Methods of formatting data to maximize the readability and the amount of song identification information displayed on a limited number of lines

• US 6,807,676 B1
• Filed: 07/20/1998
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stein, Robert C., Kamieniecki, John, Maraska, John F., Robbins, Clyde, Palmer, Douglas W., Nasuti, Tony
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): SALCE, JASON P
• Application Number:
  US09/119,503
• Time in Patent Office: 2,283 Days
• Field of Search: 725/37, 725/39, 725/118, 725/126, 707/517, 707/518, 707/534, 707/525, 715/518, 715/505, 715/508, 345/801, 348/470, 348/473, 348/474, 348/461, 348/462, 348/467
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/79 using downlink of the CATV systems, e.g. audio broadcast via CATV network
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• 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 5/602 for digital sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A method of formatting data to maximize the readability of song identification (ID) information displayed on a monitor screen and a method of formatting data to maximize the amount of song ID information displayed on a limited number of lines on the monitor screen. The monitor screen is used to view in-band audio broadcast channel song ID information and out-of-band audio broadcast channel song ID information. The in-band ID information is associated with a song that is currently being played on a selected one of a plurality of channels. The out-of-band ID information is associated with all of the plurality of channels. To maximize readability, in-band ID information is abbreviated if the amount of information exceeds a maximum number of lines determined for the in-band ID information. To maximize the amount of in-band ID information, wraparound and abbreviation techniques are performed.

Claims

1. A method of formatting data to maximize the readability of song identification (ID) information displayed in a plurality of data fields on a monitor screen used to view in-band audio broadcast channel song ID information and out-of-band audio broadcast channel song ID information, the in-band ID information being associated with a song that is currently being played on a selected one of a plurality of channels, and the out-of-band ID information being associated with all of the plurality of channels, the method comprising:

(a) determining a maximum number of individual lines of the in-band ID information for one of the data fields on the monitor screen;

(b) formatting the one data field based on acquired data field data and the maximum number of individual lines of the in-band ID information, wherein at least one of the individual lines of the in-band ID information is abbreviated if the amount of data field data exceeds the maximum number of individual lines of the in-band ID information;

(c) writing a blank line after the individual lines of the in-band audio broadcast channel song ID information; and

(d) repeating steps (a)-(c) for at least another one of the data fields on the monitor screen, wherein the in-band ID information and the out-of-band information are simultaneously displayed on the monitor screen.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(e) assigning a priority to each of the plurality of data fields, whereby the data fields having a high priority are allotted more individual lines for the in-band ID information than the data fields having a lower priority.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein each formatted data field is limited to two individual lines for the in-band ID information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is implemented in a cable television settop terminal.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the in-band ID information includes at least one song title.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the in-band ID information includes the name at least song artist.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the in-band ID information includes the name of at least one record company.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the in-band ID information includes the name of at least one broadcast channel.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the in-band ID information is sent at a rate of 1,330 bits per second.

10. A method of formatting data to maximize the amount of song identification (ID) information displayed in a plurality of data fields on a monitor screen used to view in-band audio broadcast channel song ID information and out-of-band audio broadcast channel song ID information, the in-band ID information being associated with a song that is currently being played on a selected one of a plurality of channels, and the out-of-band ID information being associated with all of the plurality of channels, the method comprising:

(a) formatting one of the data fields on the monitor screen by performing wraparound and abbreviation techniques to limit the number of individual lines used to display the in-band ID information for the one data field;

(b) storing the one data field in a buffer;

(c) if the total number of individual lines used to display the in-band ID information is less than a predetermined maximum number of individual lines, repeating steps (a) and (b) for another one of the data fields on the monitor screen; and

(d) if the total number of individual lines used to display the in-band ID information is not less than the predetermined maximum number of individual lines, displaying the formatted data fields on the monitor screen, wherein the in-band ID information and the out-of-band information are simultaneously displayed on the monitor screen.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

(e) assigning a priority to each of the plurality of data fields, whereby the data fields having a high priority are allotted more individual lines for the in-band ID information than the data fields having a lower priority.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein one or more of the data fields having a low priority may be deleted if the total number of individual lines used to display the in-band ID information is not less than the predetermined maximum number of individual lines.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the data fields having a high priority are limited to three individual lines of in-band ID information.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

(e) storing and displaying a graphical image associated with a particular song.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the method is implemented in a cable television settop terminal.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the in-band ID information includes at least one song title.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the in-band ID information includes the name of at least one song artist.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein the in-band ID information includes the name of at least one record company.

19. The method of claim 10 wherein the in-band ID information includes the name of at least one broadcast channel.

20. The method of claim 10 wherein the in-band ID information is sent at a rate of 1,330 bits per second.

21. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

(e) storing and displaying a graphical image associated with a particular song.