatowki, Bob, Matthews, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,682,145 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/297
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/278 Content descriptor database or directory service for end-user access details of content or meta data based information retrieval of video data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43074 of additional data with content streams on the same device, e.g. of EPG data or interactive icon with a TV program
• 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 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440236 by media transcoding, e.g. video is transformed into a slideshow of still pictures, audio is converted into text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440245 the reformatting operation being performed only on part of the stream, e.g. a region of the image or a time segment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/91 : Television signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A method for interpreting messages, user-defined alert conditions, voice commands and performing an action in response is described. A method for annotating media content is described. A method for presenting additional content associated with media content identified based on a fingerprint is described. A method for identifying that an advertisement portion of media content is being played based on a fingerprint derived from the media content is described. A method of one media device recording particular media content automatically in response to another media device recording the particular media content is described. A method of concurrently playing media content on multiple devices is described. A method of publishing information associated with recording of media content is described. A method of deriving fingerprints by media devices that meet an idleness criteria is described. A method of loading, modifying, and displaying a high definition frame from a frame buffer is described. A method of recording or playing media content identified based on fingerprints is described.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

scheduling a recording of a particular media content in a content stream at a scheduled start time;

receiving content on the content stream prior to the scheduled start time;

deriving a fingerprint from the content and querying a fingerprint database to identify the content in the content stream as the particular media content;

starting the recording of the particular media content in the content stream prior to the scheduled start time;

wherein the method is performed by a device comprising a processor.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the scheduled start time is based on information associated with an electronic programming guide (EPG).

3. A method comprising:

recording a content stream comprising the first media content;

monitoring the content stream for identifying additional media content that is different than the first media content;

identifying the additional media content in the content stream that is different than the first media content by;

deriving a fingerprint from the additional media content;

querying a fingerprint database with the fingerprint to determine that the additional media content in the content stream is different than the first media content;

stopping the recording of the content stream in response to identifying the additional media content in the content stream that is different than the first media content;

wherein the method is performed by a device comprising a processor.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the recording is stopped at an actual end time of the first media content that is different than a scheduled end time of the first media content indicated in an electronic programming guide (EPG).

5. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein an electronic programming guide indicates that the additional media content is available on the content stream subsequent to the first media content.

6. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

detecting that the additional media content is available on the content stream later than a scheduled start time for the additional media content;

modifying a scheduled recording time interval for the additional media content in response to the detecting step.

7. A method comprising:

recording content received in the content stream from a scheduled start time of a first media content to a scheduled end time of the first media content to obtain a content recording;

deriving a fingerprint from the content recording;

querying a fingerprint database with the fingerprint to determine that a first portion of the content recording comprises a second media content and a second portion of the content recording comprises the first media content;

in response to a command to play the content recording, starting playback of the content recording at the second portion of the content recording;

wherein the method is performed by a device comprising a processor.

8. A computer readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions, which when executed by a processor, perform steps comprising:

scheduling a recording of a particular media content in a content stream at a scheduled start time;

receiving content on the content stream prior to the scheduled start time;

deriving a fingerprint from the content and querying a fingerprint database to identify the content in the content stream as the particular media content;

starting the recording of the particular media content in the content stream prior to the scheduled start time;

wherein the computer readable storage medium is performed by a device comprising a processor.

9. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the scheduled start time is based on information associated with an electronic programming guide (EPG).

10. A computer readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions, which when executed by a processor, perform steps comprising:

recording a content stream comprising the first media content;

monitoring the content stream for identifying additional media content that is different than the first media content;

identifying the additional media content in the content stream that is different than the first media content by;

deriving a fingerprint from the additional media content;

querying a fingerprint database with the fingerprint to determine that the additional media content in the content stream is different than the first media content;

stopping the recording of the content stream in response to identifying the additional media content in the content stream that is different than the first media content;

wherein the computer readable storage medium is performed by a device comprising a processor.

11. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the recording is stopped at an actual end time of the first media content that is different than a scheduled end time of the first media content indicated in an electronic programming guide (EPG).

12. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, wherein an electronic programming guide indicates that the additional media content is available on the content stream subsequent to the first media content.

13. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

detecting that the additional media content is available on the content stream later than a scheduled start time for the additional media content;

modifying a scheduled recording time interval for the additional media content in response to the detecting step.

14. A computer readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions, which when executed by a processor, perform steps comprising:

recording content received in the content stream from a scheduled start time of a first media content to a scheduled end time of the first media content to obtain a content recording;

deriving a fingerprint from the content recording;

querying a fingerprint database with the fingerprint to determine that a first portion of the content recording comprises a second media content and a second portion of the content recording comprises the first media content;

in response to a command to play the content recording, starting playback of the content recording at the second portion of the content recording.

15. A device comprising:

a processor;

one or more subsystems configured for;

scheduling a recording of a particular media content in a content stream at a scheduled start time;

receiving content on the content stream prior to the scheduled start time;

deriving a fingerprint from the content and querying a fingerprint database to identify the content in the content stream as the particular media content;

starting the recording of the particular media content in the content stream prior to the scheduled start time.

16. The device as recited in claim 15, wherein the scheduled start time is based on information associated with an electronic programming guide (EPG).

17. A device comprising:

a processor;

one or more subsystems configured for;

recording a content stream comprising the first media content;

monitoring the content stream for identifying additional media content that is different than the first media content;

identifying the additional media content in the content stream that is different than the first media content by;

deriving a fingerprint from the additional media content;

querying a fingerprint database with the fingerprint to determine that the additional media content in the content stream is different than the first media content;

stopping the recording of the content stream in response to identifying the additional media content in the content stream that is different than the first media content.

18. The device as recited in claim 17, wherein the recording is stopped at an actual end time of the first media content that is different than a scheduled end time of the first media content indicated in an electronic programming guide (EPG).

19. The device as recited in claim 17, wherein an electronic programming guide indicates that the additional media content is available on the content stream subsequent to the first media content.

20. The device as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

detecting that the additional media content is available on the content stream later than a scheduled start time for the additional media content;

modifying a scheduled recording time interval for the additional media content in response to the detecting step.

21. A device comprising:

a processor;

one or more subsystems configured for;

recording content received in the content stream from a scheduled start time of a first media content to a scheduled end time of the first media content to obtain a content recording;

deriving a fingerprint from the content recording;

querying a fingerprint database with the fingerprint to determine that a first portion of the content recording comprises a second media content and a second portion of the content recording comprises the first media content;

in response to a command to play the content recording, starting playback of the content recording at the second portion of the content recording.