CONTENT RECEIVER SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING SUPPLEMENTAL CONTENT IN TRANSLATED AND/OR AUDIO FORM

• US 20140053223A1
• Filed: 04/27/2011
• Published: 02/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EchoStar Ukraine LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EchoStar Ukraine LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Yegorov, Oleksandr, Vorobyov, Oleg
• Granted Patent: US 9,826,270 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234336 by media transcoding, e.g. video is transformed into a slideshow of still pictures or audio is converted into text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2355 involving reformatting operations of additional data, e.g. HTML pages optimising the visualization of content for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/9577; tracking of instant messages H04L51/234; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4856 for language selection, e.g. for the menu or subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program

Abstract

Systems and methods utilize a content receiver to provide supplemental content, such as news content, personal content and advertising content, to a user. Received data is formatted as supplemental content by the content receiver based on user preference information stored therein, and the formatted supplemental content is transmitted to a content display device. The supplemental content is provided to the user in addition or as an alternative to video content, and may replace or supplement closed captioning content. The supplemental content may be translated into another language and/or converted into audio signals utilizing the content receiver. Systems and methods also utilize a content receiver to translate data such as text data into another language. Text data may, in addition or alternatively, be converted into audio signals utilizing the content receiver.

Claims

1. A method for providing supplemental content utilizing a content receiver, the method comprising:

receiving supplemental data at the content receiver, the supplemental data selected from the group consisting of text data, data translated from one human language to another, and data converted from text data to audio signals, the supplemental data received in addition to streaming content comprised of video content, audio content and metadata content, and the supplemental data is to be one of displayed on a content display device in addition to video content, displayed on the content display device as an alternative to video content, transmitted as audio signals in addition to the audio content and transmitted as audio signals as an alternative to audio content;

formatting the supplemental data as supplemental content based on user preference information stored as metadata in the content receiver; and

transmitting the supplemental content to the content display device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental data is parsed from the video content utilizing the content receiver.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising utilizing the content receiver to retrieve updated supplemental data corresponding to the parsed data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental data is displayed simultaneously with the video content based on the user preference information stored as metadata.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental data is received at the content receiver based on user selection data stored as metadata in the content receiver.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the received supplemental data comprises a process identifier for transmitting the supplemental content to the content display device upon selection of a channel associated with the process identifier.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the process identifier comprises identification information unique to the supplemental data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving additional supplemental data at the content receiver;

and utilizing the content receiver to format the additional supplemental data as supplemental content based on information from a content provider.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing the content receiver to retrieve updated data corresponding to the received supplemental data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the data is received in a first human language; and

the operation of formatting comprises utilizing the content receiver to translate the data into a second human language different from the first human language.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the operation of formatting comprises utilizing the content receiver to convert the translated data into audio signals; and

the operation of transmitting comprises utilizing the content receiver to transmit the audio signals.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the operation of formatting comprises utilizing the content receiver to convert the supplemental content into audio signals, and transmitting comprises utilizing the content receiver to transmit the audio signals.

9. The method of claim wherein the additional supplemental content is transmitted to the content display device;

and the additional supplemental content is displayed at a separate position on the content display device in relation to the supplemental content formatted based on the user preference information.

14. A method for providing translated data utilizing a content receiver, the method comprising:

receiving data corresponding to at least one human language at the content receiver;

utilizing the content receiver to translate the data to a format corresponding to a second human language different from the at least one human language, wherein the data is translated based on user preference information stored within the content receiver; and

transmitting the translated data to a content display device for visual display.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the content receiver executes instructions for requesting and retrieving translated data from an external source.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising utilizing the content receiver to convert the translated data into audio signals and transmitting the audio signals to an audio source configured to provide audibly perceptible sound signals.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising utilizing the content receiver to retrieve updated data corresponding to the translated data.

18. A method for providing audio signals utilizing a content receiver, the method comprising:

receiving text data at the content receiver, wherein the text data comprises extended header information;

utilizing the content receiver to convert the text data into audio signals based on the extended header information; and

transmitting the audio signals to an audio source configured to provide audibly perceptible sound signals.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising utilizing the content receiver to transmit the text data to a content display device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising utilizing the content receiver to synchronize the audio signals and the text data prior to transmission to the audio source and the content display device.