Content Item Receiver Module and Method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a content item receiver module and method. The content item receiver module is operative for a content item distribution system, configured to operate in a first and second mode: said first mode operative to drive a display apparatus to display a received content item; said second mode operative for a specified time window to drive said display apparatus to display a sequence of linked content items and to respond to user input to initiate transition from display of a currently displayed linked content item to display of another linked content item in said sequence of linked content items prior to an end of said currently displayed linked content item.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Content item receiver apparatus operative for a content item distribution system, configured to operate in a first and second mode:
 said first mode operative to drive a display apparatus to display a received content item;   said second mode operative for a specified time window to drive said display apparatus to display a sequence of linked content items and to respond to user input to initiate transition from display of a currently displayed linked content item to display of another linked content item in said sequence of linked content items prior to an end of said currently displayed linked content item, wherein said another linked content item is next to said currently displayed content item in said sequence.   
     
     
         2 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said linked content items has a duration less than said specified time window and said sequence of linked content items has a duration greater than said specified time window. 
     
     
         3 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said sequence comprises a number of linked content items sufficient for a total duration of said sequence of linked content items to be greater than said specified time window. 
     
     
         4 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein said number is sufficient for a time period in the range 1⅓ to 4 times the specified time window to elapse. 
     
     
         5 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein said number is between 3 and 19. 
     
     
         6 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 1 , said second mode further configured to initiate transition to display a first of said sequence of linked content items for a display of a last of said sequence of linked content items ending prior to an end of said specified time window. 
     
     
         7 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 1 , said second mode further configured to inhibit transition to another linked content item responsive to the combined duration of remaining linked content items in said sequence being less than the remaining duration of said specified time window. 
     
     
         8 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 1 , further configured to display a still image, or sponsored countdown timer, representative of said another linked content item for a remaining duration of said specified time window being equal to or less than a threshold time. 
     
     
         9 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein said threshold time is that time for which the minimum amount of said another linked content item can be displayed for a viewer to understand the main idea of said another linked content item without watching the full amount. 
     
     
         10 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 1 , further configured in said second mode to cease display of a currently displayed linked content item proximal an end of said specified time window. 
     
     
         11 . A content item receiver apparatus according to claiml, further configured in said second mode to truncate a currently displayed linked content item to finish display of said currently displayed linked content item coincident with a finish of said specified time window. 
     
     
         12 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 1 , further configured in said second mode to continue display of a currently displayed linked content item beyond an end of said specified time window and to initiate recording of a received content item that would be displayed had said system returned to said first mode, and return to the start of said recording responsive to a finish of said currently displayed linked content item. 
     
     
         13 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 1 , further configured in said second mode to initiate said first mode proximal to said end of said specified time window. 
     
     
         14 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 1 , further configured to interrupt said first mode with said second mode. 
     
     
         15 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 1 , further configured to respond to said user input comprising a signal from a user interface device representative of a command to initiate said transition from a display of a currently linked content item to display of another linked content item. 
     
     
         16 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein said user interface device comprises a keypad and said signal representative of said command to initiate said transition is activatable via user activation of a key on said keypad. 
     
     
         17 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein said key is dedicated to activating said signal representative of said command to initiate said transition. 
     
     
         18 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 16 , further configured to display in said second mode a prompt indicating that the content item receiver apparatus is available to receive user input to initiate transition from display of a currently displayed linked content item to display of another linked content item in said sequence of linked content items prior to an end of said currently displayed linked content item. 
     
     
         19 . A content item receiver according to  claim 18 , wherein said prompt comprises a message containing information indicating that pressing said key on said keypad will initiate said transition. 
     
     
         20 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 1 , further configured to display in said second mode one or more viewer actuable interface elements actuable to initiate said transition from display of a currently displayed linked content item to display of another linked content item. 
     
     
         21 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 20 , further configured to superimpose said one or more viewer actuable interface elements over a display of a linked content item. 
     
     
         22 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 20 , further configured to display said one or more viewer actuable interface elements in a partially transparent display. 
     
     
         23 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 1 , further configured to record details of a transition from a displayed linked content item to another linked content item. 
     
     
         24 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 23 , further configured to record one or more of the following details concerning said transition: linked content item displayed when transition occurred; duration of display of linked content item prior to transition; viewer profile information; viewer identity; and/or number of transitions during specified time window. 
     
     
         25 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 1 , further configured to store one or more sequences of linked content items for a respective viewer profile. 
     
     
         26 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 25 , wherein said one or more sequences of linked content items for a respective viewer profile comprise content items targeted for said respective viewer profile. 
     
     
         27 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 25 , further configured to store one or more sequences for a plurality of respective viewer profiles. 
     
     
         28 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 1 , further configured in said second mode to display a plurality of content item identifiers corresponding to said sequence of linked content items. 
     
     
         29 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 28 , further configured in said second mode to be responsive to a user generated prompt signal to initiate said display of said plurality of content item identifiers. 
     
     
         30 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 28 , wherein said display of said plurality of content item identifiers is superimposed over said display of said first linked content item. 
     
     
         31 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 28 , further configured to be responsive to a prompt signal generated automatically responsive to initiation of said specified time window. 
     
     
         32 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 28 , wherein respective said content item identifiers comprises an image representative of a corresponding one of said linked content items. 
     
     
         33 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 32 , further configured to respond to user selection of an image to initiate display of a corresponding linked content item. 
     
     
         34 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 28 , further configured to prompt a user to select an option to continue display of a linked content item beyond a finish of said specified time window. 
     
     
         35 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 1 , configured to store local thereto a plurality of content items and to form said sequence of linked content items from said plurality of content items in accordance with a sequence descriptor provided to said content item receiver apparatus. 
     
     
         36 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 1 , operative to determine if at least one linked content item of said sequence of linked content items has assigned thereto a protection tag and, if such a tag is assigned to said at least one linked content item, the content item receiver apparatus is operative to prevent user invoked transition to another linked content item during display of said at least one protected linked content item. 
     
     
         37 . A user input device for transmitting instructions to a content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising a dedicated command input key operative to initiate said transition from display of a currently displayed linked content item to display of another linked content item in said sequence of linked content items. 
     
     
         38 . A content item receiver apparatus according to  claim 28  wherein said plurality of respective viewer profiles correspond to users of said content item receiver apparatus. 
     
     
         39 . A content item delivery system comprising:
 a communications network;   a content item delivery system server coupled to said communications network;   at least one content source coupled to said communications network; and   a content item receiver configured to operate in a first and second mode, wherein said content item receiver is coupled to said communications network, and wherein said content item receiver module, said content item delivery system server and said at least one content source are operable to communicate with each other via said communications network.   
     
     
         40 . A content item delivery system according to  claim 39 , wherein said first mode is operative to drive a display apparatus to display a received content item; and said second mode is operative for a specified time window to drive said display apparatus to display a sequence of linked content items and to respond to user input to initiate transition from display of a currently displayed linked content item to display of another linked content item in said sequence of linked content items prior to an end of said currently displayed linked content item. 
     
     
         41 . A method of operating a content item receiver using a CPU and a software program, said method comprising:
 in a first mode driving a display apparatus to display a received content item;   in a second mode driving for a specified time window said display apparatus to display a sequence of linked content items and responding to user input prior to an end of said currently displayed linked content item to initiate transition from display of a currently displayed linked content item to display of another linked content item in said sequence of linked content items, wherein said another linked content item is next to said currently display content item in said sequence.