Methods to enable user-defined content-aware operations
A method performed by a viewing device includes receiving a request for an operation to be performed by the viewing device. The request includes trigger criteria for performing the operation. The viewing device receives content from a content provider including content related metadata. A detection is made of a condition that the trigger criteria for the operation to be performed has been met. As a result, the viewing device performs the requested operation. The detection made be accomplished by the viewing device or by a service provider.
1 . A method performing an action by a device, the method comprising:
receiving a request for the action to be performed by the device, wherein the request comprises an event criteria for triggering the requested action associated with one or more identified content when the event occurs within the one or more identified content;
processing the received request to extract the requested action and the event criteria for triggering the requested action;
receiving metadata, the metadata including information indicating content-based events within the one or more identified content; and
triggering the requested action associated with the one or more identified content based on the received metadata indicating that the event criteria occurring within the one or more identified content occurred.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving metadata related to the event within the content further comprises receiving the content along with the metadata from a content provider in response to sending the request to the content provider.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the request for the action to be performed by the device comprises receiving a command from a remote-control device to establish at least one event criterion related to content not displayed by the device.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein triggering comprises
receiving a notification from a service provider that the metadata matches the event criteria, wherein the service provider is a content provider or is separate from the content provider.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein triggering the requested action comprises one or more of:
sending a text message;
changing a display on the device to display a program associated with the event;
changing a display on a secondary device to display a program associated with the event;
recording multimedia content associated with the event; and
displaying a notification on a screen of the device or a secondary device.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the request for the action to be performed by the device comprises receiving a request wherein the event criteria includes a content-based event occurring within a multimedia content selection.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the content-based event includes one or more of a start/end of a timeout in a sporting event, a changing of a score in a sporting event, a performance by a particular singer, a particular scene in a movie, or a start of final game-show round.
8 . An apparatus to receive and display digital content, the apparatus comprising:
a processor; and
a transceiver operably coupled to the processor, the processor and transceiver configured to:
receive a request for an action to be performed by the apparatus, wherein the request comprises an event criteria for triggering the requested action associated with one or more identified content when the event occurs with the one or more identified content;
process the received request to extract the requested action and the event criteria for triggering the requested action;
receive metadata, the metadata including information indicating content-based events within the one or more identified content; and
triggering the requested action associated with the one or more identified content based on the received metadata indicating that the event criteria occurring with the one or more identified content occurred.
9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the receiver receives metadata related to the event within the content by receiving the content along with the metadata from a content provider in response to sending the request to the content provider.
10 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the receiver receives a command from a remote-control device to establish at least one event criterion related to content not displayed by the apparatus.
11 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor triggers based on a notification from a service provider that content metadata matches the event criteria, wherein the service provider is a content provider or is separate from the content provider.
12 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor triggers the requested action comprising any one or more of:
transmit a text message;
change a display on the apparatus to display a program associated with the event;
a display on a secondary device to display a program associated with the event;
record multimedia content associated with the event; and
display a notification on a screen of the apparatus or a secondary device.
13 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the event criteria include a content-based event occurring within a multimedia content selection.
14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the content-based event includes one or more of a start/end of a timeout in a sporting event, a changing of a score in a sporting event, a performance by a particular singer, a particular scene in a movie, or a start of final game-show round.
15 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the apparatus is one of a digital television, a smart phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a set-top box with a connected display or an augmented reality head-mounted device.
16 . A non-transient computer-readable storage media having instructions which, when executed by a processor, perform the steps of:
receiving a request for an action to be performed by a device, wherein the request comprises an event criteria for triggering the requested action associated with one or more identified content when the event occurs within the one or more identified content;
processing the received request to extract the requested action and the event criteria for triggering the requested action;
receiving metadata, the metadata including information indicating content-based events within the one or more identified content; and
triggering the requested action associated with the one or more identified content based on the received metadata indicating that the event criteria occurring within the one or more identified content occurred.
17 . The non-transient computer-readable storage media of claim 16 , wherein receiving metadata related to the event within the content further comprises receiving the content along with the metadata from a content provider in response to sending the request to the content provider.
18 . The non-transient computer-readable storage media of claim 16 , wherein receiving the request for the action to be performed by an apparatus comprises receiving a command from a remote-control device to establish at least one event criterion related to content not displayed by the device.
19 . The non-transient computer-readable storage media of claim 16 , wherein triggering comprises receiving a notification from a service provider that the metadata matches the event criteria, wherein the service provider is a content provider or is separate from the content provider.
20 . The non-transient computer-readable storage media of claim 16 , wherein triggering the requested action comprises one or more of:
sending a text message;
changing a display on the device to display a program associated with the event;
changing a display on a secondary device to display a program associated with the event;
recording multimedia content associated with the event; and
displaying a notification on a screen of the device or a secondary device.