Simultaneously presenting an enhanced and primary stream associated with a digital television broadcast

• US 9,041,860 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2011
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brian K. Buchheit
• Original Assignee: Brian K. Buchheit
• Inventors: Buchheit, Brian K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harold, Jefferey
• Assistant Examiner(s): SANDERS, JUSTIN B
• Application Number:
  US13/118,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20120307145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 348/500, 348/208.3
• US Class Current: 348/500
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43079 of additional data with content streams on multiple devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content

Abstract

An enhanced stream associated with a primary stream can be selected. The enhanced stream can be time-synchronized to the primary stream. The enhanced stream can be associated with a secondary viewpoint linked to a primary viewpoint of the primary stream. The primary stream can be a broadcast signal of a digital television broadcast. The enhanced stream can be simultaneously presented on a secondary device and the primary stream on a primary device. The primary device can be a computing device and the secondary device can be a computing device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

concurrently presenting video on two different video playback devices to one user, wherein the two different video playback devices comprise a first playback device and a second playback device, wherein each of the two different video playback devices comprises a screen upon which video is concurrently presented to the user, wherein the screen of the first playback device receives content that it presents from a primary stream of video content, wherein at a first point-in-time the screen of the second playback device shows content approximately equivalent to what is shown on the first playback device;

the second playback device receiving a user input from the user to adjust a display property on the screen of the second playback device, wherein the video content presented on the screen of the first playback device is unaffected by the user input, wherein the user input is an input to “

pan”

or “

zoom”

the screen of the second playback device; and

responsive to the user input, adjusting an output presented on the screen of the second playback device, wherein a second point-in-time occurs after the adjusting of output responsive to the user input completes, wherein at the second point-in-time, the screen of the second playback device does not show content that is approximately equivalent to what is shown on the first playback device, wherein at the second point-in-time, video content presented on the screen of the second playback device comprises video content for a stitched together region that is dynamically stitched together from a first region of the primary stream and from a second region of an enhanced stream, wherein the stitching together of video content overcomes insufficiencies in content available from the primary stream alone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input is an input to pan the screen of the second playback device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input is an input to zoom the screen of the second playback device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamically stitched together region is a continuous video region stitched together along a horizontal or vertical plane.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein throughout the method, an audio output from the first playback device and from the second playback device is substantially equivalent and is substantially unaffected by the user input.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the primary stream results from a field of view being captured by a first camera, wherein the enhanced stream results from a different field of view being captured by a second camera, wherein regions of the fields of view captured by the first camera and by the second camera are either substantially adjacent regions or are overlapping regions.

7. A method comprising:

presenting video on a playback device, wherein the playback device is a video playback device comprising a screen upon which video of an event is presented, wherein at an first point-in-time, the video content shown on the screen is available within a primary stream of content;

dynamically updating video presentation on the screen of the playback device in response to a user input to pan, wherein a pan operation causes a shift-to-the-right, a shift-to-the-left, an upwards-shift, or a downwards-shift to a region shown on the video playback device, wherein the pan operation occurs in sequential increments of distance;

during the pan operation in which incremental shifts occur;

(i) reaching a regional boundary of the primary stream of content during the pan operation;

(ii) responsive to reaching the regional boundary, stitching a region of the primary stream to a region from an enhanced stream together; and

(iii) presenting a resulting spliced region as video output to the screen of the playback device, wherein the primary stream results from a field of view being captured by a first camera, wherein the enhanced stream results from a different field of view being captured by a second camera, wherein regions of the fields of view captured by the first camera and by the second camera are either substantially adjacent regions or are overlapping regions; and

completing the pan operation at a second point-in-time, wherein at the second point in time the video output shown on the playback device is stitched from the region of the primary stream and from the region of the enhanced stream.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the primary stream and the enhanced stream comprise video for a live event being presented on the video playback device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the playback device is equipped with an accelerometer or other motion sensing component, said method further comprising:

the playback device detecting a user motion as an input, wherein the user motion is a motion of tilting the playback device, wherein a direction of the detected user motion determines whether the pan operation shifts the region of the video playback device to the right, to the left, upwards, or downwards.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the playback device is equipped with an accelerometer or other motion sensing component, said method further comprising:

the playback device detecting a user selection of an arrow having a characteristic direction as an input, wherein selection of a right arrow indicates the pan operation shifts the region of video playback to the right;

wherein selection of a left arrow indicates the pan operation shifts the region of video playback to the left;

wherein selection of an upwards arrow indicates the pan operation shifts the region of video playback upwards;

wherein selection of a downwards arrow indicates the pan operation shifts the region of video playback downwards.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein two different video playback devices concurrently present video output to one user, wherein the two different video playback devices comprise a first playback device and a second playback device, wherein a screen of the first video playback device receives the content that it presents from a primary stream of video content, wherein playback of the first playback device is not affected by the user input, wherein said playback device is the second playback device, wherein at the first-point-in-time a screen of the first playback device and the screen of the second playback device show content approximately equivalent to each other.

12. A method comprising:

concurrently presenting video on two different video playback devices to one user, wherein the two different video playback devices comprise a first playback device and a second playback device, wherein each of the two different video playback devices comprises a screen upon which video is concurrently presented to the user, wherein the video shows pictures and audio for a production event within a geographically bound area, wherein a primary stream and an enhanced stream are available to the different video playback devices, wherein the primary stream is a stream of video content that comprises camera captured content for a first field-of-view of an area, wherein the enhanced stream is a stream of video content that comprises camera captured content for a second field-of-view of the area, wherein the screen of the first playback device receives the content that it presents from the primary stream of video content, wherein at a first point-in-time the screen of the second playback device shows content approximately equivalent to what is shown on the first playback device;

the second playback device receiving a user input to adjust the second field-of-view of the area on the screen of the second playback device, wherein the user input causes the second field of view of the area shown on the second playback device to incrementally change in a sequential increments of distance depending on a quantity of the user input, wherein the video content presented on the screen of the first playback device is unaffected by the user input; and

responsive to the user input, adjusting an output presented on the screen of the second playback device, wherein a second point-in-time occurs after the adjusting of the output responsive to the user input completes, wherein at the second point-in-time, the screen of the second playback device shows a stitched region of the area, wherein the stitched region combines a subregion from the first field-of-view and a subregion from the second field of view, wherein content for the stitched region comes from dynamically stitching together at least portions of the primary stream and the enhanced stream.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the user input is a user input to pan the screen of the second playback device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the user input is an input to zoom the screen of the second playback device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the adjusting of the second device field-of view per the user input comprises:

(i) reaching a regional boundary of the primary stream of content during the pan operation;

(ii) responsive to reaching the regional boundary, stitching a region of the primary stream to a region from the enhanced stream together; and

(iii) presenting a resulting stitched region as the video output to the screen of the second playback device, wherein the first field-of-view and the second field-of-view are substantially adjacent regions or are overlapping regions of the area.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the second playback device is equipped with a motion sensing component, said method further comprising:

the second playback device detecting a user motion as the user input, wherein the user motion is a motion of tilting the second playback device, wherein a direction of the detected user motion determines whether a second device field-of-view shown on the screen of the second device shifts a shown region to the right, to the left, upwards, or downwards.