System and method for filtering interactive television data

• US 20040216161A1
• Filed: 05/20/2004
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mixed Signals Incorporated (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: GoldPocket Interactive, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: King, John Kelly, Barone, Samuel T. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/850,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20040216161A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/14 for monitoring programmes
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/30 by a single channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/91 broadcasting computer programmes
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/30 characterised by the use of a return channel, e.g. for collecting users' opinions, for returning broadcast space/time information or for requesting data
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/74 using programme related information, e.g. title, composer or interpreter
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2407 Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26225 involving billing parameters, e.g. priority for subscribers of premium services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• 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 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 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

An ITV system that monitors and stores data related to digital video broadcasts. Such data may include digital sound files, image files, subscription data, software programs, television program information, ITV advertising content, and the like. The monitoring system stores information about a pre-determined set of data that is being monitored in a digital video stream, in one or more log files. The log files may then be used to generate a plurality of user defined reports. The reports may be used by broadcasters, cable operators, and content providers, and the like to establish general auditing and billing services.

Claims

1. A method for filtering data embedded in a video signal, the method comprising:

monitoring the video signal and providing monitored data, the monitored data including data embedded in the video signal;

comparing the decoded data against at least one filter criteria;

generating a filtered video signal based on the comparison; and

transmitting the filtered video signal to a receiver.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the video signal is an analog video signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the video signal is a digital video signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitored data is interactive television data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitored data is a digital data file.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitored data is data subscribed to by a user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the filter criteria is a particular data type.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising blocking the monitored data based on the comparison.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the blocked data is effectively unavailable to an end user device.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising modifying the embedded data based on the comparison.

11. A data filtering system comprising:

means for receiving a video signal including embedded data;

a data monitor coupled to the means for receiving, the data monitor monitoring the video signal, and providing monitored data, the monitored data including data embedded in the video signal;

a data store storing at least one filter criteria; and

a data filter coupled to the data store and the data monitor, the data filter comparing the monitored data against at least one filter criteria and generating a filtered video signal in response; and

a transmitter coupled to the data filter transmitting the filtered video signal to a receiver.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the video signal is an analog video signal.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the video signal is a digital video signal.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the monitored data is interactive television data.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the monitored data is a digital data file.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the monitored data is data subscribed to by a user.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the filter criteria is a particular data type.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the data filter blocks the embedded data based on the comparison.

19. The system of claim 11 further comprising means for modifying the embedded data based on the comparison.

20. A method for filtering data embedded in a digital video stream, the method comprising:

monitoring the digital video stream and providing monitored data, the monitored data including data embedded in the digital video stream;

comparing the decoded data against at least one filter criteria;

generating a filtered digital video stream based on the comparison; and

transmitting the filtered digital video stream to a receiver.