Patent ID: 7318104

Claim:
A method implemented by an apparatus for processing multimedia content and related user preferences, the method comprising: (a) storing user preference information in a user profile about a multimedia consumer, the user preference information including browsing preference information that describes the multimedia consumer's preferences for browsing audio-visual content, wherein the browsing preference information includes a hierarchical data structure that specifies (i) a plurality of browsing elements that include a first browsing element representing a visual key-frame summary and a second browsing element representing user-preferred browsing based on a content element, wherein said content element includes a character, a place, a time sequence and a scene depicted in the audio-visual content, (ii) a first genre to which the plurality of browsing elements apply, and (iii) a respective preference value for each browsing element in the plurality of browsing elements, wherein the respective preference value indicates relative importance of the corresponding browsing element for browsing audio-visual content of the first genre; (b) receiving an audio-visual content stream having content of the first genre; (c) receiving user input that requests displaying content from the audio-visual content stream based on the user profile; (d) in response to the user input and based on the preference value for the first browsing element in the browsing preference information of the user profile, displaying content from the audio-visual content stream by using the visual key-frame summary; and (e) updating the preference value for the first browsing element based on the multimedia consumer's preference for the visual key-frame summary to browse audio-visual content of the first genre.