APPARATUS, SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ACCESSING AND SYNCHRONIZING PRESENTATION OF MEDIA CONTENT AND SUPPLEMENTAL MEDIA RICH CONTENT

• US 20110320627A1
• Filed: 12/14/2010
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Overbaugh, Daniel, Landow, Kate, Card, John Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 9,009,339 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43079 of additional data with content streams on multiple devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program

Abstract

Media rich content server systems and methods are operable to provide access to supplemental media rich content at a portable media device. An exemplary embodiment communicatively couples a portable media device to a media device that initially receives a media content stream comprising at least one supplemental media rich content trigger, wherein the supplemental media rich content trigger includes access information configured to access at least one media rich content server; receives a portion of the media content stream with the supplemental media rich content trigger at the portable media device; establishes a communication link between the portable media device and the media rich content server based upon the access information in the received supplemental media rich content trigger; receives supplemental media rich content from the media rich content server; and presents at least the received supplemental media rich content on a display of the portable media device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

communicatively coupling a portable media device to a media device that initially receives a media content stream comprising at least one supplemental media rich content trigger, wherein the supplemental media rich content trigger includes access information configured to access at least one media rich content server;

receiving a portion of the media content stream with the supplemental media rich content trigger at the portable media device;

establishing a communication link between the portable media device and the media rich content server based upon the access information in the received supplemental media rich content trigger;

receiving supplemental media rich content from the media rich content server; and

presenting at least the received supplemental media rich content on a display of the portable media device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

concurrently presenting the received supplemental media rich content and the received media content stream on the display of the portable media device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

synchronizing presentation of the received supplemental media rich content with presentation of at least one video frame.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental media rich content trigger is associated with at least one video frame of the media content stream, and further comprising:

presenting the content stream on the display of the portable media device until the at least one video frame associated with the supplemental media rich content trigger is received;

pausing presentation of the media content stream; and

presenting the received supplemental media rich content on the display of the portable media device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a user selection corresponding to a request to end presentation of the supplemental media rich content;

ending presentation of the supplemental media rich content; and

resuming presentation of the paused media content stream.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ending presentation of the supplemental media rich content after a predefined duration.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the access information configured to establish the communication link to the media rich content server is first access information configured to establish a first communication link to a first media rich content server, and wherein the presented supplemental media rich content comprises second access information configured to establish a second communication link to a second media rich content server, and further comprising:

presenting the second access information as an active link on the display of the portable media device;

establishing the second communication link between the portable media device and the second media rich content server based upon a received user selection of the active link;

receiving second supplemental media rich content from the second media rich content server; and

presenting at least the received second supplemental media rich content on the display of the portable media device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental media rich content is a first supplemental media rich content, the supplemental media rich content trigger is a first supplemental media rich content trigger with first access information, the communicating link is a first communication link, and further comprising:

receiving a second supplemental media rich content trigger in the media content stream, wherein the second supplemental media rich content trigger includes second access information configured to access a second media rich content server;

establishing a second communication link between the portable media device and the second media rich content server based upon the second access information;

receiving second supplemental media rich content from the second media rich content server; and

presenting the received second supplemental media rich content on the display of the portable media device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

ending presentation of the first supplemental media rich content; and

closing the first communication link.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

continuing presentation of the first supplemental media rich content on the display of the portable media device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the media content stream comprises a first supplemental media rich content trigger and a second supplemental media rich content trigger;

wherein the portable media device receives the second supplemental media rich content trigger after receiving the first supplemental media rich content trigger, wherein the first supplemental media rich content trigger includes information to establish the communication link between the portable media device and the media rich content server, and wherein the second supplemental media rich content trigger is configured to access the supplemental media rich content, and further comprising;

establishing the communication link between the portable media device and the media rich content server in response to receiving the first supplemental media rich content trigger;

presenting the media content stream on the display of the portable media device;

maintaining the established communication link during presentation of the media content stream; and

receiving the supplemental media rich content from the media rich content server in response to receiving the second supplemental media rich content trigger.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental media rich content is first supplemental media rich content, wherein the media content stream comprises a third supplemental media rich content trigger configured to access second supplemental media rich content, wherein the third supplemental media rich content trigger is received after the second supplemental media rich content trigger, and further comprising:

ending presentation of the first supplemental media rich content;

continuing presentation of the media content stream on the display of the portable media device;

maintaining the established communication link during the continued presentation of the media content stream; and

receiving the second supplemental media rich content from the media rich content server in response to receiving the third supplemental media rich content trigger.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the media content stream comprises a sequentially presentable first plurality of video frames, second plurality of video frames, and third plurality of video frames, wherein the supplemental media rich content trigger is associated with the second plurality of video frames, and further comprising:

presenting the first plurality of video frames on the display of the portable media device;

presenting at least the supplemental media rich content and the second plurality of video frames on the display of the portable media device; and

presenting the third plurality of video frames on the display of the portable media device,

wherein presentation of the supplemental media rich content ends when presentation of the third plurality of video frames begins.

14. A method, comprising:

establishing a first communication link between a portable media device and a media device;

receiving a media content stream at the media device over the established first communication link, wherein the media content stream comprises at least one supplemental media rich content trigger with access information configured to establish a second communication link between at least one media rich content server and the portable media device, and wherein the at least one supplemental media rich content trigger is further configured to cause the portable media device to access supplemental media rich content from the media rich content server; and

communicating the media content stream to the portable media device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the media content stream comprises a plurality of video frames, and further comprising:

formatting the plurality of video frames of the media content stream based on at least one characteristic of the portable media device,

wherein the formatted video frames of the media content stream and the supplemental media rich content trigger are communicated to the portable media device over the established first communication link.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

associating at least one selected one of the plurality of formatted video frames with the supplemental media rich content trigger,

wherein the selected at least one formatted video frame and the supplemental media rich content trigger are communicated to the portable media device at substantially the same time over the established first communication link.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

retrieving the supplemental media rich content trigger from the media content stream received by the media device over the established second communication link,

wherein the retrieved supplemental media rich content trigger is associated with selected one of the plurality video frames, and

wherein the selected one of the plurality of video frames of the media content stream corresponds to the at least one formatted video frame.

18. A method, comprising:

receiving a program of interest comprising a plurality of sequentially presentable video frames;

selecting at least one of the video frames from the plurality of video frames;

associating a supplemental media rich content trigger with the selected video frame, wherein the supplemental media rich content trigger includes access information configured to cause a portable media device to establish a first communication link between the portable media device and a media rich content server, and is configured to cause the portable media device to access supplemental media rich content from the media rich content server over the established first communication link; and

communicating the program of interest and the supplemental media rich content trigger associated with the at least one selected video frame to a media device over a second communication link.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the program of interest and the supplemental media rich content trigger associated with the at least one selected video frame is communicated from the media device to the portable media device over a third communication link.