Method and apparatus for providing personalized supplemental programming

• US 20030088612A1
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Published: 05/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anthony A. Shah-Nzzaroff, David N. Hackson, Jean M. Goldschmidt Iki
• Original Assignee: Anthony A. Shah-Nzzaroff, David N. Hackson, Jean M. Goldschmidt Iki
• Inventors: Shah-Nzzaroff, Anthony A., Goldschmidt Iki, Jean M., Hackson, David N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,250,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• 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 21/4622 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8405 represented by keywords
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/914 Video
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/916 Audio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/957 Multidimensional
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/961 Associative
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing personalized supplemental programming is provided. In one embodiment, the invention can include searching text for a keyword, the text associated with primary programming to be provided to an element of an entertainment system, accessing a database upon finding the keyword, retrieving content associated with the keyword from the database, combining the retrieved content with the primary programming to generate combined programming, and providing the combined programming to the element of the entertainment system.

Claims

1. A set-top box comprising:

a receiver to receive primary programming;

a supplemental programming database having content criteria and associated supplemental programming;

a processor agent, coupled to the receiver and to the supplemental programming database, to evaluate the primary programming using the content criteria and identify supplemental programming using the database; and

a delivery module, coupled to the processing agent, to provide the identified supplemental programming to an element of an entertainment system.

2. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises a broadcast entertainment programming receiver.

3. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein the supplemental programming database includes user profiles, each user profile being associated with a unique set of content criteria.

4. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein the supplemental programming database comprises a multi-dimensional database wherein one dimension identifies the genre of the primary programming content, another dimension identifies content criteria, and another dimension identifies different users.

5. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein the content criteria of the supplemental programming database comprise searchable keywords.

6. The set-top box of claim 5, wherein the receiver includes a filter to separate text from the primary programming, and wherein the processor agent includes a keyword search engine to search for keywords from the content criteria of the supplemental programming database within the text from the primary programming.

7. The set-top box of claim 5, further comprising a primary programming database containing text that describes primary programming, and wherein the processor agent includes a keyword search engine to search for keywords from the content criteria of the supplemental programming database within the text of the primary programming database.

8. The set-top box of claim 6, wherein the primary programming database includes time and date values associated with the text that describes primary programming, and wherein the processor agent determines the time and date for primary programming being evaluated and applies the determined time and date to the search for keywords within the text of the primary programming database.

9. The set-top box of claim 1, further comprising an electronic program guide containing descriptive information regarding programs of the primary programming and wherein the processor agent searches the electronic program guide for a program of the primary programming being evaluated using the content criteria and identifies supplemental programming using the supplemental programming database.

10. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein the processor agent comprises a video evaluator to evaluate the video of primary programming using the content criteria and identify supplemental programming using the supplemental programming database.

11. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein the delivery module includes a generator module to receive an identification of supplemental programming from the processor agent and to generate a video signal based thereon.

12. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein the delivery module includes a delivery module to synchronize the identified supplemental programming with the primary programming and deliver the synchronized supplemental programming to the entertainment system element.

13. A supplemental programming provider comprising:

a supplemental programming database having content criteria and associated supplemental programming; and

a supplemental programming agent, coupled to the supplemental programming database, the supplemental programming agent comprising a commentary provider to evaluate received primary programming using the content criteria and identify supplemental programming using the database, and a commentary generator module coupled to the commentary provider to provide the identified supplemental programming to an element of an entertainment system.

14. The supplemental programming provider of claim 13, wherein the supplemental programming database includes user profiles, each user profile being associated with a unique set of content criteria.

15. The supplemental programming provider of claim 13, wherein the supplemental programming database comprises a multi-dimensional database wherein one dimension identifies the genre of the primary programming content, another dimension identifies content criteria, and another dimension identifies different users.

16. The supplemental programming provider of claim 13, wherein the content criteria of the supplemental programming database comprise searchable keywords.

17. The supplemental programming provider of claim 16, wherein the commentary provider includes a keyword search engine to search for keywords from the content criteria of the supplemental programming database within text from the primary programming.

18. The supplemental programming provider of claim 16, further comprising a primary programming database containing text that describes primary programming, and wherein the commentary provider includes a keyword search engine to search for keywords from the content criteria of the supplemental programming database within the text of the primary programming database.

19. The supplemental programming provider of claim 16, wherein the primary programming database includes time and date values associated with the text that describes primary programming, and wherein the commentary provider determines the time and date for primary programming being evaluated and applies the determined time and date to the search for keywords within the text of the primary programming database.

20. The supplemental programming provider of claim 13, wherein the commentary provider comprises a content evaluator module to evaluate the video of primary programming using the content criteria and identify supplemental programming using the supplemental programming database.

21. The supplemental programming provider of claim 13, wherein the commentary generator module receives an identification of supplemental programming from the processor agent and to generates a video signal based thereon.

22. The supplemental programming provider of claim 13, wherein the supplemental programming agent further comprises a comment delivery module to synchronize the identified supplemental programming with the primary programming and deliver the synchronized supplemental programming to the entertainment system element.