Multimedia content navigation and playback

• US 6,898,799 B1
• Filed: 10/23/2000
• Issued: 05/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clearplay Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Clearplay Incorporated
• Inventors: Jarman, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, NGOC K
• Application Number:
  US09/694,873
• Time in Patent Office: 1,674 Days
• Field of Search: 725/46, 725/47, 725/50, 725/52, 725/53, 725/58, 725/30, 725/28, 725131-134, 725139-142, 725151-153, 725/25, 386/46, 386/52, 386/125, 386/1, 386/4, 386 6- 8, 386/55, 386/64, 386/65, 386 68- 70, 345721-723, 358/908
• US Class Current: 725/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42646 for reading from or writing on a non-volatile solid state storage medium, e.g. DVD, CD-ROM
• 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 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4396 by muting the audio signal
• 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 21/440281 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. by frame skipping television signal recording using magnetic recording on tape for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate H04N5/783
• 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 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/45455 applied to a region of the image
• 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 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

In accordance with the present invention, a filtering process is based on the output side of a multimedia decoder. A navigator monitors the current play position of the multimedia content and compares that position with navigation objects. Each navigation object defines a start position, a stop position, and an filtering action to perform on the portion of the multimedia content that begins at the start position and ends at the stop position. When the current play position falls within the portion of multimedia content defined by a particular navigation object, the navigator activates the filtering action that was assigned to the navigation object. Filtering actions include skipping, muting, reframing, etc., the portion of multimedia content defined by a navigation object. A variety of systems may be used to implement the present invention, such as computer systems (consumer and server), television systems, and audio systems.

Claims

1. In a computerized system for enabling a consumer to digitally filter multimedia content that is comprised of video content, audio content, or both, and wherein a consumer computer system includes a processor, a memory, a decoder, and an output device for playing the multimedia content, a method for assisting the consumer to automatically identify portions of the multimedia content that are to be filtered and to thereafter automatically filter the identified portions, the method comprising the acts of:

creating an object store which can be loaded into a memory of the consumer computer system, the object store including a plurality of navigation objects, each of which defines a portion of the multimedia content that is to be filtered by defining a start position and a stop position and a specific filtering action to be performed on the portion of the multimedia content defined by the start and stop positions for that portion;

decoding the multimedia content on the consumer computer system and as the multimedia content is output from a decoder of the consumer computer system, continuously updating a position code;

as the multimedia content is decoding, continuously monitoring the position code to determine whether the position code of the multimedia content falls is within the star and stop positions defined by one of the navigation objects;

when the position code is determined to fall within the star and stop positions defined a particular navigation object, activating the filtering action assigned to the particular navigation object in order to filter the portion of the multimedia content defined by the particular navigation object;

transferring the multimedia content to an output device, whereby the multimedia content is played at the output device excluding each portion thereof which is filtered in accordance with the plurality of navigation objects;

displaying a representation of the plurality of navigation objects, the representation including a description of each of the plurality of navigation objects;

receiving a password to authorize disabling at least one of the plurality of navigation objects;

receiving a response to the representation of the plurality of navigation objects, the response identifying the at least one of the plurality of navigation objects to be disabled; and

disabling the at least one of the plurality of navigation objects such that the specific filtering action specified by the at least one of the plurality of navigation objects is ignored.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the filtering action is either skipping or reframing the portion of the multimedia content defined by the particular navigation object.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the filtering action is skipping the portion of the multimedia content defined by the particular navigation object, the method further comprising the acts of:

terminating the decoding of the multimedia content at the start position of the particular navigation object;

advancing to the stop position of the particular navigation object; and

resuming the decoding of the multimedia content at the stop position of the particular navigation object.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the multimedia content is comprised of one or more channels of audio content and the filtering action assigned to the particular navigation object is muting at least one channel of the audio content for the portion of the audio content defined by the particular navigation object.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the decoder includes a vendor independent interface and wherein interaction with the decoder occurs through the vendor independent interface.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the consumer computer system comprises one of (i) components of a personal computer, (ii) components of television system, and (iii) components of an audio system.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein a plurality of object stores are available, the method further comprising the acts of:

retrieving a title of the multimedia content from the decoder; and

selecting the object store from the plurality of object stores based on the title of the multimedia content retrieved from the decoder.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the consumer'"'"'s computer system includes a source of the multimedia content comprising one of a DVD, a CD, a random access memory, a hard drive, a removable disk storage medium, and a tape storage medium.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the position codes are time codes.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of navigation objects are based at least in part on the age appropriateness of the portions of the multimedia content defined by the plurality of navigation objects, age appropriateness being determined according to either industry or community standards.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the object store at least initially is located at a remote system, and wherein the consumer'"'"'s computer system and the remote system are interconnected through a communication link, the method further comprising the act of accessing the object store over the communication link.

12. In a computerized system for enabling a consumer to digitally filter multimedia content that is comprised of video content, audio content, or both, and wherein a consumer computer system includes a processor, a memory, a decoder, and an output device for playing the multimedia content, a method for assisting the consumer to automatically identify portions of the multimedia content that are to be filtered and to thereafter automatically filter the identified portions, the method comprising the acts of:

creating an object store which can be loaded into a memory of the consumer computer system, the object store including a plurality of navigation objects, each of which defines a portion of the multimedia content that is to be filtered by defining a start position and a stop position and a specific filtering action to be performed on the portion of the multimedia content defined by the start and stop positions for that portion;

decoding the multimedia content on the consumer computer system and as the multimedia content is output from a decoder of the consumer computer system, continuously updating a position code;

as the multimedia content is decoding, continuously monitoring the position code to determine whether the position code of the multimedia content falls is within the star and stop positions defined by one of the navigation objects;

when the position code is determined to fall within the star and stop positions defined by a particular navigation object, activating the filtering action assigned to the particular navigation object in order to filter the portion of the multimedia content defined by the particular navigation object;

transferring the multimedia content to an output device, whereby the multimedia content is played at the output device excluding each portion thereof which is filtered in accordance with the plurality of navigation objects;

assigning a configuration identifier to the decoder;

comparing the configuration identifier of the particular navigation object with the configuration identifier of the decoder to determine if the particular navigation object applies to the decoder; and

determining that the particular navigation object applies to the decoder based on the configuration identifier of the particular navigation object matching the configuration identifier of the decoder.

13. In a computerized system for enabling a consumer to digitally filter video content, wherein a consumer computer system includes a processor, a memory, a decoder, and an output device for playing the video content, a method for assisting the consumer to automatically identify portions of the video content that are to be filtered and to thereafter automatically filter the identified portions, comprising the acts of:

creating an object store which can be loaded into a memory of the consumer computer system, the object store including a plurality of navigation objects, each of which defines a portion of the video content that is to be filtered by defining a start position and a stop position and a specific filtering action to be performed on the portion of the video content defined by the start and stop positions for that portion;

decoding the video content on the consumer computer system and as the video content is output from a decoder of the consumer computer system, continuously updating a position code;

as the video content is decoding, continuously monitoring the position code to determine whether to the position code of the video content falls is within the star and stop positions defined by one of the navigation objects;

when the position code is determined to fall within the star and stop positions defined a particular navigation object, activating the filtering action assigned to the particular navigation object in order to filter the portion of the video content defined by the particular navigation object; and

transferring the video content to an output device, whereby the video content is played at the output device excluding each portion thereof which is filtered in accordance with the plurality of navigation objects;

displaying a representation of the plurality of navigation objects, the representation including a description of each of the plurality of navigation objects;

receiving a password to authorize disabling at least one of the plurality of navigation objects;

receiving a response to the representation of the plurality of navigation objects, the response identifying the at least one of the plurality of navigation objects to be disabled; and

disabling the at least one of the plurality of navigation objects such that the specific filtering specified by the at least one of the plurality of navigation objects is ignored.

14. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein the position codes are time codes.

15. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein the filtering action is either skipping or refraining the portion of the video content defined by the particular navigation object.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the filtering action is skipping the portion of the multimedia content defined by the particular navigation object, the method further comprising the acts of:

terminating the decoding of the video content at the start position of the particular navigation object;

advancing to the stop position of the particular navigation object; and

resuming the decoding of the video content at the stop position of the particular navigation object.

17. A method as recited in claim 16 wherein the video content includes audio content that corresponds to the video content, the method further comprising the acts of:

terminating the decoding of the audio content at the start position of the particular navigation object;

advancing to the stop position of the particular navigation object; and

resuming the decoding of the audio content at the stop position of the particular navigation object.

18. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein a plurality of object stores are available, the method further comprising the acts of:

retrieving a title of the video content from the decoder; and

selecting the object store from the plurality of object stores based on the title of the video content retrieved from the decoder.

19. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein the decoder includes a vendor independent interface and wherein interaction with the decoder occurs through the vendor independent interface.

20. A method as recited in claim 19 wherein the consumer computer system includes a source of video content comprising one of a DVD, a CD, a random access memory, a hard drive, a removable disk storage medium, and a tape storage medium.

21. A method as recited in claim 20 wherein consumer'"'"'s computer system comprises one of (i) components of a personal computer, (ii) components of a television system, and (iii) components of an audio system.

22. In a computerized system for enabling a consumer to digitally filter multimedia content that is comprised of video content, audio content, or both, and wherein a consumer computer system includes a processor, a memory, a decoder, and an output device for playing the multimedia content, a computer program product for implementing a method of assisting the consumer to automatically identify portions of the multimedia content that are to be filtered and to thereafter automatically filter the identified portions, comprising:

a computer readable medium for carrying machine-executable instructions for implementing the method; and

wherein said method is comprised of machine-executable instructions for performing the acts of;

creating an object store which can be loaded into a memory of the consumer computer system, the object store including a plurality of navigation objects, each of which defines a portion of the multimedia content that is to be filtered by defining a start position and a stop position and a specific filtering action to be performed on the portion of the multimedia content defined by the start and stop positions for that portion;

decoding the multimedia content on the consumer computer system and as the multimedia content is output from a decoder of the consumer computer system, continuously updating a position code;

as the multimedia content is decoding, continuously monitoring the position code to determine whether the position code of the multimedia content falls is within the star and stop positions defined by one of the navigation objects;

when the position code is determined to fall within the star and stop positions defined by a particular navigation object, activating the filtering action assigned to the particular navigation object in order to filter the portion of the multimedia content defined by the particular navigation object;

transferring the multimedia content to an output device, whereby the multimedia content is played at the output device excluding each portion thereof which is filtered in accordance with the plurality of navigation objects;

displaying a representation of the plurality of navigation objects, the representation including a description of each of the plurality of navigation objects;

receiving a password to authorize disabling at least one of the plurality of navigation objects;

receiving a response to the representation of the plurality of navigation objects, the response identifying the at least one of the plurality of navigation objects to be disabled; and

disabling the at least one of the plurality of navigation objects such that the specific filtering action specified by the at least one of the plurality of navigation objects is ignored.

23. A computer program product as recited in claim 22 wherein the position codes are time codes.

24. A computer program product as recited in claim 22 wherein the filtering action is skipping the portion of the multimedia content defined by the particular navigation object, the method comprised further of machine-executable instructions for performing the acts of:

terminating the decoding of the multimedia content at the start position of the particular navigation object;

advancing to the stop position of the particular navigation object; and

resuming the decoding of the multimedia content at the stop position of the particular navigation object.

25. A computer program product as recited in claim 22 wherein the multimedia content is comprised of one or more channels of audio content and the filtering action assigned to the particular navigation object is muting, the method comprised further of machine-executable instructions for performing the act of muting at least one channel of the audio content for the portion of the audio content defined by the particular navigation object.

26. A computer program product as recited in claim 22 wherein the decoder includes a vendor independent software interface and wherein the method is comprised further of machine-executable instructions for performing the act of interacting with the decoder through the vendor independent software interface.

27. A computer program product as recited in claim 22 wherein the method is comprised further of machine-executable instructions for performing the act of:

retrieving a title of the multimedia content from the decoder; and

selecting the plurality of navigation objects based on the title of the multimedia content retrieved from the decoder.

28. A computer program product as recited in claim 22 wherein the object store at least initially is located at a remote system, and wherein the consumer computer system and the remote system are interconnected through a communication link, the method comprised further of machine-executable instructions for performing act of accessing the object store over the communication link.