U.S. patent application number 14/502851 was filed with the patent office on 2016-03-31 for systems and methods for presenting user selected scenes.
The applicant listed for this patent is United Video Properties, Inc.. Invention is credited to Walter R. Klappert, Brian Peterson, David John Wheatley, Vanessa Wickenkamp.
Application Number | 20160094888 14/502851 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 55585912 |
Filed Date | 2016-03-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160094888 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Peterson; Brian ; et
al. |
March 31, 2016 |
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PRESENTING USER SELECTED SCENES
Abstract
Systems and methods are described herein for presenting user
selected scenes. A media guidance application may generate for
display a listing for a media asset, wherein a play length of the
media asset includes a non-selectable play length portion and a
selectable play length portion. The media guidance application may
generate for display a first scene option corresponding to a first
scene and a second scene option corresponding to a second scene.
The media guidance application may receive a user selection of the
first or second scene option and incorporate the selected scene
into the selectable play length portion of the media asset. The
media guidance application may generate for display the media asset
with the selected scene incorporated into the selectable play
length portion.
Inventors: |
Peterson; Brian;
(Barrington, IL) ; Wickenkamp; Vanessa; (Elmhurst,
IL) ; Wheatley; David John; (Tower Lakes, IL)
; Klappert; Walter R.; (Los Angeles, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
United Video Properties, Inc. |
Santa Clara |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
55585912 |
Appl. No.: |
14/502851 |
Filed: |
September 30, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
725/39 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 21/8456 20130101;
H04N 21/8541 20130101; H04N 21/4825 20130101; H04N 21/8133
20130101; H04N 21/4821 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04N 21/482 20060101
H04N021/482 |
Claims
1. A method for presenting user selected scenes, the method
comprising: generating for display a listing for a media asset,
wherein a play length of the media asset includes a non-selectable
play length portion and a selectable play length portion;
generating for display a first scene option, wherein the first
scene option corresponds to a first scene for incorporation into
the selectable play length portion; generating for display a second
scene option, wherein the second scene option corresponds to a
second scene for incorporation into the selectable play length
portion; receiving a user selection of the first scene option or
the second scene option; incorporating either the selected first
scene or the selected second scene into the selectable play length
portion of the media asset based on the user selection; and
generating for display the media asset with the either the selected
first scene or the selected second scene incorporated into the
selectable play length portion.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user selection is received
before a broadcast time of the media asset.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectable play length
portion of the media asset corresponds to a portion of the play
length in which one scene of a plurality of alternate scenes is
incorporated.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising incorporating the
first scene into the media asset if the user selection is not
received.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the media asset includes a
plurality of scenes, and wherein incorporating either the first
scene or the second scene into the selectable play length portion
comprises including the first scene or the second scene in the
plurality of scenes.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-selectable play length
portion and the selectable play length portion are presented in
series during playback of the play length.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein a play length of the first scene
equals a play length of the second scene.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the user selection of
the first scene or the second scene comprises receiving a user
selection of an actor, genre, location, or topic that corresponds
to the selected first scene or the selected second scene.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: automatically
selecting a third scene for incorporation into a second selectable
play length portion of the media asset, wherein the third scene
corresponds to either the selected first scene or the selected
second scene.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein automatically selecting the
third scene comprises comparing metadata associated with the
selected first scene or the selected second scene to metadata
associated with the third scene; and wherein the method further
comprises determining to automatically select the third scene based
on the metadata associated with the selected first scene or the
selected second scene corresponding to the metadata associated with
the third scene.
11. A system for presenting user selected scenes, the system
comprising: control circuitry configured to: generate for display a
listing for a media asset, wherein a play length of the media asset
includes a non-selectable play length portion and a selectable play
length portion; generate for display a first scene option, wherein
the first scene option corresponds to a first scene for
incorporation into the selectable play length portion; generate for
display a second scene option, wherein the second scene option
corresponds to a second scene for incorporation into the selectable
play length portion; receive a user selection of the first scene
option or the second scene option; incorporate either the selected
first scene or the selected second scene into the selectable play
length portion of the media asset based on the user selection; and
generate for display the media asset with the either the selected
first scene or the selected second scene incorporated into the
selectable play length portion.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein the user selection is received
before a broadcast time of the media asset.
13. The system of claim 11, wherein the selectable play length
portion of the media asset corresponds to a portion of the play
length in which one scene of a plurality of alternate scenes is
incorporated.
14. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is
further configured to incorporate the first scene into the media
asset if the user selection is not received.
15. The system of claim 11, wherein the media asset includes a
plurality of scenes, and wherein the control circuitry is
configured to incorporate either the first scene or the second
scene into the selectable play length portion by including the
first scene or the second scene in the plurality of scenes.
16. The system of claim 11, wherein the non-selectable play length
portion and the selectable play length portion are presented in
series during playback of the play length.
17. The system of claim 11, wherein a play length of the first
scene equals a play length of the second scene.
18. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is
configured to receive the user selection of the first scene or the
second scene by receiving a user selection of an actor, genre,
location, or topic that corresponds to the selected first scene or
the selected second scene.
19. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further
configured to: automatically select a third scene for incorporation
into a second selectable play length portion of the media asset,
wherein the third scene corresponds to either the selected first
scene or the selected second scene.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein the control circuitry is
configured to automatically select the third scene by comparing
metadata associated with the selected first scene or the selected
second scene to metadata associated with the third scene; and
wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine to
automatically select the third scene based on the metadata
associated with the selected first scene or the selected second
scene corresponding to the metadata associated with the third
scene.
21-50. (canceled)
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] Media assets, such as television programs, are typically
passively consumed by end users, with no additional interaction
required by the end user. For example, a traditional television
program comprises a series of scenes which are presented to the end
user in a particular order. Every end user of the television
program and rebroadcasts/replays of the television program may
receive the same series of scenes in the same order as the original
broadcast. However, certain scenes of the media asset may not be
critical to a central plot of the media asset. The end user may
wish to replace such non-critical scenes with alternate scenes that
are more suitable to their preferences. Furthermore, the end user
may wish to make such selections of alternate scenes in real time,
during playback of the media asset, thus increasing the interaction
with the media asset.
SUMMARY
[0002] Accordingly, systems and methods are described herein for
presenting media assets with user selected scenes. For example, in
order to increase the appeal of a particular media asset and/or to
increase the appeal of repeated viewings of a particular media
asset, a media guidance application may customize the content of
the media asset to the tastes and/or preferences of the user.
Moreover, the media guidance application may customize the media
asset by replacing default scenes of a media asset with alternate
scenes of the media assets.
[0003] While the default scenes of the media asset may include
subject matter, viewpoints, characters, plot lines, etc.,
originally selected (e.g., by the creator of the media asset) to be
depicted in the media asset, the media guidance application may
replace one or more default scenes with one or more alternate
scenes that include different or slightly modified subject matter,
viewpoints, characters, plot lines, etc., than that presented in
the default scenes. Furthermore, the alternate scenes may be
selected by the user based on the particular subject matter,
viewpoints, characters, plot lines, etc. that the user wishes to
consume.
[0004] In addition, the media guidance application may present the
user with options for the alternate scenes that inform the user
about the particular subject matter, viewpoints, characters, plot
lines, etc., found in each of the one or more alternate scenes. The
options may be presented to the user before or during playback of
the media asset, and the media guidance application may inform the
user of not only the presence of the alternate scenes but also the
location of the alternate scenes in the play length of the media
asset.
[0005] According to one aspect, a media guidance application may
present user selected scenes by generating for display a listing
for a media asset, wherein a play length of the media asset
includes a non-selectable play length portion and a selectable play
length portion. For example, the media guidance application may
include a portion with one or more default scenes that cannot be
replaced with alternate scenes and a portion with one or more
default scenes that can be replaced with alternate scenes.
[0006] The media guidance application may also generate for display
a first scene option, wherein the first scene option corresponds to
a first scene for incorporation into the selectable play length
portion, and a second scene option, wherein the second scene option
corresponds to a second scene for incorporation into the selectable
play length portion. For example, the first scene and the second
scene may represent alternate scenes with which the user can
replace a default scene.
[0007] The media guidance application may receive a user selection
of the first scene option or the second scene option. For example,
the media guidance application may receive a user selection of a
scene that corresponds to the particular subject matter,
viewpoints, characters, plot lines, etc., with which the user
wishes to view while consuming the media asset. In some
embodiments, the user selection may be received before a broadcast
time of the media asset and/or during playback of the media
asset.
[0008] The media guidance application may further incorporate
either the selected first scene or the selected second scene into
the selectable play length portion of the media asset based on the
user selection. For example, in response to a user selecting an
alternate scene that features a particular character, the media
guidance application may replace a default scene that features a
different character in the media asset with the selected alternate
scene.
[0009] The media guidance application may then generate for display
the media asset with the either the selected first scene or the
selected second scene incorporated into the selectable play length
portion. For example, the media guidance application may begin
playback of the media asset in which default scenes and any
alternate scenes selected by the user are seamlessly
intertwined.
[0010] In some embodiments, the first scene option may correspond
to a default scene, and the second scene option may correspond to
an alternate scene. For example, a first scene option may
correspond to an editor's recommendation for viewing the media
asset, and the second scene may correspond to a recommendation from
another entity. Alternatively or additionally, the first scene may
represent a scene that is automatically incorporated into the media
asset if a user selection is not received.
[0011] In some embodiments, a play length of the first scene may
equal the play length of the second scene. For example, the
incorporation of an alternate scene may not affect the total play
length of a media asset and/or the point in the play length of the
media asset at which a different scene is scheduled to be
presented.
[0012] In some embodiments, the selectable play length portion
and/or the non-selectable play length portion may comprise one or
more scenes of the media asset, and the selectable play length
portion of the media asset may correspond to a portion of the play
length in which one scene of a plurality of alternate scenes is
incorporated. In some embodiments, the media asset may include a
plurality of scenes, and the media guidance application may
incorporate either the first scene or the second scene into the
selectable play length portion by including the first scene or the
second scene in the plurality of scenes. In some embodiments, the
non-selectable play length portion and the selectable play length
portion are presented in series during playback of the play length.
For instance, the selectable play length and non-selectable play
length may comprise one or more scenes that are presented in a
particular order during playback of the media asset.
[0013] In some embodiments, the media guidance application may
receive the user selection of the first scene or the second scene
by receiving a user selection of an actor, genre, location, or
topic that corresponds to the selected first scene or the selected
second scene. For example, the user may indicate a favorite actor,
and the media guidance application may automatically select either
the first scene or the second scene associated with the indicated
actor. In some embodiments, the media guidance application may
automatically select a third scene for incorporation into a second
selectable play length portion of the media asset. The third scene
may correspond to either the selected first scene or the selected
second scene. As an illustrative example, the third scene and the
selected first or second scene may share a common characteristic,
such as an actor, genre, theme, topic, or any other suitable
characteristic. In some embodiments, the media guidance application
may automatically select the third scene by comparing metadata
associated with the selected first scene or the selected second
scene to metadata associated with the third scene. The media
guidance application may automatically select the third scene based
on the metadata associated with the selected first scene or the
selected second scene corresponding to the metadata associated with
the third scene.
[0014] According to another aspect, the media guidance application
may present user selected scenes by generating for display a
progress bar for a media asset that graphically represents a user's
progress through a play length of the media asset. For example, the
progress bar may correspond to an on-screen graphic that indicates
a point in the play length of the media asset at which that user is
currently viewing.
[0015] The media guidance application may determine a location on
the progress bar that corresponds to a first point in the play
length at which the user is presented with an option to select one
of a first scene and a second scene for incorporation into the
media asset. For example, the media guidance application may
determine that at the 15 minute mark in the play length of the
media asset the user will be presented with the option to select
one or more alternate scenes.
[0016] The media guidance application may generate for display a
graphic representation of the option at the location. As an
illustrative example, the media guidance application may overlay
onto the progress bar an icon representing either one or both of
the first and second scenes. In some embodiments, the graphic
representation of the option may be generated for display during
playback of the media asset and/or prior to playback of the media
asset.
[0017] In some embodiments, playback of the media asset may be
automatically paused at the first point in the play length, and the
graphic representation of the option may be generated for display
while the playback of the media asset is paused. For example, in
response to determining that an alternate scene is available, the
media guidance application may pause playback of the media asset in
order to allow the user to select an alternate scene.
[0018] In some embodiments, the media guidance application may
automatically select the first scene for display after a period of
time subsequent to pausing the playback of the media asset. For
example, the media guidance application may wait for a timeout
period of time before automatically selecting a default scene for
display.
[0019] In some embodiments, the graphic representation of the
option may inform the user about the content of the alternate
scenes. For example, the graphic representation of the option may
include a first thumbnail corresponding to the first scene and a
second thumbnail corresponding to the second scene. Alternatively
or additionally, the graphic representation of the option may
include a description of the first scene and a description of the
second scene.
[0020] In some embodiments, the media guidance application may
inform the user about the content of the alternate scenes upon the
user selecting a graphic representation of that scene. For example,
the media guidance application may generate for display a
description of the first scene and a description of the second
scene upon a user selection of the graphic representation of the
option.
[0021] In some embodiments, the media guidance application may
alert the user to the approach of a point in the play length of the
media asset at which alternate scenes are available. For example,
the media guidance application may graphically accentuate the
graphic representation of the option as playback of the media asset
nears the first point in the play length. For example, the media
guidance application may graphically accentuate the graphic
representation by altering the size, shape, color, animation, or
otherwise graphically distinguishing the graphic
representation.
[0022] It should be noted that the systems and/or methods described
above may be applied to, or used in accordance with, other systems,
methods and/or apparatuses.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] The above and other objects and advantages of the disclosure
will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed
description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,
in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout,
and in which:
[0024] FIG. 1 shows an illustrative example of a display screen for
use in accessing media content in accordance with some embodiments
of the disclosure;
[0025] FIG. 2 shows another illustrative example of a display
screen used to access media content in accordance with some
embodiments of the disclosure;
[0026] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an illustrative user equipment
device in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;
[0027] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an illustrative media system in
accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;
[0028] FIG. 5 shows an illustrative screen for selecting user
selected scenes in accordance with some embodiments of the
disclosure;
[0029] FIG. 6 shows an illustrative media progress screen in
accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;
[0030] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of illustrative steps for presenting
user selected scenes in accordance with some embodiments of the
disclosure;
[0031] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of another set of illustrative steps
for presenting user selected scenes in accordance with some
embodiments of the disclosure; and
[0032] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of another set of illustrative steps
for presenting user selected scenes in accordance with some
embodiments of the disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0033] The amount of content available to users in any given
content delivery system can be substantial. Consequently, many
users desire a form of media guidance through an interface that
allows users to efficiently navigate content selections, easily
identify content that they may desire, and/or consume the selected
content. An application that provides such guidance is referred to
herein as an interactive media guidance application or, sometimes,
a media guidance application or a guidance application.
[0034] Interactive media guidance applications may take various
forms depending on the content for which they provide guidance. One
typical type of media guidance application is an interactive
television program guide. Interactive television program guides
(sometimes referred to as electronic program guides) are well-known
guidance applications that, among other things, allow users to
navigate among and locate many types of content or media assets.
Interactive media guidance applications may generate graphical user
interface screens that enable a user to navigate among, locate and
select content. As referred to herein, the terms "media asset" and
"content" should be understood to mean an electronically consumable
user asset, such as television programming, as well as pay-per-view
programs, on-demand programs (as in video-on-demand (VOD) systems),
Internet content (e.g., streaming content, downloadable content,
Webcasts, etc.), video clips, audio, content information, pictures,
rotating images, text documents, playlists, websites, articles,
books, electronic books, blogs, advertisements, chat sessions,
social media, applications, games, and/or any other media or
multimedia and/or combination of the same. Guidance applications
also allow users to navigate among and locate content. As referred
to herein, the term "multimedia" should be understood to mean
content that utilizes at least two different content forms
described above, for example, text, audio, images, video, or
interactivity content forms. Content may be recorded, played,
displayed or accessed by user equipment devices, but can also be
part of a live performance.
[0035] The media guidance application and/or any instructions for
performing any of the embodiments discussed herein may be encoded
on computer readable media. Computer readable media includes any
media capable of storing data. The computer readable media may be
transitory, including, but not limited to, propagating electrical
or electromagnetic signals, or may be non-transitory including, but
not limited to, volatile and non-volatile computer memory or
storage devices such as a hard disk, floppy disk, USB drive, DVD,
CD, media cards, register memory, processor caches, Random Access
Memory ("RAM"), etc.
[0036] With the advent of the Internet, mobile computing, and
high-speed wireless networks, users are accessing media on user
equipment devices on which they traditionally did not. As referred
to herein, the phrase "user equipment device," "user equipment,"
"user device," "electronic device," "electronic equipment," "media
equipment device," or "media device" should be understood to mean
any device for accessing the content described above, such as a
television, a Smart TV, a set-top box, an integrated receiver
decoder (IRD) for handling satellite television, a digital storage
device, a digital media receiver (DMR), a digital media adapter
(DMA), a streaming media device, a DVD player, a DVD recorder, a
connected DVD, a local media server, a BLU-RAY player, a BLU-RAY
recorder, a personal computer (PC), a laptop computer, a tablet
computer, a WebTV box, a personal computer television (PC/TV), a PC
media server, a PC media center, a hand-held computer, a stationary
telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile telephone,
a portable video player, a portable music player, a portable gaming
machine, a smart phone, or any other television equipment,
computing equipment, or wireless device, and/or combination of the
same. In some embodiments, the user equipment device may have a
front facing screen and a rear facing screen, multiple front
screens, or multiple angled screens. In some embodiments, the user
equipment device may have a front facing camera and/or a rear
facing camera. On these user equipment devices, users may be able
to navigate among and locate the same content available through a
television. Consequently, media guidance may be available on these
devices, as well. The guidance provided may be for content
available only through a television, for content available only
through one or more of other types of user equipment devices, or
for content available both through a television and one or more of
the other types of user equipment devices. The media guidance
applications may be provided as on-line applications (i.e.,
provided on a web-site), or as stand-alone applications or clients
on user equipment devices. Various devices and platforms that may
implement media guidance applications are described in more detail
below.
[0037] Systems and methods are described herein for presenting user
selected scenes. Although the systems and methods described herein
are discussed in relation to video programs, the systems and
methods described herein may be utilized with any suitable type of
media, including, but not limited to, video, audio, or images. As
used herein, "scene" may refer to any unit of action or segment of
a media asset, typically with a unified theme or topic. For
example, a scene may refer to a specific chapter, setting, act,
etc., of a media asset. In some embodiments, a scene may correspond
to a particular portion of a media asset. For example, a particular
scene may correspond to a point in the play length of the media
asset at which the scene begins and a point in the play length of
the media asset at which the scene ends. For example, the beginning
of a scene may correspond to the thirty second mark in the play
length of the media asset and the end of the scene may correspond
to the one-minute mark of the play length of the media asset.
Accordingly, the portion of the media asset that corresponds to the
scene may be the portion of the media asset that corresponds from
the thirty second mark in the play length of the media asset to the
one-minute mark in the play length of the media asset.
[0038] A media guidance application may present user selected
scenes by generating for display a listing for a media asset,
wherein a play length of the media asset includes a non-selectable
play length portion and a selectable play length portion. As used
herein, a "portion" of a media asset may refer to any part,
division, fragment, segment, or any other part of the media asset
that is less than the entire media asset. For example, a portion of
a media asset may refer to any part of the media asset with a
playback length that is less than the entire play length of the
media asset. A "non-selectable" play length portion may be a
portion of the media asset that the end user may not select and/or
interact with. For example, the non-selectable play length portion
may be a portion of the media asset that has been originally
selected (e.g., by the original creator of the media asset or by
the content provider) and which may not be replaced by another
scene. A "selectable" play length portion may be a portion of the
media asset which an end user may replace with an alternate scene.
For example, as discussed in further detail below, the media
guidance application may generate for display options for alternate
scenes, and the end user may select one of the alternate scenes for
incorporation into the media asset.
[0039] As used herein, a "default" scene may be any scene which is
scheduled to be incorporated into a media asset absent any input
from the user. In some embodiments, the default scene may be a
scene that has been originally selected for incorporation into the
media asset, for example by the original creator of the media asset
or by a content provider. An "alternate" scene may be any scene
other than the default scene that may be incorporated into the
media asset subsequent to a user request to incorporate the
alternate scene. In some embodiments, the alternate scene may
replace a corresponding default scene. The alternate scene may also
have the same playback length as the default scene in order to
facilitate the exchange of the default scene and the alternate
scene.
[0040] The media guidance application may also generate for display
a first scene option, wherein the first scene option corresponds to
a first scene for incorporation into the selectable play length
portion, and a second scene option, wherein the second scene option
corresponds to a second scene for incorporation into the selectable
play length portion. For example, the first scene and the second
scene may represent alternate scenes with which the user can
replace a default scene.
[0041] The media guidance application may receive a user selection
of the first scene option or the second scene option. For example,
the media guidance application may receive a user selection of a
scene that corresponds to the particular subject matter,
viewpoints, characters, plot lines, etc., with which the user
wishes to view while consuming the media asset. In some
embodiments, the user selection may be received before a broadcast
time of the media asset and/or during playback of the media
asset.
[0042] The media guidance application may further incorporate
either the selected first scene or the selected second scene into
the selectable play length portion of the media asset based on the
user selection. For example, in response to a user selecting an
alternate scene that features a particular character, the media
guidance application may replace a default scene that features a
different character in the media asset with the selected alternate
scene.
[0043] The media guidance application may then generate for display
the media asset with the either the selected first scene or the
selected second scene incorporated into the selectable play length
portion. For example, the media guidance application may begin
playback of the media asset in which default scenes and any
alternate scenes selected by the user are seamlessly
intertwined.
[0044] In some embodiments, the first scene option may correspond
to a default scene, and the second scene option may correspond to
an alternate scene. For example, a first scene option may
correspond to an editor's recommendation for viewing the media
asset, and the second scene may correspond to a recommendation from
another entity. Alternatively or additionally, the first scene may
represent a scene that is automatically incorporated into the media
asset if a user selection is not received.
[0045] In some embodiments, a play length of the first scene may
equal the play length of the second scene. For example, the
incorporation of an alternate scene may not affect the total play
length of a media asset and/or the point in the play length of the
media asset at which a different scene is scheduled to be
presented.
[0046] In some embodiments, the selectable play length portion
and/or the non-selectable play length portion may comprise one or
more scenes of the media asset, and the selectable play length
portion of the media asset may correspond to a portion of the play
length in which one scene of a plurality of alternate scenes is
incorporated. In some embodiments, the media asset may include a
plurality of scenes, and the media guidance application may
incorporate either the first scene or the second scene into the
selectable play length portion by including the first scene or the
second scene in the plurality of scenes. In some embodiments, the
non-selectable play length portion and the selectable play length
portion are presented in series during playback of the play length.
For instance, the selectable play length and non-selectable play
length may comprise one or more scenes that are presented in a
particular order during playback of the media asset.
[0047] In some embodiments, the media guidance application may
receive the user selection of the first scene or the second scene
by receiving a user selection of an actor, genre, location, or
topic that corresponds to the selected first scene or the selected
second scene. For example, the user may indicate a favorite actor,
and the media guidance application may automatically select either
the first scene or the second scene associated with the indicated
actor. In some embodiments, the media guidance application may
automatically select a third scene for incorporation into a second
selectable play length portion of the media asset. The third scene
may correspond to either the selected first scene or the selected
second scene. As an illustrative example, the third scene and the
selected first or second scene may share a common characteristic,
such as an actor, genre, theme, topic, or any other suitable
characteristic. In some embodiments, the media guidance application
may automatically select the third scene by comparing metadata
associated with the selected first scene or the selected second
scene to metadata associated with the third scene. The media
guidance application may automatically select the third scene based
on the metadata associated with the selected first scene or the
selected second scene corresponding to the metadata associated with
the third scene.
[0048] According to some embodiments, the media guidance
application may present user selected scenes by generating for
display a progress bar for a media asset that graphically
represents a user's progress through a play length of the media
asset. As used herein, a "progress bar" may be any indicator used
to visualize a user's progress through a media asset. In some
embodiments, a user's progress may be the furthest point in
playback of a media asset that the user has consumed. For example,
the progress bar may correspond to an on-screen graphic that
indicates a point in the play length of the media asset at which
the user is currently viewing.
[0049] The media guidance application may determine a location on
the progress bar that corresponds to a first point in the play
length at which the user is presented with an option to select one
of a first scene and a second scene for incorporation into the
media asset. For example, the media guidance application may
determine that at the 15 minute mark in the play length of the
media asset the user will be presented with the option to select
one or more alternate scenes.
[0050] The media guidance application may generate for display a
graphic representation of the option at the location. As an
illustrative example, the media guidance application may overlay
onto the progress bar an icon representing either one or both of
the first and second scenes. In some embodiments, the graphic
representation of the option may be generated for display during
playback of the media asset and/or prior to playback of the media
asset.
[0051] It should be noted that a graphic representation may, in
some embodiments, include and/or correspond to video, audio, and/or
textual data. For example, the graphic representation may include
any object, sound, and/or word that communicates to a user the
presence of and/or location of an option to select alternate
scenes. For example, in some embodiments, a graphic representation
may be located on a progress bar, and the location of the graphic
representation on the progress bar may inform the user of the
location of the option. In another example, the graphic
representation (e.g., located next to a listing of a media asset)
may only inform the user that the media asset includes an option
for alternate scenes.
[0052] In some embodiments, the media asset may continue to play
while the graphic representation is displayed to the user. In some
embodiments, playback of the media asset may be automatically
paused at the first point in the play length, and the graphic
representation of the option may be generated for display while the
playback of the media asset is paused. For example, in response to
determining that an alternate scene is available, the media
guidance application may pause play back of the media asset in
order to allow the user to select an alternate scene.
[0053] In some embodiments, the media guidance application may
automatically select the first scene for display after a period of
time subsequent to pausing the playback of the media asset. For
example, the media guidance application may wait for a timeout
period of time before automatically selecting a default scene for
display.
[0054] In some embodiments, the graphic representation of the
option may inform the user about the content of the alternate
scenes. For example, the graphic representation of the option may
include a first thumbnail corresponding to the first scene and a
second thumbnail corresponding to the second scene. Alternatively
or additionally, the graphic representation of the option may
include a description of the first scene and a description of the
second scene.
[0055] In some embodiments, the media guidance application may
inform the user about the content of the alternate scenes upon the
user selecting a graphic representation of that scene. For example,
the media guidance application may generate for display a
description of the first scene and a description of the second
scene upon a user selection of the graphic representation of the
option.
[0056] In some embodiments, the media guidance application may
alert the user to the approach of a point in the play length of the
media asset at which alternate scenes are available. For example,
the media guidance application may graphically accentuate the
graphic representation of the option as playback of the media asset
nears the first point in the play length. As used herein, to
"graphically accentuate" the graphic representation means any
change in visual characteristics of the graphic representation that
visually distinguishes the graphic representation. For example, the
media guidance application may graphically accentuate the graphic
representation by altering the size, shape, color, animation, or
otherwise visually distinguishing the graphic representation. As an
illustrative example, the media guidance application may increase
the size of the graphic representation by 50% and change the text
to bold as playback of the media asset nears the first point in the
play length.
[0057] As another illustrative example, the media guidance
application may generate for display the graphic icon with only
screenshots of the alternate scenes, and as playback nears the
first point in the play length, the media guidance application may
increase the size of the graphic representation and add text
descriptions to each of the scenes. As yet another illustrative
example, the media guidance application may generate for display
the graphic representation as a dot overlaid onto the progress bar.
As playback nears the first point in the play length, the media
guidance application may change the graphic representation to
display screenshots of each of the scenes available for
incorporation at the first point. In this manner, the user's
attention may be drawn towards the graphic representation before
the first point in the play length in order to receive their input
regarding a selectable portion of the media asset. It should be
noted that in some embodiments a graphic representation may be
graphically accentuated by modifying other characteristics of the
graphic representation. For example, in some embodiments,
graphically accentuating a graphic representation may including
modifying audio and/or textual data associated with the graphic
representation.
[0058] One of the functions of the media guidance application is to
provide media guidance data to users. As referred to herein, the
phrase "media guidance data" or "guidance data" should be
understood to mean any data related to content or data used in
operating the guidance application. For example, the guidance data
may include program information, guidance application settings,
user preferences, user profile information, media listings,
media-related information (e.g., broadcast times, broadcast
channels, titles, descriptions, ratings information (e.g., parental
control ratings, critic's ratings, etc.), genre or category
information, actor information, logo data for broadcasters' or
providers' logos, etc.), media format (e.g., standard definition,
high definition, 3D, etc.), advertisement information (e.g., text,
images, media clips, etc.), on-demand information, blogs, websites,
and any other type of guidance data that is helpful for a user to
navigate among and locate desired content selections.
[0059] FIGS. 1-2 show illustrative display screens that may be used
to provide media guidance data and media assets. The display
screens shown in FIGS. 1-2 may be implemented on any suitable user
equipment device or platform. While the displays of FIGS. 1-2 are
illustrated as full screen displays, they may also be fully or
partially overlaid over content being displayed. A user may
indicate a desire to access content information by selecting a
selectable option provided in a display screen (e.g., a menu
option, a listings option, an icon, a hyperlink, etc.) or pressing
a dedicated button (e.g., a GUIDE button) on a remote control or
other user input interface or device. In response to the user's
indication, the media guidance application may provide a display
screen with media guidance data organized in one of several ways,
such as by time and channel in a grid, by time, by channel, by
source, by content type, by category (e.g., movies, sports, news,
children, or other categories of programming), or other predefined,
user-defined, or other organization criterion.
[0060] FIG. 1 shows illustrative grid program listings display 100
arranged by time and channel that also enables access to different
types of content in a single display. Display 100 may include grid
102 with: (1) a column of channel/content type identifiers 104,
where each channel/content type identifier (which is a cell in the
column) identifies a different channel or content type available;
and (2) a row of time identifiers 106, where each time identifier
(which is a cell in the row) identifies a time block of
programming. Grid 102 also includes cells of program listings, such
as program listing 108, where each listing provides the title of
the program provided on the listing's associated channel and time.
With a user input device, a user can select program listings by
moving highlight region 110. Information relating to the program
listing selected by highlight region 110 may be provided in program
information region 112. Region 112 may include, for example, the
program title, the program description, the time the program is
provided (if applicable), the channel the program is on (if
applicable), the program's rating, and other desired
information.
[0061] In addition to providing access to linear programming (e.g.,
content that is scheduled to be transmitted to a plurality of user
equipment devices at a predetermined time and is provided according
to a schedule), the media guidance application also provides access
to non-linear programming (e.g., content accessible to a user
equipment device at any time and is not provided according to a
schedule). Non-linear programming may include content from
different content sources including on-demand content (e.g., VOD),
Internet content (e.g., streaming media, downloadable media, etc.),
locally stored content (e.g., content stored on any user equipment
device described above or other storage device), or other
time-independent content. On-demand content may include movies or
any other content provided by a particular content provider (e.g.,
HBO On Demand providing "The Sopranos" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm").
HBO ON DEMAND is a service mark owned by Time Warner Company L.P.
et al. and THE SOPRANOS and CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM are trademarks
owned by the Home Box Office, Inc. Internet content may include web
events, such as a chat session or Webcast, or content available
on-demand as streaming content or downloadable content through an
Internet web site or other Internet access (e.g. FTP).
[0062] Grid 102 may provide media guidance data for non-linear
programming including on-demand listing 114, recorded content
listing 116, and Internet content listing 118. A display combining
media guidance data for content from different types of content
sources is sometimes referred to as a "mixed-media" display.
Various permutations of the types of media guidance data that may
be displayed that are different than display 100 may be based on
user selection or guidance application definition (e.g., a display
of only recorded and broadcast listings, only on-demand and
broadcast listings, etc.). As illustrated, listings 114, 116, and
118 are shown as spanning the entire time block displayed in grid
102 to indicate that selection of these listings may provide access
to a display dedicated to on-demand listings, recorded listings, or
Internet listings, respectively. In some embodiments, listings for
these content types may be included directly in grid 102.
Additional media guidance data may be displayed in response to the
user selecting one of the navigational icons 120. (Pressing an
arrow key on a user input device may affect the display in a
similar manner as selecting navigational icons 120.)
[0063] Display 100 may also include video region 122, advertisement
124, and options region 126. Video region 122 may allow the user to
view and/or preview programs that are currently available, will be
available, or were available to the user. The content of video
region 122 may correspond to, or be independent from, one of the
listings displayed in grid 102. Grid displays including a video
region are sometimes referred to as picture-in-guide (PIG)
displays. PIG displays and their functionalities are described in
greater detail in Satterfield et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,564,378,
issued May 13, 2003 and Yuen et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,239,794, issued
May 29, 2001, which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in
their entireties. PIG displays may be included in other media
guidance application display screens of the embodiments described
herein.
[0064] Advertisement 124 may provide an advertisement for content
that, depending on a viewer's access rights (e.g., for subscription
programming), is currently available for viewing, will be available
for viewing in the future, or may never become available for
viewing, and may correspond to or be unrelated to one or more of
the content listings in grid 102. Advertisement 124 may also be for
products or services related or unrelated to the content displayed
in grid 102. Advertisement 124 may be selectable and provide
further information about content, provide information about a
product or a service, enable purchasing of content, a product, or a
service, provide content relating to the advertisement, etc.
Advertisement 124 may be targeted based on a user's
profile/preferences, monitored user activity, the type of display
provided, or on other suitable targeted advertisement bases.
[0065] While advertisement 124 is shown as rectangular or banner
shaped, advertisements may be provided in any suitable size, shape,
and location in a guidance application display. For example,
advertisement 124 may be provided as a rectangular shape that is
horizontally adjacent to grid 102. This is sometimes referred to as
a panel advertisement. In addition, advertisements may be overlaid
over content or a guidance application display or embedded within a
display. Advertisements may also include text, images, rotating
images, video clips, or other types of content described above.
Advertisements may be stored in a user equipment device having a
guidance application, in a database connected to the user
equipment, in a remote location (including streaming media
servers), or on other storage means, or a combination of these
locations. Providing advertisements in a media guidance application
is discussed in greater detail in, for example, Knudson et al.,
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0110499, filed Jan.
17, 2003; Ward, I I I et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,756,997, issued Jun.
29, 2004; and Schein et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,388,714, issued May 14,
2002, which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their
entireties. It will be appreciated that advertisements may be
included in other media guidance application display screens of the
embodiments described herein.
[0066] Options region 126 may allow the user to access different
types of content, media guidance application displays, and/or media
guidance application features. Options region 126 may be part of
display 100 (and other display screens described herein), or may be
invoked by a user by selecting an on-screen option or pressing a
dedicated or assignable button on a user input device. The
selectable options within options region 126 may concern features
related to program listings in grid 102 or may include options
available from a main menu display. Features related to program
listings may include searching for other air times or ways of
receiving a program, recording a program, enabling series recording
of a program, setting program and/or channel as a favorite,
purchasing a program, or other features. Options available from a
main menu display may include search options, VOD options, parental
control options, Internet options, cloud-based options, device
synchronization options, second screen device options, options to
access various types of media guidance data displays, options to
subscribe to a premium service, options to edit a user's profile,
options to access a browse overlay, or other options.
[0067] The media guidance application may be personalized based on
a user's preferences. A personalized media guidance application
allows a user to customize displays and features to create a
personalized "experience" with the media guidance application. This
personalized experience may be created by allowing a user to input
these customizations and/or by the media guidance application
monitoring user activity to determine various user preferences.
Users may access their personalized guidance application by logging
in or otherwise identifying themselves to the guidance application.
Customization of the media guidance application may be made in
accordance with a user profile. The customizations may include
varying presentation schemes (e.g., color scheme of displays, font
size of text, etc.), aspects of content listings displayed (e.g.,
only HDTV or only 3D programming, user-specified broadcast channels
based on favorite channel selections, re-ordering the display of
channels, recommended content, etc.), desired recording features
(e.g., recording or series recordings for particular users,
recording quality, etc.), parental control settings, customized
presentation of Internet content (e.g., presentation of social
media content, e-mail, electronically delivered articles, etc.) and
other desired customizations.
[0068] The media guidance application may allow a user to provide
user profile information or may automatically compile user profile
information. The media guidance application may, for example,
monitor the content the user accesses and/or other interactions the
user may have with the guidance application. Additionally, the
media guidance application may obtain all or part of other user
profiles that are related to a particular user (e.g., from other
web sites on the Internet the user accesses, such as
www.allrovi.com, from other media guidance applications the user
accesses, from other interactive applications the user accesses,
from another user equipment device of the user, etc.), and/or
obtain information about the user from other sources that the media
guidance application may access. As a result, a user can be
provided with a unified guidance application experience across the
user's different user equipment devices. This type of user
experience is described in greater detail below in connection with
FIG. 4. Additional personalized media guidance application features
are described in greater detail in Ellis et al., U.S. Patent
Application Publication No. 2005/0251827, filed Jul. 11, 2005,
Boyer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,165,098, issued Jan. 16, 2007, and
Ellis et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0174430,
filed Feb. 21, 2002, which are hereby incorporated by reference
herein in their entireties.
[0069] Another display arrangement for providing media guidance is
shown in FIG. 2. Video mosaic display 200 includes selectable
options 202 for content information organized based on content
type, genre, and/or other organization criterion. In display 200,
television listings option 204 is selected, thus providing listings
206, 208, 210, and 212 as broadcast program listings. In display
200 the listings may provide graphical images including cover art,
still images from the content, video clip previews, live video from
the content, or other types of content that indicate to a user the
content being described by the media guidance data in the listing.
Each of the graphical listings may also be accompanied by text to
provide further information about the content associated with the
listing. For example, listing 208 may include more than one
portion, including media portion 214 and text portion 216. Media
portion 214 and/or text portion 216 may be selectable to view
content in full-screen or to view information related to the
content displayed in media portion 214 (e.g., to view listings for
the channel that the video is displayed on).
[0070] The listings in display 200 are of different sizes (i.e.,
listing 206 is larger than listings 208, 210, and 212), but if
desired, all the listings may be the same size. Listings may be of
different sizes or graphically accentuated to indicate degrees of
interest to the user or to emphasize certain content, as desired by
the content provider or based on user preferences. Various systems
and methods for graphically accentuating content listings are
discussed in, for example, Yates, U.S. Patent Application
Publication No. 2010/0153885, filed Dec. 29, 2005, which is hereby
incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
[0071] Users may access content and the media guidance application
(and its display screens described above and below) from one or
more of their user equipment devices. FIG. 3 shows a generalized
embodiment of illustrative user equipment device 300. More specific
implementations of user equipment devices are discussed below in
connection with FIG. 4. User equipment device 300 may receive
content and data via input/output (hereinafter "I/O") path 302. I/O
path 302 may provide content (e.g., broadcast programming,
on-demand programming, Internet content, content available over a
local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN), and/or other
content) and data to control circuitry 304, which includes
processing circuitry 306 and storage 308. Control circuitry 304 may
be used to send and receive commands, requests, and other suitable
data using I/O path 302. I/O path 302 may connect control circuitry
304 (and specifically processing circuitry 306) to one or more
communications paths (described below). I/O functions may be
provided by one or more of these communications paths, but are
shown as a single path in FIG. 3 to avoid overcomplicating the
drawing.
[0072] Control circuitry 304 may be based on any suitable
processing circuitry such as processing circuitry 306. As referred
to herein, processing circuitry should be understood to mean
circuitry based on one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers,
digital signal processors, programmable logic devices,
field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific
integrated circuits (ASICs), etc., and may include a multi-core
processor (e.g., dual-core, quad-core, hexa-core, or any suitable
number of cores) or supercomputer. In some embodiments, processing
circuitry may be distributed across multiple separate processors or
processing units, for example, multiple of the same type of
processing units (e.g., two Intel Core i7 processors) or multiple
different processors (e.g., an Intel Core i5 processor and an Intel
Core i7 processor). In some embodiments, control circuitry 304
executes instructions for a media guidance application stored in
memory (i.e., storage 308). Specifically, control circuitry 304 may
be instructed by the media guidance application to perform the
functions discussed above and below. For example, the media
guidance application may provide instructions to control circuitry
304 to generate the media guidance displays. In some
implementations, any action performed by control circuitry 304 may
be based on instructions received from the media guidance
application.
[0073] In client-server based embodiments, control circuitry 304
may include communications circuitry suitable for communicating
with a guidance application server or other networks or servers.
The instructions for carrying out the above mentioned functionality
may be stored on the guidance application server.
[0074] Communications circuitry may include a cable modem, an
integrated services digital network (ISDN) modem, a digital
subscriber line (DSL) modem, a telephone modem, Ethernet card, or a
wireless modem for communications with other equipment, or any
other suitable communications circuitry. Such communications may
involve the Internet or any other suitable communications networks
or paths (which is described in more detail in connection with FIG.
4). In addition, communications circuitry may include circuitry
that enables peer-to-peer communication of user equipment devices,
or communication of user equipment devices in locations remote from
each other (described in more detail below).
[0075] Memory may be an electronic storage device provided as
storage 308 that is part of control circuitry 304. As referred to
herein, the phrase "electronic storage device" or "storage device"
should be understood to mean any device for storing electronic
data, computer software, or firmware, such as random-access memory,
read-only memory, hard drives, optical drives, digital video disc
(DVD) recorders, compact disc (CD) recorders, BLU-RAY disc (BD)
recorders, BLU-RAY 3D disc recorders, digital video recorders (DVR,
sometimes called a personal video recorder, or PVR), solid state
devices, quantum storage devices, gaming consoles, gaming media, or
any other suitable fixed or removable storage devices, and/or any
combination of the same. Storage 308 may be used to store various
types of content described herein as well as media guidance data
described above. Nonvolatile memory may also be used (e.g., to
launch a boot-up routine and other instructions). Cloud-based
storage, described in relation to FIG. 4, may be used to supplement
storage 308 or instead of storage 308.
[0076] Control circuitry 304 may include video generating circuitry
and tuning circuitry, such as one or more analog tuners, one or
more MPEG-2 decoders or other digital decoding circuitry,
high-definition tuners, or any other suitable tuning or video
circuits or combinations of such circuits. Encoding circuitry
(e.g., for converting over-the-air, analog, or digital signals to
MPEG signals for storage) may also be provided. Control circuitry
304 may also include scaler circuitry for upconverting and
downconverting content into the preferred output format of the user
equipment 300. Circuitry 304 may also include digital-to-analog
converter circuitry and analog-to-digital converter circuitry for
converting between digital and analog signals. The tuning and
encoding circuitry may be used by the user equipment device to
receive and to display, to play, or to record content. The tuning
and encoding circuitry may also be used to receive guidance data.
The circuitry described herein, including for example, the tuning,
video generating, encoding, decoding, encrypting, decrypting,
scaler, and analog/digital circuitry, may be implemented using
software running on one or more general purpose or specialized
processors. Multiple tuners may be provided to handle simultaneous
tuning functions (e.g., watch and record functions,
picture-in-picture (PIP) functions, multiple-tuner recording,
etc.). If storage 308 is provided as a separate device from user
equipment 300, the tuning and encoding circuitry (including
multiple tuners) may be associated with storage 308.
[0077] A user may send instructions to control circuitry 304 using
user input interface 310. User input interface 310 may be any
suitable user interface, such as a remote control, mouse,
trackball, keypad, keyboard, touch screen, touchpad, stylus input,
joystick, voice recognition interface, or other user input
interfaces. Display 312 may be provided as a stand-alone device or
integrated with other elements of user equipment device 300. For
example, display 312 may be a touchscreen or touch-sensitive
display. In such circumstances, user input interface 310 may be
integrated with or combined with display 312. Display 312 may be
one or more of a monitor, a television, a liquid crystal display
(LCD) for a mobile device, amorphous silicon display, low
temperature poly silicon display, electronic ink display,
electrophoretic display, active matrix display, electro-wetting
display, electrofluidic display, cathode ray tube display,
light-emitting diode display, electroluminescent display, plasma
display panel, high-performance addressing display, thin-film
transistor display, organic light-emitting diode display,
surface-conduction electron-emitter display (SED), laser
television, carbon nanotubes, quantum dot display, interferometric
modulator display, or any other suitable equipment for displaying
visual images. In some embodiments, display 312 may be
HDTV-capable. In some embodiments, display 312 may be a 3D display,
and the interactive media guidance application and any suitable
content may be displayed in 3D. A video card or graphics card may
generate the output to the display 312. The video card may offer
various functions such as accelerated rendering of 3D scenes and 2D
graphics, MPEG-2/MPEG-4 decoding, TV output, or the ability to
connect multiple monitors. The video card may be any processing
circuitry described above in relation to control circuitry 304. The
video card may be integrated with the control circuitry 304.
Speakers 314 may be provided as integrated with other elements of
user equipment device 300 or may be stand-alone units. The audio
component of videos and other content displayed on display 312 may
be played through speakers 314. In some embodiments, the audio may
be distributed to a receiver (not shown), which processes and
outputs the audio via speakers 314.
[0078] The guidance application may be implemented using any
suitable architecture. For example, it may be a stand-alone
application wholly implemented on user equipment device 300. In
such an approach, instructions of the application are stored
locally (e.g., in storage 308), and data for use by the application
is downloaded on a periodic basis (e.g., from an out-of-band feed,
from an Internet resource, or using another suitable approach).
Control circuitry 304 may retrieve instructions of the application
from storage 308 and process the instructions to generate any of
the displays discussed herein. Based on the processed instructions,
control circuitry 304 may determine what action to perform when
input is received from input interface 310. For example, movement
of a cursor on a display up/down may be indicated by the processed
instructions when input interface 310 indicates that an up/down
button was selected.
[0079] In some embodiments, the media guidance application is a
client-server based application. Data for use by a thick or thin
client implemented on user equipment device 300 is retrieved
on-demand by issuing requests to a server remote to the user
equipment device 300. In one example of a client-server based
guidance application, control circuitry 304 runs a web browser that
interprets web pages provided by a remote server. For example, the
remote server may store the instructions for the application in a
storage device. The remote server may process the stored
instructions using circuitry (e.g., control circuitry 304) and
generate the displays discussed above and below. The client device
may receive the displays generated by the remote server and may
display the content of the displays locally on equipment device
300. This way, the processing of the instructions is performed
remotely by the server while the resulting displays are provided
locally on equipment device 300. Equipment device 300 may receive
inputs from the user via input interface 310 and transmit those
inputs to the remote server for processing and generating the
corresponding displays. For example, equipment device 300 may
transmit a communication to the remote server indicating that an
up/down button was selected via input interface 310. The remote
server may process instructions in accordance with that input and
generate a display of the application corresponding to the input
(e.g., a display that moves a cursor up/down). The generated
display is then transmitted to equipment device 300 for
presentation to the user.
[0080] In some embodiments, the media guidance application is
downloaded and interpreted or otherwise run by an interpreter or
virtual machine (run by control circuitry 304). In some
embodiments, the guidance application may be encoded in the ETV
Binary Interchange Format (EBIF), received by control circuitry 304
as part of a suitable feed, and interpreted by a user agent running
on control circuitry 304. For example, the guidance application may
be an EBIF application. In some embodiments, the guidance
application may be defined by a series of JAVA-based files that are
received and run by a local virtual machine or other suitable
middleware executed by control circuitry 304. In some of such
embodiments (e.g., those employing MPEG-2 or other digital media
encoding schemes), the guidance application may be, for example,
encoded and transmitted in an MPEG-2 object carousel with the MPEG
audio and video packets of a program.
[0081] User equipment device 300 of FIG. 3 can be implemented in
system 400 of FIG. 4 as user television equipment 402, user
computer equipment 404, wireless user communications device 406, or
any other type of user equipment suitable for accessing content,
such as a non-portable gaming machine. For simplicity, these
devices may be referred to herein collectively as user equipment or
user equipment devices, and may be substantially similar to user
equipment devices described above. User equipment devices, on which
a media guidance application may be implemented, may function as a
standalone device or may be part of a network of devices. Various
network configurations of devices may be implemented and are
discussed in more detail below.
[0082] A user equipment device utilizing at least some of the
system features described above in connection with FIG. 3 may not
be classified solely as user television equipment 402, user
computer equipment 404, or a wireless user communications device
406. For example, user television equipment 402 may, like some user
computer equipment 404, be Internet-enabled allowing for access to
Internet content, while user computer equipment 404 may, like some
television equipment 402, include a tuner allowing for access to
television programming. The media guidance application may have the
same layout on various different types of user equipment or may be
tailored to the display capabilities of the user equipment. For
example, on user computer equipment 404, the guidance application
may be provided as a web site accessed by a web browser. In another
example, the guidance application may be scaled down for wireless
user communications devices 406.
[0083] In system 400, there is typically more than one of each type
of user equipment device but only one of each is shown in FIG. 4 to
avoid overcomplicating the drawing. In addition, each user may
utilize more than one type of user equipment device and also more
than one of each type of user equipment device.
[0084] In some embodiments, a user equipment device (e.g., user
television equipment 402, user computer equipment 404, wireless
user communications device 406) may be referred to as a "second
screen device." For example, a second screen device may supplement
content presented on a first user equipment device. The content
presented on the second screen device may be any suitable content
that supplements the content presented on the first device. In some
embodiments, the second screen device provides an interface for
adjusting settings and display preferences of the first device. In
some embodiments, the second screen device is configured for
interacting with other second screen devices or for interacting
with a social network. The second screen device can be located in
the same room as the first device, a different room from the first
device but in the same house or building, or in a different
building from the first device.
[0085] The user may also set various settings to maintain
consistent media guidance application settings across in-home
devices and remote devices. Settings include those described
herein, as well as channel and program favorites, programming
preferences that the guidance application utilizes to make
programming recommendations, display preferences, and other
desirable guidance settings. For example, if a user sets a channel
as a favorite on, for example, the web site www.allrovi.com on
their personal computer at their office, the same channel would
appear as a favorite on the user's in-home devices (e.g., user
television equipment and user computer equipment) as well as the
user's mobile devices, if desired. Therefore, changes made on one
user equipment device can change the guidance experience on another
user equipment device, regardless of whether they are the same or a
different type of user equipment device. In addition, the changes
made may be based on settings input by a user, as well as user
activity monitored by the guidance application.
[0086] The user equipment devices may be coupled to communications
network 414. Namely, user television equipment 402, user computer
equipment 404, and wireless user communications device 406 are
coupled to communications network 414 via communications paths 408,
410, and 412, respectively. Communications network 414 may be one
or more networks including the Internet, a mobile phone network,
mobile voice or data network (e.g., a 4G or LTE network), cable
network, public switched telephone network, or other types of
communications network or combinations of communications networks.
Paths 408, 410, and 412 may separately or together include one or
more communications paths, such as, a satellite path, a fiber-optic
path, a cable path, a path that supports Internet communications
(e.g., IPTV), free-space connections (e.g., for broadcast or other
wireless signals), or any other suitable wired or wireless
communications path or combination of such paths. Path 412 is drawn
with dotted lines to indicate that in the exemplary embodiment
shown in FIG. 4 it is a wireless path and paths 408 and 410 are
drawn as solid lines to indicate they are wired paths (although
these paths may be wireless paths, if desired). Communications with
the user equipment devices may be provided by one or more of these
communications paths, but are shown as a single path in FIG. 4 to
avoid overcomplicating the drawing.
[0087] Although communications paths are not drawn between user
equipment devices, these devices may communicate directly with each
other via communication paths, such as those described above in
connection with paths 408, 410, and 412, as well as other
short-range point-to-point communication paths, such as USB cables,
IEEE 1394 cables, wireless paths (e.g., Bluetooth, infrared, IEEE
802-11x, etc.), or other short-range communication via wired or
wireless paths. BLUETOOTH is a certification mark owned by
Bluetooth SIG, INC. The user equipment devices may also communicate
with each other directly through an indirect path via
communications network 414.
[0088] System 400 includes content source 416 and media guidance
data source 418 coupled to communications network 414 via
communication paths 420 and 422, respectively. Paths 420 and 422
may include any of the communication paths described above in
connection with paths 408, 410, and 412. Communications with the
content source 416 and media guidance data source 418 may be
exchanged over one or more communications paths, but are shown as a
single path in FIG. 4 to avoid overcomplicating the drawing. In
addition, there may be more than one of each of content source 416
and media guidance data source 418, but only one of each is shown
in FIG. 4 to avoid overcomplicating the drawing. (The different
types of each of these sources are discussed below.) If desired,
content source 416 and media guidance data source 418 may be
integrated as one source device. Although communications between
sources 416 and 418 with user equipment devices 402, 404, and 406
are shown as through communications network 414, in some
embodiments, sources 416 and 418 may communicate directly with user
equipment devices 402, 404, and 406 via communication paths (not
shown) such as those described above in connection with paths 408,
410, and 412.
[0089] Content source 416 may include one or more types of content
distribution equipment including a television distribution
facility, cable system headend, satellite distribution facility,
programming sources (e.g., television broadcasters, such as NBC,
ABC, HBO, etc.), intermediate distribution facilities and/or
servers, Internet providers, on-demand media servers, and other
content providers. NBC is a trademark owned by the National
Broadcasting Company, Inc., ABC is a trademark owned by the
American Broadcasting Company, Inc., and HBO is a trademark owned
by the Home Box Office, Inc. Content source 416 may be the
originator of content (e.g., a television broadcaster, a Webcast
provider, etc.) or may not be the originator of content (e.g., an
on-demand content provider, an Internet provider of content of
broadcast programs for downloading, etc.). Content source 416 may
include cable sources, satellite providers, on-demand providers,
Internet providers, over-the-top content providers, or other
providers of content. Content source 416 may also include a remote
media server used to store different types of content (including
video content selected by a user), in a location remote from any of
the user equipment devices. Systems and methods for remote storage
of content, and providing remotely stored content to user equipment
are discussed in greater detail in connection with Ellis et al.,
U.S. Pat. No. 7,761,892, issued Jul. 20, 2010, which is hereby
incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
[0090] Media guidance data source 418 may provide media guidance
data, such as the media guidance data described above. Media
guidance data may be provided to the user equipment devices using
any suitable approach. In some embodiments, the guidance
application may be a stand-alone interactive television program
guide that receives program guide data via a data feed (e.g., a
continuous feed or trickle feed).
Program schedule data and other guidance data may be provided to
the user equipment on a television channel sideband, using an
in-band digital signal, using an out-of-band digital signal, or by
any other suitable data transmission technique. Program schedule
data and other media guidance data may be provided to user
equipment on multiple analog or digital television channels.
[0091] In some embodiments, guidance data from media guidance data
source 418 may be provided to users' equipment using a
client-server approach. For example, a user equipment device may
pull media guidance data from a server, or a server may push media
guidance data to a user equipment device. In some embodiments, a
guidance application client residing on the user's equipment may
initiate sessions with source 418 to obtain guidance data when
needed, e.g., when the guidance data is out of date or when the
user equipment device receives a request from the user to receive
data. Media guidance may be provided to the user equipment with any
suitable frequency (e.g., continuously, daily, a user-specified
period of time, a system-specified period of time, in response to a
request from user equipment, etc.). Media guidance data source 418
may provide user equipment devices 402, 404, and 406 the media
guidance application itself or software updates for the media
guidance application.
[0092] In some embodiments, the media guidance data may include
viewer data. For example, the viewer data may include current
and/or historical user activity information (e.g., what content the
user typically watches, what times of day the user watches content,
whether the user interacts with a social network, at what times the
user interacts with a social network to post information, what
types of content the user typically watches (e.g., pay TV or free
TV), mood, brain activity information, etc.). The media guidance
data may also include subscription data. For example, the
subscription data may identify to which sources or services a given
user subscribes and/or to which sources or services the given user
has previously subscribed but later terminated access (e.g.,
whether the user subscribes to premium channels, whether the user
has added a premium level of services, whether the user has
increased Internet speed).
[0093] In some embodiments, the viewer data and/or the subscription
data may identify patterns of a given user for a period of more
than one year. The media guidance data may include a model (e.g., a
survivor model) used for generating a score that indicates a
likelihood a given user will terminate access to a service/source.
For example, the media guidance application may process the viewer
data with the subscription data using the model to generate a value
or score that indicates a likelihood of whether the given user will
terminate access to a particular service or source. In particular,
a higher score may indicate a higher level of confidence that the
user will terminate access to a particular service or source. Based
on the score, the media guidance application may generate
promotions and advertisements that entice the user to keep the
particular service or source indicated by the score as one to which
the user will likely terminate access.
[0094] Media guidance applications may be, for example, stand-alone
applications implemented on user equipment devices. For example,
the media guidance application may be implemented as software or a
set of executable instructions which may be stored in storage 308,
and executed by control circuitry 304 of a user equipment device
300. In some embodiments, media guidance applications may be
client-server applications where only a client application resides
on the user equipment device, and server application resides on a
remote server. For example, media guidance applications may be
implemented partially as a client application on control circuitry
304 of user equipment device 300 and partially on a remote server
as a server application (e.g., media guidance data source 418)
running on control circuitry of the remote server. When executed by
control circuitry of the remote server (such as media guidance data
source 418), the media guidance application may instruct the
control circuitry to generate the guidance application displays and
transmit the generated displays to the user equipment devices. The
server application may instruct the control circuitry of the media
guidance data source 418 to transmit data for storage on the user
equipment. The client application may instruct control circuitry of
the receiving user equipment to generate the guidance application
displays.
[0095] Content and/or media guidance data delivered to user
equipment devices 402, 404, and 406 may be over-the-top (OTT)
content. OTT content delivery allows Internet-enabled user devices,
including any user equipment device described above, to receive
content that is transferred over the Internet, including any
content described above, in addition to content received over cable
or satellite connections. OTT content is delivered via an Internet
connection provided by an Internet service provider (ISP), but a
third party distributes the content. The ISP may not be responsible
for the viewing abilities, copyrights, or redistribution of the
content, and may only transfer IP packets provided by the OTT
content provider. Examples of OTT content providers include
YOUTUBE, NETFLIX, and HULU, which provide audio and video via IP
packets. Youtube is a trademark owned by Google Inc., Netflix is a
trademark owned by Netflix Inc., and Hulu is a trademark owned by
Hulu, LLC. OTT content providers may additionally or alternatively
provide media guidance data described above. In addition to content
and/or media guidance data, providers of OTT content can distribute
media guidance applications (e.g., web-based applications or
cloud-based applications), or the content can be displayed by media
guidance applications stored on the user equipment device.
[0096] Media guidance system 400 is intended to illustrate a number
of approaches, or network configurations, by which user equipment
devices and sources of content and guidance data may communicate
with each other for the purpose of accessing content and providing
media guidance. The embodiments described herein may be applied in
any one or a subset of these approaches, or in a system employing
other approaches for delivering content and providing media
guidance. The following four approaches provide specific
illustrations of the generalized example of FIG. 4.
[0097] In one approach, user equipment devices may communicate with
each other within a home network. User equipment devices can
communicate with each other directly via short-range point-to-point
communication schemes described above, via indirect paths through a
hub or other similar device provided on a home network, or via
communications network 414. Each of the multiple individuals in a
single home may operate different user equipment devices on the
home network. As a result, it may be desirable for various media
guidance information or settings to be communicated between the
different user equipment devices. For example, it may be desirable
for users to maintain consistent media guidance application
settings on different user equipment devices within a home network,
as described in greater detail in Ellis et al., U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/179,410, filed Jul. 11, 2005. Different
types of user equipment devices in a home network may also
communicate with each other to transmit content. For example, a
user may transmit content from user computer equipment to a
portable video player or portable music player.
[0098] In a second approach, users may have multiple types of user
equipment by which they access content and obtain media guidance.
For example, some users may have home networks that are accessed by
in-home and mobile devices. Users may control in-home devices via a
media guidance application implemented on a remote device. For
example, users may access an online media guidance application on a
website via a personal computer at their office, or a mobile device
such as a PDA or web-enabled mobile telephone. The user may set
various settings (e.g., recordings, reminders, or other settings)
on the online guidance application to control the user's in-home
equipment. The online guide may control the user's equipment
directly, or by communicating with a media guidance application on
the user's in-home equipment. Various systems and methods for user
equipment devices communicating, where the user equipment devices
are in locations remote from each other, is discussed in, for
example, Ellis et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,046,801, issued Oct. 25,
2011, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety.
[0099] In a third approach, users of user equipment devices inside
and outside a home can use their media guidance application to
communicate directly with content source 416 to access content.
Specifically, within a home, users of user television equipment 402
and user computer equipment 404 may access the media guidance
application to navigate among and locate desirable content. Users
may also access the media guidance application outside of the home
using wireless user communications devices 406 to navigate among
and locate desirable content.
[0100] In a fourth approach, user equipment devices may operate in
a cloud computing environment to access cloud services. In a cloud
computing environment, various types of computing services for
content sharing, storage or distribution (e.g., video sharing sites
or social networking sites) are provided by a collection of
network-accessible computing and storage resources, referred to as
"the cloud." For example, the cloud can include a collection of
server computing devices, which may be located centrally or at
distributed locations, that provide cloud-based services to various
types of users and devices connected via a network such as the
Internet via communications network 414. These cloud resources may
include one or more content sources 416 and one or more media
guidance data sources 418. In addition or in the alternative, the
remote computing sites may include other user equipment devices,
such as user television equipment 402, user computer equipment 404,
and wireless user communications device 406. For example, the other
user equipment devices may provide access to a stored copy of a
video or a streamed video. In such embodiments, user equipment
devices may operate in a peer-to-peer manner without communicating
with a central server.
[0101] The cloud provides access to services, such as content
storage, content sharing, or social networking services, among
other examples, as well as access to any content described above,
for user equipment devices. Services can be provided in the cloud
through cloud computing service providers, or through other
providers of online services. For example, the cloud-based services
can include a content storage service, a content sharing site, a
social networking site, or other services via which user-sourced
content is distributed for viewing by others on connected devices.
These cloud-based services may allow a user equipment device to
store content to the cloud and to receive content from the cloud
rather than storing content locally and accessing locally-stored
content.
[0102] A user may use various content capture devices, such as
camcorders, digital cameras with video mode, audio recorders,
mobile phones, and handheld computing devices, to record content.
The user can upload content to a content storage service on the
cloud either directly, for example, from user computer equipment
404 or wireless user communications device 406 having content
capture feature. Alternatively, the user can first transfer the
content to a user equipment device, such as user computer equipment
404. The user equipment device storing the content uploads the
content to the cloud using a data transmission service on
communications network 414. In some embodiments, the user equipment
device itself is a cloud resource, and other user equipment devices
can access the content directly from the user equipment device on
which the user stored the content.
[0103] Cloud resources may be accessed by a user equipment device
using, for example, a web browser, a media guidance application, a
desktop application, a mobile application, and/or any combination
of access applications of the same. The user equipment device may
be a cloud client that relies on cloud computing for application
delivery, or the user equipment device may have some functionality
without access to cloud resources. For example, some applications
running on the user equipment device may be cloud applications,
i.e., applications delivered as a service over the Internet, while
other applications may be stored and run on the user equipment
device. In some embodiments, a user device may receive content from
multiple cloud resources simultaneously. For example, a user device
can stream audio from one cloud resource while downloading content
from a second cloud resource. Or a user device can download content
from multiple cloud resources for more efficient downloading. In
some embodiments, user equipment devices can use cloud resources
for processing operations such as the processing operations
performed by processing circuitry described in relation to FIG.
3.
[0104] FIG. 5 shows an illustrative screen 500 for selecting user
selected scenes in accordance with some embodiments of the
disclosure. Screen 500 may include website 502, scene option A 504,
scene option B 506, scene option C 508, and scene option D 510.
Although screen 500 is depicted in FIG. 5 as being a website,
screen 500 may be displayed in any suitable manner on any suitable
user equipment, including, but not limited to, a user's television
set top box, personal computer, mobile device, or tablet. For
instance, screen 500 may be generated by a media guidance
application running on a user's set top box in response to a user
input.
[0105] Each of scene options 504 through 510 may correspond to a
respective alternate scene. The user may select one of the four
scene options 504 through 510 depicted on website 502. In some
embodiments, the scene options may depict screenshots of the
corresponding scene. For instance, the scene options 504 through
510 may depict an image or a short video clip of actual footage of
the corresponding scene. In some embodiments, the scene options may
depict images of video associated with the corresponding scene. For
instance, each of the scene options 504 through 510 may depict an
image or a short clip of a different character that is depicted in
the corresponding scene. In this manner, the user may select
scene(s) corresponding to a favorite character depicted in the
television program. In some embodiments, each of scene options 504
through 510 corresponds to a series of scenes. In such embodiments,
the user may input a single selection (e.g., the selection of a
favorite character, theme, topic, or idea), and the media guidance
application may automatically apply the selection to any option to
select alternate scenes.
[0106] In some embodiments, the user selection may be transmitted
to a content provider. In some embodiments, the user selection may
be stored in a user profile associated with the user. For example,
if the user selects option 504, then the user selection may be
transmitted to a content provider, and the content provider may
ensure that the media asset is provided to the user with scene A
corresponding to option 504. In some embodiments, the content
provider may transmit the media asset with scene A incorporated
into the media asset. In some embodiments, the content provider may
transmit the media asset with scene A and one or more of scenes B,
C, and D. The content provider may also transmit data indicating
the user selection of option 504. The user equipment may receive
the media asset with scene A, one or more of scenes B, C, and D,
and the data indicating the user selection, and based on the data
indicating the user selection, generate for display the media asset
with scene A incorporated at the appropriate point in playback.
[0107] In some embodiments, the user selection may be received with
selections from other users, and either the first scene or the
second scene may be selected based on the plurality of received
user selections. For example, one or more users may select a
particular scene from a plurality of available scenes for
incorporation in a media asset. The media guidance application may
determine which scene of the plurality of scenes was the most
popular and incorporate that scene. In this manner, a user may
"vote" for a scene for incorporation into the media asset, with the
votes of a plurality of users being combined to select the most
popular scene for incorporation into the media asset.
[0108] In some embodiments, the users that may select a particular
scene may be associated with a particular group. For example, an
option to vote for a particular scene may appear on a social
network site associated with a user. For example, the option may be
posted on a social network site and voted on by the social network
friends of a user. In some embodiments, the social network site
and/or the media guidance application may store user selections of
alternate scenes and provide this information to other individuals
in the user's social network. For example, the media guidance
application may allow a user to choose similar or the same
alternate scenes as those that a friend in a social network has
chosen. As used herein, a "social network," refers to a platform
that facilitates networking and/or social relations among people
who, for example, share interests, activities, backgrounds, and/or
real-life connections. In some cases, social networks may
facilitate communication between multiple user devices (e.g.,
computers, televisions, smartphones, tablets, etc.) associated with
different users by exchanging content from one device to another
via a social media server. As used herein, a "social media server"
refers to a computer server that facilitates a social network. For
example, a social media server owned/operated/used by a social
media provider may make content (e.g., status updates, microblog
posts, images, graphic messages, etc.) associated with a first user
accessible to a second user that is within the same social network
as the first user.
[0109] In some embodiments, the playback length of scenes A, B, C,
and D may be the same. In such embodiments, scenes A, B, C, and D
may be interchanged without affecting the overall play length of
the media asset. In other embodiments, one or more of the scenes A,
B, C, and D may have a different play length than the other scenes.
In such embodiments, the incorporation of some of the scenes A, B,
C, and D may cause the overall play length of the media asset to
become longer and shorter, depending on which scene was
incorporated into the media asset. For example, scene A may be a
default scene with a playback length of 10 minutes. Scene B may be
an alternate scene with a playback length of 15 minutes. If scene B
is incorporated into the media asset instead of scene A, then the
overall media asset may have a play length that is lengthened by
five minutes. In some embodiments, the playback speed of an
alternate scene may be adjusted (i.e., either slower of faster) in
order to match a playback length of a default scene. Continuing the
illustrative example from above, the playback speed of Scene B may
be sped up by 33% in order to be incorporated into a 10 minute slot
in the media asset, and thus maintain the default playback length
(as if scene A were incorporated into the media asset).
[0110] FIG. 6 shows an illustrative media progress screen 600 in
accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. Media progress
screen 600 may comprise media asset display area 602, progress bar
606, a progress indicator 604, and alternate scenes icon 608. The
media asset display area 602 may comprise any suitable display area
for presenting a media asset, and, in some embodiments, may
comprise a majority of the display space available on display 312.
In the illustrative example depicted in FIG. 6, the progress bar
606, progress indicator 604, and alternate scenes icon 608 are
overlaid on top of the media asset display area 602 during playback
of a media asset.
[0111] The progress bar 606 may comprise any suitable graphical
icon that represents a play length of a media asset. While the
progress bar 606 is depicted in FIG. 6 as a bar, the progress bar
606 could conceivably be any suitable shape, size, or color that is
capable of representing a play length, including, but not limited
to, a pie graph, a bar graph, or a timeline. The progress indicator
604 may indicate the user's current progress through the play
length of the media asset. In some embodiments, the progress
indicator 604 may be overlaid, either partially or completely, over
the progress bar 606 during playback of the media asset. The
progress indicator 604 may indicate the user's progress through the
media asset. In some embodiments, the progress indicator 604 may be
a graphical icon (e.g., dot, dash, vertical line, star, square, or
other shape) that indicates the furthest point that a user has
consumed in the media asset. In some embodiments, the progress
indicator 604 may be displayed at any time the progress bar 606 is
displayed. For example, the progress bar 606 and progress indicator
604 may be displayed during playback of the media asset. In other
embodiments, the progress bar 606 and the progress indicator 604
may be displayed at the start of playback of the media asset and
may fade out after a period of time (e.g., 10 seconds). In some
embodiments, the progress bar 606 and progress indicator 604 may by
displayed in response to a user input, such as pressing a button on
a remote control, or when playback of the media asset approaches a
selectable portion of the media asset. The progress bar 606 and
progress indicator 604 may then fade out again after a period of
time subsequent to the user input or selectable portion of the
media asset.
[0112] For instance, in the illustrative example depicted in FIG.
6, the progress indicator 604 appears to partially fill the
progress bar 606.
[0113] The alternate scenes icon 608 may comprise any suitable
graphical display that indicates the availability of alternate
scenes for selection by the user. The alternate scenes may also be
listed as a series of images/screenshots, a list of text,
selectable hyperlinks, selectable video clips, or any other visual
display. In the illustrative example depicted in FIG. 6, the
alternate scenes icon 608 is depicted with four rectangles
representing the four alternate scenes A, B, C, and D for selection
by the user. The rectangles labeled A, B, C, and D in FIG. 6 may be
screenshots of the four scenes, representative images of the four
scenes, and/or may comprise descriptions of the scenes A, B, C, and
D. For example, labeled rectangles of alternate scenes icon 608 may
be screenshots of actual footage from the four scenes. In some
embodiments, the four rectangles may simply be an image of a
character that is featured in the corresponding scene. In yet other
embodiments, the labeled rectangles may include the name of a
character which is featured in the corresponding scene.
Furthermore, while the alternate scenes icon 608 depicted in FIG. 6
is shown to have four labeled rectangles, the alternate scenes icon
608 may conceivably have any size, shape, or color. In some
embodiments, the alternate scenes icon 608 may simply by a dash,
dot, or other shape that is overlaid onto the progress bar 606. The
foregoing examples are provided for illustrative purposes only, and
other examples of alternate scenes icon 608 suitable for indicating
the availability of alternate scenes may be contemplated by one of
ordinary skill in the art.
[0114] The alternate scenes icon 608 may be placed at a location on
the progress bar that corresponds to a point in the play length
where the alternate scene will be incorporated. In some
embodiments, the alternate scenes icon 608 may be displayed
throughout playback of the media asset. In other embodiments, the
alternate scenes icon 608 may only be displayed when playback of
the media asset nears the location on the progress bar that the
alternate scene will be incorporated. For example, the alternate
scenes icon 608 may be automatically generated for display in
response to playback of the media asset approaching within a
threshold time of the point that the alternate scene will be
incorporated. In some embodiments, the user may select one of the
labeled rectangles of alternate scenes icon 608 in order to select
the corresponding alternate scene. In some embodiments, the user
selection may be received at any time during playback of the media
asset. In some embodiments, selection of the alternate scenes icon
608 may cause the display of a separate screen, such as screen 500
discussed above in relation to FIG. 5, in order to receive a user
selection of an alternate scene.
[0115] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of illustrative steps for presenting
user selected scenes in accordance with some embodiments of the
disclosure. Process 700 includes generating for display a listing
for a media asset, wherein a play length of the media asset
includes a non-selectable play length portion and a selectable play
length portion at step 702, generating for display a first scene
option, wherein the first scene option corresponds to a first scene
for incorporation into the selectable play length portion at step
704, generating for display a second scene option, wherein the
second scene option corresponds to a second scene for incorporation
into the selectable play length portion at step 706, receiving a
user selection of the first scene option or the second scene option
at step 708, incorporating either the selected first scene or the
selected second scene into the selectable play length portion of
the media asset based on the user selection at step 710, and
generating for display the media asset with the either the selected
first scene or the selected second scene incorporated into the
selectable play length portion at step 712.
[0116] At step 702, the media guidance application may generate for
display (e.g., via control circuitry 304 (FIG. 3)) a listing for a
media asset. The media guidance application may generate for
display the listing in any suitable media guidance screen, such as
screen 500 discussed above in relation to FIG. 5. The media asset
may be associated with a play length including a non-selectable
play length portion and a selectable play length portion. As
discussed above, the non-selectable play length portion and
selectable play length portion may comprise one or more scenes of
the media asset.
[0117] At step 704, the media guidance application may generate for
display (e.g., via control circuitry 304 (FIG. 3)) a first scene
option, wherein the first scene option corresponds to a first scene
for incorporation into the selectable play length portion. In some
embodiments, the first scene may be a default scene for
incorporation into the media asset. For instance, the first scene
may be a scene which was selected by an original creator of the
media asset or content provider to be incorporated into the media
asset, and absent any user selection, may be incorporated into the
media asset for viewing by all users. The first scene may be
configured for incorporation into the selectable play length
portion by beginning playback of the first scene at a start time of
the selectable play length portion and stopping playback of the
first scene (or concluding playback of the first scene) at a stop
point of the selectable play length portion.
[0118] At step 706, the media guidance application may generate for
display (e.g., via control circuitry 304 (FIG. 3)) a second scene
option, wherein the second scene option corresponds to a second
scene for incorporation into the selectable play length portion. In
some embodiments, the second scene option may correspond to an
alternate scene for incorporation into the media asset. For
instance, the second scene may be associated with characteristics
which are more preferable to the user than the characteristics of
the first scene. As with the first scene, the second scene may be
configured for incorporation into the selectable play length
portion by beginning playback of the second scene at a start time
of the selectable play length portion and stopping playback of the
second scene (or concluding playback of the second scene) at a stop
point of the selectable play length portion. In some embodiments,
the duration of the first scene is identical to the duration of the
second scene. In other embodiments, the duration of the first scene
is different than the duration of the second scene. As an
illustrative example, the first scene may be associated with a
first character of a reality television show, and the second scene
may be associated with a second character of the reality television
show. While the media asset was originally configured to display
the first scene about the first character, the user may be more
interested in the second character, and thus may prefer to
incorporate the second scene rather than the first scene into the
media asset.
[0119] At step 708, the media guidance application may receive
(e.g., via control circuitry 304 (FIG. 3)) a user selection of the
first scene option or the second scene option. As discussed above,
the user selection may be received at any suitable time, including
before playback of the media asset begins, during playback of the
media asset, while the media asset is paused, or after playback of
the media asset. For example, the user selection may be received
through a website, such as website 502 depicted in FIG. 5. As
another example, the media guidance application may automatically
pause the media asset at the start of a selectable portion of the
media asset and present several options for alternate scenes. The
user may select one of several options, and in response, the media
guidance application may receive the selected scene, either from
local memory (e.g., memory 308 (FIG. 3)) or from a remote source
(e.g., media content source 416 (FIG. 4)). In some embodiments, the
user selection may be received prior to a broadcast time of the
media asset. In such embodiments, the media asset may be
transmitted by a content provider and received by a user equipment
with the selected scene already incorporated into the media
asset.
[0120] At step 710, the media guidance application may incorporate
(e.g., via control circuitry 304 (FIG. 3)) either the selected
first scene or the selected second scene into the selectable play
length portion of the media asset based on the user selection. The
selected scene may be incorporated by replacing media between a
start time and a stop time of the selectable play length portion.
In some embodiments, the selected scene may be truncated or
augmented (e.g., by adding additional material or by slowing
playback speed) in order to match the duration of the selectable
play length portion. In some embodiments, the selected scene may be
incorporated into the media asset before transmission by a content
provider. In some embodiments, the selected scene may be
incorporated into the media asset subsequent to receipt of the
media asset by a user equipment. In such embodiments, the media
asset may be transmitted with at least one of the first or second
scenes, or the first and second scenes may be downloaded from a
remote source. In some embodiments, the first and/or second scenes
may be downloaded in response to receiving the user selection of
the first or second scene. At step 712, the media guidance
application may generate for display (e.g., via control circuitry
304 (FIG. 3)) the media asset with the either the selected first
scene or the selected second scene incorporated into the selectable
play length portion.
[0121] FIG. 8 is a flowchart 800 of illustrative steps for
presenting user selected scenes in accordance with some embodiments
of the disclosure. Process 800 includes generating for display a
progress bar for a media asset that graphically represents a user's
progress through a play length of the media asset at step 802,
determining a location on the progress bar that corresponds to a
first point in the play length at which the user is presented with
an option to select one of a first scene and a second scene for
incorporation into the media asset at step 804, and generating for
display a graphic representation of the option at the location at
step 806.
[0122] At step 802, the media guidance application may generate for
display (e.g., via control circuitry 304 (FIG. 3)) a progress bar
for a media asset that graphically represents a user's progress
through a play length of the media asset. As discussed above in
relation to FIG. 6, the progress bar may be any shape, size, or
color suitable for representing the play length of the media asset.
In some embodiments, the progress bar may be overlaid over the
media asset during playback. The progress bar may disappear after a
period of time and may be subsequently generated for display in
response to a user input.
[0123] At step 804, the media guidance application may determine
(e.g., via control circuitry 304 (FIG. 3)) a location on the
progress bar that corresponds to a first point in the play length
at which the user is presented with an option to select one of a
first scene and a second scene for incorporation into the media
asset. In some embodiments, the location may correspond to a start
time associated with a selectable portion of a media asset. In some
embodiments, the media guidance application may receive the media
asset with metadata indicating the start and/or stop times of
selected portions of the media asset. For example, the media asset
may have embedded triggers that indicate the start of a selectable
portion of the media asset. In response to detecting a trigger, the
media guidance application may present the user with an option to
select one of the first scene and the second scene for
incorporation into the media asset. In other embodiments, the media
guidance application may receive the media asset and one or more of
the alternate scenes. The alternate scenes may indicate an intended
start and/or stop time for incorporation during playback of the
media asset. The media guidance application may monitor, for each
alternate scene, their start and/or stop time, and in response to
detecting a start/stop time, determine whether the user should be
presented with an option to select one of the first scene or the
second scene. In some embodiments, the media guidance application
may monitor the start/stop times of each available alternate scene
prior to the start of playback of the media asset and compile a
list of trigger points during the play length of the media asset.
When playback approaches a trigger point, the media guidance
application may determine whether the user should be presented with
the option to select one of the alternate scenes.
[0124] At step 806, the media guidance application may generate
(e.g., via control circuitry 304 (FIG. 3)) for display a graphic
representation of the option at the location. As discussed above in
relation to FIG. 6, the icon may be any shape, size, or color
suitable for representing the option to select an alternate scene.
In some embodiments, the graphic representation may include a
sub-icon corresponding to each scene available for selection. The
user may select a sub-icon in order to select a desired preferred
alternate scene. In some embodiments, selection of the graphic
representation may result in the display of a separate screen, such
as screen 500 discussed above in relation to FIG. 5, in order to
receive a user's selection of an alternate scene.
[0125] FIG. 9 is a flowchart 800 of illustrative steps for
presenting user selected scenes in accordance with some embodiments
of the disclosure. Process 900 includes beginning playback of a
media asset at step 902, automatically pausing playback at an
intermediate time during the media asset at step 904, determining
whether a preferred user selection is stored at step 906,
simultaneously displaying a plurality of icons corresponding to
alternate scenes at step 908, determining whether a timeout period
has elapsed at step 910, selecting a default scene at step 912,
receiving and storing a user selection of an alternate scene at
step 914, displaying a selected scene at step 916, determining
whether the media asset has ended at step 918, and terminating at
step 920.
[0126] At step 902, playback of a media asset may begin. The media
asset may be generated by media guidance application (e.g., via
control circuitry 304 (FIG. 3)) for display on, for example,
display 312 (FIG. 3). The media may begin with a non-selectable
portion, such as a default portion that is intended for viewing by
all consumers of a media asset. As an illustrative example, the
media asset may be a reality television program that begins with a
scene involving the entire cast of members. At step 904, playback
of the media asset may be automatically paused at a point in the
play length of the media asset. The point in the play length of the
media asset may correspond to a start point of a selectable portion
of the media asset. For instance, the user may be able to select
from one of several alternate scenes at the point in the play
length of the media asset. Continuing the illustrative example from
above, the reality television program may display, after the
introductory group scene, scenes at various different locations.
The user may be interested in some locations more than others, for
instance Hawaii, over New York City, and may desire to select
scenes associated with Hawaii rather than New York. At step 906,
the media guidance application may determine whether a preferred
user selection is stored. The media guidance application may check
either local storage (e.g., storage 308 (FIG. 3)) or remote storage
(e.g., media content source 416 (FIG. 4)) for any stored user
preferences or user profiles. As an illustrative example, the media
guidance application may have stored in local memory a list of
prior user selections of alternate scenes. As another example, the
media guidance application may access a user profile associated
with the user and determine that the user has indicated an interest
in science fiction and action genres and has previously lived in
Hawaii, and thus is likely to be interested in action scenes
associated with Hawaii. In some embodiments, the preferred user
selection may be the selection of an alternate scene at a prior
time. In some embodiments, the preferred user selection may be the
selection of metadata associated with the media asset, such as a
favorite character, location, genre, topic, actor/actress, or
theme. If a preferred user selection is stored, then the media
guidance application may select a scene according to the preferred
user selection and display the selected scene at step 916. For
example, if the user had previously selected an alternate scene
(e.g., via website 502 (FIG. 5)), the media guidance application
may retrieve the user selection and automatically display the
selected scene. If the preferred user selection was of metadata
associated with the media asset, then the media guidance
application may automatically select (e.g., via control circuitry
304 (FIG. 3)) a scene according to the selected metadata and
automatically display the selected scene at step 916.
[0127] If no preferred user selection was stored, the media
guidance application may simultaneously display (e.g., via display
312 (FIG. 3)) a plurality of icons corresponding to alternate
scenes. As discussed above in relation to FIG. 6, the plurality of
icons may be overlaid onto a progress bar representing a user's
progress through the playback of the media asset. In some
embodiments, the plurality of icons may be overlaid onto the
progress bar at a point corresponding to the start time of the
selectable portion of the media asset. After display of the
plurality of icons, the media guidance application may determine
(e.g., via control circuitry 304 (FIG. 3)) whether a timeout period
has elapsed. The timeout period may be a predetermined period of
time (e.g., 10 seconds) where the media guidance application
monitors for a user selection. If the timeout period elapses
without a user selection, then a default scene is automatically
selected at step 912. If the user selects a scene prior to the
timeout period elapsing, then the media guidance may receive (e.g.,
via control circuitry 304 (FIG. 3) the user selection of the
alternate scene and store the user selection (e.g., in storage 308
(FIG. 3)) at step 914.
[0128] At step 916, the media guidance application may display
(e.g., on display 312 (FIG. 3)) the selected scene. After the
selected scene is displayed, the media guidance application may
continue playback of the media asset and determine (e.g., via
control circuitry 304 (FIG. 3)) whether the media asset has ended
at step 918. If the media asset has not yet ended, then the media
guidance application may return to step 904 and automatically pause
playback of the media asset at a second intermediate time. If the
media asset has ended, then the media guidance application will
terminate process 900 at step 920.
[0129] The above-described embodiments of the present disclosure
are presented for purposes of illustration and not of limitation,
and the present disclosure is limited only by the claims that
follow. Furthermore, it should be noted that the features and
limitations described in any one embodiment may be applied to any
other embodiment herein, and flowcharts or examples relating to one
embodiment may be combined with any other embodiment in a suitable
manner, done in different orders, or done in parallel. In addition,
the systems and methods described herein may be performed in real
time. It should also be noted that the systems and/or methods
described above may be applied to, or used in accordance with,
other systems and/or methods.
* * * * *
References