Patent ID: 7313808
Filing Date: 2007-12-25
Classification: G11B,H04N

Abstract:
1. One or more computer-readable media encoded with a computer-executable program for playing continuous media content, the computer-executable program being executed by a computer to implement a method comprising: displaying the continuous media content in a content area; displaying a skimming control for specifying, by a user, a skimming level, wherein skimming enables continuous media content highlights to be viewed by utilizing segmentation data to identify portions of the continuous media content that should be included in a skimmed version of the continuous media content, wherein the segmentation data identifies actual content based upon previously-performed content analysis, and wherein the skimming control can be used to select different levels of skimming and, wherein segmentation data defines a user-selectable, displayable sequence of still frames that can be selected to index to a particular portion of the continuos media content, wherein at least some of previously-performed content analysis involves manually viewing the continuous media content and selecting portions that are to be represented in at least some of the still frames of the displayable sequence; displaying a time scale modification control for specifying, by the user, a time scale modification level, wherein the time scale modification control is distinct from the skimming control, and wherein the skimming control and the time scale modification control are simultaneously displayed; in response to operation of the skimming control and the time scale modification control, concurrently applying the specified skimming and time scale modification levels to the continuous media content; displaying an increment pull-down menu for selecting, by the user, an index increment; displaying an index control for indexing, by the user, through the continuous media content; in response to operation of the index control by the user, indexing through the continuous media content by the selected index increment; displaying a frame area containing the sequence of still frames from the continuous media content, wherein the still frames are selectable by the user, and wherein the frame area is displayed simultaneously with the skimming control and the time scale modification control; in response to user selection of a particular still frame, indexing the displayed continuous media content to the selected still frame; moving an indicator relative to a progress bar to indicate a current playback point within the continuous media content; and delineating the progress bar to indicate portions of the continuous media content that are included in the specified skimming level.