In-Band Data Recognition And Synchronization System

• US 20100033624A1
• Filed: 10/01/2009
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Kevin P., Stevens, Paul, Feder, Adam, Barton, James M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,146,130 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/461
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/31 using in-band signals, e.g. subsonic or cue signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/236 Assembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. transport stream, by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, e.g. inserting a URL [Uniform Resource Locator] into a video stream, multiplexing software data into a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, e.g. to obtain a constant bit-rate; Assembling of a packetised elementary stream multiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• 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 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• 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 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• 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 21/8456 : by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 : using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A method and apparatus for recognizing and synchronizing to in-band data at a multimedia device is provided. A content stream includes in-band data. The in-band data is processed and in-band data pattern data associated with the content stream are created. Metadata are attached to the event identification data. The event identification data are provided to multimedia devices which receive broadcasted multimedia content streams containing video programs with in-band data. The in-band data are processed and compared to the event identification data. If a match occurs, the multimedia device uses the metadata to perform specified actions.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

a server processing multimedia program content comprising in-band data;

wherein processing the multimedia program content comprises creating event identification data from the in-band data by;

generating hash value sequence data associated with one or more time offsets in the in-band data; and

generating information specifying one or more events that are to be performed by a multimedia device at the one or more time offsets when displaying the multimedia program content to a user;

sending the event identification data to a multimedia device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the hash value sequence comprises a first hash value associated with a first video frame, and a second hash value associated with a second video frame.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the hash value sequence comprises a first hash value associated with a first time offset, a second hash value associated with a second time offset, and a time period between the first time offset and the second time offset.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the multimedia device processes the in-band data to identify the hash value sequence and responsive to identifying the hash value sequence, performs the one or more events.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein creating the event identification data further comprises one or more of:

generating a first hash value sequence data associated with an ending of a first part of the video program;

generating a second hash value sequence data associated with a beginning of a second part of the video program.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the hash value sequence data is generated from closed caption data associated with the video program.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the hash value sequence data is generated from the closed caption data using a hash function that creates a standardized hash value from varying sizes of text.

8. A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors perform:

a server processing multimedia program content comprising in-band data;

wherein processing the multimedia program content comprises creating event identification data from the in-band data by;

generating hash value sequence data associated with one or more time offsets in the in-band data; and

generating information specifying one or more events that are to be performed by a multimedia device at the one or more time offsets when displaying the multimedia program content to a user;

sending the event identification data to a multimedia device.

9. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the hash value sequence comprises a first hash value associated with a first video frame, and a second hash value associated with a second video frame.

10. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the hash value sequence comprises a first hash value associated with a first time offset, a second hash value associated with a second time offset, and a time period between the first time offset and the second time offset.

11. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the multimedia device processes the in-band data to identify the hash value sequence and responsive to identifying the hash value sequence, performs the one or more events.

12. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein creating the event identification data further comprises one or more of:

generating a first hash value sequence data associated with an ending of a first part of the video program;

generating a second hash value sequence data associated with a beginning of a second part of the video program.

13. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the hash value sequence data is generated from closed caption data associated with the video program.

14. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the hash value sequence data is generated from the closed caption data using a hash function that creates a standardized hash value from varying sizes of text.

15. A server comprising:

one or more processors;

a module for processing multimedia program content comprising in-band data;

wherein processing the multimedia program content comprises creating event identification data from the in-band data by;

generating hash value sequence data associated with one or more time offsets in the in-band data; and

generating information specifying one or more events that are to be performed by a multimedia device at the one or more time offsets when displaying the multimedia program content to a user;

a module for sending the event identification data to a multimedia device.

16. The server as recited in claim 15, wherein the hash value sequence comprises a first hash value associated with a first video frame, and a second hash value associated with a second video frame.

17. The server as recited in claim 15, wherein the hash value sequence comprises a first hash value associated with a first time offset, a second hash value associated with a second time offset, and a time period between the first time offset and the second time offset.

18. The server as recited in claim 15, wherein the multimedia device processes the in-band data to identify the hash value sequence and responsive to identifying the hash value sequence, performs the one or more events.

19. The server as recited in claim 15, wherein creating the event identification data further comprises one or more of:

generating a first hash value sequence data associated with an ending of a first part of the video program;

generating a second hash value sequence data associated with a beginning of a second part of the video program.

20. The server as recited in claim 15, wherein the hash value sequence data is generated from closed caption data associated with the video program.

21. The server as recited in claim 20, wherein the hash value sequence data is generated from the closed caption data using a hash function which creates a standardized hash value from varying sizes of text.