SYNCHRONIZING BROADCAST CONTENT WITH CORRESPONDING NETWORK CONTENT

• US 20130297727A1
• Filed: 03/20/2013
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Levy, Kenneth L.
• Application Number:
  US13/847,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20130297727A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

This disclosure describes methods and systems for synchronizing broadcast and network content, such as web content. It also describes related technology for facilitating linking from broadcast content to related information and e-commerce on a network. One method detailed in this disclosure synchronizes broadcast content with dynamic network content at a network address. This method embeds an identifier in a broadcast, extracts the identifier embedded in broadcast content, and uses the identifier to identify corresponding network content. The method then posts the corresponding network content on a network device located at the network address (e.g., a web page at the URL of the broadcaster). The network device (e.g., web server) is responsive to requests sent to the network address to provide the network content over a network. Using this method, the broadcast content is synchronized with the corresponding network content. This approach enables the content at the broadcaster'"'"'s fixed web site URL to change dynamically with the broadcast. This approach is transparent to the user, who simply visits the same URL to get more information about current programming or purchase a product currently advertised in current programming.

Claims

1. A method of preparing associations between a content program and associated information, the method comprising:

automatically recognizing content within the content program;

associating auxiliary content with the recognized content; and

staging the auxiliary content for delivery to a user'"'"'s mobile device during the content program.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the delivery comprises delivery of the auxiliary content to a user'"'"'s mobile device, wherein content identifying information is received from the user'"'"'s mobile device to enable synchronization to a location within the content program.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the synchronization uses digital watermark detection.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the synchronization uses content fingerprinting.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically recognizing content within the content program comprises machine recognition of a voice.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically recognizing content within the content program comprises machine recognition of an object in the content program.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically recognizing content within the content program comprises machine recognition of a face in the content program.