Apparatus and method for selectively viewing video information

• US 5,481,296 A
• Filed: 08/06/1993
• Issued: 01/02/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Day, Paul R., Cragun, Brian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, David E.
• Application Number:
  US08/103,023
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 395/600, 348/906, 348/907, 348/460, 348/461, 348/465, 348/468, 348/6, 348/1, 348/5, 348/7, 348/552, 348/571, 348/12, 348/13, 348/335
• US Class Current: 725/136
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7844 using original textual content or text extracted from visual content or transcript of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/415 Redundant array of inexpensive disks [RAID] systems
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• 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 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8405 represented by keywords
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 : for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0882 : for the transmission of character code signals, e.g. for teletext circuits for the digital non-picture data signal H04N7/035
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0884 : for the transmission of additional display-information, e.g. menu for programme or channel selection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 : Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A television presentation and editing system uses closed captioning text to locate items of interest. A closed captioning decoder extracts a closed captioning digital text stream from a television signal. A viewer specifies one or more keywords to be used as search parameters. A digital processor executing a control program scans the closed captioning digital text stream for words or phrases matching the search parameters. The corresponding segment of the television broadcast may then be displayed, edited or saved. In one mode of operation, the television presentation system may be used to scan one or more television channels unattended, and save items which may be of interest to the viewer. In another mode of operation, the system may be used to assist editing previously stored video by quickly locating segments of interest.

Claims

1. A television presentation system, comprising:

a television signal receiver for receiving a television signal from an external source;

a closed captioning decoder for extracting from said television signal a closed captioning stream of textual data;

means for receiving from a user one or more search parameters, said search parameters representing information content of interest to the user;

means for searching said stream of textual data for occurrences of textual data matching said one or more search parameters;

means for identifying one or more segments of said television signal, each said segment corresponding to an occurrence of said textual data matching said one or more search parameters.

2. The television presentation system of claim 1, wherein said one or more search parameters comprise one or more key words.

3. The television presentation system of claim 2, wherein said one or more search parameters comprise a plurality of key words, linked by one or more logical relationships.

4. The television presentation system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for storing said television signal; and

means for editing said stored television signal.

5. The television presentation system of claim 4, wherein said means for editing said television signal comprises means for deleting portions of said signal in the vicinity of said one or more segments corresponding to occurrences of said textual data matching said one or more search parameters.

6. The television presentation system of claim 4, wherein said means for editing said television signal comprises means for deleting portions of said signal other than said one or more segments corresponding to occurrences of said textual data matching said one or more search parameters.

7. The television presentation system of claim 1, further comprising a display for displaying a television signal, wherein said display, said television signal receiver, said closed captioning decoder, said search parameter receiving means, said searching means, and said segment identifying means are an integrated unit.

8. The television presentation system of claim 1, further comprising means, responsive to said means for identifying one or more segments, for storing said one or more segments of said television signal corresponding to occurrences of said textual data matching said one or more search parameters.

9. A method for identifying television data of interest, comprising the steps of:

specifying one or more search parameters for identifying television data of interest, said search parameters representing information content of interest;

receiving a television signal;

decoding a closed captioning portion of said television signal to produce a closed captioning stream of textual data;

searching said closed captioning stream of textual data for data which matches said one or more search parameters;

identifying one or more segments of said television signal, each said segment corresponding to an occurrence of said closed captioning stream of textual data matching said one or more search parameters.

10. The method for identifying television data of interest of claim 9, wherein said one or more search parameters comprise one or more key words.

11. The method for identifying television data of interest of claim 10, wherein said one or more search parameters comprise a plurality of key words, linked by one or more logical relationships.