Multifunction multimedia device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10097880-B2
Application number	US-63176509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2009
Priority date	Sep 14, 2009
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

A method for interpreting messages, user-defined alert conditions, voice commands and performing an action in response is described. A method for annotating media content is described. A method for presenting additional content associated with media content identified based on a fingerprint is described. A method for identifying that an advertisement portion of media content is being played based on a fingerprint derived from the media content is described. A method of one media device recording particular media content automatically in response to another media device recording the particular media content is described. A method of concurrently playing media content on multiple devices is described. A method of publishing information associated with recording of media content is described. A method of deriving fingerprints by media devices that meet an idleness criteria is described. A method of loading, modifying, and displaying a high definition frame from a frame buffer is described. A method of recording or playing media content identified based on fingerprints is described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
causing, by a media device, display of video content;
subsequent to causing display of the video content, receiving, by the media device, user input specifically requesting information related to a specific feature of a currently playing scene of the video content, the user input specifically identifying the feature for which the information is being requested;
in response to receiving the request for the information related to the specific feature of the currently playing scene of the video content, the media device computing a fingerprint based on one or more first video frames from the video content;
querying a first server with the fingerprint to identify the requested information related to the specific feature of the currently playing scene of the video content, wherein the first server receives a plurality of fingerprints for the video content from multiple user devices, wherein each of the plurality of fingerprints is generated by a respective user device of the multiple user devices that meets an idleness criteria, and wherein the first server compares the fingerprint received from the media device with one of the plurality of fingerprints to identify the requested information;
retrieving, from a second server, additional content related to the specific feature of the currently playing scene of the video content;
overlaying, on one or more second video frames from the video content, the additional content;
causing, by the media device, display of the one or more second video frames.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the additional content comprises an advertisement selected based on the video content.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fingerprint is computed based on the one or more first video frames from the video content by the media device subsequent to a user requesting display of the video content.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting a face in the video content based on the fingerprint computed based on the one or more first video frames from the video content;
determining a name of a person associated with the face in the video content;
wherein presenting the additional content comprises the name of the person associated with the face.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first server and the second server are the same server.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first server and the second server are different servers.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the video content comprises 3-Dimensional video and wherein deriving a fingerprint from the video content comprises:
selecting a portion of a frame in the video content, wherein selecting the portion of the frame comprises automatically selecting objects that appear near to a user viewing the 3-Dimensional video;
deriving a fingerprint from the portion of the frame in the video content.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more first video frames and the one or more second video frames include one or more of the same video frames from the video content.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specific feature for which the information is being requested is one of:
an identification of a specific geographic location of the scene, an identification of one or more specific people in the scene, or an identification of a specific object in the scene.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein presenting the additional content comprises presenting text identifying the specific geographic location, the one or more specific people, or the specific object.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause performance of steps comprising:
causing, by a media device, display of video content;
subsequent to causing display of the video content, receiving, by the media device, user input specifically requesting information related to a specific feature of a currently playing scene of the video content, the user input specifically identifying the feature for which the information is being requested;
in response to receiving the request for the information related to the specific feature of the currently playing scene of the video content, the media device computing a fingerprint based on one or more first video frames from the video content;
querying a first server with the fingerprint to identify the requested information related to the specific feature of the currently playing scene of the video content, wherein the first server receives a plurality of fingerprints for the video content from multiple user devices, wherein each of the plurality of fingerprints is generated by a respective user device of the multiple user devices that meets an idleness criteria, and wherein the first server compares the fingerprint received from the media device with one of the plurality of fingerprints to identify the requested information;
retrieving, from a second server, additional content related to the specific feature of the currently playing scene of the video content;
overlaying, on one or more second video frames from the video content, the additional content;
causing, by the media device, display of the one or more second video frames.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the additional content comprises an advertisement selected based on the video content.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the fingerprint is computed based on the one or more first video frames from the video content by the media device subsequent to a user requesting display of the video content.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 11 , the steps further comprising:
detecting a face in the video content based on the fingerprint computed based on the one or more first video frames from the video content;
determining a name of a person associated with the face in the video content;
wherein presenting the additional content comprises the name of the person associated with the face.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the first server and the second server are the same server.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the first server and the second server are different servers.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the video content comprises 3-Dimensional video and wherein deriving a fingerprint from the video content comprises:
selecting a portion of a frame in the video content, wherein selecting the portion of the frame comprises automatically selecting objects that appear near to a user viewing the 3-Dimensional video;
deriving a fingerprint from the portion of the frame in the video content.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the one or more first video frames and the one or more second video frames include one or more of the same video frames from the video content.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the specific feature for which the information is being requested is one of:
an identification of a specific geographic location of the scene, an identification of one or more specific people in the scene, or an identification of a specific object in

Assignees

• Gharaat Amir H
• Barton James M
• Patel Mukesh K
• Tivo Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Gharaat Amir H
• Barton James M
• Patel Mukesh K

Classifications

• G06Q10/40

  Business processes related to social networking or social networking services · CPC title

• G06Q30/04

  Billing or invoicing · CPC title

• H04N5/782

  on tape · CPC title

• H04N21/435 Primary

  Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream · CPC title

• H04N21/8358

  involving watermark {(protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467)} · CPC title