Interactive system and method for generating metadata for programming events

• US 6,651,253 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2001
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MeeVee, Inc. (LiveUniverse, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MeeVee, Inc. (LiveUniverse, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hitt, Dale Kittrick, Dudkiewicz, Gil Gavriel
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): SALCE, JASON P
• Application Number:
  US09/991,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20020088010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 725/45, 725/46, 725/67, 725/91, 725/103, 725/114, 725/138, 725/144, 705/14
• US Class Current: 725/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/735 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4305 Synchronising client clock from received content stream, e.g. locking decoder clock with encoder clock, extraction of the PCR packets arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter by comparing receiver clock with transmitter clock H04L7/0012; arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter wherein the receiver takes measures against momentary loss of synchronisation H04L7/0083
• 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 21/4532 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 21/466 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4661 Deriving a combined profile for a plurality of end-users of the same client, e.g. for family members within a home user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4665 involving classification methods, e.g. Decision trees
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4854 for modifying image parameters, e.g. image brightness, contrast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8405 represented by keywords
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 : Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 : Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 : Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 : Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 : Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

Metadata for a programming event may be generated through an interactive process. A system may receive data corresponding to a programming event. The data may include descriptive information and timing information. The system may then generate preliminary metadata for the programming event from the received data. The system may provide the preliminary metadata to a system user, and then receive user specified metadata responsive to the preliminary metadata. The preliminary metadata may include one or more of categories of a classification hierarchy, goodness of fit scores associated with the categories, keywords, goodness of fit scores associated with the keywords, and a title. Related embodiments may pertain to a system implementing such methods. Further related embodiments may pertain to methods and systems in which a system user is enabled to approve preliminary metadata provided by the system.

Claims

1. A method for generating metadata that describes the subject matter of a video programming event, the method comprising:

receiving data corresponding to the video programming event, the data including descriptive information and timing information;

processing the received data to generate preliminary metadata describing the subject matter of the video programming event, the preliminary metadata comprising numerical goodness of fit scores associated with respective categories,

wherein the numerical goodness of fit score associated with a category represents a degree to which the category is descriptive of the subject matter of the video programming event, and

wherein the categories are arranged in a hierarchy comprising at least a set of top-level categories, respective sets of first level sub-categories each corresponding to and encompassed by a top level category, and respective sets of second level sub-categories each corresponding to and encompassed by a first level sub-category;

providing the preliminary metadata to a system user;

receiving user input specifying final metadata in response to the preliminary metadata, the final metadata comprising specified categories of the hierarchy and numerical goodness of fit scores associated with the specified categories; and

storing the final metadata for transmission to receivers of the video programming event as metadata describing the subject matter of the video programming event.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the preliminary metadata further comprises at least one of keywords, numerical goodness of fit scores associated with categories of the hierarchy for said keywords, and a title.

3. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein receiving data comprises receiving production data corresponding to a video program from a production system used to produce the video program,

wherein generating preliminary metadata comprises generating preliminary metadata for a video programming event corresponding to a segment of the video program,

wherein receiving user input comprises receiving user input specifying final metadata for the segment of the video program, and

wherein storing the final metadata comprises storing the final metadata for transmission to receivers of the video programming event as metadata describing the subject matter of the segment of the video program.

4. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the user input specifies at least one of a category that is not included in the preliminary metadata and is to be included in the final metadata, a category that is included in the preliminary metadata and is not to be included in final metadata, and a goodness of fit score to be associated with a category in the final metadata.

5. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein providing preliminary metadata comprises providing preliminary keywords, and

wherein receiving user input specifying final metadata comprises receiving input selecting keywords.

6. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein providing preliminary metadata comprises providing a preliminary title, and

wherein receiving user input specifying final metadata comprises receiving input specifying a title.

7. A programmable device for generating metadata that describes the subject matter of a video programming event, the device comprising a computer readable medium having stored therein programming instructions to perform data processing, the processing comprising:

receiving data corresponding to the video programming event, the data including descriptive information and timing information;

processing the received data to generate preliminary metadata describing the subject matter of the video programming event, the preliminary metadata comprising numerical goodness of fit scores associated with respective categories,

wherein the numerical goodness of fit score associated with a category represents a degree to which the category is descriptive of the subject matter of the video programming event, and

wherein the categories are arranged in a hierarchy comprising at least a set of top-level categories, respective sets of first level sub-categories each corresponding to and encompassed by a top level category, and respective sets of second level sub-categories each corresponding to and encompassed by a first level sub-category;

providing the preliminary metadata to a system user;

receiving user input specifying final metadata in response to the preliminary metadata, the final metadata comprising specified categories of the hierarchy and numerical goodness of fit scores associated with the specified categories; and

storing the final metadata for transmission to receivers of the video programming event as metadata describing the subject matter of the video programming event.

8. The device claimed in claim 7, wherein the preliminary metadata further comprises at least one of keywords, numerical goodness of fit scores associated with categories of the hierarchy for said keywords, and a title.

9. The device claimed in claim 7, herein receiving data comprises receiving production data corresponding to a video program from a production system used to produce the video program,

wherein generating preliminary metadata comprises generating preliminary metadata for a video programming event corresponding to a segment of the video program,

wherein receiving user input comprises receiving user input specifying final metadata for the segment of the video program, and

wherein storing the final metadata comprises storing the final metadata for transmission to receivers of the video programming event as metadata describing the subject matter of the segment of the video program.

10. The device claimed in claim 7, wherein the user input specifies at least one of a category that is not included in the preliminary metadata and is to be included in the final metadata, a category that is included in the preliminary metadata and is not to be included in final metadata, and a goodness of fit score to be associated with a category in the final metadata.

11. The device claimed in claim 7, wherein providing preliminary metadata comprises providing preliminary keywords, and

wherein receiving user input specifying final metadata comprises receiving input selecting keywords.

12. The device claimed in claim 7, wherein providing preliminary metadata comprises providing a preliminary title, and

wherein receiving user input specifying final metadata comprises receiving input specifying a title.

13. A method for generating metadata that describes the subject matter of a video programming event, the method comprising:

receiving data corresponding to the video programming event, the data including descriptive information and timing information;

processing the received data to generate preliminary metadata describing the subject matter of the video programming event, the preliminary metadata comprising numerical goodness of fit scores associated with respective categories,

wherein the numerical goodness of fit score associated with a category represents a degree to which the category is descriptive of the subject matter of the video programming event, and

wherein the categories are arranged in a hierarchy comprising at least a set of top-level categories, respective sets of first level sub-categories each corresponding to and encompassed by a top level category, and respective sets of second level sub-categories each corresponding to and encompassed by a first level sub-category;

providing the preliminary metadata to a system user;

receiving user input approving the preliminary metadata; and

storing the preliminary metadata as final metadata for transmission to receivers of the video programming event as metadata describing the subject matter of the video programming event, the final metadata comprising categories of a the hierarchy and numerical goodness of fit scores associated with those categories.

14. The method claimed in claim 13, wherein the preliminary metadata further comprises at least one of keywords, numerical goodness of fit scores associated with categories of the hierarchy for said keywords, and a title.

15. The method claimed in claim 13, wherein receiving data comprises receiving production data corresponding to a video program from a production system used to produce the video program,

wherein generating preliminary metadata comprises generating preliminary metadata for a video programming event corresponding to a segment of the video program,

wherein receiving user input comprises receiving user input specifying final metadata for the segment of the video program, and

wherein storing the preliminary metadata as final metadata comprises storing the preliminary metadata as final metadata for transmission to receivers of the video programming event as metadata describing the subject matter of the segment of the video program.

16. The method claimed in claim 13, wherein receiving user input comprises receiving approval of the numerical goodness of fit scores associated with categories of the hierarchy.

17. The method claimed in claim 13, wherein providing preliminary metadata comprises providing preliminary keywords, and

wherein receiving user input approving the preliminary metadata comprises receiving user input approving the preliminary keywords.

18. The method claimed in claim 13, wherein providing preliminary metadata comprises providing a preliminary title, and

wherein receiving user input approving the preliminary metadata comprises receiving user input approving the preliminary title.

19. A programmable device for generating metadata that describes the subject matter of a programming event, the device comprising a computer readable medium having stored therein programming instructions to perform data processing, the processing comprising:

receiving data corresponding to the video programming event, the data including descriptive information and timing information;

processing the received data to generate preliminary metadata describing the subject matter of the video programming event, the preliminary metadata comprising numerical goodness of fit scores associated with respective categories,

wherein the numerical goodness of fit score associated with a category represents a degree to which the category is descriptive of the subject matter of the video programming event, and

wherein the categories are arranged in a hierarchy comprising at least a set of top-level categories, respective sets of first level sub-categories each corresponding to and encompassed by a top level category, and respective sets of second level sub-categories each corresponding to and encompassed by a first level sub-category;

providing the preliminary metadata to a system user;

receiving user input approving the preliminary metadata; and

storing the preliminary metadata as final metadata for transmission to receivers of the video programming event as metadata describing the subject matter of the video programming event, the final metadata comprising categories of the hierarchy and numerical goodness of fit scores associated with those categories.

20. The device claimed in claim 19, wherein the preliminary metadata further comprises at least one of keywords, numerical goodness of fit scores associated with categories of the hierarchy for said keywords, and a title.

21. The device claimed in claim 19, wherein receiving data comprises receiving production data corresponding to a video program from a production system used to produce the video program,

wherein generating preliminary metadata comprises generating preliminary metadata for a video programming event corresponding to a segment of the video program,

wherein receiving user input comprises receiving user input specifying final metadata for the segment of the video program, and

wherein storing the preliminary metadata as final metadata comprises storing the preliminary metadata as final metadata for transmission to receivers of the video programming event as metadata describing the subject matter of the segment of the video program.

22. The device claimed in claim 19, wherein receiving user input comprises receiving approval of the numerical goodness of fit scores associated with the categories of the hierarchy.

23. The device claimed in claim 19, wherein providing preliminary metadata comprises providing preliminary keywords, and

wherein receiving user input approving the preliminary metadata comprises receiving user input approving the preliminary keywords.

24. The device claimed in claim 19, wherein providing preliminary metadata comprises providing a preliminary title, and

wherein receiving user input approving the preliminary metadata comprises receiving user input approving the preliminary title.