Method of searching video channels by content

• US 20010049826A1
• Filed: 01/18/2001
• Published: 12/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mate-Media Access Technologies Limited
• Original Assignee: Mate-Media Access Technologies Limited
• Inventors: Wilf, Itzhak
• Application Number:
  US09/761,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20010049826A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/120
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/232 Content retrieval operation locally within server, e.g. reading video streams from disk arrays storage management G06F3/0604; details of querying and searching of video data from a database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• 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 21/251 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies details of learning user preferences for the retrieval of video data in a video database G06F16/739; computer systems using learning methods G06N3/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/26603 for automatically generating descriptors from content, e.g. when it is not made available by its provider, using content analysis techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/654 Transmission by server directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 : involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 : Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 : Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 : Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

A method for selecting a channel of interest from a plurality of communication channels which carry audio or video information, by: extracting image or sound characteristic data from said audio or video information, searching for specific content of interest based on said image or sound characteristic data and selecting a channel based on said content of interest is described. Image and sound characteristic data are stored on a content-based channel search server, which includes video search engines capable of matching attributes related to user interest profiles with data corresponding to current content of multiple channels. User interact with the server via client terminals, which communicate with the server using the Internet protocol. Client terminal receive search results corresponding to matches between channel content and user profile. The client terminal controls a variety of viewing, recording and logging devices.

Claims

1. A method of selecting a channel of interest from a plurality of communication channels which carry audio or video information, comprising:

extracting image or sound characteristic data from said audio or video information;

searching for specific content of interest based on said image or sound characteristic data;

and selecting a channel based on said content of interest;

2. A method according to

claim 1

where said characteristic data is stored on at least one server computer;

3. A method according to

claim 1

where said selected channel is displayed on at least one client display;

4. A method according to

claim 2

and

3

where client and server communicate via the Internet protocol (IP)

5. A method of tuning to a channel of interest from a plurality of channels received by receiver device, using an Internet-enabled computing device, comprising:

creating a correspondence between broadcast channel signals received by said receiver device and channel characteristic data stored on at least one Internet site;

searching for specific content of interest based on said channel characteristic data;

selecting a channel based on said content of interest;

and tuning said receiver device to said selected channel.