US 8,799,253 B2Granted

Presenting an assembled sequence of preview videos

AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation

InventorsJamil Valliani, Ken Lo

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Abstract

Methods and computer-readable media are provided for presenting on a website a single video stream that includes a plurality of preview videos directed toward a particular category of interest to a user. Informational items, such as news stories, that have associated preview videos are selected from a database. A preview video for each of the informational items is then algorithmically determined using, for instance, a ranking system. The ranking system may be based on a variety of heuristics, which may indicate popularity, importance, reliability, or relevance of the specific preview video. The single video stream is presented on the website such that the preview videos can be viewed as an assembled sequence of videos. Once an indication has been received to initiate play of the video stream, the preview videos play without requiring any user interaction.

Claims18

Dependent claims

One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, that when executed, cause a computing device to perform a method of presenting on a search results page a plurality of preview videos that have been algorithmically determined to be most relevant to various informational items and that are played in succession without user intervention, the method comprising:

determining from a database a first informational item and a second informational item that have associated preview videos;
algorithmically determining a first video associated with the first informational item and a second video associated with the second informational item, wherein the first and the second videos are determined by a ranking system;
algorithmically extracting a first important portion of the first video to form a first preview video and a second important portion of the second video to form a second preview video;
combining the first preview video and the second preview video into a single video file such that the second preview video is sequentially played after the first preview video has been played;
communicating for display on the search results page the first informational item and the second informational item and the single video file that includes at least the first and the second preview videos;
determining a first set of related content associated with the first preview video, wherein the first set of related content is different from the first informational item and the first preview video;
determining a second set of related content associated with the second preview video, wherein the second set of related content is different from the second informational item and the second preview video;
receiving an indication to initiate play of the single video file:
and
upon receiving the indication to initiate play of the single video file, automatically and sequentially displaying the first set of related content and the second set of related content such that:
(1) only one set of related content is displayed at any one time, and
(2) the first set of related content is displayed simultaneously with the first preview video and the second set of related content is displayed simultaneously with the second preview video.

9 more elements

A computer-implemented method that, when executed by a computing device, presents on a search results page a plurality of preview videos that have been algorithmically determined to be most relevant to various informational items and that are played in succession without user intervention, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of a search category;
based on the search category, determining a first informational item and a second informational item;
algorithmically determining a first preview video associated with the first informational item and a second preview video associated with the second informational item, wherein the first and the second preview videos are determined by a ranking system;
algorithmically determining:
(1) a first set of related content associated with the first preview video, the first set of related content being different from the first preview video and the first informational item, and
(2) a second set of related content associated with the second preview video, the second set of related content being different from the second preview video and the second informational item;
communicating for display on the search results page the first and second informational items and the first and the second preview videos;
initiating play of the first preview video, wherein only the first set of related content associated with the first preview video is automatically displayed upon initiation of play of the first preview video;
and
upon completion of the first preview video:
(1) removing from display the first set of related content,
(2) initiating play of the second preview video without user intervention, and
(3) upon removing from display the first set of related content, displaying only the second set of related content associated with the second preview video upon initiation of play of the second preview video.

10 more elements

One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, that when executed, cause a computing device to perform a method of presenting on a search results page a plurality of news-related preview videos that have been algorithmically determined to be most relevant to various informational items and that are played in succession without user intervention, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of a search category on a search page;
algorithmically determining a first informational item and a second informational item that are relevant to the search category;
algorithmically determining a first news-related preview video corresponding to the first informational item and a second news-related preview video corresponding to the second informational item;
communicating for display on the search results page the first and the second news-related preview videos and the first and second informational items;
selecting from a database:
(1) a first set of related content associated with the first news-related preview video, the first set of related content being different from the first informational item and the first news-related preview video,
(2) a second set of related content associated with the second news-related preview video, the second set of related content being different from the second informational item and the second news-related preview video, and
(3) wherein the first and the second set of related content include one or more of an article, a thumbnail video, an image, an audio clip, or a link to additional related content;
initiating play of the first news-related preview video during which only the first set of related content associated with the first news-related preview video is simultaneously and automatically displayed;
and
upon completion of the first news-related preview video:
(1) removing from display the first set of related content,
(2) automatically initiating play of the second news-related preview video, and
(3) upon removing from display the first set of related content, automatically and simultaneously displaying only the second set of related content associated with the second news-related preview video upon initiation of play of the second news-related preview video.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.