System and method for generating metadata for video programming events

• US 20020152474A1
• Filed: 02/26/2001
• Published: 10/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MeeVee, Inc. (LiveUniverse, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MeeVee, Inc. (LiveUniverse, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dudkiewicz, Gil Gavriel
• Granted Patent: US 7,444,660 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/136
• 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 21/4334 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 device for generating metadata for a programming event receives data corresponding to a programming event that includes descriptive information and timing information. The device analyzes the data to determine goodness of fit scores for the programming event corresponding to categories of a classification hierarchy. The device then stores metadata for the programming event that includes goodness of fit scores, time data and descriptive data. The stored goodness of fit scores may be a representative subset of all goodness of fit scores for the programming event. Also disclosed are processes performed in a device for generating metadata for programming events. Also disclosed is metadata encoded in a computer readable medium. The metadata includes a programming event identifier, descriptive data describing the programming event, time data enabling determination of a start time and duration of the programming event, and goodness of fit scores for the programming event that are associated with categories of the classification hierarchy.

Claims

1. A method for generating metadata for a programming event comprising:

receiving data corresponding to a programming event, the data including descriptive information and timing information;

analyzing the received data to determine goodness of fit scores for the programming event corresponding to categories of a classification hierarchy; and

storing goodness of fit scores in association with time data and descriptive data for the programming event.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein storing is preceded by determining a representative subset of said goodness of fit scores, and

wherein storing goodness of fit scores comprises storing said representative subset of said goodness of fit scores.

3. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the received data comprises electronic program guide data.

4. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the received data comprises production data including descriptive information and timing information.

5. The method claimed in claim 4, wherein analyzing the received data is preceded by determining a time and a duration of individual segments of a program described by the production data.

6. The method claimed in claim 5, wherein determining a time and duration is preceded by processing the production data to conform to a standard delimited format.

7. The method claimed in claim 5, wherein the received data further comprises electronic program guide data describing the program.

8. A device for generating metadata for a programming event 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 data corresponding to a programming event, the data including descriptive information and timing information;

analyzing the received data to determine goodness of fit scores for the programming event corresponding to categories of a classification hierarchy; and

storing goodness of fit scores in association with time data and descriptive data for the programming event.

9. The device claimed in claim 8, wherein said storing is preceded by determining a representative subset of said goodness of fit scores, and

wherein storing goodness of fit scores comprises storing said representative subset of said goodness of fit scores.

10. The device claimed in claim 8, wherein the received data comprises electronic program guide data.

11. The device claimed in claim 8, wherein the received data comprises production data including descriptive information and timing information.

12. The device claimed in claim 11, wherein analyzing the received data is preceded by determining a time and a duration of individual segments of a program described by the production data.

13. The device claimed in claim 12, wherein determining a time and duration is preceded by processing the production data to conform to a standard delimited format.

14. The device claimed in claim 12, wherein the received data further comprises electronic program guide data describing the program.

16. The device claimed in claim 15, further comprising means for determining a representative subset of said goodness of fit scores, and

wherein the means for storing goodness of fit scores stores said representative subset of said goodness of fit scores.

17. The device claimed in claim 15, wherein the received data comprises electronic program guide data.

18. The device claimed in claim 15, wherein the received data comprises production data including descriptive information and timing information.

19. The device claimed in claim 18, further comprising means for determining a time and a duration of individual segments of a program described by the production data.

20. The device claimed in claim 19, further comprising means for processing the production data to conform to a standard delimited format.

21. The device claimed in claim 19, wherein the received data further comprises electronic program guide data describing the program.

15. A device for generating metadata for a programming event comprising:

means for receiving data corresponding to a programming event, the data including descriptive information and timing information;

,

means for analyzing the received data to determine goodness of fit scores for the programming event corresponding to categories of a classification hierarchy; and

means for storing goodness of fit scores in association with time data and descriptive data for the programming event.

22. A computer readable storage medium having encoded therein metadata descriptive of a programming event, the metadata comprising:

a programming event identifier;

descriptive data describing the programming event;

time data enabling determination of a start time and duration of the programming event; and

goodness of fit scores for the programming event, the goodness of fit scores being associated with categories of a predetermined classification hierarchy.

23. The storage medium claimed in claim 22, where the programming event is a segment of a television program.

25. The system claimed in claim 24, wherein the client device comprises a recording device for selectively recording programming events based on a determined desirability of each programming event.

26. The system claimed in claim 24, wherein the client device comprises a display device for displaying video programming and for selectively alerting a viewer to the availability of programming events based on a determined desirability of each programming event.

27. The system claimed in claim 24, wherein the server receives production data for a program including descriptive information and timing information, and generates individual metadata corresponding to segments of the program.

28. The system claimed in claim 24, wherein the server provides individual metadata for transmission through a programming event transmission system in advance of the programming events corresponding to the individual metadata.

29. The system claimed in claim 28, 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.

30. The system claimed in claim 24, wherein the server makes the individual metadata available to the client device through the internet.

24. A system for enabling evaluation of video programming events in accordance with a viewer'"'"'s viewing preferences, comprising:

a server generating individual metadata for individual programming events, each metadata comprising time data and descriptive data for a programming event and goodness of fit scores associated with categories of a classification hierarchy; and

a client device receiving the individual metadata and processing the individual metadata in accordance with a viewer profile to determine the desirability of each programming event with respect to viewing preferences represented in the viewer profile, the viewer profile comprising preference scores associated with categories of the classification hierarchy.