Multi-option sourcing of content

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9288542-B2
Application number	US-201313972042-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2013
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

A content manager initiates play back of corresponding content on a display screen. The corresponding content is received on a primary broadcast channel selected amongst multiple available channels. During play back of the corresponding content, the content manager receives selection of over-the-top content available over a secondary channel with respect to the primary broadcast channel. The over-the-top content includes supplemental content associated with the corresponding content. In response to receiving the selection of over-the-top content, the content manager: i) retrieves the over-the-top content, and ii) initiates play back of the over-the-top content on the display screen. Accordingly, the user can selectively retrieve and play back supplemental content associated with a primary broadcast channel.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising:
on a display screen, initiating play back of corresponding content received on a primary broadcast channel selected amongst multiple available channels;
during the play back of the corresponding content on the display screen, receiving selection of over-the-top content available over a secondary channel with respect to the primary broadcast channel, the over-the-top content being supplemental content associated with the corresponding content in the primary broadcast channel; and
in response to receiving the selection during the play back: i) retrieving the over-the-top content, and ii) initiating play back of the over-the-top content on the display screen;
wherein the over-the-top content received on the secondary channel is linear scheduled content in which the over-the-top content is scheduled for distribution in the respective time slot, a first portion of the over-the-top content synchronized for playback at a time of playing back a first segment of the corresponding content, a second portion of the over-the-top content synchronized for playback at a time of playing back a second segment of the corresponding content;
wherein the over-the-top content is a data stream; and
wherein retrieving the over-the-top content includes:
obtaining timing information indicating a current play back location in the corresponding content played back on the display screen;
forwarding the timing information to a server resource distributing the over-the-top content, the server resource correlating the timing information to a corresponding location in the data stream;
from the server resource, receiving the over-the-top content at the corresponding location in the data stream; and
initiating, on the display screen, display of the over-the-top content at the corresponding location.

2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein availability of portions of the over-the-top content for play back on the display screen from the secondary channel varies depending on which particular portion of the corresponding content is being broadcasted to subscribers in a cable network environment.

3. The method as in claim 2 , wherein the primary broadcast channel is a linear channel in which the corresponding content is scheduled for broadcast in a respective time slot in the primary broadcast channel.

4. The method as in claim 3 , wherein the over-the-top content received on the secondary channel is non-video content, different portions of which are available depending on a location of the corresponding content being viewed on the display screen.

5. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:
storing the corresponding content received over the primary channel;
storing the over-the-top content received over the secondary channel, the over-the-top content time synchronized with respect to the corresponding content via synchronization information; and
utilizing the synchronization information to switch between play back of the corresponding content and the over-the-top content on the display screen.

6. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:
initiating display of a notification on the display screen during play back of a rendition of the corresponding content on the display screen, the notification indicating availability of the over-the-top content.

7. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:
storing the over-the-top content and the corresponding content in a digital video recorder accessible to a subscriber controlling play back of video on the display screen; and
initiating display of notification indicating that both the over-the-top content and the corresponding content have been stored in the digital video recorder.

8. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the over-the-top content is synchronized with respect to the corresponding content in the primary broadcast channel, the method further comprising:
playing back the corresponding content as a background image on the display screen; and
initiating display of the over-the-top content as an overlay with respect to the background image.

9. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the over-the-top content received on the secondary channel includes a content navigation guide from which a user viewing the display screen manually selects from the content navigation guide to retrieve selected content over the secondary channel.

10. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:
during the play back of the corresponding content, initiating display of a notification on the display screen, the displayed notification indicating availability of the over-the-top content for retrieval by a user viewing the display screen.

11. The method as in claim 10 , wherein the notification is assigned for providing notice of availability of the over-the-top content for selective play back with respect to a particular segment of the corresponding content received on the primary broadcast channel, the method further comprising:
in response to detecting current play back of the particular segment of the corresponding content on the display screen, initiating display of the notification indicating the availability of the over-the-top content.

12. The method as in claim 11 , wherein the over-the-top content includes relevant images associated with images in the particular segment of the corresponding content; and
wherein initiating display of the over-the-top content includes initiating display of the relevant images.

13. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:
during the play back of the corresponding content, initiating display of a display notification on the display screen, the display notification encoded in a segment of the corresponding content, display of the display notification indicating availability of the over-the-top content for retrieval.

14. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:
in response to receiving the selection:
discontinuing play back of the corresponding content on the display screen;
storing a pointer value, the pointer value specifying a location in the corresponding content where play back of the corresponding content was discontinued.

15. The method as in claim 14 further comprising:
during playback of the particular portion of the over-the-top content, receiving a command to resume play back of the corresponding content on the display screen; and
as specified by the command, resuming play back of the corresponding content at the location specified by the pointer value.

16. A method comprising:
initiating distribution of corresponding content over a primary broadcast channel of a communication link to a subscriber;
during playback of the corresponding content on a display screen, initiating display of a display notification to the subscriber, the display notification indicating availability of over-the-top content;
as a response to the display notification, receiving selection of the over-the-top content from the subscriber, the over-the-top content being supplemental content associated with the corresponding content distributed over the primary broadcast channel; and
in response to receiving the selection, transmitting the over-the-top content in a secondary channel of the communication link to the subscriber;
wherein the over-the-top content transmitted over the secondary channel is linear scheduled content in which the over-the-top content is scheduled for distribution in the respective time slot, a first portion of the over-the-top content synchronized for playback at a time of playing back a first segment of the corresponding content, a second portion of the over-the-top content synchron

Assignees

• Stern Peter
• Zelesko Matthew
• Time Warner Cable Entpr Llc

Inventors

• Stern Peter
• Zelesko Matthew

Classifications

• H04N21/4622

  Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet (web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859) · CPC title

• H04N21/4722 Primary

  for requesting additional data associated with the content · CPC title

• H04N21/4307

  Synchronising the rendering of multiple content streams or additional data on devices, e.g. synchronisation of audio on a mobile phone with the video output on the TV screen · CPC title

• H04N21/4312

  involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations · CPC title

• H04N21/8153

  comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image · CPC title