Sharing customized multimedia segments

Abstract

A system for creating and viewing customized multimedia segments allows a user to create event identification data from in-band data in a program stream. The in-band data is processed and compiled into event identification data associated with the content stream. The event identification data identifies patterns or sequences of in-band data associated with events in the content stream. Metadata are also included in the event identification data. The event identification data is provided to multimedia devices which receive multimedia content streams containing content streams with in-band data. The in-band data are parsed and compared to the event identification data. If a match occurs, the multimedia device uses the metadata to identify events or perform specified actions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a first media device, hash value sequence data from a second media device, the hash value sequence data corresponding to one or more locations within a multimedia content item;   generating, by the first media device, hash values based on the multimedia content item;   comparing the generated hash values to the hash value sequence data to locate the one or more locations within the multimedia content item;   displaying a graphical representation of the one or more locations on a graphical user interface.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the hash values based on the multimedia content item includes generating the hash values from a portion of in-band data associated with the multimedia content item. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more locations within the multimedia content item correspond to locations selected by a user of the second media device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one location of the one or more locations is associated with metadata including content generated by a user of the second media device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one location of the one or more locations is associated with metadata including control and command information. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising inserting one or more in-band tags into the multimedia content item, the one or more in-band tags corresponding to the one or more locations within the multimedia content item. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein displaying the graphical representation of the one or more locations on a graphical user interface includes displaying the graphical representations on a program cache bar. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hash value sequence data includes at least a particular hash value sequence, the particular hash value sequence associated with a time offset value representing a difference between a first time value associated with one hash value of the particular hash value sequence and a second time value associated with another hash value of the particular hash value sequence. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a selection of a particular graphical representation of the one or more locations;   in response to receiving the selection of the particular graphical representation, skipping to the location within the multimedia content item associated with the particular graphical representation.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising causing playback of segments of the multimedia content item, the segments defined by the one or more locations within the multimedia content item identified by the hash value sequence data. 
     
     
         11 . One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions, which when executed by a processor, perform:
 receiving, by a first media device, hash value sequence data from a second media device, the hash value sequence data corresponding to one or more locations within a multimedia content item;   generating, by the first media device, hash values based on the multimedia content item;   comparing the generated hash values to the hash value sequence data to locate the one or more locations within the multimedia content item;   displaying a graphical representation of the one or more locations on a graphical user interface.   
     
     
         12 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 11 , wherein generating the hash values based on the multimedia content item includes generating the hash values from a portion of in-band data associated with the multimedia content item. 
     
     
         13 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more locations within the multimedia content item correspond to locations selected by a user of the second media device. 
     
     
         14 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 11 , wherein at least one location of the one or more locations is associated with metadata including content generated by a user of the second media device. 
     
     
         15 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 11 , wherein at least one location of the one or more locations is associated with metadata including control and command information. 
     
     
         16 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 11 , further comprising inserting one or more in-band tags into the multimedia content item, the one or more in-band tags corresponding to the one or more locations within the multimedia content item. 
     
     
         17 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 11 , wherein displaying the graphical representation of the one or more locations on a graphical user interface includes displaying the graphical representations on a program cache bar. 
     
     
         18 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 11 , wherein the hash value sequence data includes at least a particular hash value sequence, the particular hash value sequence associated with a time offset value representing a difference between a first time value associated with one hash value of the particular hash value sequence and a second time value associated with another hash value of the particular hash value sequence. 
     
     
         19 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving a selection of a particular graphical representation of the one or more locations;   in response to receiving the selection of the particular graphical representation, skipping to the location within the multimedia content item associated with the particular graphical representation.   
     
     
         20 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 11 , further comprising causing playback of segments of the multimedia content item, the segments defined by the one or more locations within the multimedia content item identified by the hash value sequence data. 
     
     
         21 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that receives hash value sequence data from a media device, the hash value sequence data corresponding to one or more locations within a multimedia content item;   a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that generates hash values based on the multimedia content item;   a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that compares the generated hash values to the hash value sequence data to locate the one or more locations within the multimedia content item;   a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that displays a graphical representation of the one or more locations on a graphical user interface.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein generating the hash values based on the multimedia content item includes generating the hash values from a portion of in-band data associated with the multimedia content item. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more locations within the multimedia content item correspond to locations selected by a user of the second media device. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein at least one location of the one or more locations is associated with metadata including content generated by a user of the second media device. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein at least one location of the one or more locations is associated with metadata including control and command information. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that inserts one or more in-band tags into the multimedia content item, the one or more in-band tags corresponding to the one or more locations within the multimedia content item. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein displaying the graphical representation of the one or more locations on a graphical user interface includes displaying the graphical representations on a program cache bar. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the hash value sequence data includes at least a particular hash value sequence, the particular hash value sequence associated with a time offset value representing a difference between a first time value associated with one hash value of the particular hash value sequence and a second time value associated with another hash value of the particular hash value sequence. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that receives a selection of a particular graphical representation of the one or more locations;   a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that in response to receiving the selection of the particular graphical representation, skips to the location within the multimedia content item associated with the particular graphical representation.   
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that causes playback of segments of the multimedia content item, the segments defined by the one or more locations within the multimedia content item identified by the hash value sequence data.