Remote monitoring system and method for interactive television data

• US 20040216171A1
• Filed: 05/20/2004
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ericsson Television Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: GoldPocket Interactive, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Barone, Samuel T. Jr., King, John Kelly
• Application Number:
  US10/850,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20040216171A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/135
• 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 remotely monitoring data embedded in a video signal, the method comprising:

establishing communication between a remote computer and an application server over a data communications network;

accessing a user interface provided to the remote computer by the application server and interfacing with a data monitor coupled to the application server, the data monitor monitoring one or more video signals and providing monitored data, the monitored data including data embedded in the one or more video signals;

transmitting the monitored data to the remote computer over the data communications network responsive to a user command transmitted via the user interface; and

displaying the monitored data on the remote computer.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising logging the monitored data in a data store coupled to the data monitor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitored data is displayed on the remote computer in real time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitored data is closed captioning data.

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

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising changing configuration of the data monitor responsive to a user command transmitted from the remote computer via the user interface.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising correlating the monitored data into a report.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more video signals are analog video signals.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more video signals are digital video signals.

10. A system for remotely monitoring data embedded in a video signal, the system comprising:

means for receiving one or more video signals including embedded data;

a data monitor coupled to the means for receiving, the data monitor monitoring the one or more video signals and providing monitored data, the monitored data including data embedded in the one or more video signals; and

an application server coupled to the data monitor, the application server providing a user interface for remotely interfacing with the data monitor, the application server transmitting the monitored data over a data communications network in response to a user command provided via the user interface.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

a remote computer establishing communication with the application server over the data communications network, accessing the user interface provided by the application server, and interfacing with the data monitor via the user interface.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the monitored data is displayed on the remote computer in real time.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein configuration of the data monitor is changed responsive to a user command transmitted from the remote computer via the user interface.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the monitored data is closed captioning data.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the monitored data is interactive television data.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the data monitor correlates the monitored data into a report.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more video signals are analog video signals.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more video signals are digital video signals.

19. A method for remotely monitoring data embedded in a digital video stream, the method comprising:

establishing communication between a remote computer and an application server over a data communications network;

accessing a user interface provided to the remote computer by the application server and interfacing with a data monitor coupled to the application server, the data monitor monitoring one or more digital video streams and providing monitored data, the monitored data including data embedded in the one or more digital video streams;

transmitting the monitored data to the remote computer over the data communications network responsive to a user command transmitted via the user interface; and

displaying the monitored data on the remote computer.