System and method for semantic trick play

• US 9,424,882 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2015
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VideoLabs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Porto Technology, LLC (Concert Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: Issa, Alfredo C., Kandekar, Kunal, Walsh, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): ADAMS, EILEEN M
• Application Number:
  US14/935,898
• Publication Number:
  US 20160064032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 288 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/214 Specialised server platform, e.g. server located in an airplane, hotel, hospital arrangements specially adapted for local area broadcast systems H04H20/61
• 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 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• 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 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/79 Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording

Abstract

A semantic based trick play method and system in a media player is provided in which a semantic trick play command is received from a user while the user is experiencing a current content of a media item. Metadata is detected with respect to a current playback position of the media item, and at least one further playback position is determined in the current content of the media item or a related content in another media item. The further playback position is semantically related to the metadata of the current playback position. Playback is then moved to the at least one further playback position, so that the user experiences a media content of the at least one further playback position.

Claims

1. A media player comprising:

at least one communication interface;

at least one processor in communication with the communication interface, the media player adapted to;

receive a semantic trick play command during playback of a current content of a media item;

detect metadata with respect to a current playback position of the media item;

determine at least one further playback position having a content descriptive attribute in the current content of the media item or a related content in another media item, the further playback position content descriptive attribute being semantically related to the metadata of the current playback position; and

move playback to the at least one further playback position, so that a media content of the at least one further playback position is then played back by the media player.

2. The media player of claim 1, wherein to determine the at least one further playback position, the media player is adapted to determine the at least one further playback position based on at least one of:

a user command, semantic relevance, a user context, a user profile, or accessibility of the at least one further playback position.

3. The media player of claim 1, wherein the media item comprises a video item.

4. The media player of claim 3, wherein the current playback position comprises a first scene in a first video episode, and the at least one further playback position comprises a second scene within a second video episode, which is semantically and causally linked to the first scene in the first video episode.

5. The media player of claim 4, wherein to move playback to the at least one further playback position the media player is adapted to semantically rewind to the second scene.

6. The media player of claim 5, wherein to semantically rewind to the second scene, the media player is adapted to initiate the semantically rewind in response to a semantic rewind command from an input device.

7. The media player of claim 4, wherein to move playback to the at least one further playback position, the media player is adapted to semantically fast forward to the second scene.

8. The media player of claim 7, wherein to semantically fast forward to the second scene, the media player is adapted to initiate the semantically fast forward in response to a semantic fast forward command from an input device.

9. The media player of claim 3, wherein the current playback position comprises a first scene in a video episode, and the at least one further playback position comprises a second scene within the video episode, which is semantically and causally linked to the first scene.

10. The media player of claim 9, wherein the metadata comprises at least one of:

descriptions of a video scene, actual and/or fictional names of characters in a video scene, data structures establishing semantic links between two or more video scenes, or indexes that allow semantic linking and retrieval.

11. The media player of claim 9, wherein to move playback to the at least one further playback position, the media player is adapted to semantically rewind to the second scene.

12. The media player of claim 11, wherein to semantically rewind to the second scene, the media player is adapted to initiate the semantic rewind in response to a semantic rewind command from an input device.

13. The media player of claim 9, wherein to move playback to the at least one further playback position, the media player is adapted to semantically fast forward to the second scene.

14. The media player of claim 13, wherein to semantically fast forward, the media player is adapted to initiate the semantically fast forward in response to a semantic fast forward command from an input device.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a memory comprising instructions for execution by one or more processors; and

one or more processors coupled to the memory, the one or more processors being operable when executing the instructions to;

receive information from a device regarding a currently viewed first scene;

determine a second scene having a content descriptive attribute within the video content, where the content descriptive attribute is semantically and causally related to the information of the currently viewed first scene; and

return to the device a reference to the second scene having a content descriptive attribute within the video content and where the content descriptive attribute is semantically and causally related to the information of the currently viewed first scene.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the semantic and causal relationship is established by at least one of user community networks, a content provider, and semantic analysis/indexing and retrieval of video/storyline detection.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the first scene and the second scene are scenes from one video.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the first scene and the second scene are from different videos.