Abstract:
A video system ( 10 ) includes a digital viewing device ( 22 ) having a display ( 32 ), a plurality of discrete video clips that are each associated with a first stack, and a video clip display sequencer defining an order for sequential display of the video clips in the first stack on the display ( 32 ) of the digital viewing device ( 22 ). The video clips in the first stack are unrelated to each other in terms of plot, and associations of each of the video clips with the first stack are selectively defined using the digital viewing device ( 22 ). At least a portion of the order for sequential display is determined substantially randomly by the digital viewing device ( 22 ).

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to content delivery systems, and, more particularly, to a video content shuffling system and method. 
         [0002]    Digital viewing devices such as personal computers, BlackBerry® devices, telephones (e.g., cellular phones or land-line phones), iPod® devices, game boxes (e.g., Xbox®, Wii®, etc.), TVs and the like have become increasingly popular. It is desired to provide unique content viewing experiences to users of such devices. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    A video system includes a digital viewing device having a display, a plurality of discrete video clips that are each associated with a first stack, and a video clip display sequencer defining an order for sequential display of the video clips in the first stack on the display of the digital viewing device. The video clips in the first stack are unrelated to each other in terms of plot, and associations of each of the video clips with the first stack are selectively defined using the digital viewing device. At least a portion of the order for sequential display is determined substantially randomly by the digital viewing device. Also disclosed is a method for providing video-based entertainment. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0004]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a Shuffle-Video system according to the present invention. 
           [0005]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart illustrating a process for executing a Shuffle-Video “movie”. 
           [0006]      FIG. 3  is a schematic representation of various menu displays utilized for the process illustrated in the flow chart of  FIG. 2 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0007]    The present invention provides a content shuffling system and method to provide for the creation, distribution and delivery of content in a manner that involves random ordering of discrete content items (or clips). While primarily discussed in the context of video content, it will be appreciated that the present invention is readily amenable to use with audio, textual, and other types of content. 
         [0008]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Pat. App. No. 60/794,338; filed Apr. 24, 2006, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
         [0009]    Video-Shuffle refers to a system for displaying video content according to the present invention. A “stack” is a collection of video clips. Video-Shuffle allows stacks of video clips to be randomly played to create a unique “movie” (i.e., a seamless viewable sequence of clips), which can be displayed on any suitable digital viewing device. Suitable digital viewing devices for such “movies” include personal computers (e.g., desktops and laptops), personal digital assistants (PDAs), BlackBerry® devices, telephones (e.g., cellular phones or land-line phones), iPod® devices (and other similar portable audio/video devices), game boxes (e.g., Xbox®, Wii®, etc.), TVs and the like. 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a Shuffle-Video system  10  that involves generally centralized content storage. The Shuffle-Video system  10  shown in  FIG. 1  includes a commercially available digital viewing device  22  (e.g., a cell phone or Internet device), an Internet/wireless connection  24 , a server  26 , a database  28 , and one or more content providers (exemplary content providers  30 A and  30 B). The digital viewing device  22  and  22 A includes a display  32 , memory  34 , and communications circuitry  36 . The digital viewing device  22  will further have some controls (e.g., the display  32  can be a touch screen or be mouse-driven) for permitting user input. Content, that is, a stack of video clips, is provided by any of the content providers  30 A and  30 B (which can comprise servers) to the server  26 , which can store the clips on the database  28  for later access. The server  26  associates the clips with particular stacks, and maintains a library of available stacks. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the digital viewing device  22  can communicate with the server  26  via the Internet/wireless connection  26 , and the database  28  is operably linked to the server  26 . Stacks can be downloaded to the digital viewing device  22  from the server  26  for streaming-type viewing. Alternatively, one or more stacks of clips can be downloaded and stored in the memory  34  of the digital viewing device  22  on a short-term or long-term basis. The particular manner in which content is provided to the digital viewing device  22  can vary, depending on factors such as the capabilities of the digital viewing device  22  (e.g., available memory), the capabilities of the Internet/wireless connection  24  (e.g., available bandwidth), and the particular subscription (or service plan) options available to a user of the digital viewing device  22 . 
         [0011]    It is possible to utilize any number of digital viewing devices with the system  10 .  FIG. 1  also shows an exemplary second digital viewing device  22 A, which is configured substantially identically to digital viewing device  22 . The second digital viewing device  22 A can communicate with both the server  26  and the digital viewing device  22  via the Internet/wireless connection  24 . Each digital viewing device  22  and  22 A can be associated with a single distinct user, such that multiple users can interact with the system  10 . Although it should be recognized that the second digital viewing device  22 A is optional. 
         [0012]    It should be noted that the particular embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  is provided merely by way of example, and not by way of limitation. It will be recognized that alternative system configurations are possible within the spirit and scope of the present invention. For instance, rather than centralized storage, stacks of clips can be stored on a stand-alone storage unit  38 , like CDs, DVDs or Blu-ray® discs, and accessed directly by the digital viewing device  22  or  22 A. 
         [0013]    The “movies” generated by Shuffle-Video (see, e.g.,  FIG. 1 ) are completely fluid. There is no “correct” order to display the video clips in a given stack. Normally the “movie” has no plot. Any relationship between characters in the “movie” must generally be on-going, not initiated or terminated in any clip in a stack, because that clip might be last or first or in the middle of the “movie”. Meeting, courting, marrying, and dying—characteristics of a logical, linear plot—will not normally be comprehensible if the various scenes are shuffled randomly. Thus, it is expected that most Shuffle-Video “movies” involving players/characters will be character rather than plot driven. Each of the clips in a stack will have an independent character value within the theme or category of the stack. Moreover, clips will generally not introduce elements that would be expected to appear or develop in other clips. In that sense, the types of clips suitable for use with the Video-Shuffling system  10  of the present invention are generally those that do not readily present a necessary viewing order for clips in a stack. As a further note, it is contemplated within the scope of the present invention that some stacks (or some clips within a stack) will not involve players or characters, for instance, those relating to language lessons or simple visual graphic scenes, all of which can be shuffled for display on the digital viewing device  22 . 
         [0014]    Because of the special, character-driven aspect of the video clips used in Shuffle-Video, the clips are generally unique to the system, rather than simply scenes cut from previously available commercial videos of a plot-driven nature. In most cases, it is expected that the clips will be short vignettes that are less than about a minute long. For example, a clip entitled “Tipping” has a man purchasing a cup of coffee from a clerk, and can be described as follows: 
         [0015]    Man: “Would you like a tip?” 
         [0016]    Clerk: “No. I&#39;m trying to cut down. Would you like a tip?” 
         [0017]    Man: “Sure.” 
         [0018]    Clerk: “All pain comes from wishing well for yourself All joy comes from wishing well for others.” 
         [0019]    Man: “That and coffee too! Very good, grasshopper.”End of clip. 
         [0020]    In the clip “Tipping”, a viewer (i.e., a shuffle-video system user) learns a little of both the Man and Clerk characters. The clip “Tipping” lasts about 15 seconds. When a stack includes multiple clips involving those characters, the Man and Clerk, they will encounter each other in other video clips. The “Tipping” clip might be first, last, or at any point in the viewing sequence of a given “movie”. 
         [0021]    The Table 1, below, provides some examples of the characteristics of clips suitable for use with the Shuffle-Video system  10 . 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Clip Description 
                 Non-Plot-Driven Character Value 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 He and she have a 
                 Some relationship already exists. 
               
               
                   
                 conversation at a party. 
                 This isn&#39;t a first meeting, because 
               
               
                   
                   
                 it could be the last of several in 
               
               
                   
                   
                 a stack involving the couple. 
               
               
                   
                 He hits his thumb with 
                 We learn of him. But he doesn&#39;t get 
               
               
                   
                 a hammer. 
                 a blood blister or finish a tree house, 
               
               
                   
                   
                 either of which might be conspicuous 
               
               
                   
                   
                 in its absence in a “later” clip. 
               
               
                   
                 He and she have a fight. 
                 Who doesn&#39;t? We learn a bit about 
               
               
                   
                   
                 them. But the clip isn&#39;t about a 
               
               
                   
                   
                 divorce, because it may appear before 
               
               
                   
                   
                 or after the clip where he and she 
               
               
                   
                   
                 have a conversation at a party. 
               
               
                   
                 She&#39;s sick. 
                 Who doesn&#39;t get sick? We learn a 
               
               
                   
                   
                 bit about her. But she doesn&#39;t die. 
               
               
                   
                 He buys groceries. 
                 We learn a bit about him. But if he 
               
               
                   
                   
                 makes a shopping list, that action 
               
               
                   
                   
                 occurs within this same clip. 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0022]    Stacks of video clips are made available to viewers who will be able to shuffle and see them in any order. As explained further below, viewers can have control over the viewing sequence, and can choose to have certain clips appear in a particular sequence. In this way viewers can play favorites among available video clips. Viewers can also choose to eliminate certain clips from their viewing stack. In this sense, viewers can force certain deviations from a truly random clip sequence. 
         [0023]    Shuffling with Shuffle-Video will be within stacks, not between stacks. Shuffling video clips from unrelated stacks—an American coming-of-age stack, a Korean-language Anime stack, a Spanish-language soap opera stack, and a Italian Biblical stack—would likely be unsatisfying to viewers. Shuffling video clips within any of those stacks would likely be more satisfying to interested viewers. It is therefore contemplated that distinct stacks each having some common characters, theme, category of content, etc. will typically be supplied to viewers. 
         [0024]    Stacks of video clips can be supplemented by updates or additional clips, which can add to and/or replace clips in a stack. Supplements can occur on a periodic basis (e.g., via a daily podcast) or at any time chosen by the viewer (i.e., on-demand). Stacks routinely supplemented may grow unwieldy. Viewers can create custom stacks by adding, eliminating or replacing clips. In that way, for example, viewers can choose to collect and store clips of different characters in a personalized library of stacks or cut off clips added to the stack before or after a given date. 
         [0025]    Video clips that populate a given stack can be downloaded onto the viewer&#39;s digital viewing device  22  (e.g., as files are loaded onto iPod® devices via podcast) or can remain on the server  26  and be remotely accessed by viewers. If the video clips remain on a centralized server  26 , the individual viewer&#39;s “library” information amounts to only a few bits of information: identifiers of the particular clips, not the clips themselves. 
         [0026]    When any “movie” is generated or displayed, a record of the order in which clips were viewed is created and saved as a Sequence ID. That Sequence ID can be accessed so that viewers can re-view a particular sequence and/or share it with other viewers (e.g., by e-mailing or otherwise transmitting a Sequence ID between digital viewing devices  22  and  22 A). The Sequence ID can be easily stored locally, on the viewer&#39;s digital viewing device  22 , or remotely (e.g., on a centralized server  26 ). 
         [0027]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart illustrating a process used by the ultimate viewer for executing a Shuffle-Video “movie”.  FIGS. 3A-3G  are schematic representations of various menu displays utilized for the process illustrated in the flow chart of  FIG. 2 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , a stack of video clips is first delivered to a digital viewing device (step  40 ). Viewers can purchase a fixed stack of video clips (e.g., a CD/DVD or computer download) and/or subscribe to a service that allows them to maintain a growing library of video clips. Thus, an initial stack might routinely be supplemented with additional video clips (e.g., a clip a day via a podcast). Clip/stack delivery can be an automatic process, or can involve decision and action by the user/viewer to select, access or otherwise obtain desired clips/stacks. Stacks of available clips are generally expected to grow over time. If viewers were subscribers to a periodic stack update service and got a new clip every day, a stack would soon potentially contain hundreds of clips. 
         [0028]    As noted above, a stack of video clips may be downloaded onto the viewer&#39;s digital viewing device  22  (e.g., as files are loaded onto iPod(D devices) or may remain on a centralized server  26  and be remotely accessed by viewers for streaming or on-demand viewing. However, alternative systems for providing stacks of clips can be used. 
         [0029]    Next, an Index of available clips is displayed (step  42 ). The available clips in the Index will correspond to a particular stack. When multiple stacks are available, menus or indexes for selecting a desired stack are initially provided (not shown). In the example illustrated in  FIG. 3A , a stack is provided that includes twenty video clips each having a title. The stack can be stored in memory on a digital viewing device  22 , or, alternatively, can be downloaded on demand from a server  26 . The twenty titles for the clips appear as the Index. A stack of twenty video clips can be viewed in 2.4 quintillion (or 20!) different sequences. Thus, even if everyone on earth received a million stacks of the same twenty clips, it is possible that no two shuffled movies would be the same (i.e., each sequence would be different). 
         [0030]    A prompt, such as that shown in  FIG. 3B , is then provided to ask if the viewer would like to re-play a sequence (step  44 ). This prompt allows the viewer to re-play a particular sequence of clips (i.e., a particular “movie”). That particular sequence might be one the viewer has seen before, or one recommended by another viewer (e.g., a friend or someone else via an Internet posting). If the viewer selects “Yes” to the re-play question, a Sequence ID can be typed in or retrieved via a BROWSE function (step  46 ). A BROWSE function allows a user/viewer to view a personalized list stored locally or remotely, the Sequence ID list of another individual, or a general on-line sequence ID list posted by other users. The Sequence ID stores the particular order of clips presented in a particular “movie”. The Sequence ID is a relatively small data file that merely contains reference information enabling future re-display of a particular “movie”, but without requiring the actual content of the “movie” to be stored. After choosing to re-play a sequence and specifying a Sequence ID, the system  10  would begin the display process (i.e., skip to step  58  below). 
         [0031]    Next, assuming that the user/viewer has not chosen to re-play a sequence, a prompt, such as that shown in  FIG. 3C , allows the viewer to list video clips to be excluded from the viewing sequence (steps  48  and  50 ). In the example illustrated in  FIG. 3C , the viewer has chosen three clips to eliminate: #6, “Waiting in Line”; # 9, “Dream Sequence”; and #15, “Leslie” (the exemplary clip titles referenced hereinafter correspond to those shown in  FIG. 3A ). The viewer can have a variety of reasons for eliminating particular clips. Perhaps the eliminated clips involve a character the viewer dislikes, or are simply considered inferior. Perhaps, alternatively, the viewer wishes to limit the length of the resulting “movie”. Furthermore, the ability of viewers to create custom or personalized stacks further expands on the viewer control offered by steps  48  and  50 . 
         [0032]    Next, as shown in  FIG. 3D , the viewer is given the option of placing specific video clips in a particular order of viewing (steps  52  and  54 ). In the example illustrated in  FIG. 3D , the viewer has chosen to put clip #19, “Happy Birthday (2nd Verse)” first, and clip #16, “Choir” last. Because three clips were previously eliminated, as described above with respect to steps  48  and  50 , the ultimate “movie” will be 17 clips long. 
         [0033]    If a stack of video clips had been routinely supplemented for some time, it can contain hundreds of clips. Not all of those clips would be expected to be included in every viewing. Thus, the shuffling routine can automatically limit the number of clips in a particular stack viewed to twenty, thirty, or some other number specified by the viewer. Those selected clips can be the most recent additions to the stack, or not. Even then, the viewer might choose to exclude certain clips, as with step  48 . Similarly,, a user might specify that certain clips, from perhaps hundreds available, be included in the upcoming viewing. 
         [0034]    Having chosen which clips to eliminate (steps  48  and  50 ) and the order for a couple of particular scenes (steps  52  and  54 ), the viewer then selects SHUFFLE and the remaining clips are randomly assigned viewing slots (step  56 , as shown if  FIG. 3E ). The randomization of the viewing slot assignments can be performed by a suitable random number or quasi-random number generator algorithm. 
         [0035]    Selecting PLAY begins the display of the “movie” (step  58 ). As illustrated in  FIG. 3F , seven clips have already been viewed, starting with clips #19, through #1. The line through these clip numbers indicates that they have been viewed. It should be further noted that in alternative embodiments, PLAY can be selected at any point from step  42  through step  56 . For example, pressing PLAY at step  42  could essentially simultaneously cause random assignments of viewing slots and the initiation of the display of the resulting “movie” (i.e., without eliminating any video clips, assigning other clips to particular slots or requiring the user to explicitly select SHUFFLE). 
         [0036]    Additional display functions can be provided, such as STOP, PAUSE, RESUME, FAST-FORWARD, REVERSE and/or other conventional video display functions. 
         [0037]    When the full stack has been viewed (or when a STOP function has been triggered mid-sequence), a Sequence ID is created, displayed (as shown in  FIG. 3G ) and stored (step  60 ). The Sequence ID stores the particular order of clips presented in the “movie” generated in step  58 . The viewer is then given the option to view another sequence (step  62 ), and can return to step  42  if desired. 
         [0038]    There is no “correct” order to display the video clips in the stack. The viewer is able to shuffle the stack randomly; hold particular clips in any spot in the viewing order; and eliminate clips from viewings, or keep them from being eliminated. Those actions can be accomplished by interaction with a menu system of the digital viewing device  22 , such as a menu system similar to that described with respect to FIGS.  2  and  3 A- 3 G. 
         [0039]    It should be recognized that the steps and displays shown in and described with respect to FIGS.  2  and  3 A- 3 G are merely exemplary, and can vary in alternative embodiments. For instance, a digital viewing device with a relatively small display screen  32  (e.g., a cell phone) would generally include a less expansive menu, but the process would be essentially the same. 
         [0040]    Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.