Commenting Correlated To Temporal Point Of Video Data

• US 20130004138A1
• Filed: 03/27/2012
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Wu, Haisheng, Kilar, Jason A., Chan-Martin, Betina J., Suter, Bradley J., Hewitt, Gavin F., Young, Damon A., Nikkar, Arash, Switalski, Arthur, Tom, Richard W., Wang, Yingan, Wei, Eugene
• Granted Patent: US 9,066,145 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/230
• 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 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream

Abstract

Commenting tied to user-selected times during play of audio/video content is enabled by a computer system. An apparatus detects a time that input of user comment data is received during playback of audio/video content on an electronic display device. The apparatus determines a temporal point relative to the playback of the audio/video content correlated to the user comment data, based on the time. The apparatus transmits the user comment data correlated to identifiers for the audio-video content and the temporal point to a computer server. The server may configure the video data for publishing on a website so that the comment data is displayed for a limited period based on the temporal point. Users may thereby conveniently record audio or textual comments that are output during subsequent play of the audio/video content, for sharing with friends and others.

Claims

1. A method for providing user comment data correlated to a temporal point in playback of audio/video content, by a client device, the method comprising:

detecting a time that input of user comment data is received during playback of audio/video content on an electronic display device;

determining a temporal point relative to the playback of the audio/video content correlated to the user comment data, based on the time; and

transmitting the user comment data correlated to identifiers for the audio-video content and the temporal point to a computer server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing data for a user interface, including control objects for the playback of the audio/video content and entry of the user comment data, to the electronic display device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the time is based on a time that input of the user comment data is initiated.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the time is based on a time that input of the user comment data is completed.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the user input from a user input device local to the electronic display device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting user input of the user comment data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a source identifier for the user input data, and transmitting the source identifier to the computer server.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a website and destination user account as a prospective publication site of the user comment data, based on further user input;

and

transmitting information identifying the prospective publication site of the user comment data to the computer server.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor configured for;

detecting a time that input of user comment data is received during playback of audio/video content on an electronic display device, determining a temporal point relative to the playback of the audio/video content correlated to the user comment data, based on the time, and transmitting the user comment data correlated to identifiers for the audio-video content and the temporal point to a computer server; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor for storing data.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured for providing data for a user interface, including control objects for the playback of the audio/video content and entry of the user comment data, to the electronic display device.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured for identifying a source identifier for the user input data, and transmitting the source identifier to the computer server.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured for identifying a website and destination user account as a prospective publication site of the user comment data, based on further user input;

and

transmitting information identifying the prospective publication site of the user comment data to the computer server.

13. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code for causing a computer to detect a time that input of user comment data is received during playback of audio/video content on an electronic display device, determine a temporal point relative to the playback of the audio/video content correlated to the user comment data, based on the time, and transmit the user comment data correlated to identifiers for the audio-video content and the temporal point to a computer server.

14. A method for providing a link to digital audio/video content responsive to user comment data, by a computer server, the method comprising:

receiving, from a source device, an electronic transmission of user comment data correlated to identifiers for audio/video content and a post-inception temporal point in the audio/video content;

configuring a link to the audio/video content including an indication of the post-inception temporal point; and

providing the user comment data with the link to a website host for publication on a website.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating a thumbnail image from a video frame indicative of the post-inception temporal point of the audio/video content.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising configuring the link to include the thumbnail image.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving an identifier for the website host as a prospective publication site of the user comment data from the source device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving an identifier for a destination user account at the website host from the source device, and providing information identifying the destination user account to the website host.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing the audio/video content to the website host.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising truncating the audio/video content based on the post-inception temporal point to provide a truncated audio/video content, and providing the truncated audio/video content to the website host.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor configured for;

receiving, from a source device, an electronic transmission of user comment data correlated to identifiers for audio/video content and a post-inception temporal point in the audio/video content, configuring a link to the audio/video content including an indication of the post-inception temporal point, and providing the user comment data with the link to a website host for publication on a website; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor for storing data.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured for generating a thumbnail image from a video frame indicative of the post-inception temporal point of the audio/video content.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the processor is further configured for configuring the link to include the thumbnail image.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured for receiving an identifier for the website host as a prospective publication site of the user comment data from the source device.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured for receiving an identifier for a destination user account at the website host from the source device, and providing information identifying the destination user account to the website host.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured for providing the audio/video content to the website host.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured for truncating the audio/video content based on the post-inception temporal point to provide a truncated audio/video content, and providing the truncated audio/video content to the website host.

28. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code for causing a computer to receive, from a source device, an electronic transmission of user comment data correlated to identifiers for audio/video content and a post-inception temporal point in the audio/video content, configure a link to the audio/video content including an indication of the post-inception temporal point, and provide the user comment data with the link to a website host for publication on a website.

29. A method for providing a link to audio/video content referencing a temporal point for user comment data, by a computer server, the method comprising:

receiving a link to audio/video content and to a post-inception temporal point of the audio/video content;

publishing the link on a webpage; and

initiating streaming of the audio/video content to a client device at the post-inception temporal point, in response to detecting selecting of the link.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising receiving comment data correlated to the link.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising publishing the comment data with the link.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising displaying a thumbnail image from a video frame indicative of the post-inception temporal point of the audio/video content as an icon for the link.

33. The method of claim 29, further comprising receiving an identifier for a user account with the link, and selecting the webpage based on the user account.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising configuring the webpage to include content submitted by a group of independent users identified with the user account.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising configuring the webpage to include content submitted by a group of independent users identified with a second user account, wherein the user account is identified as a member of the group of independent users.

36. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor configured for;

receiving a link to audio/video content and to a post-inception temporal point of the audio/video content, publishing the link on a webpage, and initiating streaming of the audio/video content to a client device at the post-inception temporal point, in response to detecting selecting of the link; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor for storing data.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the processor is further configured for receiving comment data correlated to the link.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the processor is further configured for publishing the comment data with the link.

39. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the processor is further configured for displaying a thumbnail image from a video frame indicative of the post-inception temporal point of the audio/video content as an icon for the link.

40. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the processor is further configured for receiving an identifier for a user account with the link, and selecting the webpage based on the user account.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the processor is further configured for configuring the webpage to include content submitted by a group of independent users identified with the user account.

42. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the processor is further configured for configuring the webpage to include content submitted by a group of independent users identified with a second user account, wherein the user account is identified as a member of the group of independent users.