WO2001078380A1

WO2001078380A1 - Ms-tabs: a management system for temporally active bookmarks

Info

Publication number: WO2001078380A1
Application number: PCT/SG2000/000047
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kaavya Narasimhalu
Original assignee: Kaavya Narasimhalu
Priority date: 2000-04-10
Filing date: 2000-04-10
Publication date: 2001-10-18

Abstract

A method and a system are disclosed for the generation and management of Temporally Active Bookmarks (TABs). Each of the TABs can be given an identifier, embedded in program previews and transmitted for reception by suitable receivers. Programs as defined herein can be either interactive or non-interactive. Interactive programs will require user/audience participation. TABs, once received can be stored in a preferred device, activated at the appropriate time, and the resulting program can be directed to a preferred device for viewing. Any corrections to a TAB can be handled and conflicts between TABs managed. Further, the program resulting from the activation of a TAB may be directed to a designated device for later viewing or participation.

Description

MS-TABs : A Management system for Temporally Active Bookmarks

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

This invention discloses a system that embeds Temporally active bookmarks (TABs) in previews , so that users can easily register their interest in a program during the preview, and view or participate in the program at an appropriate time. TABs can be automatically activated at the time specified by them. TABs can be stored in a chosen device and the program can be viewed in a device of choice. When program timings are modified, such updates can be reflected in the respective TABs using their identifiers. Methods of handling conflicting TABs can also be specified.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to any form of interactive media, including digital and analogue and can be utilized for a variety of purposes.

BACKGROUND DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART

Bookmarks have existed over several years. Originally, these bookmarks were used to mark the pages of a book so that one can resume reading from a given page. More recently, bookmarks have been used in browser based applications that would allow users to visit websites that are of interest to them. By marking these sites, users can activate the access to these links at some future point in time.

While these bookmarks continue to be useful, the original bookmark was useful only in the case of printed books. The bookmark for revisiting interesting websites is useful for just that - visiting useful websites and is limited to usage within web enabled browsers. The reader or the user inserts all such bookmarks. However, we encounter several other situations such as a future program of interest on a television channel that cannot be bookmarked easily. Quite often, we do not have a writing instrument to note down the details of the program of interest. Many of us may not have the concentration to remember the details such as the programming channel, the date, start time and end time of the program of interest. A temporally active bookmark accompanying such a program can be registered easily by a user for activating the program of interest, at the required time.

The following are the results of searches using USPTO's patent database on the 20^th of December, 1999

1. Keywords "active and bookmarks" - 53 hits

2. Keywords "temporal and bookmarks - 5 hits 3. Keywords 'temporal and active and bookmarks" and "temporally and active and bookmarks" yielded 0 hits.

The following are the only relevant patented prior arts out of the 58 hits from the search

5,872,712 - Scott A Brenneman, Timothy Mott, Leon D. Segal, "Method and apparatus for audibly indicating when a predetermined location has been encountered in stored data," describes a method that generates an audible indicator when a predetermined bookmarked location is encountered.

5,813,007 - Jakob Nielsen, "Automatic updates of bookmarks in a client computer," describes a method for obtaining updates to information in bookmarked information files.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES The following are the objects and advantages of the TABs.

i. Current bookmarks do not carry information such as delivery channel of a future program, start time and end time of such program, and other additional information required. ii. Current bookmarks are passive. The user is required to invoke the bookmark. Also, the user is expected to remember certain information about the program since current book marks do not carry such information. iii. TABs are generated by the providers of interactive programs and hence are more accurate.

iv. TABs and the management system allow the user to either directly view the program of interest or store it for convenient viewing at a later time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 : Shows a typical system that could use TABs and its management system

Figure 2 : Shows two methods of storing content and TABs.

Figure 3 : Shows a TABs management process

Reference numerals in the drawings

10 - Communication front-end ; Could be an antenna and a tuner in a television system or a communication module in a computer system 20 - Controller with multiple functions; An example would be a set- top box in the case of a television system and may also be a software in the case of a computer system

30 - Program Selector; In the case of a television system this could be a channel selector, local or wired or wireless remote controller; a computer system could achieve the same effect through either hardware similar to television or equivalent software — Storage Device - any form of recorder (VCR, DVD-RAM,..) in the case of television system; similar devices in the case of a computer system along with other storage peripherals such as hard disk and floppy disk — Output device - includes any form of display in the case of television systems; a computer screen in the case of a computer system — Bookmarking device - a device that is either independent of other devices or is integrated into any of the present devices. A preferred embodiment would be a remote controller with a function for registering TABs. — Content and TABs - For the purposes of easy comprehension, the content and TAB are shown as separate blocks. In one case, the block appears sequentially after the content and in the second case it appears side by side with the content. TABs can also be interspersed with content in other cases. - Display content and TABs - An example would be the announcement of a future program in a television channel or the announcement of a future seminar or a videoconference on a computer system, - User registers TAB - This is the user using a device to register interest in a future program. This could normally be achieved by the pressing of a button on the bookmarking device. - TAB can be stored in any chosen device in the system. A preferred storage place is the controller such as a Set-top box. It could however be stored in other devices such as a recorder. - TAB scheduler - The scheduler orders the TABs ensuring that the maximum number of concurrent programs do not exceed the maximum number of storage devices and storage channels. - A timing device keeps watch over the ordered TABs and fires a TAB when it is its turn. - The output device is similar to the one discussed in 50 160 - The storage device is similar to the one discussed in 40

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a method and a system for generating, storage and management of temporally active bookmarks (TABs).

This invention is relevant for today's television and computer systems and is certainly intended for a convergent and disaggregated version of these two systems. We expect television programs to be offered over computer systems and computing functions to be performed over television sets. Hence the convergence. We do not expect computer systems and television systems to remain as they are offered at present. We expect different parts of a computer system and a television system to be disaggregated into a multiplicity of devices linked to each other either though wired or wireless connections. We expect future television systems to be interactive and involving geographically dispersed participants in their interactive programs.

A TAB is an activity or program descriptor. Each TAB has an identifier as well. A program can be as simple as a television program offered at a given time on a certain day over a particular channel for a specified length of time. It could also be any other activity that would require the participation of viewers in either such television programs or in other programs such as audio / video conferencing, seminars, chat shows. A TAB contains information such as a unique identifier for the TAB, the channel that offers a program, the day of the program, the start time of the program, the end time of the program and other details such as the participants in the program. The descriptors in a TAB will depend on the type of program. Today's television programs may not need information on participants in the programs. Future program might need this information. For easy comprehension of how a TAB could be used in today's systems we will describe the systems required for supporting the invention separately for computer systems and television systems. However, as explained previously, we do not foresee these systems remaining to be integrated devices using different systems and expect them to converge and become disaggregated as explained previously.

a. Television System perspective- In the case of a television system, the communication front-end (10) is the antenna and the tuner. The controller (20) is the set-top box like device that may also contain capabilities such as channel selectors, payment systems, security features and remote update. Program selector (30) is ability to select a channel, the time of viewing etc. This could be a simple manifestation as the channel control button on a television box or the channel selection buttons on a set top box or the channel selection features available on a remote control either for the television or for the set-top box. Storage devices (40) refers to the video (including audio) recording devices such as the video cassette recorder and various forms of digital recorders (DVD-RAMs). Such storage devices sometimes come with their own communication front-ends. Output devices (50) typically consist of at least one screen to project the still and moving images and a system of speakers to output audio. By output devices we refer to one or more such combination of screens and speaker systems. Bookmarking device (60) refers to either an independent device or its function integrated into one of the existing devices. An example is the possibility of a television remote controller with an additional function for registering a TAB.

b. Computer System Perspective - In a computer system, the communication front end (10) is a combination of tuners with some network interface card. These tuners could be television program tuners and / or channel selectors in the case of multichannel communications using computer systems. Controller with multiple functions (20) may reside in the computer as a piece of software or may be realized as a hardware device that is either built into the integrated system or is available as an external add-on device. A program selector (30) may be a menu offering selections or a mouse or mouse like device with selection functions. Such a device can be connected to the computer system either wired or wireless. Storage devices (40) refer to a plurality of writeable devices such as the flash memory, hard disk and floppy disk. Output devices (50) refer to one or more computer screens and their accompanying audio delivery systems. Bookmarking device (60) refers to either a software implementation or a hardware device with an ability to register an interest in a TAB.

c. Future systems perspective: In a convergent world with disaggregated devices connected either by wired or wireless means, the following descriptions will hold. Communication front-end (10) would refer to a device that links the rest of the devices to programs relayed either through wires or through air as the medium. Such a front end could contain demultiplexers. Program selector (30) would be a means of selecting a program of interest. Such a selector would transmit a signal indicating the intent to register a TAB. Storage devices (40) will be one or more types of storage devices with the ability to send and receive communications to the other devices. Output devices (50) will include one or more screens all integrated into one whole or dispersed into different groups geographically for convenience with accompanying audio delivery devices. Such audio delivery devices need not be tightly integrated to the screens. Bookmarking device (60) will be a device that has the ability to register the interest in a given program.

OPERATION OF THE INVENTION

Any one offering a program will first embed necessary information in one or more TABs. When a program is delivered to a user, then user will see or hear either a visual or audio icon (100) along with the program. The user will then register interest in the program (110) using a bookmarking device.

The selected TAB is first compared with (120) other TABs already registered with the system. If the TAB is in conflict with existing TABs, then the user will be notified and asked to prioritize. This would mean either dropping the current interest or dropping one of the previously registered interests. If the current TAB is dropped, then nothing is done. If the current TAB is chosen in preference to a previously registered TAB then the previously registered TAB is deleted from the list of TABs and the new TAB is added to the list.

A TAB scheduler orders the TABs (130) in the list in the temporal order to be executed. Note that there can be more than on TAB that can be fired at any time. The maximum number of TABs that can be fired at any given time will be decided by the number of output devices, including preferred output device and the number of storage devices available in the system.

When a TAB matches the system clock, then it is fired (140). The resulting output is directed (150) to either the preferred output device if such a device is specified or any free output device and the user is alerted. If a preferred output device is busy or when no preferences are stated, all the output devices are busy, then the program is automatically stored on a storage device and the user is alerted about the storage so that the program can be replayed later at convenience.

SUMMARY, RAMIFICATIONS AND SCOPE

TAB and its management system allows users to easily record their interest in a program when it is announced and allows either the viewing of the program or participation in such a program when the program eventually takes place. This invention makes the response to future program announcements easy to register and later participate. This is in stark contrast to present systems where the users are required to explicitly take note of all information regarding a program of interest and to go through a tedious but limited programming to store such a program for later viewing as in the case of video cassette recorders.

Claims

1. A system enabling users to register their interest during a preview in viewing or participating in a program, said system comprising components for

• Generating temporally active bookmarks (TABs);

• Generating an identifiers for each of the TABs; • Embedding said TABs in said preview;

• Transmitting said TABs with said preview.

2. A system with components for

• Receiving said preview including TABs;

• Capturing the said TABs;

• Forwarding the said TABs to other devices or subsystems for storage; • Activating said TABs at the designated time on a desired device;

• Directing the program associated with the said TABs to a desired device.

3. A system combining the systems as in claims 1 and 2.

4. The system as in claim 3 wherein the system as in claim 2 additionally provides for

Altering said TABs in response to changes arising in a preview • Managing conflicts between a TAB and a previously captured TAB;

5. The system as in claim 3 wherein the system as in claim 2 additionally provides for

• Storing the program associated with a TAB to a desired device;

• Replaying the said program at a desired device at a designated time.

6. The system as in any of the previous claims said system applied to

Radio programming where the system in claim 1 is a radio program transmitter and the system in claim 2 consists of a radio receiver and analogue storage devices such as audio cassette recorder and / or any form of digital storage devices such as Digital Audio Tape or MP3.

7. The system as in any of the previous claims said system applied to television programming where the system in claim 1 is a television program transmitter and the system in claim 2 consists of a television receiver and analogue storage devices such as video cassette recorder and / or any form of digital storage devices such as Digtial Video Device (DVD).

8. The system as in any of the previous claims said system applied to Computer based applications consisting of transmitting, receiving, computing, processing and storage devices.

9. The system as in any of the previous claims said system applied to home appliances consisting of transmitting, receiving, computing, processing and storage devices.

10. The system as in any of the previous claims said system applied to systems consisting of multimedia transmitting, receiving, computing, processing and storage devices

11. The system as in any of the previous claims said system applied to devices for mobile use consisting of transmitting, receiving, computing, processing and storage devices.

12. The system as in any of the previous claims said system applied to a mixture of said systems in claims 6 to 11.

13. A method enabling users to register their interest during a preview in viewing or participating in a program, said method comprising components for

• Generating temporally active bookmarks (TABs); • Generating an identifiers for each of the TABs;

• Embedding said TABs in said preview;

• Transmitting said TABs with said preview.

14. A method with components for

• Receiving said preview including TABs;

• Capturing the said TABs;

• Forwarding the said TABs to other devices or subsystems for storage;

• Activating said TABs at the designated time on a desired device;

• Directing the program associated with the said TABs to a desired device.

15. A method combining the methods as in claims 13 and 14.

16. The method as in claim 15 wherein the method as in claim 14 additionally provides for

• Altering said TABs in response to changes arising in a preview

• Managing conflicts between a TAB and a previously captured TAB;

17. The method as in claim 15 wherein the method as in claim 14 additionally provides for

• Storing the program associated with a TAB to a desired device;

• Replaying the said program at a desired device at a designated time.

18. The method as in any of the previous claims said method applied to radio programming wherein the method in claim 13 is applied to a radio program transmitter and the method in claim 14 is applied to a radio receiver and analogue storage devices such as audio cassette recorder and / or any form of digital storage devices such as Digital Audio Tape or MP3.

19. The method as in any of the previous claims said method applied to television programming wherein the method in claim 13 is applied to a television program transmitter and the method in claiml4 is applied to a television receiver and analogue storage devices such as video cassette recorder and / or any form of digital storage devices such as Digtial Video Device (DVD).

20. The method as in any of the previous claims said method applied to Computer based applications consisting of transmitting, receiving, computing, processing and storage devices.

21. The method as in any of the previous claims said method applied to home appliances consisting of transmitting, receiving, computing, processing and storage devices.

22. The method as in any of the previous claims said method applied to systems consisting of multimedia transmitting, receiving, computing, processing and storage devices

23. The method as in any of the previous claims said method applied to devices for mobile use consisting of transmitting, receiving, computing, processing and storage devices.

24. The method as in any of the previous claims said method applied to a mixture of said systems in claims 18 to 23.