System and method for presenting content with time based metadata

• US 9,762,967 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2012
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2011
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Lepke, Darren, Purnell-Fisher, Thomas, Utheza, Herve, Clarke, Douglas, Dalrymple, Michael, Elliott, Edward Lee, Fox, John, Johnson, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, WILLIAM JW
• Application Number:
  US13/523,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20130014155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/433 using audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10537 Audio or video recording
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2541 Blu-ray discs; Blue laser DVR discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• 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 21/854 Content authoring

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a system and method for rendering media related content and web services. According to one or more embodiments, media content is rendered from a source. In one or more segments of the media source, at least one of an object, person or location is identified and additional information, relevant content or services about the person, object or location are displayed or made accessible while or after the media content is being rendered, on one or more devices and/or on one or more paired devices.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving media content;

causing playback of at least a portion of the media content;

determining, based on the playback of at least the portion of the media content, an audio fingerprint;

transmitting a request for metadata, wherein the request comprises the determined audio fingerprint;

receiving, in response to the request, time-based metadata associated with the media content, wherein the time-based metadata comprises a plurality of time stamps that are triggerable at different instances of a timeline of the media content, and wherein one or more time stamps of the plurality of time stamps are associated with corresponding metadata content;

receiving, based on the playback of the at least the portion of the media content, an indication of occurrence of one or more events in the timeline of the media content; and

triggering, based on the indication of occurrence of the one or more events, a sequence of time stamps of the plurality of time stamps, wherein the triggered sequence of time stamps is synchronized with the occurrence of the one or more events in the timeline of the media content;

wherein triggering the sequence of time stamps causes determining associated information for one or more time stamps of the sequence of time stamps, and rendering at least a portion of the metadata content based on the associated information; and

wherein the associated information for one or more of the time stamps of the sequence of time stamps comprises a link to the portion of the metadata content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendered portion of the metadata content comprises an interactive user feature configured to be displayed for user input at a particular instance in the timeline of the media content.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising linking the interactive user feature to a service to enable the user to purchase a preselected item from an online store.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendering at least a portion of the metadata content comprises causing the portion of the metadata content to overlay the playback of the media content, wherein the metadata content is associated with a soundtrack of the media content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata content comprises an advertisement.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the associated information is associated with a geographic location of a storyline of the media content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the media content is packaged with the time-based metadata for delivery to media playback devices.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the packaged media content originated from a head end, and wherein the media content is a broadcast.

9. A method comprising:

receiving media content;

causing playback of at least a portion of the media content;

determining, based on the playback of at least the portion of the media content, an audio fingerprint;

transmitting a request comprising an indication of the determined audio fingerprint;

receiving, in response to the request, time-based metadata corresponding to a timeline of the media content, wherein the time-based metadata comprises a plurality of time stamps that are triggerable at different instances of the timeline, wherein one or more time stamps of the plurality of time stamps are associated with corresponding metadata content;

receiving, based on the playback of the at least the portion of the media content, an indication of occurrence one or more events in the timeline of the media content; and

triggering, based on the indication of occurrence of the one or more events, a sequence of time stamps of the plurality of time stamps, wherein the triggered sequence of time stamps is synchronized with occurrences of the one or more events in the timeline of the media content, wherein the triggering the sequence of time stamps causes at least a portion of the metadata content to be rendered.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the media content is received from a first source and the time-based metadata is received from a second source distinct from the first source.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining an audio fingerprint comprises recording an audio output associated with the playback of the media content.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more events comprise a scene change in the playback of the media content.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more events comprise an audio change associated with the playback of the media content.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the metadata content comprises an advertisement.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the metadata content is contextually related to the media content.

16. A method comprising:

receiving media content;

causing playback of at least a portion of the media content;

determining, based on the playback of at least the portion of the media content, an audio fingerprint;

transmitting a request comprising an indication of the determined audio fingerprint;

receiving, in response to the request, time-based metadata comprising a plurality of time stamps associated with a timeline of the media content, wherein one or more of the plurality of time stamps are associated with corresponding metadata content;

receiving, based on the playback of the at least the portion of the media content, an indication of occurrence of one or more events in the timeline of the media content;

determining, based on the indication of occurrence of one or more events in the timeline of the media content, one or more time stamps of the plurality of time stamps; and

causing, based on the determined one or more time stamps, at least a portion of the metadata content to be rendered.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the media content is received from a first source and the time-based metadata is received from a second source distinct from the first source.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the determining an audio fingerprint comprises recording an audio output associated with the playback of the media content.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more events comprise a scene change in the playback of the media content.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more events comprise an audio change associated with the playback of the media content.