Method and system for interactively capturing organizing and presenting information generated from television programs to viewers

• US 6,564,383 B1
• Filed: 04/14/1997
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Combs, James Lee, Vetter, William Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Koenig, Andrew Y.
• Application Number:
  US08/843,202
• Time in Patent Office: 2,220 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.716, H04/N.710, H04/N.725, H04/N.700, H04/N 1.100, H04/N.900, 725/20, 725/32, 725/53, 725/136, 348/465
• US Class Current: 725/136
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• 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 21/44008 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 21/4532 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 21/45452 applied to an object-based stream, e.g. MPEG-4 streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A method and system is provided for capturing, organizing, and presenting information generated from a television program. The method monitors closed caption data of television programs for transition symbols and user defined search parameters and scheduling information. Information relating to captured television programs is entered into a capture management database for assembly into an interactive results file. The interactive results file allows a user to browse, view and navigate the captured television program information.

Claims

1. A method for capturing, organizing, and presenting information generated from a television program comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a multimedia computer system;

(b) inputting a broadcast television signal into the multimedia computer system;

(c) generating closed caption data from the broadcast television signal;

(d) storing digital video generated from the broadcast television signal;

(d) monitoring the closed caption data for a specified condition;

(e) generating a snap-shot image of the digital video;

(f) storing a portion of the closed caption data;

(g) monitoring the closed caption data for transition indications;

(h) generating an interactive list comprising the snap-shot image and the stored closed caption text; and

(i) generating a file comprising the interactive list.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of generating an email message.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of linking the stored closed caption text to the stored digital video.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying the interactive list on a display device.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of playing the digital video responsive to a selection of the displayed closed caption text in the displayed interactive list.

6. A multimedia computer system for capturing, organizing, and presenting information derived from a television signal comprising:

(a) CPU;

(b) a storage device for storing digital data;

(c) a display device for displaying multimedia information;

(d) a video tuner for receiving one or more television signals and for generating digital video and audio and closed caption data;

(e) logic for capturing, organizing, and generating information from a television signal comprising;

(1) logic for storing the digital video and audio to the storage device;

(2) logic for monitoring the closed caption data for a transition indication;

(3) logic for storing the closed caption data corresponding to a portion of the closed caption data occurring after the transition indication;

(4) logic for determining whether the closed caption data includes a specified condition;

(5) logic for generating an interactive list comprising the portion of the closed caption data wherein the portion of the closed caption data is linked to the digital video and audio data; and

(6) logic for playing the digital video and audio responsive to the selection of a linked portion of closed caption data.

7. The multimedia computer system of claim 6 wherein the logic for capturing, organizing, and generating information from a television signal further comprises logic for generating a snap-shot image of the digital video at a predetermined time period following an occurrence of a transition indication.

8. The multimedia computer system of claim 7 wherein the logic for capturing, organizing, and generating information from a television signal further includes logic for associating the digital video and audio, the portion of the closed caption data, and the snap-shot in the interactive list.

9. The multimedia computer system of claim 6 wherein the logic for capturing, organizing, and generating information from a television signal further comprises logic for generating one or more email messages upon the determination that the closed caption data includes a specified condition.

10. The multimedia computer system of claim 6 wherein the specified condition comprises the occurrence of at least one key word.

11. The multimedia computer system of claim 6 wherein the interactive list comprises a HTML program.

12. The multimedia commuter system of claim 6 wherein the portion of closed caption data comprises the first sentence occurring after a transition indication.

13. A method for capturing, organizing, and presenting information generated from a television program comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a multimedia computer system;

(b) inputting a broadcast television signal into the multimedia computer system;

(c) generating digital video and closed caption data from the broadcast television signal;

(d) monitoring the closed caption data for transition indications;

(e) after the occurrence of a transition indication, storing the digital video to a storage device;

(f) after the occurrence of a transition indication, storing all closed caption data between the transition indication and a predetermined ending condition represented by a period character symbol;

(g) after a predetermined time period following the occurrence of a transition indication, generating a snapshot image of the video; and

(h) after the occurrence of a transition indication, monitoring the closed caption data for a specified condition.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of associating the stored digital video, the snap-shot image of the video, and the stored closed caption data with each other.

15. A method for capturing, organizing, and presenting information generated from a television program comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a multimedia computer system;

(b) inputting a broadcast television signal into the multimedia computer system;

(c) generating digital video and closed caption data from the broadcast television signal;

(d) monitoring the closed caption data for transition indications;

(e) after the occurrence of a transition indication, storing the digital video to a storage device;

(f) after the occurrence of a transition indication, storing the closed caption data comprising a portion of text;

(g) after a predetermined time period following the occurrence of a transition indication, generating a snapshot image of the video;

(h) after the occurrence of a transition indication, monitoring the closed caption data for a specified condition;

(i) generating an interactive list comprising the snap-shot image and the stored closed caption text; and

(j) generating a file comprising the interactive list.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of executing the file to display the interactive list on a display device.