Method for searching for television programs

• US 20020104088A1
• Filed: 01/29/2001
• Published: 08/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Dimitrova, Nevenka, Agnihotri, Lalitha, McGee, Thomas Francis III
• Application Number:
  US09/771,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20020104088A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/51
• 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 21/4622 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 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

There is disclosed an improved method for using key objects obtained from Internet sites to search for and locate television programs. An advantageous embodiment of the improved method of the present invention comprises the steps of: 1) identifying key objects in Internet documents, 2) sending the key objects to a search capable video recorder, 3) conducting a key object search with the search capable video recorder to locate television programs that contain the key objects, 4) providing to a viewer the search results of the key object search that identify television programs that contain the key objects, 5) selecting television programs that contain the key objects in response to a viewer instruction, and 6) recording the television programs that are selected by the viewer from the search results.

Claims

1. A method for searching for television programs comprising the steps of:

identifying at least one key object in at least one Internet document;

sending said at least one key object to a search capable video recorder; and

conducting a key object search with said search capable video recorder to locate at least one television program that contains said at least one key object.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

identifying a plurality of key objects in at least one Internet document;

placing said plurality of key objects in a list of key objects;

sending said list of key objects to said search capable video recorder; and

conducting a key object search with said search capable video recorder to locate at least one television program that contains at least one key object in said list of key objects.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising the step of:

increasing the number of said plurality of key objects in said list of key objects by adding key objects to said list that are similar to said plurality of key objects in said list of key objects.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

providing search results of said key object search to a viewer, said search results identifying at least one television program that contains at least one key object;

selecting at least one television program that contains at least one key object in response to a viewer instruction; and

recording in said search capable video recorder said at least one television program selected by said viewer.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving in said search capable video recorder search results of said key object search, said search results containing at least one television program that contains at least one key object; and

recording in said search capable video recorder at least one of the television programs identified in said search results.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 further comprising the steps of:

using a selection criterion to select a t least one television program from said search results to be recorded.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein said selection criterion comprises one of:

selecting only those television programs that will be shown in a particular time period, selecting only those television programs that are deemed to be the most relevant to a particular topic, selecting all television programs that appear within a search result until the disk space limit of a search capable video recorder has been reached, selecting television programs that may be overwritten by said search capable video recorder, and selecting television programs that may not be overwritten by said search capable video recorder.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5 further comprising the step of:

recording in said search capable video recorder all of the television programs identified in said search results.

9. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein said key object search is conducted for a predetermined period of time.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said key object search identifies at least one television program using program identification information.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said key object search identifies at least one television program by analyzing at least one video stream of at least one television program to find objects that match the key objects used in said key object search.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said search capable video recorder comprises one of:

a video recorder with a hard disk memory, a television set with a video recorder with a hard disk memory, a set top box with a video recorder with a hard disk memory, a video cassette recorder with a hard disk memory, and a personal computer with a video card.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 further comprising the step of:

conducting said key object search in said search capable video recorder in television programs that have previously been recorded in said search capable video recorder.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said key object search is conducted for a predetermined period of time.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said key object search identifies at least one television program using program identification information.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said key object search identifies at least one television program by analyzing at least one video stream of at least one television program to find objects that match the key objects used in said key object search.

18. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said search capable video recorder comprises one of:

a video recorder with a hard disk memory, a television set with a video recorder with a hard disk memory, a set top box with a video recorder with a hard disk memory, a video cassette recorder with a hard disk memory, and a personal computer with a video card.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19 wherein said key object search is conducted for a predetermined period of time.

21. The method as claimed in claim 19 wherein said key object search identifies at least one television program using program identification information.

22. The method as claimed in claim 19 wherein said key object search identifies at least one television program by analyzing at least one video stream of at least one television program to find objects that match the key objects used in said key object search.

23. The method as claimed in claim 19 wherein said search capable video recorder comprises one of:

a video recorder with a hard disk memory, a television set with a video recorder with a hard disk memory, a set top box with a video recorder with a hard disk memory, a video cassette recorder with a hard disk memory, and a personal computer with a video card.

24. The method as claimed in claim 19 further comprising the step of:

notifying said viewer when said search capable video recorder has recorded said at least one television program selected by said viewer.

13. A method for searching for television programs comprising the steps of:

identifying at least one key object in at least one Internet document;

sending said at least one key object to a search capable video recorder;

conducting a key object search with said search capable video recorder to locate at least one television program that contains said at least one key object;

providing search results of said key object search to a viewer, said search results identifying at least one television program that contains at least one key object;

selecting at least one television program that contains at least one key object in response to a viewer instruction; and

recording in said search capable video recorder said at least one television program selected by said viewer.

19. A method for searching for television programs comprising the steps of:

identifying a plurality of key objects in at least one Internet document;

placing said plurality of key objects in a list of key objects;

sending said list of key objects to said search capable video recorder;

conducting a key object search with said search capable video recorder to locate at least one television program that contains at least one key object in said list of key objects;

providing search results of said key object search to a viewer, said search results identifying at least one television program that contains at least one key object;

selecting at least one television program that contains at least one key object in response to a viewer instruction; and

recording in said search capable video recorder said at least one television program selected by said viewer.