US 9,386,352 B1Granted

Methods and apparatus for determining a normalized time for use in resuming content playback

AssigneeTime Warner Cable Enterprises LLC

InventorsVitaly Shoykhet, Albert Straub, Sherri Green

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Abstract

Methods and apparatus relating to determining and using a normalized in progress program indicator that can be used for resuming content playback are described. In some embodiments the normalized in progress program indicator, also referred to as a normalized in progress program time, indicates a portion, e.g., fraction, of a program which has been viewed. The normalized in progress time is generated by determining an in progress program point after excluding the time of advertisements that may have been included in a content stream with the program. A user may begin watching a program on one device and resume playback of a different version of the same program on another playback device with the normalization process allowing for the playback starting point to be easily determined whether the same or a different version, with a different duration, of the program is played back.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method of providing program content to a viewer, the method comprising:

storing program content in a content storage device;
receiving a first in progress time indicating an in progress time of a first content stream being output to the viewer on a first playback device, said first content stream communicating at least a portion of a first version of a first program, said first version of the first program being in a first format and having a first program duration, said first program duration excluding a duration of any non-program segments included in said first content stream;
generating from the first in progress time and information indicating the first program duration, a normalized in progress time;
storing said normalized in progress time in memory;
operating a control device to determine, from said normalized in progress time, a second in progress time to be used in streaming a second content stream to said viewer, said second content stream communicating a second version of said first program having a second program duration which is different from said second program duration, said second version being different than said first version, said second program duration excluding any non-program segments included in said second content stream;
and
operating a content server to use said second in progress time to stream said second content stream to a second playback device.

4 more elements

A method of providing program content to a viewer, the method comprising:

storing program content in a content storage device;
receiving a first in progress time indicating an in progress time of a first content stream being output, by a first playback device, to the viewer;
generating from the first in progress time and information indicating a first program duration, a normalized in progress time, said first program duration being a duration of a first version of a first program being communicated by said first content stream, said first program duration excluding the duration of any non-program segments included in said first content stream, said generating from the first in progress time and information indicating a first program duration a normalized in progress time including:
accessing stored information indicating the duration and location of non-program segments in said first content stream;
subtracting from the first in progress time an amount of time equal to the duration of non-program segments in said first content stream which occurred prior to first in progress time to generate a first adjusted in progress time;
and
determining said normalized in-progress time from said first adjusted in progress time and said first program duration, said determining said normalized in-progress time from said first adjusted in progress time and said first program duration including:
dividing the adjusted in progress time by said first program duration;
and
operating a control device to determine, from said normalized in progress time, a second in progress time to be used in streaming a second content stream to said viewer;
and
operating a content server to use said second in progress time to stream said second content stream to a second playback device.

9 more elements

A system comprising:

a content storage device storing program content;
a control device comprising:
an interface including a receiver configured to receive a first in progress time indicating an in progress time of a first content stream being output to a viewer on a first playback device, said first content stream communicating at least a portion of a first version of a first program, said first version of the first program being in a first format and having a first program duration, said first program duration excluding a duration of any non-program segments included in said first content stream;
a normalized time determination module configured to generate, from the first in progress time and information indicating the first program duration, a normalized in progress time;
a memory for storing said normalized in progress time;
and
an in progress time calculation module configured to determine, from said normalized in progress time, a second in progress time to be used in streaming a second content stream to said viewer, said second content stream communicating a second version of said first program having a second program duration which is different from said first program duration, said second version being different than said first version, said second program duration excluding any non-program segments included in said second content stream;
and
a content server configured to use said second in progress time to stream said second content stream to a second playback device.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.