Methods for identifying video segments and displaying contextually targeted content on a connected television

• US 10,271,098 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2017
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inscape Data, Inc. (VIZIO, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Inscape Data, Inc. (VIZIO, Inc.)
• Inventors: Neumeier, Zeev, Liberty, Edo
• Primary Examiner(s): Rabovianski, Jivka A
• Application Number:
  US15/796,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20180098116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 725 34, 725 53, 725 60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/462 Content or additional data management, e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end, controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts

Abstract

Systems and methods for identifying which video segment is being displayed on a screen of a television system. The video segment is identified by deriving data from the television signals, the derived data being indicative of the video segment being displayed on file screen. This feature can be used to extract a viewer'"'"'s reaction (such as changing the channel) to a specific video segment (such as an advertisement) and reporting the extracted information as metrics. The systems and methods may further provide contextually targeted content to the television system. The contextual targeting is based on not only identification of the video segment being displayed, but also a determination concerning the playing time or offset time of the particular portion of the video segment being currently displayed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a server, audio data associated with a video segment displayed by a media system, wherein video content including the video segment is provided to the media system by a first content source;

comparing the audio data to a plurality of media channels;

determining the audio data is not matched to any media channel of the plurality of media channels;

identifying a keyword in the audio data when the audio data is not matched to any media channel of the plurality of media channels;

determining a subject of the video segment based on the keyword;

determining additional content associated with the subject; and

causing the media system to display the additional content when one or more criteria are satisfied, wherein the additional content is provided to the media system by a second content source.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio data includes closed caption information corresponding to an audio segment associated with the video segment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio data includes one or more keywords.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio data includes an audio segment associated with the video segment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional content is displayed with the video segment.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving the additional content from a database; and

transmitting the additional content, wherein the additional content is addressed to the media system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more criteria include selection of a user-selectable option associated with the keyword.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more criteria include identification that a particular application is executing on the media system.

9. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of a server, including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive audio data associated with a video segment displayed by a media system, wherein video content including the video segment is provided to the media system by a first content source;

compare the audio data to a plurality of media channels;

determine the audio data is not matched to any media channel of the plurality of media channels;

identify a keyword in the audio data when the audio data is not matched to any media channel of the plurality of media channels;

determine a subject of the video segment based on the keyword;

determine additional content associated with the subject; and

cause the media system to display the additional content when one or more criteria are satisfied, wherein the additional content is provided to the media system by a second content source.

10. The computer-program product of claim 9, wherein the audio data includes closed caption information corresponding to an audio segment associated with the unknown video segment.

11. The computer-program product of claim 9, wherein the audio data includes one or more keywords.

12. The computer-program product of claim 9, wherein the audio data includes an audio segment associated with the unknown video segment.

13. The computer-program product of claim 9, wherein the additional content is displayed with the unknown video segment.

14. The computer-program product of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

retrieve the additional content from a database; and

transmit the additional content, wherein the additional content is addressed to the media system.

15. The computer-program product of claim 9, wherein the one or more criteria include selection of a user-selectable option associated with the keyword.

16. The computer-program product of claim 9, wherein the one or more criteria include identification that a particular application is executing on the media system.

17. A server system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive audio data associated with a video segment displayed by a media system, wherein video content including the video segment is provided to the media system by a first content source video segment displayed by a media system;

compare the audio data to a plurality of media channels;

determine the audio data is not matched to any media channel of the plurality of media channels;

identify a keyword in the audio data when the audio data is not matched to any media channel of the plurality of media channels;

determine a subject of the video segment based on the keyword;

determine additional content associated with the subject; and

cause the media system to display the additional content when one or more criteria are satisfied, wherein the additional content is provided to the media system by a second content source.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the audio data includes closed caption information corresponding to an audio segment associated with the unknown video segment.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more criteria include selection of a user-selectable option associated with the keyword.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more criteria include identification that a particular application is executing on the media system.