Broadcast content screening system and method

• US 20050229202A1
• Filed: 04/08/2004
• Published: 10/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Berstis, Viktors
• Granted Patent: US 7,500,257 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/13
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/14 for monitoring programmes
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/16 on playing information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/372 Programme
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/375 Commercial
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/42 for identifying broadcast areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43622 Interfacing an external recording device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• 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 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

The present invention provides a system for screening broadcast programming. A viewer is configured to receive broadcast programming, to receive commands from a user, to receive commands from an interface coupled to the viewer, to present the received broadcast programming to the user based on commands from the user, and to present the received broadcast programming to the user based on commands from the interface. A processor is coupled to the interface and configured to receive a screening signal, to receive user input from the interface, to store the received user input, to generate a local action signal based on the user input and the received screening signal, and to transmit the local action signal to the interface. The interface is configured to receive the local action signal, to transmit commands to the viewer based on the local action signal, and to receive user input from the user, the user input comprising at least an action preference.

Claims

1. A system for screening broadcast programming, comprising:

a viewer configured to receive broadcast programming, to receive commands from a user, to receive commands from an interface coupled to the viewer, to present the received broadcast programming to the user based on commands from the user, and to present the received broadcast programming to the user based on commands from the interface;

a processor coupled to the interface and configured to receive a screening signal, to receive user input from the interface, to store the received user input, to generate a local action signal based on the user input and the received screening signal, and to transmit the local action signal to the interface; and

the interface configured to receive the local action signal, to transmit commands to the viewer based on the local action signal, and to receive user input from the user, the user input comprising at least an action preference.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a broadcast recorder coupled to the interface and configured to receive broadcast programming, to store the received broadcast programming, to transmit the stored broadcast programming to the viewer, to receive commands from the user, and to receive commands from the interface.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the broadcast recorder is further configured to modify the stored broadcast programming based on commands from the interface.

4. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the broadcast recorder is further configured to transmit the stored broadcast programming to the viewer based on commands from the interface.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the screening signal is a real-time screening signal (RTSS).

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the screening signal is a precision screening signal (PSS).

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the viewer is configured to present audio broadcast programming to the user.

8. A system for screening broadcast programming, comprising:

a viewer configured to receive broadcast programming, to receive commands from a user, to receive commands from an interface coupled to the viewer, to present the received broadcast programming to the user based on commands from the user, and to present the received broadcast programming to the user based on commands from the interface; and

the interface configured to receive a screening signal, to receive user input from the user, the user input comprising at least an action preference, to store the received user input, and to transmit commands to the viewer based on the user input and the received screening signal.

9. A system for screening broadcast programming, comprising:

a processor coupled to an interface and configured to receive a screening signal, to receive user input from the interface, to store the received user input, to generate a local action signal based on the user input and the received screening signal, and to transmit the local action signal to the interface; and

the interface configured to receive the local action signal, to transmit the local action signal, and to receive user input from the user, the user input comprising at least an action preference.

10. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein:

the processor is further configured to transmit the screening signal to the interface; and

the interface is further configured to receive the screening signal and to transmit the screening signal.

11. A computer program product for screening broadcast programming, the computer program product having a medium with a computer program embodied thereon, the computer program comprising:

computer program code for receiving a screening signal;

computer program code for receiving user input from a user, the user input comprising at least an action preference;

computer program code for storing the received user input; and

computer program code for generating a local action signal based on the user input and the received screening signal.

12. The computer program product as recited in claim 11, further comprising computer program code for receiving broadcast programming.

13. The computer program product as recited in claim 12, further comprising computer program code for presenting broadcast programming to a user.

14. The computer program product as recited in claim 12, further comprising computer program code for storing received broadcast programming.

15. The computer program product as recited in claim 14, further comprising computer program code for presenting stored broadcast programming to a user.

16. The computer program product as recited in claim 14, further comprising computer program code for presenting stored broadcast programming to a user based on the user input and the received screening signal.

17. The computer program product as recited in claim 14, further comprising computer program code for presenting stored broadcast programming to a user based on the local action signal.

18. The computer program product as recited in claim 14, further comprising computer program code for modifying stored broadcast programming based on the user input and the received screening signal.

19. The computer program product as recited in claim 14, further comprising computer program code for modifying stored broadcast programming based on the local action signal.

20. The computer program product as recited in claim 12, wherein the broadcast programming is audio broadcast programming.

21. A method for screening broadcast programming, comprising:

receiving a screening signal, the screening signal associated with a broadcast programming, the broadcast programming comprising at least a content of interest (COI) segment;

receiving user input from a user, the user input comprising at least a COI segment type; and

generating a local action signal based on the screening signal and the user input.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the user input further comprises at least an action preference.

23. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising receiving broadcast programming.

24. The method as recited in claim 23, further comprising presenting broadcast programming to a user.

25. The method as recited in claim 23, further comprising storing broadcast programming.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, further comprising presenting stored broadcast programming to a user.

27. The method as recited in claim 26, further comprising presenting stored broadcast programming to a user based on the local action signal.

28. The method as recited in claim 25, further comprising modifying stored broadcast programming based on the local action signal.

29. The method as recited in claim 23, further comprising presenting broadcast programming to a user based on the local action signal.

30. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

receiving broadcast programming; and

presenting broadcast programming to a user based on the local action signal.

31. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

receiving broadcast programming;

storing received broadcast programming; and

modifying stored broadcast programming based on the local action signal.

32. The method as recited in claim 31, further comprising presenting modified stored broadcast programming to a user.

33. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

receiving broadcast programming;

storing received broadcast programming; and

presenting stored broadcast programming to a user based on the local action signal.