Playing a variable-content-video having a user interface

• US 6,463,207 B1
• Filed: 12/12/1997
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissim Corp.
• Original Assignee: Nissim Corp.
• Inventors: Abecassis, Max
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, THAI Q
• Application Number:
  US09/383,159
• Time in Patent Office: 1,761 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.576, H04/N.592, H04/N.5781, H04/N.979, 386/1, 386/45, 386/70, 386/46, 386/95, 386/98, 386/105, 386/106, 386/108, 386/94, 386/124, 386/125-126, 360/60, 380/201, 380/22
• US Class Current: 386/261
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/02 Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/022 Control panels
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/04 Arrangements for preventing, inhibiting, or warning against double recording on the same blank or against other recording or reproducing malfunctions
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/12 by sensing distinguishing features of or on records, e.g. diameter end mark
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/14 specially adapted to record on, or to reproduce from, more than one track simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/10 Arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or the distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 : Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 : End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• 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 21/478 : Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 : for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• 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 21/8405 : represented by keywords
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/4448 : for frame-grabbing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 : the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

A system for, and a method of, playing a variable content video contained in a memory device, such as an optical disk, the memory device further providing user interface routines and control codes; the video having a non-sequential logical arrangement of parallel, transitional, and overlapping segments, and content information defining and linking segments of the video responsive to at least one content category, such as a rating; the segments including (1) at least one segment unique to one of at least two versions of the same variable content video, (2) at least one segment unique to the other of said at least two versions of the same variable content video, and (3) at least one segment common to said at least two versions of the same variable content video; the segment definitions each having a descriptor responsive to the at least one content category; and the content information providing, responsive to a viewer'"'"'s preference with respect to the at least one content category, and by means of random access and buffering means for the seamless skipping of segments, for the playing of a version of the video different in length than the length of the video.

Claims

1. An apparatus capable of playing an optical disc storing (1) a video program including within a plurality of video program segments that provide for at least two versions of said video program, (2) a user interface, particular to said video program, for enabling a user of said video program to establish a content preference, and (3) data defining a plurality of video program segments within said video program, the apparatus comprising:

processing means for enabling said user of said video program to establish a content preference by utilizing said user interface, and for selecting, for said user, video program segments from within said video program by applying said content preference to said data; and

random accessing and buffering means for playing the selected segments as a seamless version of, and from within, said video program, said playing comprising seamlessly skipping over non-selected video program segments included within said video program.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of video program segments comprise a set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of a scene, included within said video program, with different levels of detail;

and wherein a descriptor, responsive to a level of detail, is assigned to each of the parallel segments.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of video program segments comprise a set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of a scene, included within said video program, with different levels of detail;

and wherein said content preference is responsive to a level of detail.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of video program segments comprise a set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of a scene, included within said video program, with different levels of sex;

and wherein said content preference is responsive to an MPAA rating.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of video program segments comprise a set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of a scene, included within said video program, with different levels of explicitness in at least one of a plurality of video content categories;

and wherein said content preference is responsive to a level of explicitness with respect to each of said plurality of video content categories.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of video program segments comprise a set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of a scene, included within said video program, with different levels of explicitness in at least one of a plurality of video content categories;

wherein said content preference is responsive to a level of explicitness with respect to each of said plurality of video content categories; and

wherein said content preference, specific to said user and as it relates to said video program, is internally saved.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said content preference is responsive to a level of explicitness with respect to each of a plurality of video content categories and with respect to a level of detail;

and wherein said content preference, specific to said user and as it relates to said video program, is internally saved.

8. An apparatus capable of playing an optical disc storing (1) a video program including within a first set of a plurality of video program segments that provide for at least two versions of a scene, included within said video program, with different levels of explicitness in a video content category relating to violence, and including within a second set of a plurality of video program segments that provide for at least two versions of another scene, included within said video program, with different levels of explicitness in a video content category relating to sex, (2) a user interface, particular to said video program, for enabling a user of said video program to establish a content preference, and (3) data defining a plurality of video program segments within said video program, the apparatus comprising:

means for enabling said user of said video program to establish a content preference by utilizing said user interface;

means for selecting video program segments from within said video program by applying said content preference to said data; and

means for playing, by means of a random accessing and buffering the selected segments as a seamless version of, and from within, said video program, said playing comprising seamlessly skipping over non-selected video program segments included within said video program.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said content preference is responsive to an MPAA rating.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said content preference is responsive to a level of explicitness with respect to said video content category relating to violence and with respect to said video content category relating to sex.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said content preference is responsive to a level of explicitness with respect to said video content category relating to violence and with respect to said video content category relating to sex;

and wherein said content preference, specific to said user and as it relates to said video program, is internally saved.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said content preference is responsive to a level of explicitness with respect to said video content category relating to violence, a level of explicitness with respect to said video content category relating to sex, and a level of detail.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said content preference is responsive to a level of explicitness with respect to said video content category relating to violence, a level of explicitness with respect to said video content category relating to sex, and a level of detail;

and wherein said content preference, specific to said user and as it relates to said video program, is internally saved.

14. A method of playing an optical disc storing (1) a video program including within a plurality of video program segments that provide for at least two versions of said video program, (2) a user interface, particular to said video program, for enabling a user of said video program to establish a content preference, and (3) data defining a plurality of video program segments within said video program, the method comprising the steps of:

enabling said user of said video program to establish a content preference by utilizing said user interface;

selecting video program segments from within said video program by applying said content preference to said data; and

playing, by means of a random accessing and buffering, the selected segments as a seamless version of, and from within, said video program, said playing comprising seamlessly skipping over non-selected video program segments included within said video program.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said plurality of video program segments comprise a set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of a scene, included within said video program, with different levels of detail;

and wherein a descriptor, responsive to a level of detail, is assigned to each of the parallel segments.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said plurality of video program segments comprise a set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of a scene, included within said video program, with different levels of sex;

and wherein said content preference is responsive to an MPAA rating.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said plurality of video program segments comprise a set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of a scene, included within said video program, with different levels of explicitness in at least one of a plurality of video content categories;

and wherein said content preference is responsive to a level of explicitness with respect to each of said plurality of video content categories.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said plurality of video program segments comprise a set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of a scene, included within said video program, with different levels of violence;

wherein said plurality of video program segments comprise another set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of another scene, included within said video program, with different levels of sex; and

wherein said content preference is responsive to a level of explicitness with respect to a video content category relating to violence and with respect to a video content category relating to sex.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said content preference is responsive to a level of explicitness in each of a plurality of video content categories and a level of detail;

and wherein said content preference, specific to said user and as it relates to said video program, is internally saved.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein said plurality of video program segments comprise a set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of a scene, included within said video program, with different levels of violence;

wherein said plurality of video program segments comprise another set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of another scene, included within said video program, with different levels of sex;

wherein said content preference is responsive to a level of explicitness with respect to a video content category relating to violence and with respect to a video content category relating to sex; and

wherein said content preference, specific to said user and as it relates to said video program, is internally saved.

21. An apparatus capable of playing a laser readable disc having recorded thereon a video program including within a plurality of video program segments, each having an address, at least one of said video program segments comprising part of and being unique to one playback version of said video program, at least another one of said video program segments comprising part of and being unique to another playback version of said video program, and at least another one of said video program segments comprising part of both of the playback versions of the video program, said laser readable disc further having thereon the address of each video program segment to be played together with a descriptor indicative of the corresponding playback version of the segment, and a user interface particular to said video program, said apparatus comprising:

a laser reading unit for retrieving video program segments and video program segment addresses together with their associated descriptors from said laser readable disc;

a memory for storing video program segment addresses and descriptors retrieved by said laser reading unit;

a controller for allowing user selection, by means of said user interface, of a descriptor corresponding to one of the playback versions of said video program, for causing video program segment addresses and their associated descriptors to be retrieved by said laser reading unit from said laser readable disc and stored in said memory, and for causing said laser reading unit to retrieve video program segments from said laser readable disc corresponding to those video program segment addresses stored in said memory which have a descriptor corresponding to said selected descriptor; and

a buffer for buffering at least a portion of a retrieved video program segment to seamlessly play, from within the video program, the selected playback version of said video program, notwithstanding at least a portion of at least one non-selected video program segment being skipped over by said laser reading unit.