Broadcast-program viewing method and system to allow customized viewing based on user input

• US 6,314,568 B1
• Filed: 01/06/1999
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Ochiai, Katsuhiro, Matoba, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US09/226,763
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 348/1, 348/7, 348/10, 455/4.2, 345/327, 345/328, 709/219, 725/9, 725/25, 725/32, 725/35, 725/34, 725/37, 725/51, 725/59, 725/100, 725/38, 725/109, 725/46, 725/61
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/07 characterised by processes or methods for the generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/94 Telephonic networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/84
• 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 21/4532 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• 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 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence

Abstract

A broadcast-program viewing method is provided, which is capable of optionally viewing broadcast programs transmitted by a broadcasting station according to a viewer'"'"'s taste or desire. In the step (a), original broadcast programs transmitted by a broadcasting station are received and stored onto an information storage medium capable of random access. Each of the received original broadcast programs contains items having attribute information. In the step (b), the attribute information for the items of the received original broadcast programs is acquired and stored onto the information storage medium. In the step (c), viewer'"'"'s information is specified according to a viewer'"'"'s taste or desire. In the step (d), the attribute information for the items of the received original broadcast programs and the specified viewer'"'"'s information are compared to designate at least one desired item in the items of the received original broadcast programs having a desired relationship with the inputted viewer'"'"'s information. In the step (e), the at least one desired item in the items of the received original broadcast programs are reproduced according to the specified viewer'"'"'s information as a viewer'"'"'s program.

Claims

1. A method of viewing broadcast programs transmitted by a broadcasting station, the programs being comprised of a plurality of separate program items broadcast in a time sequence, the method comprising:

storing the broadcast programs in a random access information storage medium;

receiving transmitted attribute information characterizing the respective program items and storing the received attribute information in the information storage medium;

generating and storing a body of viewer preference information;

comparing the program item attribute information and the stored viewer preference information to identify one or more program items having a desired relationship with the viewer preference information; and

reproducing the individual identified program items for viewing from the information storage medium

wherein the time sequence of the program items is rearranged according to viewer preference information.

2. A method of viewing broadcast programs transmitted by a broadcasting station, the programs being comprised of a plurality of separate program items, the method comprising:

storing the broadcast programs in a random access information storage medium;

receiving transmitted attribute information characterizing the respective program items and storing the received attribute information in the information storage medium;

generating and storing a body of viewer preference information;

comparing the program item attribute information and the stored viewer preference information to identify one or more program items having a desired relationship with the viewer preference information; and

reproducing the individual identified program items for viewing from the information storage medium,

wherein the program attribute information is transmitted from a different broadcasting station from the broadcasting station transmitting the broadcast programs.

3. A system for viewing broadcast programs, the programs being comprised of separate program items broadcast in a time sequence, the viewing system comprising:

an information storage subsystem including a random access storage medium

a first information processing sub-system which is operative to store broadcast programs transmitted by a broadcasting station in the random access storage medium;

a program attribute sub-system which is operative to store transmitted attribute information concerning the respective program items;

an input subsystem which allows a viewer to input preference information;

a controller for controlling the information storage subsystem and the program attribute sub-system to compare the program item attribute information and the inputted viewer preference information and to identify one or more program item having a desired relationship with the inputted viewer preference information; and

an output sub-system which reproduces the individual identified program items for viewing from the random access storage medium,

wherein the controller is operative to rearrange the time sequence of the program items according to the viewer preference information.

4. A system for viewing broadcast programs, the programs being comprised of separate program items, the viewing system comprising:

an information storage subsystem including a random access storage medium

a first information processing sub-system which is operative to store broadcast programs transmitted by a broadcasting station in the random access storage medium;

a program attribute sub-system which is operative to store transmitted attribute information concerning the respective program items;

an input subsystem which allows a viewer to input preference information;

a controller for controlling the information storage subsystem and the program attribute sub-system to compare the program item attribute information and the inputted viewer preference information and to identify one or more program item having a desired relationship with the inputted viewer preference information; and

an output sub-system which reproduces the individual identified program items for viewing from the random access storage medium,

wherein the program attribute sub-system receives the program item information from a different broadcasting station from the broadcasting station transmitting the broadcast programs.

5. A method of editing information programs transmitted by broadcasters comprising:

receiving transmitted programs, each program being comprised of a series of separate program items which collectively constitute a coherent program presentable as transmitted without editing

storing the transmitted programs in a random access information storage medium;

receiving transmitted attribute information characterizing the respective program items

storing the transmitted attribute information in the information storage medium;

generating and storing a body of viewer preference information;

comparing the program item attribute information and the stored viewer preference information to identify one or more program items having a desired relationship with the viewer preference information; and

reproducing the individual identified program items for viewing from the information storage medium.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the attribute information is transmitted by different paths from the transmitted programs.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the program attribute information is received on demand over a communication network connected to a communication receiver.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the program attribute information is received from the broadcasting waves conveying the transmitted programs.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein attribute information is received from the broadcasters along with the transmitted programs.

10. The method as claimed in claim 5, further including reproducing for presentation a digest of at least one transmitted program.

11. The method as claimed in claim 5, further including:

editing at least two separate transmitted programs; and

reproducing at least one program item from each of the edited programs for presentation.

12. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the program items are transmitted in a time sequence, and further including:

rearranging the time sequence of the programs items of at least one of the transmitted programs; and

reproducing the program items for presentation in the rearranged time sequence.

13. A system for editing information programs transmitted by broadcasters, the system comprising:

a receiver for transmitted programs, each program being comprised of series of separate program items which collectively constitute a coherent program presentable as transmitted without editing;

an information storage subsystem including a random access storage medium coupled to the receiver;

a first information processing sub-system which is operative to store the transmitted program in the random access storage medium;

a program attribute sub-system which is operative to receive transmitted attribute information concerning the respective program items;

an input subsystem which allows a user to input preference information;

a controller for controlling the information storage subsystem and the program attribute sub-system to compare the program item attribute information and the inputted user preference information and to identify up to all of the program items as having a desired relationship with the inputted preference information; and

an output sub-system which reproduces the identified program items for presentation from the random access storage medium.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the program attribute sub-system is operative to receive the attribute information over a different path from the corresponding transmitted program.

15. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the program attribute sub-system is operative to receive the program attribute information on demand over a communication network.

16. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the program attribute sub-system is operative to receive the program item attribute information by processing the broadcasting waves conveying the transmitted programs.

17. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the program attribute sub-system receives the program item attribute information from a broadcaster along with a transmitted program.

18. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the output sub-system is operative to reproduce for presentation a digest of at least one transmitted program.

19. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the controller is operative to control the information storage subsystem and the program attribute sub-system to compare the inputted user preference information with program item attribute information for at least two separate transmitted programs and to identify up to all of the program items as having a desired relationship with the inputted preference information.

20. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the program items are transmitted in a time sequence, and wherein the controller is operative to rearrange the time sequence of the program items of at least one transmitted program;

and

the output subsystem is operative to reproduce the program items for presentation in the rearranged time sequence.