System allowing users to embed comments at specific points in time into media presentation

• US 8,332,886 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2010
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Lanza, Michael, Octavian, Naicu, Rutchik, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le H
• Application Number:
  US12/764,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20100199182A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 725/32, 725/135, 709/205, 709/246, 715/512, 345/473, 463/29, 434/322
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• 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 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• 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 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method and system for linking a web page to a portion of a video is provided. Users can enter comments into a video that include a start and end time index for identifying a portion of a video. Comments are indexed to the media presentations such that they may be searched and located, thus media playback can be executed from any comment. The system allocates a unique comment track to each user that can be turned on and off at will by users during playback.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a media application to a user from a server to a user device in response to the user activating a link on a web page to a video data flow, wherein the media application includes code associated with the web page;

delivering a media presentation to the user based on a first parameter of the code, the first parameter related to the video data flow associated with the media presentation, which is stored on a server; and

delivering comments associated with the media presentation to the user based on a second parameter of the code, the second parameter including information related to a location of the comments associated with specific portions of the video data flow, wherein the media application is configured to enable non-linear viewing of the video data flow, the non-linear viewing comprising playing a sequential string of selected portions of the video data flow associated with the comments, and automatically skipping over second portions of the video data flow not associated with the comments.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the comments are provided as embedded metadata within the media presentation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-linear viewing enables viewing portions of the media presentation indicated by selected comments from one or more users.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-linear viewing enables viewing portions of the media presentation indicated by comments and other metadata at specific times in the media presentation from a plurality of users.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-linear viewing enables viewing portions of the media presentation indicated by results from a search for a specific user who has comments in the media presentation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-linear viewing enables viewing portions of the media presentation indicated by results of a search for specific words in the comments in the media presentation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling a selected portion of the media presentation to be communicated to an e-mail recipient.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling a selected portion of the media presentation to be communicated to a web page.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the comments comprise at least one comment that includes a hyperlink.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the media application provides a user interface for the user, and wherein the interface comprises a video display and a scrolling comment panel.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the comments include at least one sticky comment associated with advertising, which is rendered on a user interface for a predetermined time.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein if the code contains a downloading parameter, the media presentation is downloaded, and if the code contains a streaming parameter, the media presentation is streamed.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein code associated with the media application is embedded manually by a user.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein code associated with the media application is embedded automatically through a software program.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the media application provides a user interface for the user, and wherein the user interface comprises a viewing control panel and an editing/management control panel.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the editing/management control panel comprises a search window.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein a user identification (ID) is provided for at least some of the comments, and wherein the user ID is displayed by moving a pointer onto a portion of a user interface.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein a time index, indicative of when a comment was authored, is provided for at least some of the comments.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the comments comprise at least one audio comment.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing editing options to the user, wherein the editing options comprise a selected one of a group of editing options, the group consisting of inserting comments or other metadata into a specific portion or time of the media presentation, selecting metadata associated with a specific portion or time of the media presentation, and linking together a plurality of non-continuous selected portions of the media presentation.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a server that includes a processor and a memory, wherein the server is configured to;

provide a media application to a user device in response to a user of the user device activating a link on a web page to a video data flow, wherein the media application includes code associated with the web page;

deliver a media presentation to the user based on a first parameter of the code, the first parameter related to the video data flow associated with the media presentation; and

deliver comments associated with the media presentation to the user based on a second parameter of the code, the second parameter including information related to a location of the comments associated with specific portions of the video data flow, wherein the media application is configured to enable non-linear viewing of the video data flow, the non-linear viewing comprising playing a sequential string of selected portions of the video data flow associated with the comments, and automatically skipping over second portions of the video data flow not associated with the comments.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

a media application element coupled to the server and configured to enable the non-linear viewing of the video data flow.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

a vendor server storage element coupled to the server and configured to store the media presentation.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the comments are provided as embedded metadata within the media presentation.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the non-linear viewing enables viewing portions of the media presentation indicated by selected comments from one or more users.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the non-linear viewing enables viewing portions of the media presentation indicated by comments and other metadata at specific times in the media presentation from a plurality of users.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the non-linear viewing enables viewing portions of the media presentation indicated by results from a search for a specific user who has comments in the media presentation.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the non-linear viewing enables viewing portions of the media presentation indicated by results of a search for specific words in the comments in the media presentation.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the server is further configured to:

enable a selected portion of the media presentation to be communicated to an e-mail recipient.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the server is further configured to:

enable a selected portion of the media presentation to be communicated to a web page.

31. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the comments comprise at least one comment that includes a hyperlink.

32. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the media application provides a user interface for the user, and wherein the interface comprises a video display and a scrolling comment panel.

33. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the comments include at least one sticky comment associated with advertising, which is rendered on a user interface for a predetermined time.

34. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein if the code contains a downloading parameter, the media presentation is downloaded, and if the code contains a streaming parameter, the media presentation is streamed.

35. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein code associated with the media application is embedded manually by a user.

36. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein code associated with the media application is embedded automatically through a software program.

37. Logic encoded in one or more non-transitory computer readable media that includes code for execution and when executed by a processor operable to perform operations comprising:

providing a media application to a user from a server to a user device in response to the user activating a link on a web page to a video data flow, wherein the media application includes code associated with the web page;

delivering a media presentation to the user based on a first parameter of the code, the first parameter related to the video data flow associated with the media presentation, which is stored on a server; and

delivering comments associated with the media presentation to the user based on a second parameter of the code, the second parameter including information related to a location of the comments associated with specific portions of the video data flow, wherein the media application is configured to enable non-linear viewing of the video data flow, the non-linear viewing comprising playing a sequential string of selected portions of the video data flow associated with the comments, and automatically skipping over second portions of the video data flow not associated with the comments.

38. The logic of claim 37, wherein the comments are provided as embedded metadata within the media presentation.

39. The logic of claim 37, wherein the non-linear viewing enables viewing portions of the media presentation indicated by selected comments from one or more users.

40. The logic of claim 37, wherein the non-linear viewing enables viewing portions of the media presentation indicated by comments and other metadata at specific times in the media presentation from a plurality of users.

41. The logic of claim 37, wherein the non-linear viewing enables viewing portions of the media presentation indicated by results from a search for a specific user who has comments in the media presentation.

42. The logic of claim 37, wherein the non-linear viewing enables viewing portions of the media presentation indicated by results of a search for specific words in the comments in the media presentation.

43. The logic of claim 37, wherein the operations further comprise:

enabling a selected portion of the media presentation to be communicated to an e-mail recipient.

44. The logic of claim 37, wherein the operations further comprise:

enabling a selected portion of the media presentation to be communicated to a web page.

45. The logic of claim 37, wherein the comments comprise at least one comment that includes a hyperlink.

46. The logic of claim 37, wherein the media application provides a user interface for the user, and wherein the interface comprises a video display and a scrolling comment panel.

47. The logic of claim 37, wherein the comments include at least one sticky comment associated with advertising, which is rendered on a user interface for a predetermined time.

48. The logic of claim 37, wherein code associated with the media application is embedded manually by a user.

49. The logic of claim 37, wherein code associated with the media application is embedded automatically through a software program.