Image sampling from multicast streams
OwnerJoseph Kiok, Kevin Christopher Flanagan +3inventors
InventorsJoseph Kiok, Kevin Christopher Flanagan, Gregory Allen Broome, Richard Joseph Fliam, Sam Schwartz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The disclosed methods and system may gain access to a plurality of content streams, and periodically capture still images from each stream. The captured stills may be stored in a predetermined location, and the location may be made available to various clients. By discovering the locations, application clients can issue requests to receive the latest image for a current stream, and use that image to improve a user interface or enhance a user experience in consuming the content.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- capturing still images from a content stream associated with a program according to an image capturing frequency for the program;
- determining a popularity for program;
- altering the image capturing frequency for the content stream based on the determined popularity for the program;
- and
- storing at least one of the captured still images from the content stream associated with the program.
A method, comprising:
- obtaining network location address information indicating locations for current captured still images from a plurality of active video streams, each active video stream being associated with a corresponding video program;
- periodically retrieving current captured still images for each active video stream;
- generating a listing for display comprising, for each active video stream, a latest captured still image for the active video stream;
- determining a popularity of each of the corresponding video programs associated with the plurality of active video streams;
- and
- altering an image capturing frequency for capturing still images of at least one of the active video streams based on the determined popularity of the corresponding video program.
A method, comprising:
- causing display of a schedule of available video programs;
- causing, in a first window of a display, display of a live stream of a currently-tuned video program;
- and
- causing, in a second window of the display, display of a most-recently captured still image of a plurality of still images from a second video program captured at an image capturing frequency configured to be adjusted based on a change in popularity of the second video program.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.