Patent Publication Number: US-2015086180-A1

Title: System and Method for Delivering Video Program in a Cloud

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is related to patent application 14032185, field on Sep. 19, 2013 by the same applicant. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to media asset delivery. More specifically, the invention relates to system and method for delivering a video program through the use of a digital television system and a mobile computing and communication device. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Mobile communication devices have gained significant popularity in recent years. Users are using the mobile device such as, for example, iPhone, iPod and iPad from Apple Inc, Cupertino, Calif., to enjoy media assets and to access the Internet services. Methods for delivering video programs to users by employing mobile communication devices have been developed. 
     Because of significantly larger display size and comfortable environment in a living room, many of video programs have still been delivered to users through a digital television system. However, a user is often disrupted for different engagements when viewing a video program. A video program being rendered has to be paused or be stopped sometimes. 
     Therefore, it is desirable to have a flexible video program delivery system which can be employed to deliver an unfinished video program either through one of the mobile communication devices or through the digital television system in a later time. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to have a system and method providing flexibility for delivering an unfinished video program using different personal devices. 
     It is another object of the present invention to enable a user to access the unfinished video program through anyone of personal devices connected to the cloud. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a simple graphical user interface for a user to resume the unfinished video program. 
     A video program can be rendered on a user demand base or be broadcasted according to a predetermined schedule. A digital television (TV) system or anyone of mobile devices can be used to receive the video program. The program comprises a series of frames or images. A bookmark is created for an unfinished program. The bookmark is then transmitted to a bookmark manager in the cloud. Received bookmark is stored in a data storage unit of the bookmark manager. More than one bookmark received from different devices and at different times can be stored in a data file stored in the bookmark manager. The storage unit may be a virtual storage unit in the cloud. 
     A user can access the stored bookmarks through the digital TV system or anyone of the personal mobile devices such as, for example, a smart phone, a tablet computer and a handheld media player. The bookmark manager renders the bookmarks to the user through a user interface by an UI engine. In one aspect, the bookmarks are icons representing unfinished video program. In one implementation, a bookmark includes a frame representing the starting point of a remaining part of the video program. The bookmark in a form of icon may include the frame in a reduced size. In another aspect, a bookmark includes a video clip representing the part of the video program that has been rendered. 
     Upon the user&#39;s selection of the bookmark, the unfinished video program is delivered from a media provider in the cloud to the digital TV system or to anyone of the personal devices being used by the user. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the present invention and its various embodiments, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an exemplary video delivery system based on a digital TV system and a mobile communication device; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating that the bookmark manager renders a plurality of bookmarks in a form of user selectable icons through a mobile device; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating that the bookmark manager renders a plurality of bookmarks in a form of user selectable icons through a digital TV system; 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process that a video program is delivered initially by the digital TV system and is resumed by a mobile device; 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process that a video program is delivered initially by a mobile device and is resumed by the digital TV system. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     One or more specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below. These described embodiments are only exemplary of the present invention. Additionally, in an effort to provide a concise description of these exemplary embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefits of this disclosure. 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary video delivery system according to one embodiment. System  100  comprises digital TV system  102  with a remote control device  104 . System  100  further comprises a mobile computing and communication device  106 . System  100  may include more than one digital TV system and include more than one type of mobile device. Digital TV system  102  is connected to a communication network  108  and is controlled by a computing device such as, for example, a set-top-box. Digital TV system  102  can be connected to communication network  108  through various means that include but are not limited to a cable based broadband type of connection, an optical fiber based broadband connection, a broadband wireless connection and a satellite based wireless connection. 
     Mobile device  106  can take various forms that include but are not limited to a smart phone, a tablet computer, a media player, a laptop computer, a wearable communication device and a game console. Mobile device  106  is connected to network  108  through a network communication interface. 
     Communication network  108  includes the Internet in an exemplary case. Communication network  108  further includes a media provider  110  pertaining to delivering media assets including video programs to digital TV system  102  and to mobile device  106 . Video programs are used throughout the present disclosure to illustrate the present inventive concept. The inventive concept is not limited to the video program delivery. The scope of the present inventive concept also includes but is not limited to audio assets, text, images, photographs and websites as obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art. 
     Communication network  108  further includes bookmark manager  112  pertaining to receiving, storing and delivering the bookmarks. Bookmark manager  112  includes a data storage unit  112 A for storing received bookmarks. Bookmark manager  112  further includes a software program pertaining to render bookmarks to digital TV system  102  or mobile device  106  through a user interface engine  112 B. The software program may be executed by a server or a virtual server associated with bookmark manager  112 . 
     In an exemplary case, a video program comprising a plurality of frames is delivered through digital TV system  102 . The frames are delivered in a sequential manner At a pausing point of the video program, frame  114  being displayed is recorded by the processor of digital TV system  102 . Each of the frames of the video program may be associated with an address. Frame  114  may be associated with an identification code. The identification code may be related to the address representing the frame. A bookmark is created by the processor representing the pausing point of the video program. The video program can be divided into a first part that has been rendered and a second part or the remaining part that has not been rendered. The pausing point can be created by a user employing remote control device  104 . The pausing point can also be created by a user through a user interface and be executed by the processor of digital TV system  102  according to a schedule. 
     In one aspect, the bookmark is a representation of the recorded frame representing the pausing point. In another aspect, the bookmark is a video clip that includes a portion of the first part of the video program. In one implementation, the video clip includes a part of video program before the pausing point. The video clip may have a duration ranging from 2 second to 10 minutes. In another implementation, the bookmark includes multiple video clips in the first part of the video program. In still another implementation, the bookmark includes video clips in the second part or the remaining part of the video program. 
     In another implementation, bookmarks may be associated with advertising messages. The video program can only be resumed after the advertising messages are viewed. 
     The created bookmark is transmitted to bookmark manger  112  from digital TV system  102  and be stored in data storage unit  112 A. Bookmark manager  112  may create a database or data file for a user of system  100 . The user has to be identified before the bookmark is transmitted to bookmark manager  112 . 
     A user of digital TV system  102  and mobile device  106  can be identified by a login procedure. A user can also be identified by a biometric sensor that includes but is not limited to a fingerprint sensor and an image sensor. A user can further be identified by transmitting a user&#39;s identity from a mobile device to the digital TV system. 
     Bookmark user interface  116  can be initiated by the user&#39;s actuating of an input device of mobile device  106  or by actuating of an application icon. Upon receiving the user&#39;s actuation, mobile device  106  is connected to bookmark manager  112  in network  108 . Bookmark UI engine  112 B renders bookmark user interface  116  on a display of mobile device  106 . The user selects the bookmark representing the unfinished video program. In response to the user&#39;s selection, the remaining part of the video program is resumed by the mobile device  106 . The remaining part of the video program is delivered from media provider  110  to mobile device  106 . 
     In one implementation, the user may view the video clip associated with the bookmark at a first step and then make a confirmation through an input device of the mobile device  106  to resume the remaining part of the video program. 
     In another implementation, an advertising message associated with the bookmark is rendered before the remaining part of the video program is delivered. 
     In still another implementation, the user pays for resuming the video program through an on-line payment facility. 
     In one aspect, the first part of video program is delivered using digital TV system  102  and the second part is delivered using mobile device  106 . 
     In another aspect, the first part is delivered using mobile device  106  and the second part is delivered using digital TV system  102 . 
     In yet another aspect, the first part is delivered using digital TV system  102  and the second part is delivered using the same or a different digital TV system. 
     In still another aspect, the first part is delivered using mobile device  102  and the second part is delivered using the same or a different mobile device. 
     The delivery of a video program may also involve more than one pausing point and may involve several different apparatus or devices. 
     In one aspect, media provider  110  and bookmark manager  112  belong to different entities. In another aspect, they belong to the same entity. 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating that the bookmark manager  112  renders a plurality of bookmarks  120  in a form of user selectable icons through a mobile device  106 . According to system  200 , mobile device  106  includes a display  118 . In an exemplary case, display  118  is a touch-sensitive display. Bookmark UI engine  112 B displays bookmark UI  116  on display  118 . UI  116  includes in an exemplary manner a plurality of icons F 1  to Fn. At least one of the icons includes an image of frame  114  in a reduced size. The icons may also be associated optionally with text or animations. 
     The user may select one of the icons through an input device of mobile device  106  to resume the video program. In one implementation, frame  114  is redisplayed on display  118  upon receiving the user&#39;s selection of the associated icon. The remaining portion of the video program is delivered subsequently from media provider  110  and is rendered by mobile device  106 . 
     In another implementation, a video clip related to the first part of the video program may be delivered first and the remaining part of the video program is delivered subsequently. 
     In yet another implementation, an advertising message is rendered before the remaining part of the video program is delivered. 
     Bookmark manager  112  may ask the user to verify his or her identity before the bookmarks are displayed. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating that the bookmark manager  112  renders a plurality of bookmarks  120  in a form of user selectable icons through digital TV system  102 . According to system  300 , digital TV system  102  includes a display  122 . In an exemplary case, display  122  is a liquid crystal display (LCD). Bookmark UI engine  112 B displays bookmark UI  116  on display  122 . UI  116  includes in an exemplary manner a plurality of icons F 1  to Fn. At least one of the icons includes an image of frame  114  in a reduced size. The icons may also be associated optionally with text or animations. 
     The user may select one of the icons through remote control  104  to resume the video program. In one implementation, frame  114  is redisplayed on display  122  upon receiving the user&#39;s selection of the associated icon. The remaining part of the video program is delivered from media provider  110  and is rendered by digital TV system  102 . 
     In another implementation, a video clip related to the first part of the video program may be delivered first and the remaining part of the video program is delivered subsequently. 
     In yet another implementation, an advertising message is rendered before the remaining part of the video program is delivered. 
     Bookmark manager  112  may ask the user to verify his or her identity before the bookmarks are displayed. 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process that a video program is delivered initially by digital TV system  102  and is resumed by mobile device  106 . Process  400  starts with step  402  that a video program is rendered by digital TV system  102 . At a point of pausing, typically triggered by a user&#39;s actuation of remote control  104 , a bookmark is created in step  404  representing unfinished part of the program. The bookmark may be related to the frame being displayed at the point of pausing. The bookmark may also be related to a video clip including a part of video program that has been rendered. In step  406 , the bookmark is transmitted from digital TV system  102  to bookmark manager  112  in network or the cloud  108  through a communication interface in digital TV system  102 . Upon receiving the bookmark, data storage unit  112 A in the bookmark manager  112  stores the bookmark in a database or a data file in step  408 . 
     In the present implementation, mobile device  106  is connected to bookmark manager  112  through communication network  108 . In an exemplary case, communication network  108  is the Internet. The bookmarks stored in bookmark manager  112  can be accessed by the user employing mobile device  106  in step  410 . Bookmark UI engine  112 B renders the bookmarks to the user through bookmark UI  116 . In step  412 , the user selects one of the bookmarks through an input device of mobile device  106 . The remaining part of the video program is transmitted from media provider  110  to mobile device  106  in step  414 . In one implementation, advertising messages may be transmitted before or together with the transmitting of the video program. In another implementation, the video clips associated with the selected bookmark may be delivered. The unfinished video program is resumed in step  416  through mobile device  106 . 
       FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process that a video program is delivered initially by mobile device  106  and is resumed by digital TV system  102 . Process  500  starts with step  502  that a video program is rendered by mobile device  106 . At a point of pausing, typically triggered by a user&#39;s actuation of an input device of mobile device  106 , a bookmark is created in step  504  representing unfinished part of the program. The bookmark may be associated with the frame being displayed at the point of pausing. The bookmark may also be related to a video clip including a part of video program that has been rendered. In step  506 , the bookmark is transmitted from mobile device  106  to bookmark manager  112  in network  108  through a network interface in mobile device  106 . Upon receiving the bookmark, data storage unit  112 A in the bookmark manager  112  stores the bookmark in a database or a data file in step  508 . 
     In the present implementation, digital TV system  102  is connected to bookmark manager  112  through communication network  108 . In an exemplary case, communication network  108  is the Internet. The bookmarks stored in bookmark manager  112  can be accessed by the user employing digital TV system in step  510 . Bookmark UI engine  112 B renders the bookmarks to the user through bookmark UI  116 . In step  512 , the user selects one of the bookmarks through remote control  104 . The remaining part of the video program is transmitted from media provider  110  to digital TV system in step  514 . In one implementation advertising messages may be transmitted before or together with the transmitting of the video program. In another implementation, the video clips associated with the selected bookmark may be delivered. The unfinished video program is resumed in step  516  through digital TV system  102 .