System and method for generating metadata for segments of a video program

• US 20020083468A1
• Filed: 02/26/2001
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: MeeVee, Inc. (LiveUniverse, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MeeVee, Inc. (LiveUniverse, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dudkiewicz, Gil Gavriel
• Application Number:
  US09/793,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20020083468A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/133
• 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 21/4532 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4661 Deriving a combined profile for a plurality of end-users of the same client, e.g. for family members within a home user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4665 involving classification methods, e.g. Decision trees
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• 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 21/8405 represented by keywords
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A system provides evaluation of individual segments of a video program in accordance with a viewer'"'"'s viewing preferences. The system included a server that receives production data for a program including descriptive information and timing information, and that generates individual metadata for each program segment. The system further includes a client device that receives the individual metadata and processes the metadata in accordance with a viewer profile to determine the desirability of each program segment for the viewer. The client device may record desirable segments or alert the viewer about desirable segments. The server may provide the metadata to the client through a programming event transmission system or through the internet. The metadata and viewer profile may utilize a classification hierarchy. A related device generates metadata for video program segments. The device receives production data for a program that includes descriptive information and timing information, determines time data and descriptive data for individual segments of the program, and generates individual metadata corresponding to each program segment. Each metadata comprises an identifier of the program, and time data and descriptive data for the program segment. The individual metadata for each segment of the program enables separate evaluation of each program segment with respect to a given viewer'"'"'s viewing preferences. The metadata may utilize a classification hierarchy. Another related device provides metadata for segments of a video program to consumers. The device obtains production data for a program from production equipment in a production studio where the program is produced. The production data is provided to a metadata generator, which returns individual metadata corresponding to individual segments of the program. The individual metadata are provided for transmission through a programming event transmission system in advance of the corresponding program segments. The individual metadata enable separate evaluation of each program segment with respect to a given viewer'"'"'s viewing preferences. The metadata may be encoded for transmission and may utilize a classification hierarchy. Related processes in the aforementioned devices are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for generating metadata for segments of a video program comprising:

receiving production data for a program including descriptive information and timing information;

determining time data and descriptive data for individual segments of the program; and

generating individual metadata corresponding to each program segment, each metadata comprising an identifier of the program, and time data and descriptive data for the program segment, the individual metadata enabling separate evaluation of each program segment with respect to a given viewer'"'"'s viewing preferences.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein determining time data and descriptive data is preceded by processing the production data to conform to a standard delimited format.

3. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the production data comprises at least one of a script, cue sheet, schedule, rundown, closed caption data, and editing information.

4. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein generating individual metadata further comprises generating goodness of fit scores for each programming event corresponding to categories of a classification hierarchy.

5. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein generating individual metadata is preceded by receiving electronic program guide data for said program, and

wherein generating individual metadata comprises processing said production data and said electronic program guide data.

6. The method claimed in claim 1, further comprising transmitting the individual metadata through a programming event transmission system in advance of programming events corresponding to the individual metadata.

7. A device for generating metadata for segments of a video program comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory coupled to the at least one processor and having stored therein programming instructions for performing data processing comprising;

receiving production data for a program including descriptive information and timing information;

determining time data and descriptive data for individual segments of the program; and

generating individual metadata corresponding to each program segment, each metadata comprising an identifier of the program, and time data and descriptive data for the program segment, the individual metadata enabling separate evaluation of each program segment with respect to a given viewer'"'"'s viewing preferences.

8. The device claimed in claim 7, wherein determining a time and duration is preceded by processing the production data to conform to a standard delimited format.

9. The device claimed in claim 7, wherein the production data comprises at least one of a script, cue sheet, schedule, rundown, closed caption data, and editing information.

10. The device claimed in claim 7, wherein generating individual metadata further comprises generating goodness of fit scores for each programming event corresponding to categories of a classification hierarchy.

11. The device claimed in claim 7, wherein generating individual metadata is preceded by receiving electronic program guide data for the program, and

wherein generating individual metadata comprises processing said production data and said electronic program guide data.

12. The device claimed in claim 7, wherein said data processing further comprising encoding the individual metadata for transmission through a programming event transmission system.

14. The device claimed in claim 13, further comprising means for processing received production data to conform to a standard delimited format.

15. The device claimed in claim 13, wherein the production data comprises at least one of a script, cue sheet, schedule, rundown, closed caption data, and editing information.

16. The device claimed in claim 13, further comprising means for generating goodness of fit scores for each programming event corresponding to categories of a classification hierarchy.

17. The device claimed in claim 13, further comprising means for receiving electronic program guide data for the program, and

wherein said means for generating individual metadata comprises means for processing said production data and said electronic program guide data.

18. The device claimed in claim 13, further comprising means for encoding the individual metadata for transmission through a programming event transmission system.

19. The device claimed in claim 13, further comprising means for transmitting the individual metadata through a programming event transmission system in advance of programming events corresponding to the individual metadata.

13. A device for generating metadata for segments of a video program comprising:

means for receiving production data for a program including descriptive information and timing information;

means for determining time data and descriptive data for individual segments of the program; and

means for generating individual metadata corresponding to each program segment, each metadata comprising an identifier of the program, and time data and descriptive data for the program segment, the individual metadata enabling separate evaluation of each program segment with respect to a given viewer'"'"'s viewing preferences.

20. A method of providing metadata for segments of a video program to consumers comprising:

obtaining production data for a program from production equipment;

providing the production data to a metadata generator;

receiving individual metadata corresponding to individual segments of the program; and

providing the individual metadata for transmission through a programming event transmission system in advance of the corresponding program segments, the individual metadata enabling separate evaluation of each program segment with respect to a given viewer'"'"'s viewing preferences.

21. The method claimed in claim 20, wherein providing the individual metadata is preceded by encoding the individual metadata for transmission through the programming event transmission system.

22. The method claimed in claim 20, wherein the metadata comprises a plurality of goodness of fit scores associated with categories of a predetermined classification hierarchy.

24. The device claimed in claim 23, the data processing further comprising encoding the individual metadata for transmission through the programming event transmission system prior to providing the individual metadata.

25. The device claimed in claim 23, wherein the metadata comprises a plurality of goodness of fit scores associated with categories of a predetermined classification hierarchy.

27. The device claimed in claim 26, further comprising means for encoding the individual metadata for transmission through the programming event transmission system prior to providing the individual metadata.

28. The device claimed in claim 26, wherein the metadata comprises a plurality of goodness of fit scores associated with categories of a predetermined classification hierarchy.

30. The system claimed in claim 29, wherein the client device comprises a recording device for selectively recording program segments based on a determined desirability of each program segment.

31. The system claimed in claim 29, wherein the client device comprises a display device for displaying television programming and for selectively alerting a viewer to the availability of program segments based on a determined desirability of each program segment.

32. The system claimed in claim 29, wherein the server is provided at a production studio and provides the individual metadata for transmission through a programming event transmission system in advance of the program segments corresponding to the individual metadata.

33. The system claimed in claim 32, wherein the transmission system comprises one of a broadcast television system, an analog cable system, a digitial cable system, a satellite distribution system, and a data network.

34. The system claimed in claim 29, wherein the server makes the individual metadata available to the client device through the internet.

35. The system claimed in claim 29, wherein the client device selectively provides an alert to a communication device of the viewer regarding an upcoming program segment based on a determined desirability of each program segment.

36. The system claimed in claim 29, wherein metadata comprises goodness of fit scores for the program segment associated with categories of a classification hierarchy, and wherein the viewer profile comprises preference scores associated with categories of the classification hierarchy.

23. A device for providing metadata for segments of a video program to consumers comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory coupled to the at least one processor and having stored therein programming instructions for performing data processing comprising;

obtaining production data for a program from production equipment;

providing the production data to a metadata generator;

receiving individual metadata corresponding to individual segments of the program; and

providing the individual metadata for transmission through a programming event transmission system in advance of the corresponding program segments, the individual metadata enabling separate evaluation of each program segment with respect to a given viewer'"'"'s viewing preferences.

26. A device for providing metadata for segments of a video program to consumers comprising:

means for obtaining production data for a program from production equipment;

means for providing the production data to a metadata generator;

means for receiving individual metadata corresponding to individual segments of the program; and

means for providing the individual metadata for transmission through a programming event transmission system in advance of the corresponding program segments, the individual metadata enabling separate evaluation of each program segment with respect to a given viewer'"'"'s viewing preferences

29. A system for providing evaluation of individual segments of a video program in accordance with a viewer'"'"'s viewing preferences, comprising:

a server receiving production data for a program including descriptive information and timing information, and generating individual metadata for individual programming events corresponding to each program segment, each metadata comprising an identifier of the program, and time data and descriptive data for a program segment; and

a client device receiving the individual metadata and processing the individual metadata in accordance with a viewer profile to determine individually the desirability of each program segment with respect to viewing preferences represented in the viewer profile.