Patents

U.S. Patent 6,289,165 ("Consec")
Issued: Sep. 11, 2001
Title: System for and a method of playing interleaved presentation segments

Abstract:
A method of, and a system capable of, playing at least a portion of at least one presentation segment, such as a camera angle segment, from a set of interleaved presentation segments included within a video, the method comprising the steps of, and the system comprising preferencing, processing, random accessing, and buffering means for, responsive to segment information, a preestablished content preference including a presentation preference and a preference for a duration of a portion of a presentation segment, sequentially and seamlessly playing a portion, at least a portion, and/or the substantial entirety of a presentation segment from said set of interleaved presentation segments; receiving, during said playing of a presentation segment, a change in said presentation preference; successively playing in a randomized looped fashion, responsive to said segment information and said change in said presentation preference, at least a portion, a portion, and/or the substantial entirety of another presentation segment from said set of interleaved presentation segments; and wherein a playing of at least one portion of a presentation segment is skipped in response to the preestablished content preference.

Claims:

• 1. A method of playing a set of interleaved presentation segments arranged, responsive to a single reading unit and a buffering architecture, within a previously edited video program, the method comprising the steps of:

  • consecutively playing, following a single presentation preference change, at least a portion of each of at least two presentation segments from said set of interleaved presentation segments included within said video program, said playing not requiring an alternative program source.

• 2. The method of claim 1, wherein a playing of at least one portion of a presentation segment is skipped in response to a content preference established prior to playing said video program.
  
  
• 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said set of interleaved presentation segments are a set of interleaved camera angle segments; wherein said consecutively playing comprises a playing of alternating portions of at least two camera angle segments; wherein said alternating portions are responsive to a preference, established prior to playing said video program, for a duration of a portion of a presentation segment; and wherein a playing of at least one portion of a camera angle segment is skipped in response to a content preference established prior to playing said video program.
  
  
• 4. A method of playing a set of interleaved presentation segments arranged, responsive to a single reading unit and a buffering architecture, within a previously edited video program, the method comprising the steps of:
  
  
  • consecutively playing, following a single presentation preference change, alternating portions of each of at least two presentation segments from said set of interleaved presentation segments included within said video program, each of said portions being responsive to a preference, established prior to playing said video program, for a duration of a portion of a presentation segment, said playing not requiring an alternative program source.
    
    
• 5. The method of claim 4, wherein said consecutively playing comprises a looped playing of at least a portion of one of said at least two presentation segments from said set of interleaved presentation segments.
  
  
• 6. The method of claim 4, wherein a playing of at least one portion of a presentation segment is skipped in response to a content preference established prior to playing said video program.
  
  
• 7. The method of claim 4, wherein said set of interleaved presentation segments comprises different explanations of a lesson.
  
  
• 8. A method of playing a set of interleaved presentation segments arranged, responsive to a single reading unit and a buffering architecture, within a previously edited video program, the method comprising the steps of:
  
  
  • playing, responsive to a presentation preference established prior to playing any portion of any presentation segment from said set of interleaved presentation segments, at least a portion of a presentation segment from said set of interleaved presentation segments;
  • receiving, during said playing of said at least a portion of a presentation segment, a single presentation preference change; and
  • consecutively playing, following said single presentation preference change, at least a portion of each of at least two presentation segments from said set of interleaved presentation segments included within said video program, said playing not requiring an alternative program source.

• 9. The method of claim 8, wherein said consecutively playing comprises a looped playing of at least a portion of one of said at least two presentation segments from said set of interleaved presentation segments.

• 10. The method of claim 8, wherein a playing of at least one portion of a presentation segment from said set of interleaved presentation segments is skipped in response to a content preference established prior to playing said video program.

• 11. The method of claim 8, wherein said set of interleaved presentation segments are a set of interleaved camera angle segments; wherein said consecutively playing comprises a looped playing of at least a portion of one camera angle segment from said set of interleaved camera angle segments; and wherein a playing of at least one portion of a camera angle segment is skipped in response to a content preference established prior to playing said video program.

• 12. A method of playing a set of interleaved presentation segments arranged, responsive to a single reading unit and a buffering architecture, within a previously edited video program, the method comprising the steps of:

  • consecutively playing, without requiring a presentation preference change during a playing of any portion of any presentation segment from said set of interleaved presentation segments, the entirety of at least two presentation segments from said set of interleaved presentation segments included within said video program, said playing not requiring an alternative program source.

• 13. The method of claim 12, wherein said set of interleaved presentation segments comprises different explanations of a lesson.
  
  
• 14. The method of claim 12, wherein said consecutively playing comprises a randomized looped playing of portions of each of said at least two presentation segments.
  
  
• 15. The method of claim 12, wherein said consecutively playing of the entirety of at least two presentation segments comprises a playing of alternating portions of said at least two presentation segments; and wherein said alternating portions are responsive to a preference, established prior to playing said video program, for a duration of a portion of a presentation segment.
  
  
• 16. The method of claim 12, wherein a playing of at least one portion of a presentation segment from said set of interleaved presentation segments is skipped in response to a content preference established prior to playing said video program.
  
  
• 17. The method of claim 12, wherein said set of interleaved presentation segments are a set of interleaved camera angle segments; wherein said consecutively playing comprises a randomized looped playing of at least a portion of a camera angle segment from said set of interleaved camera angle segments; wherein a portion of a camera angle segment played is responsive to a preference, established prior to playing said video program, for a duration of a portion of a presentation segment.
  
  
• 18. A system capable of playing a set of interleaved presentation segments arranged, responsive to a single reading unit and a buffering architecture, within a previously edited video program, the system comprising preferencing, processing, random accessing, and buffering means for consecutively and seamlessly playing, following a single presentation preference change, at least a portion of each of at least two presentation segments from said set of interleaved presentation segments included within said video program, said playing not requiring an alternative program source.
  
  
• 19. The system of claim 18, wherein said consecutively and seamlessly playing comprises a looped playing of at least a portion of each of said at least two presentation segments.
  
  
• 20. The system of claim 18, wherein a playing of at least one portion of a presentation segment is skipped in response to a content preference established prior to playing said video program.
  
  
• 21. The system of claim 18, wherein said set of interleaved presentation segments are a set of interleaved camera angle segments; wherein said consecutively and seamlessly playing comprises a looped playing of at least a portion of a camera angle segment from said set of interleaved camera angle segments; and wherein a playing of at least one portion of a camera angle segment is skipped in response to a content preference established prior to playing said video program.
  
  
• 22. A system capable of playing a set of interleaved presentation segments arranged, responsive to a single reading unit and a buffering architecture, within a previously edited video program, the system comprising preferencing, processing, random accessing, and buffering means for playing, responsive to a presentation preference established prior to playing any portion of any presentation segment from said set of interleaved presentation segments, at least a portion of a presentation segment from said set of interleaved presentation segments; receiving, during said playing of said at least a portion of a presentation segment, a single presentation preference change; and seamlessly and consecutively playing, following said single presentation preference change, at least a portion of each of at least two presentation segments from said set of interleaved presentation segments included within said video program, said playing not requiring an alternative program source.
  
  
• 23. The system of claim 22, wherein said consecutively and seamlessly playing comprises a playing of a portion of each of said at least two presentation segments followed by a playing of another portion of each of said at least two presentation segments.
  
  
• 24. The system of claim 22, wherein a portion of a presentation segment played is responsive to a preference, established prior to playing said video program, for a duration of a portion of a presentation segment.
  
  
• 25. The system of claim 22, wherein said consecutively and seamlessly playing comprises a randomized looped playing of portions of each of said at least two presentation segments.
  
  
• 26. The system of claim 22, wherein a playing of at least one portion of a presentation segment is skipped in response to a content preference established prior to playing said video program.
  
  
• 27. The system of claim 22, wherein said set of interleaved presentation segments are a set of interleaved camera angle segments; wherein said consecutively and seamlessly playing comprises a randomized looped playing of portions of each of at least two camera angle segments from said set of interleaved camera angle segments; and wherein a portion of a camera angle segment played is responsive to a preference, established prior to playing said video program, for a duration of a portion of a presentation segment.