Video distribution system, method, computing device and user equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11838576-B2
Application number	US-202117609345-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2021
Priority date	Oct 15, 2020
Publication date	Dec 5, 2023
Grant date	Dec 5, 2023

Abstract

A video distribution system, method, and a storage medium, the system including: at least one database storing a plurality of videos; a computing device communicatively connected with the at least one database and configured to: classify the plurality of videos into a plurality of categories based on attributes associated with the plurality of videos; determine a plurality of cover images; send the plurality of cover images to a user equipment, so that the plurality of cover images are at least partially superimposedly displayed on a first video being played; select a first image from the plurality of cover images in response to a first user input; automatically select a second video from a first category corresponding to the first image; acquire the second video from the at least one database; and send at least a part of the second video to the user equipment to play the second video.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A video distribution system, comprising:
at least one database storing a plurality of videos; and
a computing device communicatively connected with the at least one database and configured to:
classify the plurality of videos into a plurality of categories based on attributes associated with the plurality of videos;
determine a plurality of cover images for the plurality of categories respectively, wherein one frame of image in a video of a first category is determined as a cover image for the first category;
send the plurality of cover images to a user equipment, wherein the plurality of cover images are displayed synchronously with a first video being played and are displayed at least partially superimposed on the first video being played;
select a first image from the plurality of cover images in respond to a first user input;
automatically select a second video from a first category corresponding to the first image;
acquire the second video from the at least one database; and
send at least a part of the second video to the user equipment to play the second video, wherein the plurality of cover images are displayed synchronously with the second video being played and are displayed at least partially superimposed on the second video being played.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to:
receive a second user input indicating to select a second image from the plurality of cover images, wherein the second image is different from the first image and corresponds to a second category, and the plurality of cover images are at least partially superimposedly displayed on the second video being played;
automatically select a third video from the second category corresponding to the second image;
acquire the third video from the at least one database; and
send at least a part of the third video to the user equipment, wherein the user equipment plays the third video, wherein the plurality of cover images are at least partially superimposedly displayed on the third video being played.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the plurality of videos includes a pre-recorded audio overlay.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first user input is received from a remote control device associated with the user equipment.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the user equipment includes a smart TV.

6. The system of any one of claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the plurality of videos includes short videos.

7. A video distribution method, comprising:
classifying a plurality of videos into a plurality of categories based on attributes associated with the plurality of videos;
determining a plurality of cover images for the plurality of categories respectively, wherein one frame of image in a video of a first category is determined as a cover image for the first category;
sending the plurality of cover images to a user equipment, wherein the plurality of cover images are displayed synchronously with a first video being played and are displayed at least partially superimposed on the first video being played;
selecting a first image from the plurality of cover images in respond to a first user input;
automatically selecting a second video from a first category corresponding to the first image;
acquiring the second video; and
sending at least a part of the second video to the user equipment to play the second video, wherein the plurality of cover images are displayed synchronously with the second video being played and are displayed at least partially superimposed on the second video being played.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving a second user input indicating to select a second image from the plurality of cover images, wherein the second image is different from the first image and corresponds to a second category, and the plurality of cover images are at least partially superimposedly displayed on the second video being played;
automatically selecting a third video from the second category corresponding to the second image;
acquiring the third video; and
sending at least a part of the third video to the user equipment, wherein the user equipment plays the third video, wherein the plurality of cover images are at least partially superimposedly displayed on the third video being played.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein at least a part of the plurality of videos includes a pre-recorded audio overlay.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein before responding to the first user input, the method further comprises:
receiving the first user input from a remote control device associated with the user equipment.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the user equipment includes a smart TV.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein at least a part of the plurality of videos includes short videos.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which a computer program is stored, the computer program causing a processor to perform a video distribution method, the method comprising:
classifying a plurality of videos into a plurality of categories based on attributes associated with the plurality of videos;
determining a plurality of cover images for the plurality of categories respectively, wherein one frame of image in a video of a first category is determined as a cover image for the first category;
sending the plurality of cover images to a user equipment, wherein the plurality of cover images are displayed synchronously with a first video being played and are displayed at least partially superimposed on the first video being played;
selecting a first image from the plurality of cover images in respond to a first user input;
automatically selecting a second video from a first category corresponding to the first image;
acquiring the second video; and
sending at least a part of the second video to the user equipment to play the second video, wherein the plurality of cover images are displayed synchronously with the second video being played and are displayed at least partially superimposed on the second video being played.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , the method further comprising:
receiving a second user input indicating to select a second image from the plurality of cover images, wherein the second image is different from the first image and corresponds to a second category, and the plurality of cover images are at least partially superimposedly displayed on the second video being played;
automatically selecting a third video from the second category corresponding to the second image;
acquiring the third video; and
sending at least a part of the third video to the user equipment, wherein the user equipment plays the third video, wherein the plurality of cover images are at least partially superimposedly displayed on the third video being played.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein at least a part of the plurality of videos includes a pre-recorded audio overlay.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein before responding to the first user input, the method further comprises:
receiving the first user input from a remote control device associated with the user equipment.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the user equipment includes a smart TV.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein at least a part of the plurality of videos include

Assignees

• Lemon Inc

Inventors

• Chow Ryan
• Craig Jacqueline
• Torres Billy
• Schoeffman Peter
• Wang Yizhuo
• Xu Jing

Classifications

• H04N21/4316 Primary

  for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window · CPC title

• H04N21/23418 Primary

  involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics (television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59) · CPC title

• H04N21/2668

  Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles {(information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063)} · CPC title

• H04N21/4788 Primary

  communicating with other users, e.g. chatting {(arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104)} · CPC title

• H04N21/2393

  involving handling client requests (scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60) · CPC title