Audio and video program recording, editing and playback systems using metadata

• US 8,230,343 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Digitalsmiths Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Hale, McFarland, Mansfield, Paul M., Read, Gregory J., Logan, James D., Durgin, Scott A., Doe, Brian D, Colella, Vincent E., Santos, Jeffrey M., Palone, Michael G., Boone, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUNN, MISHAWN N
• Application Number:
  US11/894,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20080092168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,800 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/55, 386/69, 386/83, 386124-126, 386/239, 386/243, 386/291, 386/297, 715/700, 715/716, 715/723, 707/1, 725/39, 725/46, 725/48, 725/51, 725/105, 725/114, 725/119, 725/133, 725135-141
• US Class Current: 715/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/735 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/739 in form of a video summary, e.g. the video summary being a video sequence, a composite still image or having synthesized frames
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/745 the internal structure of a single video sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7867 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, title and artist information, manually generated time, location and usage information, user ratings
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0033 Recording/reproducing or transmission of music for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/125 Library distribution, i.e. distributing musical pieces from a central or master library
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/131 Library retrieval, i.e. searching a database or selecting a specific musical piece, segment, pattern, rule or parameter set
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/155 Library update, i.e. making or modifying a musical database using musical parameters as indices data structures involving musical parameters G10H2240/005
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• 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 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• 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: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/39 for identifying broadcast space-time use of Electronic Programme Guides H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet
• 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 21/26258 : for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• 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 21/426 : Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 : Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/4335 : Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 : Processing of audio elementary streams
• 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 21/44224 : Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 21/458 : 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 21/4622 : 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 21/4663 : involving probabilistic networks, e.g. Bayesian networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 : for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 : for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 : for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 : for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• 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 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 : using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 : End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 : using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 : involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• 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 21/845 : Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 : by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 : involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 : by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 : in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals

Abstract

A system for utilizing metadata created either at a central location for shared use by connected users, or at each individual user'"'"'s location, to enhance user'"'"'s enjoyment of available broadcast programming content. A variety of mechanisms are employed for automatically and manually identifying and designating programming segments, associating descriptive metadata which the identified segments, distributing the metadata for use at client locations, and using the supplied metadata to selectively record and playback desired programming.

Claims

1. A method for selectively displaying video programming, comprising the steps of:

automatically generating metadata that delimits a start and an end of each video program segment in a set of video program segments within at least one video programming sequence, wherein each video program segment is associated with an access key, each access key operable to identify the video program segment and corresponding metadata, wherein the access key comprises a uniform resource locator;

incorporating manual adjustments to the start and end of at least one of the video program segments;

accessing, over a network, additional manual adjustments to the start and end of the at least one of the video program segments;

in response to a determination that the additional manual adjustments create an improved version of the at least one of the video program segments, updating the metadata of the at least one of the video program segments to include the additional manual adjustments;

reproducing the set of segments on a display device in an ordered sequence specified by a playlist, in the absence of an intervening control command from a viewer;

displaying a segment guide listing on the display device, the segment guide listing containing, for each segment of the set, a text description corresponding to the respective segment, with the text description corresponding to the segment currently being reproduced being visually identified on said guide listing;

receiving an indication that the viewer has selected a text description of the segment guide listing, the selected text description describing a desired segment of the set of segments; and

retrieving the desired segment using segment identification information corresponding to the desired segment for reproducing on the display device the desired segment.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the metadata further identifies contents of each video program segment.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the metadata delimits the start and the end of each video program segment using markers specifying byte offsets in the at least one video programming sequence.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the metadata delimits the start and the end of each video program segment using markers specifying a time position relative to a reference time associated with the at least one video programming sequence.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the metadata specifies signatures of the at least one video programming sequence, the signatures identifying signal characteristics of the at least one video programming sequence to establish delimiting markers for each video program segment.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the metadata delimits the start and the end of each video program segment based on a one or more user profiles indicating the viewing habits of one or more users.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein incorporating manual adjustments to the start and end of at least one of the video program segments comprises:

incorporating first manual adjustments to the start and end of a video portion of the at least one of the video program segments;

incorporating second manual adjustments to the start and end of an audio portion of the at least one of the video program segments, wherein the first and second manual adjustments result in the video portion being a different length than the audio portion; and

further modifying content of the at least one of the video program segments so that the video portion and the audio portion have the same length.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein further modifying content of the at least one of the video program segments so that the video portion and the audio portion have the same length comprises lengthening the video portion by performing an action selected from a group consisting of:

adding filler content to the video portion;

adding one or more freeze-frame displays to the video portion; and

altering at least a part of the video portion to be in slow motion.

9. An apparatus for selectively displaying video programming, comprising:

a metadata generator for automatically generating metadata that delimits a start and an end of each video program segment in a set of video program segments within at least one video programming sequence, wherein each video program segment is associated with an access key, each access key operable to identify the video program segment and corresponding metadata, wherein the access key comprises a uniform resource locator, the metadata generator further for;

incorporating manual adjustments to the start and end of at least one of the video program segments;

accessing, over a network, additional manual adjustments to the start and end of the at least one of the video program segments; and

in response to a determination that the additional manual adjustments create an improved version of the at least one of the video program segments, updating the metadata of the at least one of the video program segments to include the additional manual adjustments;

a display for reproducing the set of segments in an ordered sequence specified by a playlist, in the absence of an intervening control command from a viewer;

the display further operable to display a segment guide listing, the segment guide listing containing, for each segment of the set, a text description corresponding to the respective segment, with the text description corresponding to the segment currently being reproduced being visually identified on said guide listing;

an interface for receiving an indication that the viewer has selected a text description of the segment guide listing, the selected text description describing a desired segment of the set of segments; and

a processor for retrieving the desired segment using segment identification information corresponding to the desired segment for reproducing on the display device the desired segment.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the metadata further identifies contents of each video program segment.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the metadata delimits the start and the end of each video program segment using markers specifying byte offsets in the at least one video programming sequence.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the metadata delimits the start and the end of each video program segment using markers specifying a time position relative to a reference time associated with the at least one video programming sequence.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the metadata specifies signatures of the at least one video programming sequence, the signatures identifying signal characteristics of the at least one video programming sequence to establish delimiting markers for each video program segment.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the metadata delimits the start and the end of each video program segment based on a one or more user profiles indicating the viewing habits of one or more users.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the metadata generator further for incorporating manual adjustments to the start and end of at least one of the video program segments comprises the metadata generator further for:

incorporating first manual adjustments to the start and end of a video portion of the at least one of the video program segments;

incorporating second manual adjustments to the start and end of an audio portion of the at least one of the video program segments, wherein the first and second manual adjustments result in the video portion being a different length than the audio portion; and

further modifying content of the at least one of the video program segments so that the video portion and the audio portion have the same length.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the metadata generator further for further modifying content of the at least one of the video program segments so that the video portion and the audio portion have the same length comprises the metadata generator further for lengthening the video portion by performing an action selected from a group consisting of:

adding filler content to the video portion;

adding one or more freeze-frame displays to the video portion; and

altering at least a part of the video portion to be in slow motion.

17. A method for selectively displaying video programming, comprising the steps of:

automatically generating metadata that delimits a start and an end of each video program segment in a set of video program segments within at least one video programming sequence, wherein each video program segment is associated with an access key, each access key operable to identify the video program segment and corresponding metadata, wherein the access key comprises a uniform resource locator;

incorporating manual adjustments to the start and end of at least one of the video program segments by;

incorporating first manual adjustments to the start and end of a video portion of the at least one of the video program segments;

incorporating second manual adjustments to the start and end of an audio portion of the at least one of the video program segments, wherein the first and second manual adjustments result in the video portion being a different length than the audio portion; and

further modifying content of the at least one of the video program segments so that the video portion and the audio portion have the same length;

reproducing the set of segments on a display device in an ordered sequence specified by a playlist, in the absence of an intervening control command from a viewer;

displaying a segment guide listing on the display device, the segment guide listing containing, for each segment of the set, a text description corresponding to the respective segment, with the text description corresponding to the segment currently being reproduced being visually identified on said guide listing;

receiving an indication that the viewer has selected a text description of the segment guide listing, the selected text description describing a desired segment of the set of segments; and

retrieving the desired segment using segment identification information corresponding to the desired segment for reproducing on the display device the desired segment.