Systems and methods for controlling and managing programming content and portions thereof

• US 20040250272A1
• Filed: 12/29/2000
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Durden, George A., Swix, Scott R., Stefanik, John R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,380,258 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/25
• 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 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• 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 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• 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 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

This document discloses systems and methods for enabling viewers to control and manage the presentation of programs based on specified types of rating categories and content attributes that the viewer desires not to be presented. The invention provides program data corresponding to each program. The data contains (1) time-varying information related to the content of discrete portions of the television program and, optionally, (2) corresponding data controlling the presentation of that content. By way of example, the program data includes rating and content attribute values as well as control data indicating to which media component the value applies or instructions corresponding to the ways in which each portion of the program may be disabled, modified, replaced, and/or edited. A set top box or other configured consumer electronics device combines the program data with data input by the user concerning the programming the user desires to disable and the methods therefor. Based on the program data and the viewer'"'"'s presentation profile, the consumer electronic device controls whether and/or how each applicable portion or component of programming is presented to the viewer.

Claims

1. A system for controlling and managing presentation to viewers of television, cable, satellite, Internet, broadcast or other programming content, the system comprising:

a. a receiver adapted to receive a signal corresponding to a program and data associated with at least a first portion of the program, the data comprising (1) content data, (2) control data, or (3) both;

b. a viewer interface adapted to receive information related to program presentation preferences of a viewer; and

c. a processor adapted (1) to modify the content of at least the first portion of the program based on the data and program presentation preferences and (2) to output the modified first portion for presentation on a display device with the remainder of the program.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further adapted to modify the first portion by blocking an audio, video or text component of the program.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further adapted to delete the first portion.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further adapted to substitute alternate programming for at least the first portion.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the signal carries the alternate programming via a channel comprising programming having audio, video or both audio and video components.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the viewer interface comprises an applet adapted to run on a consumer electronic device coupled to or incorporating the processor, wherein the applet causes the display device to show the viewer interface by which the user inputs presentation preferences.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the viewer interface comprises a wireless remote control device that communicates with the processor and a memory associated with the processor.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the processor is adapted to replace the first portion with alternate programming.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising an external device, adapted to communicate with the processor, the external device selected from the group consisting of a memory, a DVR, a VCR, an Internet browser, a tuner for tuning within the signal to a second channel having an alternative audio or video component.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a transmission facility for formatting the programming, wherein the transmission facility comprises:

a program server for providing programming content and a data server for providing

     1) content,

     2) control data or

     3) both content and control data associated with multiple discrete portions of the programming content.

11. A method for controlling and managing presentation of programs and portions thereof, comprising:

a. receiving a program;

b. receiving data associated with the program, wherein the data comprises (1) content data, (2) control data, or (3) both content and control data;

c. receiving information related to the program presentation preferences of a program viewer;

d. modifying the content of at least a portion of the program based on

     1) the data associated with the program and

     2) the program presentation preferences of the program viewer; and

e. displaying the modified content.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein modifying the content comprises blocking the portion of the program.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein modifying the content comprises blocking either an audio or video component of the portion of the program.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising replacing (1) the at least a portion of the program and (2) a second portion of the program with alternate programming.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the alternate programming comprises an alternate audio or video track contained on a separate channel.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising displaying indicia to viewers to indicate (a) whether the portion of the programming will be modified or (b) each portion of the programming that has been modified.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein, before modifying the content, the method determines whether the portion to be modified exceeds a selected threshold percentage of the program.

18. A method of formulating programming and data describing the programming for delivery to viewers over a communications network, the method comprising:

a. receiving a program;

b. associating with each of multiple, discrete segments of the program a data record comprising (1) content data, (2) control data, or (3) both content and control data; and

c. delivering the program and the data record either (1) to a transmission facility for forwarding to viewers over the communications network or (2) directly to a consumer electric device associated with a display for showing programming to the viewer.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the content data comprises information related to (1) a rating category, (2) a content attribute, or (3) both a rating category and content attribute.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the content data further comprises information related to a predefined level of the content attribute.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the control data comprises information indicating whether the content data applies to an audio, video, or text component of each segment of the portions of the program.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the control data comprises control signals by which at least one component of one segment may be modified based on the content data.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the control signals are selected from the group consisting of (1) block video, (2) block audio, (3) block video and audio, (4) block only an area of the video, (5) substitute local audio, (6) substitute local video, (7) substitute alternative audio stream, (8) substitute from alternative video channel, (9) substitute alternative video and audio channel, (10) delete, and (11) substitute alternative programming from external device.

24. A method for providing dynamic user control over programming delivered via a cable, broadcast, telecommunications, packet-switched or other network to a user'"'"'s home that is equipped with a consumer electronics device for at least displaying the programming content, the method comprising:

a) providing the consumer electronic device with data synchronized to the programming, wherein the data at least comprises varying content data;

b) inputting the user'"'"'s control settings that describe the type of programming the user desires to modify; and

c) modifying the programming according to the user'"'"'s control settings and displaying the modified programming to the user.

25. The method of claim 24 in which the modifying step is performed by using a DVR device dynamically to store and edit the programming in order to seamlessly display the modified programming to the user.

26. The method of claim 24 in which the content data is delivered to the user'"'"'s consumer electronic device via the signal that carries Electronic Program Guide data.

27. The method of claim 24 further comprising the step of determining whether to display a particular program by comparing all content data associated with the particular program to the user'"'"'s control settings and a preset threshold.

28. The method of claim 27 in which the comparing step further comprises the step of determining the amount of the particular program to be blocked and comparing that amount to a preset threshold.