Patent Publication Number: US-8990861-B2

Title: Method and apparatus for navigating video content

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/081,217 filed Mar. 15, 2005, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/614,064 filed on Sep. 28, 2004 both of which are incorporated in its entirety herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to navigating video content, and in particular to navigating bookmarked video content using thumbnailed images thereof. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The Video Cassette Recorder (VCR) has changed the lives of television (TV) viewers by allowing viewers to time-shift TV programs to match their lifestyles. Using the VCR, the viewer stores programs onto magnetic tape; this can then be played back at the viewer&#39;s convenience. The VCR gives the viewer the ability to pause the program playback whenever he desires, fast-forward through unwanted program material or commercials, and to replay favorite scenes. However, a VCR cannot both capture and play back information at the same time. 
     The use of a digital computer system to solve this problem has been suggested. U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,551 issued to Logan et al., on Dec. 6, 1994, teaches a method for concurrent video recording and playback. It presents a microprocessor-controlled broadcast and playback device. However, the approach requires that the microprocessor and hard disk must be very fast in order to keep up with high video rates found in television transmission. 
     The use of a multimedia time-warping system to solve this problem has been suggested. U.S. Pat. No. 6,233,389 issued to Barton et al. on May 15, 2001 teaches such a system, which utilizes the approach that decouples the microprocessor from the high video data rates, thereby reducing the microprocessor and system requirements, which are at a premium. The common name employed in the art to describe such a multimedia time-warping system is Digital Video Recorder (DVR). DVR systems typically provide the ability to navigate through content which has been stored or cached. Such navigation may include, for example, fast forwarding or reversing through a stored program. 
     Heretofore, in order to find a particular scene of a recorded program using a DVR-type device, a user would have to manually navigate through the entire presentation using fast forward, rewind, etc. However, this can be both tedious and time consuming. Thus, what is needed is an improved method and apparatus for navigating to particular scenes or portions of recorded or cached video content. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Methods and apparatus for navigating video content. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a request to insert a digital mark at a desired viewing location within stored broadcast video content, and inserting the digital mark at the desired viewing location. The method further includes receiving a request to view the stored broadcast video content beginning from the desired viewing location, and displaying, in response to the request to view, the stored broadcast video content beginning from the desired viewing location. 
     Other aspects, features, and techniques of the invention will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art in view of the following detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  depicts an embodiment of a system capable of implementing one or more aspects of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  depicts another embodiment of a system capable of implementing one or more aspects of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  depicts yet another embodiment of a system capable of implementing one or more aspects of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  depicts a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a process for carrying out one or more aspects of the invention; 
         FIG. 5  depicts a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a process for carrying out one or more aspects of the invention; 
         FIG. 6  depicts one embodiment of a status bar displayed in accordance with the principles of the invention; 
         FIG. 7  depicts another embodiment of a status bar displayed in accordance with the principles of the invention; and 
         FIG. 8  depicts still another embodiment of a status bar along with a thumbnail view in a manner consistent with the principles of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     One aspect of the invention is to enable users to place markers at desired locations within recorded or cached video content. In one embodiment, such markers may be placed while the content is being recorded or cached, while in another embodiment the markers may be placed after the content has been recorded or cached. Such markers (which may also be referred to herein as bookmarks or chapter marks) may be used to instantly jump to a particular scene or location within a video presentation. In one embodiment, the invention relates to a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) system attached to a display device. To that end, the invention may be housed in a set-top box which provides a video signal to a display device for presentation of video content. In addition, the set-top box device may be integrated into a DVR system, or may be coupled to a separate DVR system. 
     In one embodiment, bookmarks may be manually placed during live caching of video content, playback of previously recorded content, or active recording of content. In another embodiment, one or more automatic bookmarks may be inserted at, for example, the beginning of live cache, the end of live cache, the beginning of a recorded program and the end of a recorded program. 
     Another aspect of the invention is to present a user with selectable thumbnailed images representative of the video content at one or more bookmarked locations. This may be advantageous since a user will be able to decide, prior to jumping to the location, whether or not the image being shown corresponds to the desired content. In one embodiment, the selectable thumbnailed images may be integrated with a DVR status bar. In another embodiment, a thumbnailed image may be generated for each bookmark, whether automatic or manual. A user may then scroll through the thumbnails, and hence the bookmarks, and select to begin viewing the content from which ever thumbnail is then chosen. 
     Referring now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of a DVR system  100  capable of implementing one or more aspects of the invention. In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the system  100  includes an input module  102 , a media switch  112 , and an output module  104 . In one embodiment, the input module  102  may accept video input streams in a multitude of forms (e.g., National Television Standards Committee (NTSC), PAL, Digital Satellite System (DSS), Digital Broadcast System (DBS), Advanced Television Standards Committee (ATSC), etc.). DBS, DSS, and ATSC are based on standards called Moving Pictures Experts Group 2 (MPEG2) and MPEG2 Transport. MPEG2 Transport is a standard for formatting the digital data stream from the source transmitter so that a receiver can disassemble the input stream to find programs in the multiplexed signal. 
     The input module  102  may produce MPEG streams. An MPEG2 transport multiplex supports multiple programs in the same broadcast channel, with multiple video and audio feeds and private data. The input module  102  may also be used to tune the channel to a particular program, extract a specific MPEG program out of it, and feed it into the rest of the system. Analog video signals may be encoded into a similar MPEG format using separate video and audio encoders, such that the remainder of the system is unaware of how the signal was obtained. Information may be modulated into the Vertical Blanking Interval (VBI) of the analog video signal in a number of standard ways. For example, the North American Broadcast Teletext Standard (NABTS) may be used to modulate information onto lines  10  through  20  of an NTSC signal, while the FCC mandates the use of line  21  for Closed Caption (CC) and Extended Data Services (EDS). Such signals may be decoded by the input module  102  and passed to the other modules as if they were delivered via a MPEG2 private data channel. 
     In one embodiment, the media switch  112  mediates between a microprocessor CPU  106 , hard disk or other storage device  108 , which may or may not include the DVR system&#39;s live cache  114 , and volatile memory  110 . Input streams are converted to an MPEG stream and sent to the media switch  112 . The media switch  112  buffers the MPEG stream into memory. If the user is watching real time broadcast content, the media switch  112  may send the stream to the output module  104 , as well as simultaneously write it to the hard disk or storage device  108 . 
     The output module  104  may take the MPEG streams as input and produces an analog video signal according to a particular standard (e.g., NTSC, PAL, or other video standard). In one embodiment, the output module  104  contains an MPEG decoder, on-screen display (OSD) generator, analog video encoder and audio logic. The OSD generator may be used to supply images which will be overlaid on top of the resulting analog video signal. Additionally, the output module  104  can modulate information supplied by the program logic onto the VBI of the output signal in a number of standard formats, including NABTS, CC, and EDS. 
     Memory  110  may further contain instructions to cause CPU  106  to insert programming information directly into the MPEG data stream(s). The user may input control instructions for displaying such programming information via button a remote control device, for example. It should equally be appreciated that a user may provide instructions to the DVR system  100  using any other known user input means. Memory  110  may also include instructions for causing CPU  106  to place, in response to a user instruction, one or more chapter marks at various viewing locations of cached or recorded content. Memory  110  may also instructions for generating one or more thumbnailed images representative of the content at the previously-placed chapter marks. Memory  110  may further include instructions for causing the CPU  106  to perform various other DVR-related operations, some of which will be described in more detail below. 
     With respect to  FIG. 2 , which depicts one embodiment of a system  200  which implements one or more aspects of the invention as a set-top box (STB)  202  which is separate from a DVR-type device. In this embodiment, the STB  202  is in communication with a DVR  204 . The ensemble of the STB  202  and the DVR  204  collectively may be coupled to a display device, such as display  206 . In one embodiment, the user may interact with the STB  202  by means of control instructions sent by pressing buttons on the wireless remote  212 . The user may press the display button  208  to input a control instruction  214  to the STB  202  to begin displaying information in a status bar at the bottom of the screen of the TV set  206 , about the programming being displayed on display device  206 . In another embodiment, the remote control  212  may include a power key  210  to power the STB  204  on or off. It should equally be appreciated that a user may provide instructions to the STB  202  using any other known user input means. Moreover, wireless remote  212  may have additional or fewer input options than those depicted. 
       FIG. 3  depicts another embodiment of a system  300  capable of implementing one or more aspects of the invention. In this system  300 , a dedicated device  302  with a touch-screen  304  with display and configure options. Upon selection of the appropriate option by touching the screen  304 , a control instruction  306  may be sent to the DVR  204  residing, e.g., atop the display  206  to carry out the functions described above. 
       FIG. 4  depicts one embodiment of a process  400  for implementing one or more aspects of the invention. When process  400  begins, the process starts with block  410  where a user may input a control instruction to display a DVR status bar. In one embodiment, the DVR status bar may be displayed i) when any of the DVR-related remote control keys is pressed, at the beginning of playback, at the end of playback, and/or when a new chapter is placed by the user. 
     In response to the control instruction to display the DVR status bar, process  400  continues to block  420  where programming information (e.g., actors&#39; names, show name, time/date, etc.) may optionally be collected. In one embodiment, programming information may be retrieved from the electronic programming guide. The programming information may relate to video content that has been stored on a DVR-type system and/or video content to be live cached. Live cache refers to a temporary area of storage where live programming may be temporarily placed so that the cached program can be viewed again during the user&#39;s current viewing session. In one embodiment, the live cache is a fixed size, with a default time of 30 minutes and user configurable up to 90 minutes. Moreover, more than one program can be stored in live cache, up to the limit of the cache size. 
     Whether or not programming information is collected at block  420 , process  400  then continues to block  430 , wherein the locations of any automatic markers may be determined. As previously mentioned, automatic markers may be inserted by, DVR system  100 , at one or more of the beginning of live cache, the end of live cache, the beginning of a recorded program and the end of a recorded program. As previously mentioned, one aspect of the invention is to enable the placement of bookmarks or digital markers at various locations within a recorded or cached video presentation, as well as during the actual recording/caching process. Such digital markers may then be used to quickly jump to a particular location within a recorded or cached program. 
     Once any of the automatic markers are located, process  400  may then continue to decision block  440  where a determination may be made as to whether there have been any manual markers placed by the user. If so, then at block  450  process  500  must also identify the location of any such manual digital markers as well. In one embodiment, the process of determining the location of any automatic or manual markers involves scanning the recorded or cached content for the occurrence of one or more digitally inserted markers. Such digital markers may be a small string of identifiable program code inserted into the actual recorded video content file. In another embodiment, a meta-data file (e.g., text file) which contains the marker information may be stored separate from the video content itself. It should be appreciated that other known methods of inserting digital bookmarks or markers may similarly be used. 
     Once all of the markers have been located, process  400  may then continue to block  460  where the status bar, along with the identified bookmarks, may then be presented on-screen to the user. Although in one embodiment the status bar is displayed as an overlay onto the video content being viewed, numerous other configurations may similarly be used for presenting the status bar to the user. Two embodiments of such a status bar are shown with reference to  FIGS. 6 and 7  below. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , depicted is one embodiment of a process  500  for displaying one or more thumbnailed images which correspond to the bookmarks of  FIG. 4 . At block  510 , once the status bar is displayed, a user may request to view any available thumbnailed images (e.g., by pressing ‘up’ on a remote control device). If no such request is made, then the status bar will continue to be displayed in the normal course (block  520 ). If, on the other hand, a user does request to view any available thumbnailed images then process  500  will continue to block  530 . At block  530 , the process  500  determines if there are any thumbnails to view. If not, then a message to that effect may be displayed to the user at block  540 . If there are one or more thumbnails to view, however, then process  500  may then continue to block  550 . 
     At block  550 , any available thumbnailed images found at block  530  will be displayed. In one embodiment, the thumbnailed images may be displayed in a sequence organized from left to right, with the left-most thumbnail corresponding to the first bookmark in the given program and the right-most thumbnail corresponding to the last bookmark in the program. In one embodiment, the thumbnail may be a representative image captured from a location within a previously or presently recorded or cached program which corresponds to either an automatic or a manual digital marker. One embodiment of how the appearance of the thumbnailed images is described in more detail below with reference to  FIG. 8 . 
     Once the available thumbnailed images are displayed, process  500  may then continue to block  560  where a user may decide to select one of the thumbnails. If no user selection is detected, the thumbnailed images will cease to be displayed and the process  500  will be exited after a predetermined delay (e.g., 30 seconds) at block  570 . If, on the other hand, a user selection is detected at block  560 , then process  500  will move to block  580  where the current viewing location will jump to the selected bookmark and the video content will begin playing from that point. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , depicted is one embodiment of a screen  605  containing video content (not shown) that is being displayed on a display device  600 . In this embodiment, status bar  610  is being overlaid on the screen  605  of the video content, which may be comprised of stored, cached or live video content. 
     Status bar includes a progress bar  615  which is a graphical representation of the cached video content. In one embodiment, the progress bar  615  may be divided into one or more segments  620   1 - 620   3 , where each segment denotes a individual cached program. It should further be appreciated that the program cache may be of a fixed size (e.g., 30 minutes) and/or may be user configurable. In the embodiment of  FIG. 6 , the live cache is a 90 minute cache and may contain any number of programs up to the limit of the cache size. 
     Continuing to refer to  FIG. 6 , the status bar  610  is displayed near the bottom of the screen  605  further indicates the beginning of live cache in hours and minutes, as denoted by cache start time  625 . Similarly, the end of the last segment (i.e., segment  620   3 ) is denoted by cache end time  630 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 6  and as previously described with reference to  FIG. 4 , chapter marks  635   a - 635   h  may be used to denote the beginning and ending of each segment/program. For example, each segment  620   1 - 620   3 , is shown as including a beginning mark and an end mark. In addition, a user may be provided with the ability to place chapter marks (i.e., marks  635   b  and  635   e ) in live cache or in the recorded contents at points other than segment transitions. As previously mentioned, such chapter marks (or bookmarks) may be used to quickly jump to a particular point in the live cache by, for example, by pressing a “Next” or “Previous” button on a user input device. 
     Status bar  610  is also depicted with optional play status box  640 . In one embodiment, play status box  640  may be used to show the current position in the live cache. In this embodiment, the user is currently viewing video content from the second segment  620   2  at the 1 hour and 25 minute point. In addition, the play status box may optionally indicate the current trick play status  645 . In this embodiment, the user is fast forwarding through live cache at 3 times the normal pace. Numerous other icons may be used to denote the following trick play conditions: Play, FF, REW, Slow, Slow Reverse, Stop, Pause, Advance, Previous and Next, Frame-by-Frame Forward and Reverse. 
     Status bar  610  is further depicted as including program title information below the progress bar  615  for the various programs stored in cache. In particular, the first cached program is cached in segment  620   1  (i.e., “Carey Show”), the second cached program is cached in segment  620   2  (i.e., “Current Show”), while the last cached program is cached in segment  620   3  (i.e., “Future Show”). Moreover, the status bar  610  of  FIG. 6  may further include an optional storage status box which indicates the current amount of storage available. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 7 , depicted is one embodiment of a screen  705  containing video content (not shown) that is being displayed on a display device  700 . In this embodiment, the status bar  710  is being overlaid on the screen  705  of the video content, which is comprised of stored video content. 
     The status bar  710  includes a progress bar  715  which is a graphical representation of the stored video content (e.g., a broadcasted program). The status bar  710  is displayed near the bottom of the screen  705  further indicates the beginning of the stored video content as 0:00. The end of the stored video content is denoted by end time  720 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , chapter marks  725   a - 725   d  may be used to denote the beginning and ending of the video content, as well as any user-placed chapter marks. As previously mentioned, chapter marks may be used to quickly take a viewer to a particular point in a program. Status bar  710  is also depicted with optional play status box  730 . In one embodiment, play status box  730  may be used to show the current viewing position in the stored program. In this embodiment, the user is currently at exactly one hour into the 11/2 program. In addition, the play status box may optionally indicate the current trick play status  735 . In this embodiment, the user is fast forwarding through the program at 2 times the normal pace. Numerous other icons may be used to denote the following trick play conditions: Play, FF, REW, Slow, Slow Reverse, Stop, Pause, Advance, Previous and Next, Frame-by-Frame Forward and Reverse. 
     Status bar  710  is further depicted as including program title information  740  for the stored video content. While only a program title is depicted in  FIG. 7 , it should be appreciated that other programming information may similarly be incorporated into the status bar  710 . Moreover, the status bar  710  of  FIG. 7  may further include an optional storage status box  745  which indicates the remaining amount of video content storage. 
       FIG. 8  depicts another embodiment of the screen  705  of  FIG. 7 . However, in this embodiment a user has selected to view any available thumbnailed images which correspond to the chapter marks  725   a - 725   d . In one embodiment, thumbnail view  800  is displayed in response to a user request, as previously described with reference to  FIG. 5 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , thumbnail view  800  is comprised of thumbnails  810   a - 810   d , which correspond to the chapter marks  725   a - 725   d . In this embodiment, focus has defaulted to thumbnail  810   c , although it may similarly default to any other available thumbnail. In addition, a user may scroll through the available thumbnails  725   a - 725   d  using a left and right navigation. In addition, a chapter name may be included near the thumbnail currently in focus (e.g., “Mark 3”). Finally, users may request to exit the thumbnail view  800  (e.g., by pressing ‘down’ on a remote control device), or may simply wait for a predetermined delay period before the thumbnail view  800  is automatically exited. 
     It should be appreciated that, in the case of cached programming content, the beginning and ending thumbnails are always moving. As such, a predefined image instead may be displayed for the beginning and ending chapter marks for the cached content. 
     While the invention has been described in connection with various embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is capable of further modifications. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses or adaptation of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention, and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within the known and customary practice within the art to which the invention pertains.