Method and apparatus for enhancing television programs with event notifications

• US 20030018967A1
• Filed: 07/20/2001
• Published: 01/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Gorbatov, Eugene, Rivero, Juan
• Granted Patent: US 8,881,193 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• 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 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• 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 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• 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

Improved enhanced TV programming provides the capability for a TV viewer watching one channel to be notified of interesting programming events happening or about to happen on other channels. The present invention overcomes the problem addressed by “surfing TV channels” by providing notifications that alert enhanced TV viewers to other programming events happening or about to happen on different channels that are not presently being watched. This enables the viewer to watch a primary program on one channel without interruption and be timely notified about interesting programming events about to occur on other channels. The viewer then may have the option of switching to another channel based on the information included with the event notification.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a television stream;

causing the display of a first program of a first channel received in the television stream for viewing by a viewer; and

notifying the viewer of an event occurring in a second program of a second channel being broadcast concurrently with the first program.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the television stream comprises an enhanced television stream.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving an event notification within the enhanced television stream, the event notification indicating occurrence of the event.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the enhanced television stream comprises a digital television stream and the event notification comprises an ATVEF trigger.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an event notification indicating occurrence of the event, the event notification comprising an ATVEF trigger communicated over the Internet.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically causing the changing of the channel after the event occurs to display the second program of the second channel instead of the first program.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising concurrently causing the display of the first program on a first portion of a display and the second program on a second portion of the display.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying portions of programs as signifying events.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising registering for notification of events.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving a plurality of event notifications, filtering the event notifications to identify those event notifications corresponding to registered events, and notifying the viewer of occurrences of registered events for which event notifications have been received.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein registered events occur in programs broadcast on a plurality of channels.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second program is broadcast live and the event is determined in real-time.

14. The article of claim 13, wherein the television stream comprises an enhanced television stream.

15. The article of claim 14, further comprising instructions for receiving an event notification within the enhanced television stream, the event notification indicating occurrence of the event.

16. The article of claim 15, wherein the enhanced television stream comprises a digital television stream and the event notification comprises an ATVEF trigger.

17. The article of claim 13, further comprising instructions for receiving an event notification indicating occurrence of the event, the event notification comprising an ATVEF trigger communicated over the Internet.

18. The article of claim 13, further comprising instructions for automatically causing the changing of the channel after the event occurs to cause the display of the second program of the second channel instead of the first program.

19. The article of claim 13, further comprising instructions for concurrently causing the display of the first program on a first portion of a display and the second program on a second portion of the display.

20. The article of claim 13, further comprising instructions registering for notification of events.

21. The article of claim 20, further comprising instructions for receiving a plurality of event notifications, filtering the event notifications to identify those event notifications corresponding to registered events, and notifying the viewer of occurrences of registered events for which event notifications have been received.

13. An article comprising:

a storage medium having a plurality of machine readable instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by a processor, the instructions provide for handling of event notifications in television programming, the instructions including receiving a television stream, cause the display of a first program of a first channel received in the television stream for viewing by a viewer, and notifying the viewer of an event occurring in a second program of a second channel being broadcast concurrently with the first program.

22. A method of broadcasting enhanced television programs comprising:

defining events occurring in programs;

creating ATVEF triggers representing event notifications corresponding to the events;

creating an enhanced television stream, the enhanced television stream comprising television programs and the ATVEF triggers;

broadcasting the enhanced television stream.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the enhanced television stream comprises a digital television stream and the events occur in programs broadcast on a plurality of channels.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising communicating the ATVEF triggers to a receiver using the Internet.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising broadcasting event definitions to receivers for registration of associated events by viewers.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the enhanced television stream comprises a digital television stream and the events occur in programs broadcast on a plurality of channels.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the enhanced television stream comprises a digital television stream and ATVEF triggers represent the event notifications.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising automatically causing the changing of a currently tuned channel carrying a first program being viewed after receiving an event notification corresponding to a registered event to display a second program associated with the registered event instead of the first program.

26. A method of receiving enhanced television programs comprising:

receiving definitions of events occurring in programs;

providing the event definitions to a viewer for selection of events of interest;

receiving registrations for selected events of interest from the viewer;

receiving an enhanced television stream, the stream comprising television programs and event notifications corresponding to events; and

comparing the received event notifications to the registered events and notifying the viewer when a received event notification corresponds to a registered event.

30. An article comprising:

a storage medium having a plurality of machine readable instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by a processor, the instructions provide for handling of event notifications in television programming, the instructions including receiving definitions of events occurring in programs, providing the event definitions to a viewer for selection of events of interest, receiving registrations for selected events of interest from the viewer, receiving an enhanced television stream, the stream comprising television programs and event notifications corresponding to events, and comparing the received event notifications to the registered events and alerting the viewer when a received event notification corresponds to a registered event.

31. The article of claim 30, wherein the enhanced television stream comprises a digital television stream and the events occur in programs broadcast on a plurality of channels.

32. The article of claim 30, wherein the enhanced television stream comprises a digital television stream and ATVEF triggers represent the event notifications.

33. The article of claim 30, further comprising instructions for automatically causing the changing of a currently tuned channel carrying a first program being viewed after receiving an event notification corresponding to a registered event to display a second program associated with the registered event instead of the first program.