PRESERVING A CONSUMPTION CONTEXT FOR A USER SESSION
Continuity of an entire user session (including the primary content stream, secondary content streams, and user context) is preserved so that the user can resume the session at a later time, at a different place, and, possibly, using different equipment. When a user pauses a session, the context of that session is automatically preserved. Upon resumption, the session begins where the user left off, resuming the primary media stream at the point where the user stopped, knowing what secondary content items the user has already seen, and re-establishing any user-set parameters for the session (e.g., playback volume, allocation of streams to particular screen real estate, whether closed captioning is turned on, and the like). For time-shifted content consumption, the system intelligently selects, filters, and processes contextual information (such as characteristics of the primary media) in order to present companion streams that are relevant and engaging to the user.
1 . A method for preserving a consumption context for a user session, the user session associated with a plurality of media content items, the user session coordinated by a companion-feeds server, the method comprising:
receiving, by the companion-feeds server, an indication to stop the user session;
stopping, by the companion-feeds server, the user session;
for each of a plurality of media content items associated with the user session, identifying, by the companion-feeds server, a consumption context for the user for that media content item; and
sending, by the companion-feeds server to a context-preservation server, the identified consumption contexts along with an identifier associated with the user session.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of media content items are selected from the group consisting of: a movie, a television program, a segment of video, a music video, an audio program, a segment of audio, a song, a metadata source, a game display, a map, a menu, a personal message, a public-service message, a service alert, an advertisement, a health-service recommendation, a web page, an e-mail message, a purchase recommendation, a routing recommendation, and a social-networking post.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the consumption context comprises an element selected from the group consisting of: an amount of a media content item already consumed by a user, an explicit setting by the user of a parameter, a profile of the user, a preference set by the user, a priority associated with a media content item, and social-presence information.
4 . The method of claim 3 wherein the user-set parameter is selected from the group consisting of: video quality, language track, a closed-captioning option, an audio mode, and a volume setting.
5 . A companion-feeds server configured for preserving a consumption context for a user session, the user session associated with a plurality of media content items, the user session coordinated by the companion-feeds server, the companion-feeds server comprising:
a communications interface configured for receiving an indication to stop the user session; and
a processor operatively connected to the communications interface and configured for:
stopping the user session;
for each of a plurality of media content items associated with the user session, identifying a consumption context for the user for that media content item; and
sending, via the communications interface to a context-preservation server, the identified consumption contexts along with an identifier associated with the user session.
6 . The companion-feeds server of claim 5 wherein the companion-feeds server is selected from the group consisting of: a set-top box, a personal communications device, a television, a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant, a personal computer, a tablet computer, a gaming console, a media-restreaming device, a head-end server, a server, and a plurality of servers.
7 . The companion-feeds server of claim 5 wherein the companion-feeds server is selected from the group consisting of: the context-preservation server and a device distinct from the context-preservation server.
8 . A method for restoring a consumption context for a user session, the user session associated with a plurality of media content items, the method comprising:
receiving, by the companion-feeds server, an indication to restore the user session;
sending, by the companion-feeds server to a context-preservation server, a request for preserved consumption context, the request comprising an identifier associated with the user session;
for each of a plurality of media content items associated with the user session, receiving, by the companion-feeds server from the context-preservation server, a preserved consumption context for the user for that media content item; and
based, at least in part, on a plurality of the preserved consumption contexts, restoring, by the companion-feeds server, the user session, the restored user session coordinated by the companion-feeds server, the restored user session associated with a plurality of the media content items with preserved consumption contexts.
9 . The method of claim 8 wherein the plurality of media content items are selected from the group consisting of: a movie, a television program, a segment of video, a music video, an audio program, a segment of audio, a song, a metadata source, a game display, a map, a menu, a personal message, a public-service message, a service alert, an advertisement, a health-service recommendation, a web page, an e-mail message, a purchase recommendation, a routing recommendation, and a social-networking post.
10 . The method of claim 8 wherein the consumption context comprises an element selected from the group consisting of: an amount of a media content item already consumed by a user, an explicit setting by the user of a parameter, a profile of the user, a preference set by the user, a priority associated with a media content item, and social-presence information.
11 . The method of claim 10 wherein the user-set parameter is selected from the group consisting of: video quality, language track, a closed-captioning option, an audio mode, and a volume setting.
12 . The method of claim 10 further comprising:
sending, by the companion-feeds server to a content-consumption device, instructions for rendering a media content item, the instructions based, at least in part, on the consumption-context information.
13 . The method of claim 12 wherein the instructions for rendering the media content item are further based, at least in part, on an element selected from the group consisting of: a current context of a user of the content-consumption device and social-presence information.
14 . The method of claim 12 wherein the instructions for rendering the media content item comprise instructions for adding a highlight to the media content item, the highlight based, at least in part, on social-networking information.
15 . A companion-feeds server configured for restoring a consumption context for a user session, the user session associated with a plurality of media content items, the companion-feeds server comprising:
a communications interface configured for receiving an indication to restore the user session; and
a processor operatively connected to the communications interface and configured for:
sending, via the communications interface to a context-preservation server, a request for preserved consumption context, the request comprising an identifier associated with the user session;
for each of a plurality of media content items associated with the user session, receiving, via the communications interface from the context-preservation server, a preserved consumption context for the user for that media content item; and
based, at least in part, on a plurality of the preserved consumption contexts, restoring the user session, the restored user session coordinated by the companion-feeds server, the restored user session associated with a plurality of the media content items with preserved consumption contexts.
16 . The companion-feeds server of claim 15 wherein the companion-feeds server is selected from the group consisting of: a set-top box, a personal communications device, a television, a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant, a personal computer, a tablet computer, a gaming console, a media-restreaming device, a head-end server, a server, and a plurality of servers.
17 . The companion-feeds server of claim 15 wherein the companion-feeds server is selected from the group consisting of: the context-preservation server and a device distinct from the context-preservation server.
18 . A method for preserving and restoring a consumption context for a user session, the user session associated with a plurality of media content items, the method comprising:
receiving, by a context-preservation server, an identifier associated with the user session;
for each of a plurality of media content items associated with the user session, receiving, by the context-preservation server, a consumption context for the user for that media content item;
preserving, by the context-preservation server, the user-session identifier and the plurality of received consumption contexts;
receiving, by the context-preservation server, a request for a preserved consumption context, the request comprising the user-session identifier; and
sending, by the context-preservation server, the plurality of preserved consumption contexts.
19 . The method of claim 18 wherein the plurality of media content items are selected from the group consisting of: a movie, a television program, a segment of video, a music video, an audio program, a segment of audio, a song, a metadata source, a game display, a map, a menu, a personal message, a public-service message, a service alert, an advertisement, a health-service recommendation, a web page, an e-mail message, a purchase recommendation, a routing recommendation, and a social-networking post.
20 . The method of claim 18 wherein the consumption context comprises an element selected from the group consisting of: an amount of a media content item already consumed by a user, an explicit setting by the user of a parameter, a profile of the user, a preference set by the user, a priority associated with a media content item, and social-presence information.
21 . The method of claim 20 wherein the user-set parameter is selected from the group consisting of: video quality, language track, a closed-captioning option, an audio mode, and a volume setting.
22 . A context-preservation server configured for preserving and restoring a consumption context for a user session, the user session associated with a plurality of media content items, the context-preservation server comprising:
a communications interface configured for receiving an identifier associated with the user session; and
a processor operatively connected to the communications interface and configured for:
for each of a plurality of media content items associated with the user session, receiving, via the communications interface, a consumption context for the user for that media content item;
preserving the user-session identifier and the plurality of received consumption contexts;
receiving, via the communications interface, a request for a preserved consumption context, the request comprising the user-session identifier; and
sending, via the communications interface, the plurality of preserved consumption contexts.
23 . The context-preservation server of claim 22 wherein the context-preservation server is selected from the group consisting of: a set-top box, a personal communications device, a television, a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant, a personal computer, a tablet computer, a gaming console, a media-restreaming device, a head-end server, a server, and a plurality of servers.