Method and device for navigating through a content item

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method of navigating through a content item.

The invention also relates to a device for navigating through a content item, the device comprising electronic circuitry. The invention further relates to a computer program product enabling a programmable device to perform a method of navigating through a content item.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

An example of such a method is known from US 5,457,669. US 5,457,669 discloses a program search method which can search a program irrespective of the presence or absence of chapter numbers indication portions of a recorded program. A plurality of portions of the program is selected for consecutive playback. The (search) interval between portions and the reproduction period per portion is user-controllable.

It is a drawback of the known method that users have to manually set the reproduction period and the search interval, which requires more interaction than desired by most users, especially when users want to modify these parameters during searching.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a first object of the invention to provide a method of navigating through a content item, which requires relatively little user interaction.

It is a second object of the invention to provide a device for navigating through a content item, which requires relatively little user interaction.

According to the invention, the first object is realized in that the method of navigating through a content item comprises the steps of allowing a user to select a speed for navigating though the content item and selecting a plurality segments of the content item for consecutive playback, a duration of the segments and/or an interval between successive selected segments being dependent on the selected speed.

According to the invention, the second object is realized in that the electronic circuitry of the device for navigating through a content item is operative to allow a user to

select a speed for navigating though the content item and select a plurality segments of the content item for consecutive playback, a duration of the segments and/or an interval between successive selected segments being dependent on the selected speed.

In this way, a user can simply select a speed for navigating through the content item, as is done in fast trick play, i.e. fast reverse and fast forward, but still benefit from the advantage of having audio and/or video which is not distorted, as per the method described in US 5,457,669. The selected speed is translated into a (reproduction) duration of the segments and a (search) interval between successive selected segments. The reproduction duration and/or the search interval depend on the selected speed, i.e. one or both parameters change when a different speed is selected. This reduces the amount of user interaction while providing the user with a known user interaction mechanism, i.e. the one used in fast trick play.

In an embodiment, the duration of at least one of the selected segments is decreased when the selected speed is increased. The amount of selected segments may alternatively or additionally be decreased when the selected speed is increased. These are the best two ways of enabling navigation though the content item at a higher speed. However, by decreasing the duration of a segment, there comes a point when the duration is too short to give the user a good understanding of the segment. By decreasing the amount of selected segments, there comes a point when the interval between segments is too long to give the user a good understanding of the content item. Combining both ways is a good trade-off. It is not necessary for the duration of each segment or the interval between each segment to be of equal length. Summarization algorithms can be used to select the segments.

The content item may comprise video. The method of the invention works very well on video content, although it can be applied to other content, e.g. audio content, as well.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects of the invention are apparent from and will be further elucidated, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig.1 is a flow chart of the method of the invention;

Fig.2 is a schematic overview showing segments of a content item selected by a first embodiment of the method at different speeds;

Fig.3 is a schematic overview showing segments of a content item selected by a second embodiment of the method at different speeds; and

Fig.4 is a block diagram of the device of the invention. Corresponding elements in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numeral.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The method of navigating through a content item comprises two steps, see Fig.1. A step 1 comprises allowing a user to select a speed for navigating though the content item. A step 3 comprises selecting a plurality of segments of the content item for consecutive playback, a duration of the segments and/or an interval between successive selected segments being dependent on the selected speed.

Fig. 2 shows segments selected by a first embodiment of the method. In Fig. 2, the first thirty elements of a content item are depicted. An element may be, for example, a shot or content of a fixed duration. In this embodiment, each segment contains one element. Selection 11 contains the selected segments at twice the normal reproduction speed. Selection 12 contains the selected segments at four times the normal reproduction speed. Selection 13 contains the selected segments at eight times the normal reproduction speed. Selection 14 contains the selected segments at sixteen times the normal reproduction speed. Element 16 is part of a selected segment. The selected elements/segments are indicated in black. Element 17 is not part of the selected segments. The not selected elements are indicated in white. In this embodiment, the duration of the selected segments is more or less constant, e.g. one shot or 5 seconds. However, the interval between successive selected segments is dependent on the selected speed. When the speed doubles, the interval between selected segments also doubles. In this embodiment, the reproduction periods and the intervals between all pairs of successive segments are uniform within a certain selection, but this is not required. Fig.3 shows segments selected by a second embodiment of the method.

Similar to Fig.2, the first thirty elements of the content item are depicted. Each segment contains only contiguous elements. Selection 21 contains the selected segments at twice the normal reproduction speed. Each segment in selection 21 contains four elements. Selection 22 contains the selected segments at three times the normal reproduction speed. Each segment in selection 22 contains three elements. Selection 23 contains the selected segments at eight times the normal reproduction speed. Each segment in selection 23 contains two elements. Selection 24 contains the selected segments at thirty-two times the normal reproduction speed. Each segment in selection 24 contains one element. In this embodiment, both the interval between successive selected segments and the duration of the segments are

dependent on the selected speed. In this embodiment, the interval between successive selected segments is increased and the duration of the segments is decreased for each increase in speed, but this is not required. For example, a speed increase from twice the normal reproduction speed to three times the normal reproduction speed may alternatively be achieved by halving the duration of the selected segments of selection 21 and keeping the interval at four elements.

Fig. 4 shows the electronic device 31 of the invention. The electronic device 31 comprises electronic circuitry 33. The electronic circuitry is operative to allow a user to select a speed for navigating though the content item and select a plurality of segments of the content item for consecutive playback, a duration of the segments and/or an interval between successive selected segments being dependent on the selected speed.

The electronic device 31 may further comprise a storage means 35, a reproduction means 37, an input 39 and/or an output 41. The electronic circuitry 33 may be, for example, a general-purpose or an application-specific processor. The electronic circuitry 33 may be capable of executing a computer program. The storage means 35 may comprise, for example, a hard disk, solid-state memory, an optical disc reader or a holographic storage means. The reproduction means 37 may comprise, for example, a display and/or a loud speaker. The input 39 and output 41 may comprise, for example, a network connector, e.g. a USB connecter or an Ethernet connector, an analog audio and/or video connector, such as a cinch connector or a SCART connector, or a digital audio and/or video connector, such as an HDMI or SPDIF connector. The input 39 and output 41 may comprise a wireless receiver and/or transmitter.

The storage means 35 may be used to store the content item. The input 39 may be used to receive the selected speed, e.g. from a remote control. The remote control may comprise fast forward and fast reverse buttons that can be used to modify the speed. The output 41 may be used to consecutively play back the selected segments of the content item. Alternatively or additionally, the reproduction means 37 may be used for this purpose. The electronic device 31 may be a personal video recorder, for example.

While the invention has been described in connection with preferred embodiments, it will be understood that modifications thereof within the principles outlined above will be evident to those skilled in the art, and thus the invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments but is intended to encompass such modifications. The invention resides in each and every novel characteristic feature and each and every combination of characteristic features. Reference numerals in the claims do not limit their protective scope.

Use of the verb "to comprise" and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements other than those stated in the claims. Use of the article "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements.

'Means', as will be apparent to a person skilled in the art, are meant to include any hardware (such as separate or integrated circuits or electronic elements) or software (such as programs or parts of programs) which perform in operation or are designed to perform a specified function, be it solely or in conjunction with other functions, be it in isolation or in co-operation with other elements. The invention can be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements, and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In the apparatus claim enumerating several means, several of these means can be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. 'Computer program product' is to be understood to mean any software product stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a floppy disk, downloadable via a network, such as the Internet, or marketable in any other manner.