INTERACTIVE MEDIA GUIDANCE SYSTEM HAVING MULTIPLE DEVICES

• US 20110185392A1
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Walker, Todd A.
• Application Number:
  US13/083,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20110185392A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• 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 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44029 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• 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 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

When selecting a television program for recording, a user may configure the delivery of the selected television program and associated data and interactive applications to different user equipment devices in a home network, which may have different capabilities. Because the user equipment devices in the home network may have different capabilities, the user may wish to deliver different types and amount of content, different amounts of data, and different versions of interactive applications to the user equipment devices in the home network.

Claims

1-35. -35. (canceled)

36. A method for providing a user equipment device with a bandwidth-appropriate version of content stored on a network, the method comprising:

allowing the user equipment device to access content stored on the network;

determining bandwidth capabilities of the user equipment device; and

condensing the substance of the content to generate a condensed version having a condensed version size, wherein the substance of the content is condensed based on the determined bandwidth capabilities such that the user equipment device is able to receive the condensed version of the content having the condensed version size in a predetermined amount of time with the determined bandwidth capabilities.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein condensing the content comprises splitting the content into segments at one or more locations and joining a subset of the segments to form a condensed version of the content.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising determining the locations at which to split the content is based on any of closed-captioning data, audience information, metadata, audio cues, scene changes, and commercial breaks.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein condensing the content comprises splitting the content into segments at one or more locations, condensing each of the segments, and joining the condensed segments to form a condensed version of the content.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein condensing the content comprises creating an audio or text version of the content.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising condensing the audio or text version of the content.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the text version of the content is created using closed-captioning data.

43. The method of claim 36, wherein the condensed content is translated into a format that is suitable to be played by the user equipment device.

44. A system for providing a user equipment device with a bandwidth-appropriate version of content stored on a network, the system comprising:

a server accessible by a user equipment over the network, the server being configured to;

determine bandwidth capabilities of the user equipment device; and

condense the substance of the content to generate a condensed version having a condensed version size, wherein the substance of the content is condensed based on the determined bandwidth capabilities such that the user equipment device is able to receive the condensed version of the content having the condensed version size in a predetermined amount of time with the determined bandwidth capabilities.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the server is further configured to condense the content by splitting the content into segments at one or more locations and joining a subset of the segments to form a condensed version of the content.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the server is further configured to determine the locations at which to split the content based on any of closed-captioning data, audience information, metadata, audio cues, scene changes, and commercial breaks.

47. The system of claim 44, wherein the server is further configured to condense the content by splitting the content into segments at one or more locations, condensing each of the segments, and joining the condensed segments to form a condensed version of the content.

48. The system of claim 44, wherein condensing the content comprises creating an audio or text version of the content.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein the server is further configured to condense the audio or text version of the content.

50. The system of claim 48, wherein the text version of the content is created using closed-captioning data.

51. The system of claim 44, wherein the condensed content is translated into a format that is suitable to be played by the user equipment device.

52. A method for providing a user equipment device with a bandwidth-appropriate version of a recorded television program stored on a network, the method comprising:

allowing the user equipment device to access the recorded television program stored on the network, wherein an interactive program guide is implemented on the user equipment device and the user accesses the recorded television program using the interactive program guide;

determining bandwidth capabilities of the user equipment device; and

condensing the substance of the recorded television program to generate a condensed version having a condensed version size, wherein the substance of the content is condensed based on the determined bandwidth capabilities such that the user equipment device is able to receive the condensed version of the recorded television program having the condensed version size in a predetermined amount of time with the determined bandwidth capabilities.