Dynamic multiple video ratings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9607656-B1
Application number	US-201514809909-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 27, 2015
Priority date	Jul 27, 2015
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

Techniques are described for providing playback of media content based on dynamic multiple video ratings. Scenes of media content can be associated with content indicators describing the types of activities within the scene. The content indicators can be used to generate ratings for scenes of the media content and the ratings can be used to modify playback of the media content, for example, by skipping playback of scenes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:
receiving, by one or more media servers, content indicators specifying types of content in scenes of media content;
generating, by the one or more media servers, ratings for the scenes within the media content based on the content indicators, the ratings indicating acceptability of the content in the scenes for viewing audiences;
receiving, by the one or more media servers, a request for playback of the media content from a client device;
providing, by the one or more media servers, data indicating fragments of scenes of the media content to the client device, and data representing the ratings of the scenes associated with the fragments to the client device;
receiving, by the one or more media servers, requests for fragments of scenes of the media content from the client device, the requested fragments corresponding to a first subset of the fragments indicated in the data and within a ratings range of acceptability corresponding to the ratings, and a second subset of the fragments indicated in the data and outside the ratings range of acceptability excluded from the requested fragments; and
providing, by the one or more media servers, the requested fragments to the client device for playback on the client device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content indicators are provided by users of the one or more media servers.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first scene is associated with a first combination of content indicators providing a first rating, a second scene is associated with a second combination of content indicators providing a second rating, the first rating being different than the second rating.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the requested fragments include fragments from the first scene and no fragments from the second scene.

5. A computing device comprising:
one or more processors and memory configured to:
generate ratings for scenes of media content representing content portrayed in each of the scenes, the media content including a sequence of fragments;
associate the ratings with the fragments;
provide, to a client device, the ratings for the fragments;
receive, from the client device, requests for a first subset of the fragments of the media content based on the provided ratings,
the ratings associated with the first subset of the fragments being within a ratings range corresponding to the ratings,
the requests from the client device excluding a second subset of the fragments of the media content based on the provided ratings, the ratings associated with the second subset of the fragments being outside of the ratings range;
and provide the first subset of the fragments to the client device.

6. The computing device of claim 5 , the one or more processors and memory further configured to:
generate content indicators specifying the content portrayed in each of the scenes based on an analysis of the scenes, wherein the ratings are generated based on the content indicators.

7. The computing device of claim 5 , the one or more processors and memory further configured to:
receive content indicators specifying the content portrayed in each of the scenes, wherein the ratings are generated based on the content indicators.

8. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein a first scene of the media content is associated with a first combination of content indicators providing a first rating, a second scene of the media content is associated with a second combination of content indicators providing a second rating, the first rating being different than the second rating.

9. The computing device of claim 5 , the one or more processors and memory further configured to:
cache one or more fragments of the media content based on the ratings.

10. A computer program product comprising one or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer instructions stored therein, the computer program instructions being configured such that, when executed by one or more computing devices, the computer program instructions cause the one or more computing devices to:
generate ratings for scenes of media content representing content portrayed in each of the scenes, the ratings indicating acceptability of the content in the scenes for viewing audiences, the media content including a sequence of fragments;
associate the ratings with the fragments;
provide, to a client device, the ratings for the fragments;
receive, from the client device, requests for a first subset of the fragments of the media content based on the provided ratings,
the ratings associated with the first subset of the fragments being within a ratings range of acceptability corresponding to the ratings,
the requests from the client device excluding a second subset of the fragments of the media content based on the provided ratings, the ratings associated with the second subset of fragments being outside of the ratings range of acceptability;
and provide the first subset of the fragments to the client device.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the computer program instructions further cause the one or more computing devices to:
generate content indicators specifying the content portrayed in each of the scenes based on an analysis of the scenes, wherein the ratings are generated based on the content indicators.

12. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the computer program instructions further cause the one or more computing devices to:
receive content indicators specifying the content portrayed in each of the scenes, wherein the ratings are generated based on the content indicators.

13. The computing program product of claim 12 , wherein a first scene of the media content is associated with a first combination of content indicators providing a first rating, a second scene of the media content is associated with a second combination of content indicators providing a second rating, the first rating being different than the second rating.

14. The computing program product of claim 10 , wherein the computer program instructions further cause the one or more computing devices to:
cache one or more fragments of the media content based on the ratings.

15. A computer program product comprising one or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer instructions stored therein, the computer program instructions being configured such that, when executed by one or more computing devices, the computer program instructions cause the one or more computing devices to:
request playback of media content;
receive ratings of scenes of the media content, the ratings indicating acceptability of the content in the scenes for viewing audiences;
receive a manifest indicating fragments of the media content available for playback;
correlate the fragments of the media content with the ratings of the scenes of the media content, the correlating including identifying a first subset of the fragments as being within a ratings range of acceptability and a second subset of the fragments as being outside the ratings range of acceptability;
request the first subset of fragments of the media content based on the correlation of the fragments with the ratings; and
receive the first subset of the requested fragments for playback.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the computer program instructions further cause the one or more computing devices to:
provide playback options of the media content based on the ratings of the scenes.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 , wh

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Serce Hakan

Classifications

• G11B27/11 Primary

  by using information not detectable on the record carrier · CPC title

• G11B27/005

  Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording (for television signals H04N5/783) · CPC title

• H04N5/93

  Regeneration of the television signal or of selected parts thereof · CPC title

• H04N21/4542

  Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes · CPC title

• G11B27/105

  of operating discs · CPC title