System for automatically matching video with ratings information

• US 20040003394A1
• Filed: 07/01/2002
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Media Research, Inc. (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Original Assignee: Nielsen Media Research, Inc. (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Inventors: Ramaswamy, Arun
• Application Number:
  US10/185,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20040003394A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/23 using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution
• 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: H04H 60/73 using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43074 of additional data with content streams on the same device, e.g. of EPG data or interactive icon with a TV program
• 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 21/84 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 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A system for independently capturing video content from various video content sources and ratings data independently. The video content and ratings data is stored with metadata so that the video content and ratings data is searchable. A synchronization engine automatically links the video content to the rating data. As such, selected video content and corresponding ratings data is presented to a user in a contiguous format in a synchronized manner over different platforms including the Internet.

Claims

1. A system for capturing video data that is linked to ratings data which automatically matches the video content to the corresponding ratings data for presentation to an end user in a synchronized manner, the system comprising:

a video capture subsystem for capturing and storing video content from various sources;

a ratings capture subsystem for capturing and storing ratings data and automatically linking said ratings data to corresponding video content; and

a presentation system configured to present the video content and ratings data in a synchronized manner.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said video capture subsystem comprises;

a parameter extractor for extracting predetermined parameters from video content in a first video format;

a transcoder for converting said video content in said first format to a second format; and

metadata inserter for embedding said extracted parameters into said video content in said second video format.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said video capture subsystem further includes an encrypter for encrypting said predetermined extracted parameters before said extracted parameters are embedded into said video content in said second video format.

4. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said parameters include embedded information.

5. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein said second video format is uncompressed.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein said parameters include close caption data.

7. The system as recite din claim 6, wherein said close caption data is embedded in said vertical blanking interval (VBI).

8. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein said second video format is compressed.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein said parameters include data in the user data fields of the compressed video.

10. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the parameters include data contained in auxiliary data fields of MPEG audio.

11. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the parameter includes information relating to a predetermined program.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said information includes program identification (ID).

13. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said information includes temporal information relating to a predetermined program.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein said temporal information relates to the data that a program was broadcast.

15. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein said temporal information relates to the time the program was broadcast.

16. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said parameters include content information.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein said content information relates to PSIP data.

18. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein said content information relates to copyright information.

19. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein said content information relates to asset name.

20. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein said content information relates to creator.

23. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the system for presenting the selected video content and the corresponding ratings data includes a synchronization module.

24. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said synchronization module includes a system for decoding video content and ratings data and generating a video decode time stamp and a ratings decode time stamp which are compared, the results of which are used to synchronize ratings data with video content.

25. The system as recited in claim 24, wherein said synchronization module includes a video decoder which extracts embedded metadata from video content which is used to retrieve ratings data.

26. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said video capture subsystem is configured to enable embedding of searchable parameters in said video content which enable said video content to be searched by an end user.

27. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said ratings capture subsystem is configured to enable embedding of searchable parameters in said ratings data which enable said ratings data to be searched by an end user.

39. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said ratings capture subsystem includes an automated authoring engine for generating metadata for said ratings data.

40. The system as recited in claim 39, wherein said automatic authoring engine generates a metadata wrapper for the ratings data which corresponds temporally to said video content.

41. The system as recited in claim 39, wherein said metadata wrapper includes the start time of the program.

42. The system as recited in claim 39, wherein said metadata wrapper includes a total number of ratings elements.

43. The system as recited in claim 39, wherein said metadata wrapper includes increments of time elements.

44. The system as recited in claim 40, wherein said metadata wrapper in XML based.

21. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein said parameters include encoding parameters.

22. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein said parameters relate to structural information of spatial temporal components.

28. A system for presenting video content and ratings data in a synchronized manner, the system comprising:

a video subsystem which includes stored video content;

a ratings subsystem which includes stored ratings data; and

a synchronization engine for synchronizing playback of video content with its corresponding ratings data.

29. The system as recited in claim 28, wherein said system is configured such that video content and ratings data are played back in contiguous windows.

30. The system as recited in claim 28, wherein said system is configured such that said ratings data is superimposed in said video content in a single window.

31. The system as recited in claim 28, wherein said stored video content includes embedded searchable parameters which enable said video content to be searched by an end user.

32. The system as recited in claim 28, wherein said stored ratings data includes embedded searchable parameters which enable said ratings data to be searched by an end user.

33. A process for associating ratings data with corresponding video content, the process comprising the steps of:

a) storing video content;

b) storing ratings data; and

c) automatically linking said ratings data with said video content.

34. The process as recited in claim 33, further including a step:

d) presenting the video content and ratings data in a synchronized manner.

35. The process as recited in claim 34, wherein the video content and ratings data is presented in contiguous windows.

36. The process as recited in claim 34, wherein the ratings data is superimposed on said video content in the same window.

37. The process as recited in, claim 33, wherein said video content is stored with searchable parameters which enable said video content to be searched by an end user.

38. The process as recited in claim 33, wherein said ratings data is stored with searchable parameters which enable said ratings data to be searched by an end user.