Browsing continuous multimedia content

• US 7,313,808 B1
• Filed: 05/05/2000
• Issued: 12/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gupta, Anoop, He, Li-Wei, Li, Francis C., Rui, Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Son P
• Application Number:
  US09/565,820
• Time in Patent Office: 2,790 Days
• Field of Search: 725/37, 725/43, 725/47, 725/52, 725/102, 725 88- 90, 725/135, 386 4- 7, 386/16, 386/68, 386/45, 386125-126, 386 69- 70, 709217-219, 709/231, 715/501.1, 715/716, 715/719, 715721-723, 715/762, 715730-731, 715/500.1, 345720-722
• US Class Current: 725/89
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2516 Hard disks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• 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: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440245 the reformatting operation being performed only on part of the stream, e.g. a region of the image or a time segment
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• 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 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A program distribution system includes a plurality of set-top boxes that receive broadcast programming and segmentation data from content and information providers. The segmentation information indicates portions of programs that are to be included in skimmed or condensed versions of the received programming, and is produced using manual or automated methods. Automated methods include the use of ancillary production data to detect the most important parts of a program. A user interface allows a user to control time scale modification and skimming during playback, and also allows the user to easily browse to different points within the current program.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media encoded with a computer-executable program for playing continuous media content, the computer-executable program being executed by a computer to implement a method comprising:

displaying the continuous media content in a content area;

displaying a skimming control for specifying, by a user, a skimming level, wherein skimming enables continuous media content highlights to be viewed by utilizing segmentation data to identify portions of the continuous media content that should be included in a skimmed version of the continuous media content, wherein the segmentation data identifies actual content based upon previously-performed content analysis, and wherein the skimming control can be used to select different levels of skimming and, wherein segmentation data defines a user-selectable, displayable sequence of still frames that can be selected to index to a particular portion of the continuos media content, wherein at least some of previously-performed content analysis involves manually viewing the continuous media content and selecting portions that are to be represented in at least some of the still frames of the displayable sequence;

displaying a time scale modification control for specifying, by the user, a time scale modification level, wherein the time scale modification control is distinct from the skimming control, and wherein the skimming control and the time scale modification control are simultaneously displayed;

in response to operation of the skimming control and the time scale modification control, concurrently applying the specified skimming and time scale modification levels to the continuous media content;

displaying an increment pull-down menu for selecting, by the user, an index increment;

displaying an index control for indexing, by the user, through the continuous media content;

in response to operation of the index control by the user, indexing through the continuous media content by the selected index increment;

displaying a frame area containing the sequence of still frames from the continuous media content, wherein the still frames are selectable by the user, and wherein the frame area is displayed simultaneously with the skimming control and the time scale modification control;

in response to user selection of a particular still frame, indexing the displayed continuous media content to the selected still frame;

moving an indicator relative to a progress bar to indicate a current playback point within the continuous media content; and

delineating the progress bar to indicate portions of the continuous media content that are included in the specified skimming level.

2. One or more computer-readable media containing a computer-executable program as recited in claim 1, wherein the skimming control and the time scale modification control are slider controls.

3. One or more computer-readable media containing a computer-executable program as recited in claim 1, wherein the continuous media content is audio/video content.

4. One or more computer-readable media containing a computer-executable program as recited in claim 1, wherein the increment pull-down menu presents multiple index increment choices for selection by the user, said multiple index increment choices including different time intervals.

5. One or more computer-readable media containing a computer-executable program as recited in claim 1, wherein the increment pull-down menu presents multiple index increment choices for selection by the user, said multiple index increment choices including event intervals that are defined by events related in the continuous media content.

6. One or more computer-readable media containing a computer-executable program as recited in claim 1, wherein the increment pull-down menu presents multiple index increment choices for selection by the user, said multiple index increment choices including intervals that are defined by skimming data associated with the continuous media content.

7. One or more computer-readable media containing a computer-executable program as recited in claim 1, the computer-executable program causing a computer to implement the method further comprising scrolling the sequence of still frames through the frame area in synchronization with the continuous media content displayed in the content viewing area.

8. One or more computer-readable media containing a computer-executable program as recited in claim 1, the computer-executable program causing a computer to implement the method further comprising:

automatically scrolling the sequence of still frames through the frame area in synchronization with the continuous media content displayed in the content viewing area; and

in response to a user command, scrolling the sequence of still frames through the frame area out of synchronization with the continuous media content.

9. One or more computer-readable media containing a computer-executable program as recited in claim 1, the computer-executable program causing a computer to implement the method further comprising:

automatically scrolling the sequence of still frames through the frame area in synchronization with the continuous media content displayed in the content viewing area;

in response to a first user command, scrolling the sequence of still frames through the frame area out of synchronization with the continuous media content; and

in response to a second user command, synchronizing the displayed continuous media content with the sequence of still frames visible in the frame area.

10. One or more computer-readable media containing a computer-executable program as recited in claim 1, the computer-executable program causing a computer to implement the method further comprising associating an annotation with a particular portion of the displayed continuous media content in response to user entry of the annotation.

11. One or more computer-readable media containing a computer-executable program as recited in claim 1, the computer-executable program causing a computer to implement the method further comprising displaying a table of contents in response to a user command, the table of contents listing topical information corresponding to different portions of the displayed continuous media content.

12. A system comprising:

a computing device;

one or more computer-readable media on the computing device;

a computer-executable program embodied on the one or more computer-readable media which, when executed, provide a user interface for displaying continuous video content, the user interface comprising;

a video viewing area in which the continuous video content is displayed;

a frame area containing a sequence of still frames from the continuous video content; and

wherein the still frames are selectable to index the displayed continuous video content to the selected frames;

an increment pull-down menu for selecting an index increment, the increment pull-down menu including a designation for the still frames;

an index control for indexing through the continuous video content by the selected index increment;

a skimming control, wherein skimming enables continuous video content highlights to be viewed by utilizing segmentation data to identify portions of the continuous video content that should be included in a skimmed version of the continuous video content, wherein the segmentation data identifies actual content based upon previously-performed content analysis, and wherein the segmentation data defines a user-selectable, displayable sequence of still frames that can be selected to index to a particular portion of the continuous video content, wherein at least some of previously-performed content analysis involves manually viewing the continuous video content and selecting portions that are to be represented in at least some of the still frames of the displayable sequence;

a time scale modification control that is distinct from the skimming control;

a progress bar and an indicator that moves relative to the progress bar to indicate a current playback point within the continuous video content; and

the progress bar being delineated to indicate portions of the continuous video content that are included in a currently selected skimming level;

wherein the skimming control and the time scale modification control are for specifying, by a user, skimming and time scale modification levels that are to be concurrently applied to the continuous video content when playing the continuous video content, and wherein the skimming control and the time scale modification control and the frame area containing the sequence of still images are simultaneously displayed.

13. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein the sequence of still frames scrolls through the frame area in synchronization with the continuous video content displayed in the video viewing area.

14. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein the sequence of still frames scrolls through the frame area automatically in synchronization with the continuous video content displayed in the video viewing area, the user interface further comprising a control that allows the user to manually scroll the sequence of still frames through the frame area out of synchronization with the continuous video content.

15. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein the sequence of still frames scrolls through the frame area automatically in synchronization with the continuous video content displayed in the video viewing area, the user interface further comprising:

a control for manually scrolling the sequence of still frames through the frame area out of synchronization with the continuous video content; and

a control for synchronizing the displayed continuous video content with the sequence still frames visible in the frame area.

16. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein the sequence of still frames is defined by skimming data associated with the continuous video content.

17. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein

the progress bar being delineated to indicate portions of the continuous video content corresponding to different content categories as defined by skimming data associated with the continuous video content.

18. A system as recited in claim 12, further comprising a control that for associating an annotation with a particular portion of the displayed continuous video content.

19. A system as recited in claim 12, further comprising a control for displaying a table of contents, the table of contents listing topical information corresponding to different portions of the displayed continuous video content.