Network-based service to provide on-demand video summaries of television programs

• US 8,087,049 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DigiMedia Tech, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bhagavath, Vijay K., Markowitz, Robert Edward, O'Neil, Joseph Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl, Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rabovianski, Jivka
• Application Number:
  US12/793,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20100242072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 725/94, 725/61, 725/46, 725/45, 725/135
• US Class Current: 725/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 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 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• 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 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot

Abstract

A network-based device allows customers to receive television programming and to view summaries of the programming. A method of providing the summaries comprises: dividing a received program into program segments each identified by index marks, summarizing each program segment into summary segments identified by similar index marks, generating metadata files for delimiting a beginning and an end of summary segments and program segments, storing the summary segments and accessing the summary segments to supply the summary segments in lieu of program segments upon demand.

Claims

1. A method of generating programming summaries, the method comprising:

summarizing each program segment of a plurality of program segments of a program to yield a corresponding summary segment and storing the corresponding summary segment, wherein the corresponding summary segment comprises audio, video, and at least one image;

generating indexing information for facilitating links between each of the plurality of program segments and the corresponding summary segment; and

in response to a user request for a requested program segment comprising a subset of the program and based on the indexing information, streaming a requested summary segment for the requested program segment in a first channel to a client device of the user and streaming the requested program segment in a second channel to the client device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the program is received according to the MPEG-2 standard.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing the corresponding summary segment by setting timing marks in the program to define summary boundaries.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing by linking via a hyperlink.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the hyperlink is one of a one-way hyperlink and a two-way video hyperlink.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the hyperlink is a two-way hyperlink, the method further comprising:

displaying a summary segment to a viewer;

receiving from the viewer a selection of a link function while displaying the summary segment; and

passing control of a current program segment to a beginning of a next summary segment when the current program segment completes.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the hyperlink is a two-way hyperlink, the method further comprising:

displaying a summary segment to a viewer;

receiving from the viewer a selection of a link function while displaying the program segment of a corresponding summary segment; and

passing control at a completion of the corresponding summary segment to a beginning of a next program segment.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising activating the hyperlink by a single action.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the single action is pushing a button on a remote controller.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing the corresponding summary segment by setting position marks in the program to define summaries.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the corresponding summary segment is stored on a storage medium at a location local to the user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the corresponding summary segment is stored on a storage medium integrated with a delivery network.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising interrupting delivery of a program in response to an interrupt command delivered over an interrupt channel I.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising recovering a summary of missed programming due to the interruption in delivery in response to a resume command supplied over the channel I.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein a viewer interacts with a control for providing a summary of missed programming via a screen display responsive to a remote.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing programming control, via a program channel P, including a screen display responsive to an interactive control of the user.

17. A system for generating programming summaries, the system comprising:

a processor;

a first module configured to control the processor to summarize each program segment of a plurality of program segments of a program to yield a corresponding summary segment and store the corresponding summary segment, wherein the corresponding summary segment comprises audio, video, and at least one image;

a second module configured to control the processor to generate indexing information for facilitating links between program segments and summary segments; and

a third module configured to control the processor, based on the indexing information, to stream a requested summary segment for the requested program segment in a first channel to a client device of the user and streaming the requested program segment in a second channel to the client device in response to a user request for a requested program segment comprising a subset of the program.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to generate programming summaries, the instructions comprising:

summarizing each program segment of a plurality of program segments of a program to yield a corresponding summary segment and storing the corresponding summary segment, wherein the corresponding summary segment comprises audio, video, and at least one image;

generating indexing information for facilitating links between each of the plurality of program segments and the corresponding summary segment; and

in response to a user request for a requested program segment comprising a subset of the program and based on the indexing information, streaming a requested summary segment for the requested program segment in a first channel to a client device of the user and streaming the requested program segment in a second channel to the client device.