Method for formulating, delivering and managing data concerning programming content and portions thereof

• US 20040261099A1
• Filed: 12/29/2000
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• 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.
• Application Number:
  US09/751,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20040261099A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• 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 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 method for formulating and delivering data for use in controlling the presentation of a program and portions thereof, the method comprising:

a. formulating frames of program data and associating each frame with a discrete portion of the program, wherein the program data comprises (1) content data, (2) control data, or (3) both content and control data;

b. delivering the program data to a transmission facility;

c. distributing the program data to viewers.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the content data describes attributes of the discrete portion of program to which the content data is associated.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of distributing alternate scenes for use in the program.

4. The method of claim 3 in which the alternate scenes comprise an alternate audio track and alternate video track.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising replacing a first discrete portion of the program with alternate programming when the attribute associated with the first discrete potion exceeds a default threshold.

6. The method of claim 4 in which the alternate scenes are selected by viewers.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising displaying indicia to viewers to indicate when a discrete portion of the program has been modified to display an alternate scene.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising displaying to a selected viewer an indication that the alternate scene was chosen by the selected viewer.

9. The method of claim 1 in which the distribution of the program data occurs by embedding the program data in the channel carrying an Electronic Programming Guide.

10. The method of claim 1 in which the program includes at least one targeted advertisement and the content data includes demographic data identifying the demographics of the viewers to whom the targeted advertisement is directed.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of collecting presentation preferences from at least one viewer, comparing the program data with the presentation preferences and presenting the program in accordance with the results of the comparison step.

12. The method of claim 11 in which the presenting step is accomplished by locally editing the program to replace a discrete portion thereof with the targeted advertisement appropriate to the demographics of the at least one viewer.

13. A method of remotely controlling presentation of a program to a viewer, the method comprising:

a. sending program data over a communications network to a consumer electronics (“

CE”

) device associated with the viewer;

b. collecting from a viewer interface the viewer'"'"'s presentation preferences; and

c. comparing the program data with the viewer'"'"'s presentation preferences and thereafter modifying the program for display to the viewer.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the program data comprises information related to (1) a rating of a portion of the program, (2) a content attribute of a portion of the program, or (3) a manner of presenting a portion of a program.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the program 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.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the control data comprises control signals by which at least one component of one segment may be modified based on the content data.

17. The method of claim 16 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.

18. The method of claim 13 in which the program data is synchronized to the program and both are delivered to the CE device.

19. The method of claim 13 in which the program data is delivered as part of the information sent in an Electronic Program Guide delivered to the viewer'"'"'s CE device.