System and method for using programming event timing data in a recording device

• US 20020092022A1
• Filed: 11/16/2001
• Published: 07/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: MeeVee, Inc. (LiveUniverse, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MeeVee, Inc. (LiveUniverse, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dudkicwicz, Gil Gavriel, Hitt, Dale Kittrick
• Application Number:
  US09/991,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20020092022A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/58
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/735 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4305 Synchronising client clock from received content stream, e.g. locking decoder clock with encoder clock, extraction of the PCR packets arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter by comparing receiver clock with transmitter clock H04L7/0012; arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter wherein the receiver takes measures against momentary loss of synchronisation H04L7/0083
• 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 21/4532 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 21/466 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61
• 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 21/4854 for modifying image parameters, e.g. image brightness, contrast
• 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 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 : Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 : Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 : Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 : Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 : Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A recording device may record a programming event by identifying timing data associated with the programming event within a closed caption data stream. The recording device may thereafter control recording of the programming event in accordance with the timing data. The control may involve initiating recording of the programming event. Related embodiments may pertain to devices implementing such processing. In alternative embodiments, a recording device may record a video programming event and a corresponding closed caption data stream, and thereafter control playback of the programming event in accordance with timing data included within the closed caption data stream. Such control may include skipping portions of the recorded video in accordance with the timing data.

Claims

1. A method for selectively recording programming events, comprising:

determining a programming event to be recorded;

identifying timing data associated with the programming event within a closed caption data stream; and

controlling recording of the programming event in accordance with the timing data.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein identifying timing data is preceded by tuning to a transmission channel of the programming event to be recorded.

3. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein controlling recording comprises initiating recording of a video signal upon identifying the timing data.

4. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein controlling recording comprises initiating recording of a video signal beginning at a predetermined time after identifying the timing data.

5. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein controlling recording comprises initiating recording of a video signal after a period of time indicated in the timing data has elapsed subsequent to identifying the timing data.

6. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the timing data comprises an identifier of the programming event matching an identifier in metadata of the programming event used to determine that the programming event should be recorded.

7. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein controlling recording comprises terminating recording of the programming event in accordance with said timing data.

8. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein controlling recording comprises pausing recording of the programming event in accordance with said timing data.

9. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein determining a programming event to be recorded comprises:

determining a schedule of programming events to be recorded; and

determining a programming event to be recorded based on a current time and said schedule.

10. A video recording device comprising:

at least one processor;

a storage device for storing video; and

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

determining a programming event to be recorded;

identifying timing data associated with the programming event within a closed caption data stream; and

controlling recording of the programming event in accordance with the timing data.

11. The device claimed in claim 10, wherein identifying timing data is preceded by tuning to a transmission channel of the programming event to be recorded.

12. The device claimed in claim 10, wherein controlling recording comprises initiating recording of a video signal upon identifying the timing data.

13. The device claimed in claim 10, wherein controlling recording comprises initiating recording of a video signal beginning at a predetermined time after identifying the timing data.

14. The device claimed in claim 10, wherein controlling recording comprises initiating recording of a video signal after a period of time indicated in the timing data has elapsed subsequent to identifying the timing data.

15. The device claimed in claim 10, wherein the timing data comprises an identifier of the programming event matching an identifier in metadata of the programming event used to determined that the programming event should be recorded.

16. The device claimed in claim 10, wherein controlling recording comprises terminating recording of the programming event in accordance with said timing data.

17. The device claimed in claim 10, wherein controlling recording comprises pausing recording of the programming event in accordance with said timing data.

18. The device claimed in claim 10, wherein determining a programming event to be recorded comprises:

determining a schedule of programming events to be recorded; and

determining a programming event to be recorded based on a current time and said schedule.

20. The method claimed in claim 19, wherein controlling playback is preceded by recording said programming event and said closed caption data stream.

21. The method claimed in claim 19, wherein controlling playback of the programming event comprises initiating playback of the programming event in accordance with timing data indicating a beginning of the programming event.

22. The method claimed in claim 19, wherein controlling playback of the programming event comprises terminating playback of the programming event in accordance with timing data indicating an end of the programming event.

23. The method claimed in claim 19, wherein controlling playback of the programming event comprises skipping playback of a portion of the recorded video in accordance with the timing data.

25. The method claimed in claim 24, wherein identifying timing data is preceded by tuning to a transmission channel of the programming event to be recorded.

26. The method claimed in claim 24, wherein controlling recording comprises initiating recording of the video signal upon identifying the timing data.

27. The method claimed in claim 24, wherein controlling recording comprises initiating recording of the video signal beginning at a predetermined time after identifying the timing data.

28. The method claimed in claim 24, wherein controlling recording comprises initiating recording of the video signal after a period of time indicated in the timing data has elapsed subsequent to identifying the timing data.

29. The method claimed in claim 24, wherein the timing data comprises an identifier of the programming event matching an identifier in metadata of the programming event used to determine that the programming event should be recorded.

30. The method claimed in claim 24, wherein controlling recording comprises terminating recording of the programming event in accordance with said timing data.

31. The method claimed in claim 24, wherein controlling recording comprises pausing recording of the programming event in accordance with said timing data.

32. The method claimed in claim 24, wherein determining a programming event to be recorded comprises:

determining a schedule of programming events to be recorded; and

determining a programming event to be recorded based on a current time and said schedule.

19. A method in a video playback device comprising controlling playback of a recorded the programming event in accordance with timing data included within a closed caption data stream of the recorded programming event.

24. A method for selectively recording programming events, comprising:

determining a programming event to be recorded;

identifying timing data associated with the programming event within a video signal; and

controlling recording of the programming event in accordance with the timing data.

33. A video recording device comprising:

at least one processor;

a storage device for storing video; and

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

determining a programming event to be recorded;

identifying timing data associated with the programming event within a video signal; and

controlling recording of the programming event in accordance with the timing data.

34. The device claimed in claim 33, wherein identifying timing data is preceded by tuning to a transmission channel of the programming event to be recorded.

35. The device claimed in claim 33, wherein controlling recording comprises initiating recording of the video signal upon identifying the timing data.

36. The device claimed in claim 33, wherein controlling recording comprises initiating recording of the video signal beginning at a predetermined time after identifying the timing data.

37. The device claimed in claim 33, wherein controlling recording comprises initiating recording of the video signal after a period of time indicated in the timing data has elapsed subsequent to identifying the timing data.

38. The device claimed in claim 33, wherein the timing data comprises an identifier of the programming event matching an identifier in metadata of the programming event used to determine that the programming event should be recorded.

39. The device claimed in claim 33, wherein controlling recording comprises terminating recording of the programming event in accordance with said timing data.

40. The device claimed in claim 33, wherein controlling recording comprises pausing recording of the programming event in accordance with said timing data.

41. The device claimed in claim 33, wherein determining a programming event to be recorded comprises:

determining a schedule of programming events to be recorded; and

determining a programming event to be recorded based on a current time and said schedule.

42. A method in a video playback device comprising controlling playback of a recorded the programming event in accordance with timing data included within a video signal of the recorded programming event.

43. The method claimed in claim 42 wherein controlling playback is preceded by recording said video signal of the programming event.

44. The method claimed in claim 42, wherein controlling playback of the programming event comprises initiating playback of the programming event in accordance with timing data indicating a beginning of the programming event.

45. The method claimed in claim 42, wherein controlling playback of the programming event comprises terminating playback of the programming event in accordance with timing data indicating an end of the programming event.

46. The method claimed in claim 42, wherein controlling playback of the programming event comprises skipping playback of a portion of the recorded video in accordance with the timing data.