Patents
U.S. Patent 6,463,207 ("UserPlay")
Issued: Oct. 8, 2002
Title: Playing A Variable-Content-Video Having A User Interface.

Abstract:
A system for, and a method of, playing a variable content video contained in a memory device, such as an optical disk, the memory device further providing user interface routines and control codes; the video having a non-sequential logical arrangement of parallel, transitional, and overlapping segments, and content information defining and linking segments of the video responsive to at least one content category, such as a rating; the segments including (1) at least one segment unique to one of at least two versions of the same variable content video, (2) at least one segment unique to the other of said at least two versions of the same variable content video, and (3) at least one segment common to said at least two versions of the same variable content video; the segment definitions each having a descriptor responsive to the at least one content category; and the content information providing, responsive to a viewer's preference with respect to the at least one content category, and by means of random access and buffering means for the seamless skipping of segments, for the playing of a version of the video different in length than the length of the video.

Claims:

  • 1. An apparatus capable of playing an optical disc storing (1) a video program including within a plurality of video program segments that provide for at least two versions of said video program, (2) a user interface, particular to said video program, for enabling a user of said video program to establish a content preference, and (3) data defining a plurality of video program segments within said video program, the apparatus comprising:

    • processing means for enabling said user of said video program to establish a content preference by utilizing said user interface, and for selecting, for said user, video program segments from within said video program by applying said content preference to said data; and
    • random accessing and buffering means for playing the selected segments as a seamless version of, and from within, said video program, said playing comprising seamlessly skipping over non-selected video program segments included within said video program
  • 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of video program segments comprise a set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of a scene, included within said video program, with different levels of detail; and wherein a descriptor, responsive to a level of detail, is assigned to each of the parallel segments.

  • 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of video program segments comprise a set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of a scene, included within said video program, with different levels of detail; and wherein said content preference is responsive to a level of detail.

  • 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of video program segments comprise a set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of a scene, included within said video program, with different levels of sex; and wherein said content preference is responsive to an MPAA rating.

  • 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of video program segments comprise a set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of a scene, included within said video program, with different levels of explicitness in at least one of a plurality of video content categories; and wherein said content preference is responsive to a level of explicitness with respect to each of said plurality of video content categories.

  • 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of video program segments comprise a set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of a scene, included within said video program, with different levels of explicitness in at least one of a plurality of video content categories; wherein said content preference is responsive to a level of explicitness with respect to each of said plurality of video content categories; and wherein said content preference, specific to said user and as it relates to said video program, is internally saved.

  • 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said content preference is responsive to a level of explicitness with respect to each of a plurality of video content categories and with respect to a level of detail; and wherein said content preference, specific to said user and as it relates to said video program, is internally saved.

  • 8. An apparatus capable of playing an optical disc storing (1) a video program including within a first set of a plurality of video program segments that provide for at least two versions of a scene, included within said video program, with different levels of explicitness in a video content category relating to violence, and including within a second set of a plurality of video program segments that provide for at least two versions of another scene, included within said video program, with different levels of explicitness in a video content category relating to sex, (2) a user interface, particular to said video program, for enabling a user of said video program to establish a content preference, and (3) data defining a plurality of video program segments within said video program, the apparatus comprising:

    • means for enabling said user of said video program to establish a content preference by utilizing said user interface;
    • means for selecting video program segments from within said video program by applying said content preference to said data; and
    • means for playing, by means of a random accessing and buffering the selected segments as a seamless version of, and from within, said video program, said playing comprising seamlessly skipping over non-selected video program segments included within said video program.

  • 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said content preference is responsive to an MPAA rating.

  • 10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said content preference is responsive to a level of explicitness with respect to said video content category relating to violence and with respect to said video content category relating to sex.

  • 11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said content preference is responsive to a level of explicitness with respect to said video content category relating to violence and with respect to said video content category relating to sex; and wherein said content preference, specific to said user and as it relates to said video program, is internally saved.

  • 12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said content preference is responsive to a level of explicitness with respect to said video content category relating to violence, a level of explicitness with respect to said video content category relating to sex, and a level of detail.

  • 13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said content preference is responsive to a level of explicitness with respect to said video content category relating to violence, a level of explicitness with respect to said video content category relating to sex, and a level of detail; and wherein said content preference, specific to said user and as it relates to said video program, is internally saved.

  • 14. A method of playing an optical disc storing (1) a video program including within a plurality of video program segments that provide for at least two versions of said video program, (2) a user interface, particular to said video program, for enabling a user of said video program to establish a content preference, and (3) data defining a plurality of video program segments within said video program, the method comprising the steps of:

    • enabling said user of said video program to establish a content preference by utilizing said user interface;
    • selecting video program segments from within said video program by applying said content preference to said data; and
    • playing, by means of a random accessing and buffering the selected segments as a seamless version of, and from within, said video program, said playing comprising seamlessly skipping over non-selected video program segments included within said video program.

  • 15. The method of claim 14, wherein said plurality of video program segments comprise a set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of a scene, included within said video program, with different levels of detail; and wherein a descriptor, responsive to a level of detail, is assigned to each of the parallel segments.

  • 16. The method of claim 14, wherein said plurality of video program segments comprise a set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of a scene, included within said video program, with different levels of sex; and wherein said content preference is responsive to an MPAA rating.

  • 17. The method of claim 14, wherein said plurality of video program segments comprise a set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of a scene, included within said video program, with different levels of explicitness in at least one of a plurality of video content categories; and wherein said content preference is responsive to a level of explicitness with respect to each of said plurality of video content categories.

  • 18. The method of claim 14, wherein said plurality of video program segments comprise a set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of a scene, included within said video program, with different levels of violence; wherein said plurality of video program segments comprise another set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of another scene, included within said video program, with different levels of sex; and wherein said content preference is responsive to a level of explicitness with respect to a video content category relating to violence and with respect to a video content category relating to sex.

  • 19. The method of claim 14, wherein said content preference is responsive to a level of explicitness in each of a plurality of video content categories and a level of detail; and wherein said content preference, specific to said user and as it relates to said video program, is internally saved.

  • 20. The method of claim 14, wherein said plurality of video program segments comprise a set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of a scene, included within said video program, with different levels of violence; wherein said plurality of video program segments comprise another set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of another scene, included within said video program, with different levels of sex; wherein said content preference is responsive to a level of explicitness with respect to a video content category relating to violence and with respect to a video content category relating to sex; and wherein said content preference, specific to said user and as it relates to said video program, is internally saved.

  • 21. An apparatus capable of playing a laser readable disc having recorded thereon a video program including within a plurality of video program segments, each having an address, at least one of said video program segments comprising part of and being unique to one playback version of said video program, at least another one of said video program segments comprising part of and being unique to another playback version of said video program, and at least another one of said video program segments comprising part of both of the playback versions of the video program, said laser readable disc further having thereon the address of each video program segment to be played together with a descriptor indicative of the corresponding playback version of the segment, and a user interface particular to said video program, said apparatus comprising:

    • a laser reading unit for retrieving video program segments and video program segment addresses together with their associated descriptors from said laser readable disc;
    • a memory for storing video program segment addresses and descriptors retrieved by said laser reading unit;
    • a controller for allowing user selection, by means of said user interface, of a descriptor corresponding to one of the playback versions of said video program, for causing video program segment addresses and their associated descriptors to be retrieved by said laser reading unit from said laser readable disc and stored in said memory, and for causing said laser reading unit to retrieve video program segments from said laser readable disc corresponding to those video program segment addresses stored in said memory which have a descriptor corresponding to said selected descriptor; and
    • a buffer for buffering at least a portion of a retrieved video program segment to seamlessly play, from within the video program, the selected playback version of said video program, notwithstanding at least a portion of at least one non-selected video program segment being skipped over by said laser reading unit.
© Nissim Corp. All Rights Reserved • Updated: 2016-09-06
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