Trick play of content output

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12413816-B2
Application number	US-202418620498-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2024
Priority date	Nov 9, 2020
Publication date	Sep 9, 2025
Grant date	Sep 9, 2025

Abstract

A user may have preferences regarding types of content that the user likes, or does not like, to see. The user may enter a trick play command to skip a current segment of a content item that the user is viewing, and the user's preferences may be used to cause output of a subsequent segment of the content item.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a computing device, information indicating a user preference regarding one or more types of content;
receiving a trick play command to skip a current segment of a content item;
causing output of a subsequent segment of the content item, wherein the causing is based on:
the trick play command;
the information indicating the user preference regarding one or more types of content; and
information indicating a type of the subsequent segment; and

outputting a message indicating automatic output of the subsequent segment.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the current segment comprises a commercial scene.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
causing trick play output of the current segment,
wherein the causing output of the subsequent segment of the content item comprises: causing output of the subsequent segment by aligning a boundary of the subsequent segment with an end of the trick play output of the current segment.

4. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein a timing of the output of the message is based on a start time of the subsequent segment.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information indicating the user preference regarding one or more types of content indicates that the current segment of the content item is objectionable to a user, and that the subsequent segment of the content item is not objectionable to the user.

6. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the message comprises an audio cue.

7. A method comprising:
receiving, by a computing device, information indicating a user preference regarding one or more types of content;
receiving a trick play command during output of a content item at a first rate;
switching, based on the trick play command, playback of the content item from the first rate to a second rate; and
based on the information and on information indicating content types of one or more subsequent segments of the content item, selecting a subsequent segment of the content item and switching playback of the content item from the second rate back to the first rate; and
causing output of the subsequent segment by aligning a boundary of the subsequent segment with an end of the playback of the content item at the first rate.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving, by the computing device, a user input authorizing automatic switching of playback of the content item from the first rate to the second rate.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the switching playback of the content item from the second rate back to the first rate comprises causing output of the subsequent segment of the content item.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
outputting a message indicating automatic output of the subsequent segment,
wherein the message comprises an audio cue that alerts a user that the subsequent segment of the content item is approaching.

11. The method of claim 10 ,
wherein the message comprises an audio cue that alerts a user of the switching playback of the content item from the first rate to the second rate.

12. The method of claim 10 ,
wherein a timing of the output of the message is based on a start time of the subsequent segment.

13. The method of claim 7 ,
wherein a current segment comprises a commercial scene.

14. The method of claim 7 ,
wherein the information indicating the user preference regarding one or more types of content indicates that a current segment of the content item is objectionable to a user, and that the subsequent segment of the content item is not objectionable to the user.

15. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
based on a first user preference selecting a first tone for a first type of content and a second tone for a second type of content.

16. An apparatus comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
receive information indicating a user preference regarding one or more types of content;
receive a trick play command to skip a current segment of a content item;
cause output of a subsequent segment of the content item, wherein the causing is based on:
the trick play command;
the information indicating the user preference regarding one or more types of content; and
information indicating a type of the subsequent segment; and

output a message indicating automatic output of the subsequent segment.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
cause trick play output of the current segment,
wherein the causing output of the subsequent segment of the content item comprises:
causing output of the subsequent segment by aligning a boundary of the subsequent segment with an end of the trick play output of the current segment.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 ,
wherein a timing of the output of the message is based on a start time of the subsequent segment.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the information indicating the user preference regarding one or more types of content indicates that the current segment of the content item is objectionable to a user, and that the subsequent segment of the content item is not objectionable to the user.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 ,
wherein the message comprises an audio cue.

Assignees

• Comcast Cable Comm Llc

Inventors

• Gray Brian

Classifications

• H04N21/812

  involving advertisement data (advertising per se G06Q30/02) · CPC title

• H04N21/4394

  involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams (arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58) · CPC title

• H04N21/44008

  involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream (arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59) · CPC title

• H04N21/6587

  Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection · CPC title

• H04N21/435

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