Method and system for automatic insertion of interactive TV triggers into a broadcast data stream

• US 20020059644A1
• Filed: 04/23/2001
• Published: 05/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Sahota, Ranjit, Andrade, David de
• Application Number:
  US09/841,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20020059644A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/136
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 21/4622 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for automatic insertion of interactive television (TV) triggers into a broadcast data stream. The automatic insertion of the Interactive TV trigger can be based on recognition of one or more elements within the broadcast data stream. In particular, a recognized element can trigger the insertion of the interactive TV trigger into the broadcast data stream. Furthermore, the interactive TV trigger can be pre-inserted into the stored broadcast content having the recognized element prior to being broadcast.

Claims

1. In an interactive television (TV) environment, a method comprising:

recognizing one or more elements in a broadcast data stream; and

automatically inserting an interactive TV trigger into the broadcast data stream based on the recognized elements.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

pre-inserting the interactive TV trigger into any stored content that will constitute the broadcast data stream.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the elements include voice elements.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the elements include other audio elements.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the elements include video elements.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the elements include text elements as a special degenerate case of video elements.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the automatically inserting of the interactive TV trigger includes automatically inserting the TV trigger into the broadcast data stream based on the recognized elements.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

delivering the broadcast data stream with the inserted interactive TV trigger to one or more receivers for display.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically inserting of the interactive TV trigger includes automatically inserting the interactive TV trigger into the broadcast data stream within a receiver.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive TV trigger includes an Advanced Television Enhancement Forum (ATVEF) trigger.

11. In interactive television (TV) system environment, a system comprising:

an insertion platform to insert automatically interactive TV triggers into a broadcast data stream.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a recognizing unit to recognize one or more elements in the broadcast data stream.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the elements include voice elements.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the elements include other audio elements.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the elements include video elements.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the elements include text elements as a special degenerate case of video elements.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the automatically inserting of the interactive TV trigger includes automatically inserting the TV trigger into the broadcast data stream based on the recognized elements.

18. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a delivering unit to deliver the broadcast data stream with the inserted interactive TV trigger to one or more receivers for display.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the receivers are to insert automatically the interactive TV trigger into the broadcast data stream within.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the interactive TV trigger includes an Advanced Television Enhancement Forum (ATVEF) trigger.

21. A computer-implemented method comprising:

recognizing a media asset in a broadcast data stream;

checking if the media asset matches with an interactive element; and

inserting the interactive element into the broadcast data stream if the media asset matches with interactive element.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, further comprising:

passing the broadcast data stream to one or more receivers if the media asset does not match with an interactive element.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the media asset includes an audio pattern.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the media asset includes a voice pattern.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the media asset includes a video pattern.

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the media asset includes a text pattern as a special degenerate case of a video pattern.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the checking if the media asset matches with the interactive element includes checking if the media asset matches with an attribute associated with the interactive element.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the interactive element includes an interactive television (TV) trigger.

29. The computer-implemented method of claim 28, wherein the interactive TV trigger includes an Advanced Television Enhancement Forum (ATVEF) trigger.

30. A computing system comprising:

a recognizing unit to recognize a media asset in a broadcast data stream;

a checking unit to check if the media asset matches with an interactive element; and

an inserting unit to insert the interactive element into the broadcast data stream if the media asset matches with interactive element.

31. The computing system of claim 30, further comprising:

a passing unit to pass the broadcast data stream to one or more receivers if the media asset does not match with an interactive element.

32. The computing system of claim 30, wherein the media asset includes an audio pattern or a video pattern.

33. The computing system of claim 30, wherein the media asset includes a voice pattern.

34. The computing system of claim 30, wherein the media asset includes a video pattern.

35. The computing system of claim 30, wherein the media asset includes a text pattern as a special degenerate case of a video pattern.

36. The computing system of claim 30, wherein the checking unit is to check if the media asset matches with an attribute associated with the interactive element.

37. The computing system of claim 30, wherein the interactive element includes an interactive television (TV) trigger.

38. The computing system of claim 37, wherein the interactive TV trigger includes an Advanced Television Enhancement Forum (ATVEF) trigger.

40. The machine-readable medium of claim 39, further providing instructions, which if executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform an operation comprising:

passing the broadcast data stream to one or more receivers if the media asset does not match with an interactive element.

39. A machine-readable medium providing instructions, which if executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform an operation comprising:

recognizing a media asset in a broadcast data stream;

checking if the media asset matches with an interactive element; and

inserting the interactive element into the broadcast data stream if the media asset matches with interactive element.