Viewer customization of displayed programming based on transmitted URLs

• US 6,792,618 B1
• Filed: 03/02/1998
• Issued: 09/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Rosenthal, Eugene J., Bendinelli, Samuel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Application Number:
  US09/033,279
• Time in Patent Office: 2,388 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.5445, H04/N.7173, 725/45, 725/46, 725/47, 725/44, 725/48, 725/49, 725/51, 725/109, 725/112, 725/113, 725/110, 725/32, 725/34, 725/86, 725/87, 725/100, 725/131, 725/133, 725/37, 725/88, 725/61, 348/460, 348/461, 348/465, 348/473, 348/474, 348/569, 348/563, 348/564
• US Class Current: 725/112
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/45455 applied to a region of the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/45457 applied to a time segment
• 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) or other network information identifiers embedded in television signals are processed in order to permit viewers to customize the display of a corresponding program. In an illustrative embodiment, at a time prior to the scheduled display of a program or portion thereof, a given viewer makes a selection of one of a number of available alternate characteristics for the program, such as one of a number of available alternate endings. At a later time, a base URL embedded in the television signal is extracted and processed using the viewer selection in order to generate a combined URL. The combined URL is then used to establish a connection over a network with a corresponding web site or other information source, and information is retrieved from the web site and stored in a memory. The retrieved information is subsequently taken from the memory and used to modify the manner in which the program is displayed to the viewer. For example, the retrieved information may include video which is displayed to the viewer in place of a portion of the program.

Claims

1. A method of providing viewer-customized display of a program transmitted in the form of a television signal, comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one network information identifier transmitted with the television signal; and

modifying a manner in which the program is displayed to a given viewer using information obtained by processing the network information identifier and a program characteristic selection made by the viewer;

wherein the information obtained by processing the network information identifier and the program characteristic selection made by the viewer comprises information retrieved utilizing another network information identifier different than the processed network information identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the network information identifier is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) identifying a web site.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the program characteristic selection is made in response to a selection display generated at least in part using an additional network information identifier transmitted with the television signal.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the selection display is in the form of a web page retrieved using the additional network information identifier.

3. A method of providing viewer-customized display of a program transmitted in the form of a television signal, comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one network information identifier transmitted with the television signal; and

modifying a manner in which the program is displayed to a given viewer using information obtained by processing the network information identifier and a program characteristic selection made by the viewer;

wherein the modifying step includes the steps of;

processing the network information identifier and the program characteristic selection to generate an additional network information identifier;

establishing a connection over a network with an information source identified by the additional network information identifier;

retrieving information from the information source; and

utilizing the retrieved information to modify the manner in which the program is displayed to the viewer.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the retrieved information includes video, and the utilizing step includes displaying the video to the viewer in place of at least a portion of the program.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the portion of the program replaced by the retrieved video includes a portion of the program occupying a designated period of time.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the portion of the program replaced by the retrieved video includes a portion of the program occupying a designated space on a display.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the retrieved information includes audio, and the utilizing step includes playing the audio to the viewer in place of at least part of an audio portion of the program.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein the television signal includes timing information, and the utilizing step includes utilizing the timing information to determine when the retrieved information should be displayed to the viewer.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein the television signal includes at least one of size and location information, and the utilizing step includes utilizing the at least one of size and location information to determine at least one of a respective size and location of a window in which the retrieved information is to be displayed to the viewer.

12. A method of providing viewer-customized display of a program transmitted in the form of a television signal, comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one network information identifier transmitted with the television signal; and

modifying a manner in which the program is displayed to a given viewer using information obtained by processing the network information identifier and a program characteristic selection made by the viewer;

wherein the program characteristic selection is made in response to a selection display generated at least in part using an additional network information identifier transmitted with the television signal; and

wherein the selection display provided to the given viewer includes a listing of available selections presented along with statistical information regarding previous selections made by other viewers.

13. An apparatus for providing a viewer-customized display of a program transmitted in the form of a television signal, comprising:

a memory for storing a program characteristic selection made by a given viewer; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is operative to receive at least one network information identifier transmitted with the television signal, and to modify a manner in which the program is displayed to the viewer using information obtained by processing the network information identifier and the program characteristic selection made by the viewer;

wherein the information obtained by processing the network information identifier and the program characteristic selection made by the viewer comprises information retrieved utilizing another network information identifier different than the processed network information identifier.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the network information identifier is transmitted as part of the television signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the network information identifier is transmitted on a signal associated with the television signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the network information identifier is transmitted on a subcarrier of the television signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the network information identifier is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) identifying a web site.

25. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the viewer selection is made in response to a selection display generated at least in part by the processor using an additional network information identifier transmitted with the television signal.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the selection display is in the form of a web page retrieved by the processor using the additional network information identifier.

18. An apparatus for providing a viewer-customized display of a program transmitted in the form of a television signal, comprising:

a memory for storing a program characteristic selection made by a given viewer; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is operative to receive at least one network information identifier transmitted with the television signal, and to modify a manner in which the program is displayed to the viewer using information obtained by processing the network information identifier and the program characteristic selection made by the viewer;

wherein the processor is further operative;

(i) to process the network information identifier and the program characteristic selection to generate an additional network information identifier;

(ii) to establish a connection over a network with an information source identified by the additional network information identifier;

(iii) to retrieve information from the information source; and

(iv) to utilize the retrieved information to modify the manner in which the program is displayed to the viewer.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the retrieved information includes video which is displayed to the viewer in place of at least a portion of the program.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the portion of the program replaced by the retrieved video includes a portion of the program occupying a designated period of time.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the portion of the program replaced by the retrieved video includes a portion of the program occupying a designated space on a display.

22. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the retrieved information includes audio which is played to the viewer in place of at least part of an audio portion of the program.

23. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the television signal includes timing information which is used to determine when the retrieved information should be displayed to the viewer.

24. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the television signal includes at least one of size and location information which are used to determine at least one of a respective size and location of a window in which the retrieved information is to be displayed to the viewer.

27. An apparatus for providing a viewer-customized display of a program transmitted in the form of a television signal, comprising:

a memory for storing a program characteristic selection made by a given viewer; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is operative to receive at least one network information identifier transmitted with the television signal, and to modify a manner in which the program is displayed to the viewer using information obtained by processing the network information identifier and the program characteristic selection made by the viewer;

wherein the viewer selection is made in response to a selection display generated at least in part by the processor using an additional network information identifier transmitted with the television signal;

wherein the selection display provided to the given viewer includes a listing of available selections presented along with statistical information regarding previous selections made by other viewers.

28. An apparatus for providing a viewer-customized display of a program transmitted in the form of a television signal, comprising:

means for receiving at least one network information identifier transmitted with the television signal; and

means for modifying a manner in which the program is displayed to a given viewer using information obtained by processing the network information identifier and a program characteristic selection made by the viewer;

wherein the information obtained by processing the network information identifier and the program characteristic selection made by the viewer comprises information retrieved utilizing another network information identifier different than the processed network information identifier.

29. An apparatus for providing a viewer-customized display of a program transmitted in the form of a television signal, comprising:

means for storing a program characteristic selection made by a viewer; and

means for processing the program characteristic selection and a network information identifier transmitted with the television signal, to obtain additional information which is used to modify a manner in which the program is displayed to the viewer;

wherein the information obtained by processing the network information identifier and the program characteristic selection made by the viewer comprises information retrieved utilizing another network information identifier different than the processed network information identifier.

30. A method for providing a viewer-customized display of a program transmitted in the form of a television signal, comprising the steps of:

storing a program characteristic selection made by a viewer; and

processing the program characteristic selection and a network information identifier transmitted with the television signal, to obtain additional information which is used to modify a manner in which the program is displayed to the viewer;

wherein the information obtained by processing the network information identifier and the program characteristic selection made by the viewer comprises information retrieved utilizing another network information identifier different than the processed network information identifier.

31. A method of providing viewer-customized display of a program transmitted in the form of a television signal, comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one network information identifier transmitted with the television signal; and

changing the content of the program, as perceived by a viewer, from that which is broadcast, using information obtained by processing the network information identifier and a program characteristic selection made by the viewer;

wherein the information obtained by processing the network information identifier and the program characteristic selection made by the viewer comprises information retrieved utilizing another network information identifier different than the processed network information identifier.

32. An apparatus for providing a viewer-customized display of a program transmitted in the form of a television signal, comprising:

a memory for storing a program characteristic selection made by a given viewer; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is operative to receive at least one network information identifier transmitted with the television signal, and to change the content of the program, as perceived by a viewer, from that which is broadcast, using information obtained by processing the network information identifier and the program characteristic selection made by the viewer;

wherein the information obtained by processing the network information identifier and the program characteristic selection made by the viewer comprises information retrieved utilizing another network information identifier different than the processed network information identifier.

33. An apparatus for providing viewer-customized display of a program transmitted in the form of a television signal, comprising:

a tuner for receiving the television signal and extracting at least one network information identifier transmitted with the television signal; and

a network interface for retrieving information designated by the extracted network information identifier and a program characteristic selection made by the viewer, wherein the retrieved information is used to change the content of the program, as perceived by a viewer, from that which is broadcast;

wherein the retrieved information designated by the extracted network information identifier and the program characteristic selection made by the viewer is retrieved at least in part based on another network information identifier different than the extracted network information identifier.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 further including a display for displaying the retrieved information to the viewer in place of at least a portion of the program.

35. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein the retrieved information used to change the content of the program includes video information.

36. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein the retrieved information used to change the content of the program includes audio information.