FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] The present subject matter relates to dynamic content delivery and,
particularly, but not exclusively, to dynamic content delivery in a multiscreen
digital television environmen5 t.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Advancements in digital television (DTV) have led to multiscreen
DTV, in which a user can register multiple electronic devices with the service
provider of the DTV and receive multimedia content, offered by the service
10 provider, on any of the multiple electronic devices. The registered electronic
devices of a user may include, for example, a television, a personal computer, a
smartphone, and a tablet. The user may be referred to as a multiscreen subscriber.
The multimedia content, including audio-video content, can be broadcasted or
unicasted by the service provider. Broadcasting is understood as the streaming of
15 multimedia content to the electronic devices of multiple users. Unicasting is
understood as the streaming of multimedia content to an electronic device of a
particular user, based on the request from that user. An example of unicasting is
the streaming of a video-on-demand.
SUMMARY
20 [0003] This summary is provided to introduce concepts related to dynamic
content delivery in a multiscreen digital television (DTV) environment. This
summary is not intended to identify features of the claimed subject matter nor is it
directed to use in determining or limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.
[0004] In an implementation of the present subject matter, a method for
25 dynamic content delivery in a multiscreen DTV environment is disclosed. The
method includes streaming a multimedia content to a first content viewing device
of the multiscreen DTV environment, and providing tags on the first content
viewing device during the streaming of the multimedia content. Each of the tags is
associated with a predefined content sequence within the multimedia content. The
3
method further includes receiving a signal indicative of a user selected tag, from
amongst the tags provided on the first content viewing device, and providing one
of an audio and an audio-video of the predefined content sequence corresponding
to the user selected tag to a second content viewing device of the multiscreen
DTV environmen5 t.
[0005] In accordance with another implementation of the present subject
matter, a content delivery system for dynamic content delivery in a multiscreen
DTV environment is disclosed. The content delivery system includes a processor,
a multimedia content delivery module coupled to, and executable by, the
10 processor, and a tagged-content delivery module coupled to, and executable by,
the processor. The multimedia content delivery module may stream a multimedia
content to a first content viewing device of the multiscreen DTV environment, and
provide tags on the first content viewing device during the streaming of the
multimedia content. Each of the tags is associated with a predefined content
15 sequence within the multimedia content. The tagged-content delivery module may
receive a signal indicative of a user selected tag, from amongst the tags provided
on the first content viewing device, and provide one of an audio and an audiovideo
of the predefined content sequence corresponding to the user selected tag to
a second content viewing device of the multiscreen DTV environment.
20 [0006] In accordance with another implementation of the present subject
matter, a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions to
implement a method for dynamic content delivery in a multiscreen DTV
environment is disclosed. The method includes streaming a multimedia content to
a first content viewing device of the multiscreen DTV environment; and providing
25 tags on the first content viewing device during the streaming of the multimedia
content. Each of the tags is associated with a predefined content sequence within
the multimedia content. The method further includes receiving a signal indicative
of a user selected tag, from amongst the tags provided on the first content viewing
device; and providing one of an audio and an audio-video of the predefined
30 content sequence corresponding to the user selected tag to a second content
viewing device of the multiscreen DTV environment.
4
[0007] In accordance with another implementation of the present subject
matter, a content viewing device of a multimedia DTV environment is disclosed.
The content viewing device includes a processor configured to display a
multimedia content streamed from a content delivery system, and display tags on
a screen of the content viewing device during the display of the multimedi5 a
content. Each of the tags is associated with a predefined content sequence within
the multimedia content. The processor is also configured to receive a user input
for a user selected tag, where the user selected tag is amongst the tags displayed of
the screen of the content viewing device. The processor is further configured to
10 provide a signal to the content delivery system, where the signal is provided based
on the user input for obtaining one of an audio and an audio-video of the
predefined content sequence corresponding to the user selected tag on another
content viewing device of the multiscreen digital television environment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
15 [0008] The detailed description is described with reference to the
accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number
identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same
numbers are used throughout the figures to reference like features and
components. Some implementations of system and/or methods in accordance with
20 implementations of the present subject matter are now described, by way of
examples, and with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:
[0009] Figure 1 schematically illustrates a multiscreen digital television
environment having a content delivery system, in accordance with an
implementation of the present subject matter.
25 [0010] Figure 2 illustrates an exemplary method for dynamic content delivery
in a multiscreen digital television environment, in accordance with an
implementation of the present subject matter.
[0011] It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any block
diagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative systems embodying the
30 principles of the present subject matter. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any
5
flow charts, flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudo code, and the like
represent various processes which may be substantially represented in a nontransitory
computer readable medium and so executed by a computer or processor,
whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIME5 NTS
[0012] The present subject matter relates to systems and methods for dynamic
content delivery in a multiscreen digital television (DTV) environment.
[0013] A multiscreen DTV environment may be understood as a network
environment in which digital TV services are offered by a service provider to
10 multiscreen subscribers, referred to as users. Content delivery in a multiscreen
DTV environment may be understood as provisioning or streaming of multimedia
content, through digital TV services, to multiple registered electronic devices of
each of the users. The content delivery in a multiscreen DTV environment may be
based on Internet Protocol (IP) TV, direct-to-home (DTH) TV, satellite TV, cable
15 TV, and the like, and can be in standard definition format, high definition format
or any other format. The registered electronic devices of a user, also referred to as
content viewing devices, may include a television, a personal computer, a
smartphone, a tablet, and the like. The multimedia content may include audiovideo
content related to movies, news, sports, etc., and may be provided through
20 different transmission channels. The multimedia content may be broadcast to
various registered content viewing devices, or unicast to a registered content
viewing device through pay-per-view or on-demand channels.
[0014] Consider a scenario where a user is watching a multimedia content,
such as a movie, on a registered content viewing device, such as a TV, and while
25 watching the movie the user likes one or more content sequences, for example,
songs, within the movie. The user may wish to have audio or audio-video of one
or more of the songs on another content viewing device, such as a smartphone, so
that he can listen to or view the songs again separately. Typically, in such a
scenario, the user may search for those songs on an online database and download
30 the songs through internet to save them on the smartphone. Alternatively, the
6
subscriber may visit a store and purchase a storage medium, for example, a
compact disc (CD) or a digital video disc (DVD) having the songs compiled
thereon. With the conventional methods, as described above, the subscriber may
have to spend substantial time and effort in searching and downloading, or
visiting a store and purchasing, in order to have the audio or the audio-video o5 f
the songs on the smartphone. As will be appreciated, in other examples, the audio
or audio-video sequence liked by a user may relate to different portions of the
multimedia content watched by the user on the registered content viewing device.
[0015] The present subject matter describes systems and methods for dynamic
10 content delivery in a multiscreen DTV environment. The dynamic content
delivery in the multiscreen DTV environment, in accordance with the present
subject matter, may be understood as providing, on one content viewing device of
a user, an audio or an audio-video of a predefined content sequence within a
multimedia content, while the user is viewing the multimedia content on another
15 content viewing device. In an example, the multimedia content can be referred to
as a primary multimedia content, such as a movie, being watched by the user, and
the predefined content sequence can be a content sequence or a portion of the
primary multimedia content, for example, a song sequence, an action-scene
sequence, or a comedy-scene sequence within the primary multimedia content,
20 which is selected by the user. Thus, with the systems and the methods of the
present subject matter, the user can dynamically obtain the audio or the audiovideo
of one or more songs, action-scene sequences, and comedy-scene
sequences, from the movie, on his smartphone, personal computer or tablet, with
substantial ease and without spending much time and effort, while the user is
25 watching the movie on his TV. Although in the example described herein the
multimedia content is a movie and the predefined content sequence within the
multimedia content is a song sequence, an action-scene sequence, a comedyscenes;
however, the multimedia content can be any audio-video content related to
news, sports, etc., and the predefined content sequence within the multimedia
30 content can be a news clipping, a sports clipping, etc.
7
[0016] The systems and the methods described herein may be implemented in
a variety of multiscreen DTV environments, such as an IP TV environment, a
DTH TV environment, a satellite TV environment, and a cable TV environment.
Further, the systems and the methods of the present subject matter may be
implemented in a content server or any other server or computing device 5 of the
service provider of the multiscreen DTV environment, through which the
multimedia content and the predefined content sequences within the multimedia
content can be provided to various content viewing devices of the users in the
multiscreen DTV environment. Although the description herein is with reference
10 to certain multiscreen DTV environments and computing device, the systems and
the methods may be implemented in other DTV environments and computing
devices, albeit with a few variations, as will be understood by a person skilled in
the art.
[0017] In an implementation, a multimedia content may be streamed from a
15 content server to a first content viewing device of a user in a multiscreen DTV
environment. The first content viewing device of the user may be a content
viewing device registered with the service provider of the multiscreen digital TV
environment and may include a TV, a personal computer, a smartphone, or a
tablet. For the purpose of dynamic content delivery, tags may be provided on the
20 first content viewing device during the streaming of the multimedia content. Each
tag is associated with a predefined content sequence within the multimedia
content. In an example where the multimedia content is a movie, the tag can be
for a song sequence, an action-scene sequence, a comedy scene sequence, a trailer
sequence, etc. In an implementation, each tag can be in the form of a visual
25 indicator that can be displayed on a screen of the first content viewing device for
indicating the presence of the corresponding predefined content sequence within
the multimedia content, while the multimedia content is being streamed to the first
content viewing device.
[0018] In an implementation, each tag may be provided and accordingly
30 displayed on the first content viewing device while the predefined content
sequence corresponding to the respective tag is being played on the first content
8
viewing device. With this, in case the user wishes to obtain the predefined content
sequence corresponding to a displayed tag, the user can provide an input to the
first content viewing device based on the visual indicator for the tag. The tag
based on which the user provides the input is referred to as the user selected tag.
Based on the user input, a signal indicative of the user selected tag may b5 e
received by the content server from the content viewing device. In response, an
audio or an audio-video of the predefined content sequence corresponding to the
user selected tag is provided from the content server to a second content viewing
device of the user. The second content viewing device of the user may be a
10 content viewing device registered with the service provider of the multiscreen
digital TV environment and may include a smartphone, a personal computer, and
a tablet. In an implementation, the audio or the audio-video of the predefined
content sequence may be provided to the second content viewing device in a
format that is compatible with the second content viewing device. The audio or
15 the audio-video of the predefined content sequence can then be accordingly saved
in the second content viewing device.
[0019] In an implementation, the user may be charged, from a user account,
for the predefined content sequence provided to the second content viewing
device of the user. The user account may be maintained with the service provider.
20 The user may be charged based on a fixed charging rate for any of the predefined
content sequences or based on a variable charging rate depending on the type
and/or the duration of the predefined content sequence. In an implementation, the
charging rate may be a pre-decided rate, offered to the user account. In an
implementation, the charging rate may be a dynamic rate, provided with the tag.
25 The dynamic rate may be varied by the service provider and may depend on the
type and/or the duration of the predefined content sequence. Based on the
charging rate provided by the tag, the user may decide to obtain the predefined
content sequence.
[0020] In an implementation, the tag, or the visual indicator for the tag, may
30 provide details, such as title and/or the genre for the predefined content sequence
corresponding to the tag. For example, for a song sequence the tag may provide
9
the title of the song, and for an action-scene sequence the tag may provide the
genre as “Action”.
[0021] The above systems and methods are further described in conjunction
with the following figures. It should be noted that the description and figures
merely illustrate the principles of the present subject matter. It will thus 5 us be
appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements
that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of
the present subject matter. Furthermore, all examples recited herein are principally
intended to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the present subject
10 matter. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and
implementations of the present subject matter, as well as specific examples
thereof, are intended to encompass equivalents thereof.
[0022] The manner in which the systems and methods for dynamic content
delivery in a multiscreen DTV environment shall be explained in details with
15 respect to the Figures 1 and 2. While aspects of described systems and methods
for dynamic content delivery in a multiscreen DTV environment can be
implemented in any number of different computing devices, transmission
environments, and/or configurations, the implementations are described in the
context of the following exemplary system(s).
20 [0023] Figure 1 illustrates a multiscreen DTV environment 100 having a
content delivery system 102, in accordance with an implementation of the present
subject matter. The content delivery system 102 may be implemented in a content
server, or any other computing device, of the service provider for dynamic
delivery of multimedia content to content viewing devices of multiscreen
25 subscribers in the multiscreen DTV environment 100. The multiscreen subscribers
in the multiscreen DTV environment 100 may be referred to as users. The content
delivery system 102 may be communicatively coupled over a network 104 with
multiple content viewing devices 106-1, 106-2, … , 106-N of a user, as depicted
in Figure 1. The multiple content viewing devices 106-1, 106-2, … , 106-N of the
30 user are the devices registered with the service provider and are hereinafter
collectively referred to as the content viewing devices 106 and individually
10
referred to as the content viewing device 106. The content viewing devices 106 of
a user may include a TV, a smartphone, a personal computer, a tablet, and the
like. In the multiscreen DTV environment 100, the multimedia content may be
transformed into different formats, different bit rates and different resolutions for
displaying on different content viewing devices 106. For the sake of simp5 licity
and the description herein, the content viewing devices 106 of one multiscreen
subscriber are shown in the multiscreen DTV environment 100; however, the
multiscreen DTV environment 100 may include content viewing devices of
multiple multiscreen subscribers.
10 [0024] In an implementation, the multiscreen DTV environment 100 may be
based on IP TV, DTH TV, satellite TV, or cable TV. The multimedia content that
is sent to various content viewing devices 106 in the multiscreen DTV
environment 100 is encoded by an encoder at the service provider’s end, for
example, in the content server. The encoded multimedia content is transmitted to
15 the content viewing devices 106, where the multimedia content is decoded by a
decoder. Thereafter, the content may be displayed on a screen of the respective
content viewing device 106. The screen may be, but is not restricted to, an electro
luminescent display (ELD) screen, a plasma display panel (PDP), an organic light
emitting diode (OLED) screen, a light emitting diode (LED) screen, a liquid
20 crystal display (LCD) screen, and a thin-film transistor LCD (TFT-LCD) screen.
In a case where the content viewing device 106 is a TV, the decoder may be
implemented in a set top box (STB) 108, as shown. Although, the STB 108 is
shown external to the content viewing device 106, the STB 108 can be integrated
within the content viewing device 106. In a case where the content viewing device
25 106 is a personal computer, a TV tuner card may be implemented as the decoder.
Further, in a case where the content viewing device 106 is a smart phone or a
tablet, a digital TV receiver may be implemented as the decoder.
[0025] In the multiscreen DTV environment 100, the multimedia content may
include contents related to movies, news, sports, etc., provided to all the content
30 viewing devices 106 through broadcast channels. In an implementation, the
multimedia content may include a video-on-demand (VOD) provided to a
11
particular content viewing device 106, as requested by the user, through a unicast
channel. The unicast channel may include pay-per-view channel and VOD
channel.
[0026] Further, the network 104 may be a combination of wired and wireless
networks. The network 104 may be a collection of individual ne5 tworks,
interconnected with each other and functioning as a single network. The
communication over the network 104 may be through satellite communication,
terrestrial communication, or through the use of routers and access points
connected to various Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexers (DSLAMs) of
10 wired networks. The network 104 can be implemented as one of the different
types of networks, such as intranet, local area network (LAN), wide area network
(WAN), the Internet, and such.
[0027] In an implementation, the content delivery system 102 includes
processor(s) 110, I/O interface(s) 112, and a memory 114 coupled to the
15 processor(s) 110. The processor(s) 110 may be implemented as one or more
microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors,
central processing units, state machines, logic circuitries, and/or any devices that
manipulate signals based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities,
the processor(s) 110 are configured to fetch and execute computer-readable
20 instructions stored in the memory 114.
[0028] The functions of the various elements shown in the figure, including
any functional blocks labeled as “processor(s)”, may be provided through the use
of dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing computerreadable
instructions. When provided by a processor, the functions may be
25 provided by a single dedicated processor, by a single shared processor, or by a
plurality of individual processors, some of which may be shared. Moreover,
explicit use of the term “processor” should not be construed to refer exclusively to
hardware capable of executing software, and may implicitly include, without
limitation, digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, network processor,
30 application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array
(FPGA), read only memory (ROM) for storing software, random access memory
12
(RAM), and non volatile storage. Other hardware, conventional and/or
customized, may also be included.
[0029] The I/O interface(s) 112 may include a variety of software and
hardware interfaces, for example, interfaces for peripheral device(s), such as data
input output devices, referred to as I/O devices, storage devices, network 5 devices,
etc. The I/O device(s) may include Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports, Ethernet
ports, host bus adaptors, etc., and their corresponding device drivers. The I/O
interface(s) 112 facilitate the communication of the content delivery system 102
with various networks, such as the network 104 and various communication and
10 computing devices, such as the content viewing devices 106.
[0030] The memory 114 may include any non-transitory computer-readable
medium including volatile memory, such as Static Random Access Memory
(SRAM) and Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), and/or non-volatile
memory, such as read only memory (ROM), erasable programmable ROM, flash
15 memories, hard disks, optical disks, and magnetic tapes.
[0031] The content delivery system 102 may also include module(s) 116 and
data 118. The module(s) 116, amongst other things, are coupled to, and executable
by, the processor(s) 110. The module(s) 116 include routines, programs, objects,
components, data structures, etc., which perform particular tasks or implement
20 particular abstract data types. The module(s) 116 may also be implemented as,
signal processor(s), state machine(s), logic circuitries, and/or any other device or
component that manipulate signals based on operational instructions.
[0032] Further, the module(s) 116 can be implemented in hardware,
instructions executed by a processing unit, or by a combination thereof. The
25 processing unit can comprise a computer, a processor, such as the processor 110, a
state machine, a logic array or any other suitable devices capable of processing
instructions. The processing unit can be a general-purpose processor which
executes instructions to cause the general-purpose processor to perform the
required tasks, or the processing unit can be dedicated to perform the required
30 functions.
13
[0033] In another aspect of the present subject matter, the module(s) 116 may
be machine-readable instructions which, when executed by a processor/processing
unit, perform any of the described functionalities. The machine-readable
instructions may be stored on an electronic memory device, hard disk, optical disk
or other machine-readable storage medium or non-transitory medium. 5 The
module(s) 116 can be loaded into memory and executed by the processor(s) 110
to implement functions as discussed herein. In one implementation, the machinereadable
instructions can be also be downloaded to the storage medium via a
network connection.
10 [0034] In an implementation, the module(s) 116 includes a multimedia
content delivery module 120, a tagged-content delivery module 122, a charging
module 124, and other module(s) 126. The other module(s) 126 may include
programs or coded instructions that supplement applications and functions of the
content delivery system 102. The data 118 amongst other things, serves as a
15 repository for storing data processed, received, associated, and generated by one
or more of the module(s) 116. The data 118 includes, for example, multimedia
and tagged content 128, user profile data 130, and other data 132. The other data
132 includes data generated as a result of the execution of one or more modules in
the other module(s) 126. Although the data 118 is shown internal to the content
20 delivery system 102, it may be understood that the data 118 can reside in an
external memory which is coupled to the processor(s) 110.
[0035] For receiving multimedia content through DTV services offered by the
service provider for the multiscreen DTV environment 100, the users may have to
subscribe or register with the service provider. The service provider may create
25 user account for each user, in which a user profile is maintained. The user profile
may include user identification details, such as name, address, contact details,
along with the details of the DTV services, content, and channels that the
respective user has subscribed for may be included. In addition, in the multiscreen
DTV environment 100, the service provider may register each of the content
30 viewing devices 106 of the user through which the user may access the DTV
services. The details pertaining to such content viewing devices 106 of the user
14
may be included in the respective user profile. In an implementation, the user
profile for each user may be stored in the user profile data 130.
[0036] The description hereinafter describes the dynamic delivery of
multimedia content in the multiscreen DTV environment 100 through the content
delivery system 102, in accordance with an example implementation. 5 . The
example described herein considers a case where the user is watching a movie
requested through a VOD channel on a first content viewing device, such as a
registered TV, as depicted through 106-1, and, while watching the movie, the user
wishes to obtain an audio of a song from the movie, on a second content viewing
10 device, such as a registered smartphone, as depicted through 106-2. For the case
described herein, the movie is referred to as a multimedia content, and the song is
referred to as a predefined content sequence within the multimedia content.
Although the description is provided for the above mentioned case; however, the
description can be extended to dynamically deliver audio or audio-video of one or
15 more predefined content sequences within a multimedia content on one content
viewing device, while the user is viewing the multimedia content on another
content viewing device. The multimedia content may include, but is not limited
to, an audio-video content related to entertainment, news, sports, etc., and the
predefined content sequence within the multimedia content may include, but is not
20 limited to, a song sequence, an action-scene sequence within a movie, a comedyscene
sequence within a movie, a news clipping, and a sports clipping. The first
content viewing device may include a TV, a personal computer, a smartphone, or
a tablet. The second content viewing device may include a smartphone, a personal
computer, and a tablet.
25 [0037] In an implementation, each of the content viewing devices 106,
including the first content viewing device 106-1, has a processor (not shown)
configured to receive and display various contents, receive user inputs, and
transmit signals in accordance with the present subject matter. In an example, for
the first content viewing device 106-1 being a TV, the STB 108 is integrated
30 within the first content viewing device 106-1, and the processor of the first
content viewing device 106-1 is the processor of the STB 108.
15
[0038] In an implementation, the multimedia content delivery module 120
streams the movie, from the content server, to the first content viewing device
106-1. The first content viewing device 106-1 displays the movie, streamed from
the content server. During the streaming of the movie, the multimedia content
delivery module 120 provides tags on the first content viewing device 106-5 1,
where each tag is associated with a predefined content sequence within the movie.
As mentioned earlier, the predefined content sequence within the movie can be a
song sequence, an action-scene sequence, a comedy scene sequence, a trailer
sequence, etc. One tag is associated with one of the predefined content sequences
10 within the movie. The multimedia content for the movie and the data for the tags
is stored in the multimedia and tagged content 128.
[0039] In an implementation, each tag is a visual indicator that is displayed by
the first content viewing device 106-1, while the movie is being streamed to, and
displayed on, the first content viewing device 106-1. Each tag is displayed on a
15 screen of the first content viewing device 106-1. The tag, when displayed during
the streaming, is indicative of the presence of the corresponding predefined
content sequence within the movie. In an implementation, each tag, when
displayed, provides a title, theme, genre of the predefined content sequence
corresponding to the tag. In an example, for a song sequence, the tag may provide
20 a title of the song along with the genre as “Romantic Song”. In another example,
for a comedy sequence, the tag may provide a title of the sequence along with the
genre as “Comedy”.
[0040] The tag provided for a predefined content sequence may pop-up and is
displayed on the screen of the first content viewing device 106-1 while the
25 predefined content sequence is being played. In an implementation, the tag may
be displayed for a duration, hereinafter referred to as the tag time duration. The
tag time duration may include the time duration of the corresponding predefined
content sequence and a predefined time duration before the beginning and after
the end of the corresponding predefined content sequence. In an example, the
30 predefined time duration, before the beginning and after the end of the predefined
content sequence, may be in a range from 1 to 5 seconds.
16
[0041] Now, while watching the movie on the first content viewing device
106-1 if the user wishes to obtain the audio of a particular song from the movie on
the second content viewing device 106-2, the user may provide an input based on
the tag associated with that song, which is received by the first content viewing
device 106-1. The tag based on which the user provides the input is referred 5 to as
the user selected tag.
[0042] Based on the user input, the tagged-content delivery module 122
receives a signal, where the signal is indicative of the user selected tag. The signal
is provided by the first content viewing device 106-1. The tagged-content delivery
10 module 122, in response to the received signal, provides the audio of the song
sequence, corresponding to the user selected tag, to the second content viewing
device 106-2. For this, in an implementation, based on the user input, the taggedcontent
delivery module 122 receives the signal comprising a uniform resource
locator (URL) of the song sequence from the first content viewing device 106-1.
15 Based on the URL of the song sequence, the tagged-content delivery module 122
fetches an audio stream of the song from the content server, and transmits the
fetched audio stream to the second content viewing device 106-2. The audio
stream of the song may be stored in the multimedia and tagged content 128. The
user may receive a notification on the second content viewing device 106-2 to
20 access the audio stream of the song. The user may accordingly save the audio of
the song in a song directory in the second content viewing device 106-2.
[0043] In an implementation, the tagged-content delivery module 122 may
provide the audio of the song to all the registered content viewing devices 106 of
the user, apart from the first content viewing device 106-1. The user may
25 selectively access the audio of the song to save the audio on one or more of the
content viewing devices 106.
[0044] In an implementation, the tagged-content delivery module 122 may
provide the audio of the song in a format compatible with the second content
viewing device 106-2. For this, the details, such as compatible format(s), for the
30 second content viewing device 106-2 are available in the user profile data 130 of
the content delivery system 102. The tagged-content delivery module 122 may
17
refer to the compatible format(s) for the second content viewing device 106-2 and
transmit the audio stream in a compatible format. In an implementation, the
tagged-content delivery module 122 may convert the audio stream into the
compatible format before transmitting it to the second content viewing device
5 106-2.
[0045] In an implementation, the tags, or the visual indicators of the tags, for
the predefined content sequences may be in the form of interactive buttons which
the user can select to provide the user input for the user selected tag. For the case
where the first content viewing device is a TV, the user may select the interactive
10 button and provide the user input through a remote controller of the TV. For the
case where the first content viewing device is a smartphone or a tablet, the user
may select the interactive button and provide the user input through a touch-based
input or through an input unit, such as keypad or keyboard, of the smartphone or
the tablet. For the case where the first content viewing device 106-1 is a personal
15 computer, the user may select the interactive button and provide the user input
through a touch-based input or through an input unit, such as keypad or keyboard,
of the personal computer.
[0046] In an implementation, the tags, or the visual indicators of the tags, for
the predefined content sequences may be in the form of non-interactive symbols.
20 Such tags provide information based on which the user can provide the user input
for the user selected tag. For the case where the first content viewing device is a
TV, the tag may provide information indicative of a particular button or
combination of buttons of the remote controller of the TV, which the user can
press to provide the user input. Each tag may provide information indicative of a
25 distinct button or distinct combination of buttons. In an example, the tag for song
1 can provide “Press Button A”, the tag for song 2 can provide “Press Button B”,
and so on. In another example, the tag for song 1 can provide “Press Buttons 1-2-
3”, the tag for song 2 can provide “Press Button 4-5-6”, and so on. For the case
where the first content viewing device is a smartphone, a tablet, or a person
30 computer, each tag may provide information indicative of distinct character or a
distinct combination of characters that can be entered through a touch-based input
18
or through an input unit, such as keypad or keyboard, of the smartphone, the
tablet, or the person computer.
[0047] In an implementation, each tag, when displayed, may provide an
option to the user to provide a user input to obtain either the audio or the audiovideo
of the predefined content sequence corresponding to the tag. The user ma5 y
provide the user input depending on whether the user wishes to obtain the audio or
the audio-video on the second content viewing device 106-2. With this, in an
implementation, the user input received by the first content viewing device 106-1
is indicative of whether to obtain the audio or the audio-video of the predefined
10 content sequence corresponding to the user selected tag on the second content
viewing device 106-2.
[0048] Further, in an implementation, each tag may provide a charging rate
for obtaining the audio or the audio-video of the predefined content sequence
corresponding to the tag. The charging rate may vary for obtaining the audio and
15 obtaining the audio-video, and may depend on the duration of the predefined
content sequence. The charging rate may also depend on the type of predefined
content sequence, where the type may refer to whether it is for a song sequence,
or action-scene sequence, or a comedy-scene sequence. The charging rates may be
pre-decided rates, fixed by the service provider for the user. Information of such
20 charging rates may be stored in the user profile data 130. The charging rate can be
dynamic rates that may be changed by the service provider.
[0049] In an implementation, the charging module 124 charges a user account
for obtaining each predefined content sequence on the second content viewing
device 106-2. The charging module 124 may charge the user account based on the
25 charging provided in the user selected tag. In an implementation, the user account
may be a pre-paid account or a post-paid account. In the case of a pre-paid
account, the tagged-content delivery module 122 may provide the audio or the
audio-video of the predefined content sequence for the user selected tag, when the
user account has a sufficient account balance.
30 [0050] Figure 2 illustrates a method 200 for dynamic content delivery in a
multiscreen DTV environment, according to an implementation of the present
19
subject matter. The order in which the method is described is not intended to be
construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks can be
combined in any order to implement the method 200 or any alternative method.
Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from the method without departing
from the scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, the meth5 od
can be implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or combination
thereof.
[0051] The method(s) may be described in the general context of computer
executable instructions. Generally, computer executable instructions can include
10 routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, procedures, modules,
functions, etc., that perform particular functions or implement particular abstract
data types. The methods may also be practiced in a distributed computing
environment where functions are performed by remote processing devices that are
linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing
15 environment, computer executable instructions may be located in both local and
remote computer storage media, including memory storage devices.
[0052] A person skilled in the art will readily recognize that steps of the
method 200 can be performed by programmed computers. Herein, some
implementations are also intended to cover program storage devices or computer
20 readable medium, for example, digital data storage media, which are machine or
computer readable and encode machine-executable or computer-executable
programs of instructions, where said instructions perform some or all of the steps
of the described method. The program storage devices may be, for example,
digital memories, magnetic storage media, such as a magnetic disks and magnetic
25 tapes, hard drives, or optically readable digital data storage media. The
implementations are also intended to cover both communication network and
communication devices to perform said steps of the method.
[0053] Although the method 200 for dynamic content delivery may be
implemented in a variety of network devices or computing devices working in
30 different multiscreen DTV environments; in an implementation described in
Figure 2, the method 200 is explained in context of the aforementioned content
20
delivery system 102 in the multiscreen DTV environment 100 for the ease of
explanation.
[0054] Referring to Figure 2, at block 202, a multimedia content is streamed
to a first content viewing device of the multiscreen DTV environment 100. The
multimedia content may include, but is not limited to, an audio-video 5 content
related to entertainment, news, sports, etc. The first content viewing device may
include a TV, a personal computer, a smartphone, or a tablet, of a user and
registered with the service provider of the multiscreen DTV environment 100. The
multimedia content is provided by the content delivery system 102.
10 [0055] At block 204, tags are provided on the first content viewing device
during the streaming of the multimedia content. Each tag is associated with a
predefined content sequence within the multimedia content. As mentioned earlier,
each tag is a visual indicator that can be displayed on a screen of the first content
viewing device, while the multimedia content is being streamed to the first
15 content viewing device. The tag, when displayed during the streaming, is
indicative of the presence of the corresponding predefined content sequence
within the movie. Further, the tag for a predefined content sequence may be
displayed on the screen of the first content viewing device while that predefined
content sequence is being played. The tags in the multimedia content are provided
20 by the content delivery system 102.
[0056] If the user, while viewing the multimedia content on the first content
viewing device, wishes to obtain an audio or an audio-video of a particular
predefined content sequence from the multimedia content on the second content
viewing device, the user may provide an input to the first content viewing device
25 based on the tag associated with that predefined content sequence. The tag based
on with the user provides the input is referred to as the user selected tag.
[0057] Based on the user input, at block 206, a signal indicative of the user
selected tag is received, and, at block 208, an audio or an audio-video of the
predefined content sequence corresponding to the user selected tag is provided to
30 a second content viewing device of the multiscreen DTV environment 100. The
signal is received by the content delivery system 102, and the audio or the audio21
video is provided by the content delivery system 102. As mentioned earlier, based
on the user input, the signal comprising a URL of the predefined content sequence
received from the first content viewing device. Based on the URL of the
predefined content sequence, an audio stream or an audio-video stream of the
predefined content sequence is fetched from the content server, and the fetche5 d
audio stream or audio-video stream is transmitted to the second content viewing
device. With this, the user may receive a notification on the second content
viewing device to access the audio stream or the audio-video stream of the
predefined content sequence, and the user may accordingly save the audio or the
10 audio-video of the predefined content sequence in a directory in the second
content viewing device. In an implementation, the audio or the audio-video of the
predefined content sequence may be provided in a format compatible with the
second content viewing device.
[0058] Further, in an implementation, each tag may provide a charging rate
15 for the predefined content sequence corresponding to the tag, and the user account
may be charged based on the charging rate for the predefined content sequence
corresponding to the user selected tag.
[0059] Further, in an implementation, each tag may provide an option to the
user to provide the user input to obtain either the audio or the audio-video of the
20 predefined content sequence corresponding to the tag. The user may provide the
user input depending on whether the user wishes to obtain the audio or the audiovideo
on the second content viewing device.
[0060] Although implementations for dynamic content delivery in the
multiscreen DTV environment have been described in a language specific to
25 structural features or method(s), it is to be understood that the present subject
matter is not limited to the specific features or method(s) described. Rather, the
specific features and methods are disclosed as implementations for dynamic
content delivery in a multiscreen DTV environment.
22
I/We claim:
1. A method for dynamic content delivery in a multiscreen digital television
environment, the method comprising:
streaming, by a processor (110), a multimedia content to a first
content viewing device (106-1) of the multiscreen digital televisio5 n
environment (100);
providing, by the processor (110), tags on the first content viewing
device (106-1) during the streaming of the multimedia content, wherein
each of the tags is associated with a predefined content sequence within
10 the multimedia content;
receiving, by the processor (110), a signal indicative of a user
selected tag, from amongst the tags provided on the first content viewing
device (106-1); and
providing, by the processor (110), one of an audio and an audio15
video of the predefined content sequence corresponding to the user
selected tag to a second content viewing device (106-2) of the multiscreen
digital television environment (100).
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the tags is provided
while the predefined content sequence corresponding to the respective tag
20 is being played on the first content viewing device (106-1).
3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the audio and the audio-video
of the predefined content sequence are in a format compatible with the
second content viewing device (106-2).
4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the tags is a visual
25 indicator for displaying on a screen of the first content viewing device
(106-1) and for indicating presence of the predefined content sequence
corresponding to the respective tag.
5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the visual indicator is an
interactive button on the screen of the first content viewing device (106-1),
23
wherein the interactive button is selectable by a user to provide a user
input for the signal indicative of the user selected tag.
6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the tags provides a
charging rate for the predefined content sequence corresponding to the
respective 5 tag.
7. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising charging a user
account based on a charging rate for the predefined content sequence
corresponding to the user selected tag.
8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predefined content
10 sequence is a song sequence, a trailer sequence, an action-scene sequence,
a comedy-scene sequence, within the multimedia content.
9. A content delivery system (102) for dynamic content delivery in a
multiscreen digital television environment (100), the content delivery
system (102) comprising:
15 a processor (110); and
a multimedia content delivery module (120) coupled to, and
executable by, the processor (110) to
stream a multimedia content to a first content viewing
device (106-1) of the multiscreen digital television environment
20 (100); and
provide tags on the first content viewing device (106-1)
during the streaming of the multimedia content, wherein each of
the tags is associated with a predefined content sequence within the
multimedia content; and
25 a tagged-content delivery module (122) coupled to, and executable
by, the processor (110) to
receive a signal indicative of a user selected tag, from
amongst the tags provided on the first content viewing device; and
provide one of an audio and an audio-video of the
30 predefined content sequence corresponding to the user selected tag
24
to a second content viewing device (106-2) of the multiscreen
digital television environment (100).
10. The content delivery system (102) as claimed in claim 9, wherein each of
the tags is provided while the predefined content sequence corresponding
to the respective tag is being played on the first content viewing devi5 ce
(106-1).
11. The content delivery system (102) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the
audio and the audio-video of the predefined content sequence are provided
in a format compatible with the second content viewing device (106-2).
10 12. The content delivery system (102) as claimed in claim 9, wherein each of
the tags provides at least one of a title and a genre for the predefined
content sequence corresponding to the respective tag.
13. The content delivery system (102) as claimed in claim 9, wherein each of
the tags provides a charging rate for the predefined content sequence
15 corresponding to the respective tag.
14. The content delivery system (102) as claimed in claim 13 further
comprising a charging module (124) coupled to, and executable by, the
processor (110) to charge a user account based on the charging rate for the
predefined content sequence corresponding to the user selected tag.
20 15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a
computer program for executing a method for dynamic content delivery in
a multiscreen digital television environment (100), the method comprising:
streaming a multimedia content to a first content viewing device
(106-1) of the multiscreen digital television environment (100);
25 providing tags on the first content viewing device (106-1) during
the streaming of the multimedia content, wherein each of the tags is
associated with a predefined content sequence within the multimedia
content;
25
receiving a signal indicative of a user selected tag, from amongst
the tags provided on the first content viewing device; and
providing one of an audio and an audio-video of the predefined
content sequence corresponding to the user selected tag to a second
content viewing device (106-2) of the multiscreen digital televisio5 n
environment (100).
16. A content viewing device (106-1) of a multimedia digital television
environment (100), the content viewing device (106-1) comprising:
a processor configured to,
10 display a multimedia content streamed from a content
server;
display tags on a screen of the content viewing device (106-
1) during the display of the multimedia content, wherein each of
the tags is associated with a predefined content sequence within the
15 multimedia content;
receive a user input for a user selected tag, wherein the user
selected tag is amongst the tags displayed of the screen of the
content viewing device (106-1); and
provide a signal to the content server, wherein the signal is
20 provided based on the user input for obtaining one of an audio and
an audio-video of the predefined content sequence corresponding
to the user selected tag on another content viewing device (106-2)
of the multiscreen digital television environment (100).
17. The content viewing device (106-1) as claimed in claim 16, wherein each
25 of the tag is displayed while the predefined content sequence
corresponding to the respective tag is being played on the content viewing
device (106-1).
18. The content viewing device (106-1) as claimed in claim 16, wherein the
user input for the user selected tag is indicative of obtaining one of the
30 audio and the audio-video of the predefined content sequence
26
corresponding to the user selected tag on the other content viewing device
(106-2).