System and method for enhancing broadcast or recorded programs with information on the world wide web

• US 20040139474A1
• Filed: 10/31/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Carro, Fernando Incertis
• Granted Patent: US 7,552,193 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/112
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42646 for reading from or writing on a non-volatile solid state storage medium, e.g. DVD, CD-ROM
• 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 21/4622 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system, method or computer program, for enabling a radio auditor or a television viewer (100) to access complementary information (101) related to a broadcast program (102) received in real-time (or to a recorded program previously broadcast and played back on an audio or video player/recorder). The preferred embodiment of the invention relates to a system and method for enabling a person (100) receiving a broadcast program (102), (or listening or watching a recorded program), to select a plurality of topics or sequences drawing his or her attention (101, 103) and for immediately, or later on, accessing additional information related to these topics or sequences from the Word Wide Web. The system is based on a synchronization of the local times of receivers (or recorders) and transmitters according to a same universal-time (201, 202), so that the flow of information transmitted and received (or recorded) is always synchronized, independently of the relative positions of receivers (or recorders) and transmitters. The synchronization is done referring to an universal time such as the Global Positioning System Time (GPS-time), the Global Orbiting Navigational Satellite System (GLONASS) time or another suitable universal time based on a satellite system. The GPS or GLONASS receivers are connected or integrated to the broadcasting stations. At the receiver side, GPS or GLONASS receivers may be integrated or connected to user devices e.g., Personal Computers, wearable computers, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), smart phones or onboard mobile computers (or to the audio or video recorders) that may be independent or separate from the radio or television receivers. The system is also based on a plurality of hyperlinks defined for given time intervals during the production of the broadcast program. These time intervals are synchronized with the universal Time. The hyperlinks are associated with the transmitted (and recorded) information. The hyperlinks can be retrieved, selected and activated by radio auditors or television viewers during the time intervals for which they have been defined, during the broadcast of the program (or during its playback).

Claims

1. A method for creating, before broadcasting a program on a channel, a program timing file comprising hyperlinks between said program (1300) and information related to said program, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting (1501) one or a plurality of topics (1407) in the program;

defining hyperlinks (1502) in a program timing (1401) file between said one or plurality of selected topics (1407) and information located on one or a plurality of servers connected to a network accessible by one or a plurality of user devices, said step comprising the steps of;

for each one of the selected topics (1403);

assigning (1504) a destination address (1406) for accessing within the network (313) said information;

defining (1505) a relative time interval (1404) (1405) related to the selected topic;

associating (1506) and storing in the program timing file (1401), the assigned destination address (1406) and the defined relative time interval (1404) (1405) with which it will be possible for a user device connected to the network to retrieve the destination address associated with the hyperlink;

storing (1507) the program timing file (1401).

2. The method according to the preceding claim wherein the relative time interval related to the selected topic is defined in time units elapsed from the start of the program.

3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims comprising the further steps of:

retrieving (1601) the program timing file (1401) of the program;

storing (1604) the program timing file in a server (309) accessible from one or a plurality of user devices (308) connected to the network (313);

determining (1602) by means of an universal-time device, the universal time corresponding to the start of the broadcasting of the program;

computing (1603) in the program timing filed stored in the server (309), universal time intervals (1401), by adding to the relative time intervals (1404) (1405) of hyperlinks, the universal time corresponding to the start of the broadcasting of the program;

broadcasting (1605) the program (302).

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the universal time intervals computed in the program timing file and the one or plurality of user devices are synchronized according to the same universal time.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the step of defining hyperlinks comprises the further steps of:

for each one of the selected topics (1403);

assigning (1503) a name (1403) and optionally a description;

associating (1506) with the selected topic, the assigned name (1403) and optionally the assigned description; and

storing in the program timing file (1401), the assigned name (1403) and optionally the assigned description.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein:

said network (313) is an Internet Protocol (IP) network;

said servers (312) are Web servers;

said user device (308) comprises a Web browser (310);

said destination address is an Uniform Resource Locator (URL address);

said information are Web pages.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said information comprises one or a plurality of services.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the universal time of the start of the broadcasting of the program is determined by means of an universal-time device (305).

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the universal-time device (305) is any suitable satellite based universal-time receiver, preferably a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or an Universal Time Co-ordinated receiver.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the universal-time device (305) is integrated or connected to a broadcasting station (307).

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims comprising the further steps of:

during the broadcasting to the program;

receiving a request from a user device, said request comprising an universal time;

identifying in the program timing file, one or a plurality of universal time intervals including this universal time

sending back to the user device, for each identified universal time interval, the destination address associated in the program timing file.

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims comprising the further steps of:

receiving a request from a user device, said request comprising an universal time interval;

identifying the program that has been broadcast during said universal time interval;

identifying the program timing file associated with said identified program;

sending back to the user device, information in the program timing file, related to the one or plurality of hyperlinks defined for the universal time interval corresponding to the broadcasting of the program, said information comprising for each hyperlink, the associated universal time interval and destination address.

13. A system comprising means for carrying out the steps of the method according to any one of the preceding claims.

14. A computer program comprising instructions for carrying out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 when this program is executed on the system according to claim 13.