System and method for integration and synchronization of interactive content with television content

• US 20050138674A1
• Filed: 12/15/2004
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Quadrock Communications, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quadrock Communications, Inc.
• Inventors: Brown, Kevin W., Langford, James B. Jr., Protus, Richard J., Harrell, James R., Haynie, Paul D., Howard, Daniel H.
• Application Number:
  US11/013,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20050138674A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/136
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43074 of additional data with content streams on the same device, e.g. of EPG data or interactive icon with a TV program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A system and method for integration and synchronization of interactive content with television programming uses existing analog or digital television programming that is entirely devoid of interactive content, or can integrate legacy interactive content with fully interactive content to provide a complete interactive experience to television viewers of current and future television programming that is synchronized to the original television content.

Claims

1. A system and method for synchronization and integration of customized interactive content with analog or digital television programming comprising:

.

analysis and encoding of television programming to support integration and synchronization of local and remote interactive content,

encoding and digital storage of television programming to support time-shifting and user controlled playback while maintaining synchronization with local and remote interactive content.

2. The system of claim 1, using a either analog television programming sources, digital television programming sources, live television programming sources, television content delivered via packet switched networks, or recorded television programming sources

3. The system of claim 1, using either over-the-air delivery of analog television programming, over-the-air delivery of digital television programming, cable delivery of analog television programming, cable delivery of digital television programming, satellite delivery of digital television programming, or packet switched network delivery of digital television programming, or any combination thereof.

4. The system of claim 1, using the VBI data stream for program segmentation and time stamp generation.

5. The system of claim 1, using an electronic program guide and current date and time for program segmentation and time stamp generation.

6. The system of claim 1, using the VBI data stream and an electronic program guide for program segmentation and time stamp generation.

7. The system of claim 1, using audio attributes of the television program for segmentation and time stamp generation.

8. The system of claim 1, using video attributes of the television program for segmentation and time stamp generation.

9. The system of claim 1, using audio and/or video attributes of the television program for segmentation and time stamp generation.

10. The system of claim 1, using digital video data items contained within the television program for segmentation and time stamp generation.

11. The system of claim 1, using audio and/or video attributes of the television program and/or digital video data items contained within the television program for segmentation and time stamp generation.

12. The system of claim 1, using a combination of the VBI data stream, an electronic program guide, audio and video attributes of the television program, and digital video data items contained within the program for program segmentation and time stamp generation.

13. The system of claim 1, where interactive content is generated and stored locally.

14. The system of claim 1, where interactive content is received from a remote system via a packet switched network.

15. The system of claim 1, where interactive content is provided via a combination of locally generated and stored content and content received from a remote system via a packet switched network.

16. The system of claim 1, where playback of interactive content is closely synchronized with the television program display.

17. The system of claim 1, where the playback of interactive content is loosely synchronized with the television program display.

18. The system of claim 1, where the playback of interactive content is asynchronous and independent from the television program display.

19. The system of claim 1, where playback of interactive content is provided by a combination of content that is closely synchronized with the television program display, content that is loosely synchronized with the television program display, and content that is asynchronous and independent of the television program display.

20. The system of claim 1, using a combination of the VBI data stream, an electronic program guide, audio and video attributes of the television program, and digital video data items contained within the program for program segmentation and time stamp generation, and further wherein interactive content is provided via a combination of locally generated and stored content and content received from a remote system via a packet switched network, and further wherein playback of interactive content is provided by a combination of content that is closely synchronized with the television program display, content that is loosely synchronized with the television program display, and content that is asynchronous and independent of the television program display.