Digest generation method and apparatus for image and sound content

• US 20030120495A1
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Inventors: Uegaki, Shinya, Matsukawa, Hisashi, Inoue, Wataru, Hosobuchi, Takashi, Yamamoto, Koichiro, Watanabe, Tomoki, Kishida, Katsumi
• Granted Patent: US 7,277,859 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/278
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/07 characterised by processes or methods for the generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/66 for using the result on distributors' side
• 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 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A method for a digest generating apparatus to generate a digest of image content or sound content is provided. The digest generating apparatus obtains an audience rating or an audience count of image content or sound content at established time intervals, and extracts images from the image content or extracts sounds from the sound content. The extracted images or the extracted sounds correspond to a time when the audience rating or the audience count exceeds a threshold. Then, the digest generating apparatus generates a digest by using the extracted images or the extracted sounds. The audience rating or the audience count can be obtained by using audience data corresponding to an audience group having a specific user profile.

Claims

1. A method for a digest generating apparatus to generate a digest of image content or sound content, said method comprising:

an obtaining step of obtaining an audience rating or an audience count of image content or sound content at established time intervals;

an extraction step of extracting images from said image content or extracting sounds from said sound content, wherein the extracted images or the extracted sounds correspond to a time when said audience rating or said audience count exceeds a threshold; and

a generation step of generating a digest by using the extracted images or the extracted sounds.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, said obtaining step comprising the steps of:

obtaining audience data indicating that an audience has watched or has listened to said image content or said sound content; and

obtaining said audience rating or said audience count by using said audience data for a plurality of audiences.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, when said image content or said sound content includes a plurality of programs, said method comprising the steps of, instead of said extraction step and said generation step:

obtaining short images corresponding to at least a program, among said plurality of programs, whose audience rating or audience count exceeds a threshold; and

generating a digest by using said short images.

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

receiving designation of a specific genre; and

generating said digest of image content or sound content that belongs to said specific genre.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said audience rating or said audience count is obtained by using audience data corresponding to an audience group having a specific user profile at established time intervals.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, said method comprising the steps of:

increasing or decreasing, by a predetermined amount, said audience rating or said audience count that corresponds to predetermined images or sounds in said image content or said sound content; and

generating said digest by using increased or decreased audience ratings, or by using increased or decreased audience counts.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said predetermined images or sounds can be changed over time.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, said method comprising the step of:

excluding predetermined images or sounds in said image content or said sound content from candidate images or sounds to be included in said digest, or, including predetermined images or sounds in said digest.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said predetermined images or sounds can be changed over time.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, said method further comprising the steps of:

obtaining differences between first audience ratings or first audience counts obtained at a first time and second audience ratings or second audience counts obtained at a second time; and

adding specific images or sounds in said image content or said sound content to said digest according to said differences, or deleting said specific images or sounds from said digest according to said differences.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, said method further comprising the steps of:

obtaining differences between first audience ratings or first audience counts, and, second audience ratings or second audience counts, wherein said first audience ratings or said first audience counts correspond to audiences who have watched or listened to said digest generated before, and said second audience ratings or said second audience counts correspond to audiences who have not watched or listened to said digest generated before; and

adding specific images or sounds in said image content or said sound content to said digest according to said differences, or deleting said specific images or sounds from said digest according to said differences.

12. A digest generating apparatus used for generating a digest of image content or sound content, said digest generating apparatus comprising:

an obtaining part for obtaining an audience rating or an audience count of image content or sound content at established time intervals;

an extraction part for extracting images from said image content or extracting sounds from said sound content, wherein the extracted images or the extracted sounds correspond to a time when said audience rating or said audience count exceeds a threshold; and

a generation part for generating a digest by using the extracted images or the extracted sounds.

13. The digest generating apparatus as claimed in claim 12, said obtaining part comprising:

a part for obtaining audience data indicating that an audience has watched or has listened to said image content or said sound content; and

a part for obtaining said audience rating or said audience count by using said audience data for a plurality of audiences.

14. The digest generating apparatus as claimed in claim 12, when said image content or said sound content includes a plurality of programs, said digest generating apparatus comprising, instead of said extraction part and said generation part:

a part for obtaining short images corresponding to at least a program, among said plurality of programs, whose audience rating or audience count exceeds a threshold; and

a part for generating a digest by using said short images.

15. The digest generating apparatus as claimed in claim 12, said digest generating apparatus comprising:

a part for receiving designation of a specific genre; and

a part for generating said digest of image content or sound content that belongs to said specific genre.

16. The digest generating apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said audience rating or said audience count is obtained by using audience data corresponding to an audience group having a specific user profile at established time intervals.

17. The digest generating apparatus as claimed in claim 12, said digest generating apparatus comprising:

a part for increasing or decreasing, by a predetermined amount, said audience rating or said audience count that corresponds to predetermined images or sounds in said image content or said sound content; and

a part for generating said digest by using increased or decreased audience ratings, or by using increased or decreased audience counts.

18. The digest generating apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said predetermined images or sounds can be changed over time.

19. The digest generating apparatus as claimed in claim 12, said digest generating apparatus comprising:

a part for excluding predetermined images or sounds in said image content or said sound content from candidate images or sounds to be included in said digest, or, including predetermined images or sounds in said digest.

20. The digest generating apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein said predetermined images or sounds can be changed over time.

21. The digest generating apparatus as claimed in claim 12, said digest generating apparatus further comprising:

a part for obtaining differences between first audience ratings or first audience counts obtained at a first time and second audience ratings or second audience counts obtained at a second time; and

a part for adding specific images or sounds in said image content or said sound content to said digest according to said differences, or deleting said specific images or sounds from said digest according to said differences.

22. The digest generating apparatus as claimed in claim 12, said digest generating apparatus further comprising:

a part for obtaining differences between first audience ratings or first audience counts, and, second audience ratings or second audience counts, wherein said first audience ratings or said first audience counts correspond to audiences who have watched or listened to said digest generated before, and said second audience ratings or said second audience counts correspond to audiences who have not watched or listened to said digest generated before; and

a part for adding specific images or sounds in said image content or said sound content to said digest according to said differences, or deleting said specific images or sounds from said digest according to said differences.

23. A computer program for causing a computer to generate a digest of image content or sound content, said computer program comprising:

obtaining program code means for obtaining an audience rating or an audience count of image content or sound content at established time intervals;

extraction program code means for extracting images from said image content or extracting sounds from said sound content, wherein the extracted images or the extracted sounds correspond to a time when said audience rating or said audience count exceeds a threshold; and

generation program code means for generating a digest by using the extracted images or the extracted sounds.

24. The computer program as claimed in claim 23, said obtaining program code means comprising:

program code means for obtaining audience data indicating that an audience has watched or has listened to said image content or said sound content; and

program code means for obtaining said audience rating or said audience count by using said audience data for a plurality of audiences.

25. The computer program as claimed in claim 23, when said image content or said sound content includes a plurality of programs, said computer program comprising, instead of said extraction program code means and said generation program code means:

program code means for obtaining short images corresponding to at least a program, among said plurality of programs, whose audience rating or audience count exceeds a threshold; and

program code means for generating a digest by using said short images.

26. The computer program as claimed in claim 23, said computer program comprising:

program code means for receiving designation of a specific genre; and

program code means for generating said digest of image content or sound content that belongs to said specific genre.

27. The computer program as claimed in claim 23, wherein said audience rating or said audience count is obtained by using audience data corresponding to an audience group having a specific user profile at established time interval.

28. The computer program as claimed in claim 23, said computer program comprising:

program code means for increasing or decreasing, by a predetermined amount, said audience rating or said audience count that corresponds to predetermined images or sounds in said image content or said sound content; and

program code means for generating said digest by using increased or decreased audience ratings, or by using increased or decreased audience counts.

29. The computer program as claimed in claim 28, wherein said predetermined images or sounds can be changed over time.

30. The computer program as claimed in claim 23, said computer program comprising:

program code means for excluding predetermined images or sounds in said image content or said sound content from candidate images or sounds to be included in said digest, or, including predetermined images or sounds in said digest.

31. The computer program as claimed in claim 30, wherein said predetermined images or sounds can be changed over time.

32. The computer program as claimed in claim 23, said computer program further comprising:

program code means for obtaining differences between first audience ratings or first audience counts obtained at a first time and second audience ratings or second audience counts obtained at a second time; and

program code means for adding specific images or sounds in said image content or said sound content to said digest according to said differences, or deleting said specific images or sounds from said digest according to said differences.

33. The computer program as claimed in claim 23, said computer program further comprising:

program code means for obtaining differences between first audience ratings or first audience counts, and, second audience ratings or second audience counts, wherein said first audience ratings or said first audience counts correspond to audiences who have watched or listened to said digest generated before, and said second audience ratings or said second audience counts correspond to audiences who have not watched or listened to said digest generated before; and

program code means for adding specific images or sounds in said image content or said sound content to said digest according to said differences, or deleting said specific images or sounds from said digest according to said differences.

34. A computer readable medium storing program code for causing a computer to generate a digest of image content or sound content, said computer readable medium comprising:

obtaining program code means for obtaining an audience rating or an audience count of image content or sound content at established time intervals;

extraction program code means for extracting images from said image content or extracting sounds from said sound content, wherein the extracted images or the extracted sounds correspond to a time when said audience rating or said audience count exceeds a threshold; and

generation program code means for generating a digest by using the extracted images or the extracted sounds.

35. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 34, said obtaining program code means comprising:

program code means for obtaining audience data indicating that an audience has watched or has listened to said image content or said sound content; and

program code means for obtaining said audience rating or said audience count by using said audience data for a plurality of audiences.

36. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 34, when said image content or said sound content includes a plurality of programs, said computer program comprising, instead of said extraction program code means and said generation program code means:

program code means for obtaining short images corresponding to at least a program, among said plurality of programs, whose audience rating or audience count exceeds a threshold; and

program code means for generating a digest by using said short images.

37. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 34, said computer readable medium comprising:

program code means for receiving designation of a specific genre; and

program code means for generating said digest of image content or sound content that belongs to said specific genre.

38. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 34, wherein said audience rating or said audience count is obtained by using audience data corresponding to an audience group having a specific user profile at established time intervals.

39. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 34, said computer readable medium comprising:

program code means for increasing or decreasing, by a predetermined amount, said audience rating or said audience count that corresponds to predetermined images or sounds in said image content or said sound content; and

program code means for generating said digest by using increased or decreased audience ratings, or by using increased or decreased audience counts.

40. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 39, wherein said predetermined images or sounds can be changed over time.

41. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 34, said computer readable medium comprising:

program code means for excluding predetermined images or sounds in said image content or said sound content from candidate images or sounds to be included in said digest, or, including predetermined images or sounds in said digest.

42. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 41, wherein said predetermined images or sounds can be changed over time.

43. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 34, said computer readable medium further comprising:

program code means for obtaining differences between first audience ratings or first audience counts obtained at a first time and second audience ratings or second audience counts obtained at a second time; and

program code means for adding specific images or sounds in said image content or said sound content to said digest according to said differences, or deleting said specific images or sounds from said digest according to said differences.

44. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 34, said computer readable medium further comprising:

program code means for obtaining differences between first audience ratings or first audience counts, and, second audience ratings or second audience counts, wherein said first audience ratings or said first audience counts correspond to audiences who have watched or listened to said digest generated before, and said second audience ratings or said second audience counts correspond to audiences who have not watched or listened to said digest generated before; and

program code means for adding specific images or sounds in said image content or said sound content to said digest according to said differences, or deleting said specific images or sounds from said digest according to said differences.