Digital video recorder and method of operating the same

• US 6,874,160 B1
• Filed: 05/01/2003
• Issued: 03/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Herz, William Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): ATALA, JAMIE JO
• Application Number:
  US10/428,643
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 725/25, 725/35, 725/34, 725/36, 725/42, 725/51, 725/58, 725/141, 725/142, 725/151, 725/133, 725/14, 725/18, 725/20, 725/21, 725/83, 386/46, 386/55
• US Class Current: 725/58
• 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 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• 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 21/44008 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 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A digital video recorder is described. In one embodiment, the digital video recorder includes a feature detector configured to derive a set of features from content within a television commercial. The digital video recorder also includes a television program identifier coupled to the feature detector. The television program identifier is configured to identify, using the set of features, a television program associated with the television commercial. The digital video recorder further includes a television program recorder coupled to the television program identifier. The television program recorder is configured to establish a recording session for the television program.

Claims

1. A digital video recorder, comprising:

a feature detector configured to derive a set of features by parsing at least one of dialog and narration associated with a television commercial, wherein said set of features includes at least one of;

a name of a television program associated with said television commercial; and

a broadcast time of said television program;

a television program identifier coupled to said feature detector, said television program identifier being configured to search a list of television programs using said set of features to identify said television program without requiring an identification code to be provided with said television commercial; and

a television program recorder coupled to said television program identifier, said television program recorder being configured to establish a recording session for said television program.

2. The digital video recorder of claim 1, further comprising:

a television commercial detector coupled to said feature detector, said television commercial detector being configured to identify said television commercial in a television signal.

3. The digital video recorder of claim 1, wherein said feature detector includes:

a closed captioning unit configured to derive said set of features from closed captioning data representing at least one of said dialog and said narration associated with said television commercial.

4. The digital video recorder of claim 1, wherein said feature detector includes:

an audio recognition unit configured to derive said set of features from audio data representing at least one of said dialog and said narration associated with said television commercial.

5. The digital video recorder of claim 1, wherein said television program identifier is configured to search said list of television programs using said set of features to identify a set of television programs, said television program identifier being further configured to select said television program from said set of television programs based on a television channel associated with said television program.

6. The digital video recorder of claim 1, wherein said television program identifier is configured to generate said list of television programs from electronic program guide data.

7. A computer-readable medium, comprising:

instructions to recognize a set of features in content within a television commercial, wherein said set of features includes at least one of;

a name of a television program associated with said television commercial; and

a broadcast time of said television program;

instructions to generate, using said set of features in said content, an identification of said television program, wherein said instructions to generate said identification of said television program include instructions to search a list of television programs using said set of features to identify said television program without requiring an identification code to be provided with said television commercial; and

instructions to record said television program based on said identification of said television program.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein said instructions to recognize said set of features include:

instructions to derive said set of features from closed captioning data representing at least one of dialog and narration associated with said television commercial.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein said instructions to generate said identification of said television program further include:

instructions to generate said list of television programs from electronic program guide data.

10. A method of operating a digital video recorder, comprising:

coordinating a request to record a television program with a television commercial associated with said television program;

deriving a set of features from at least one of dialog and narration associated with said television commercial;

generating a list of television programs from electronic program guide data;

searching said list of television programs using said set of features to identify said television program; and

establishing a recording session for said television program.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein deriving said set of features includes:

deriving said set of features from closed captioning data representing at least one of said dialog and said narration associated with said television commercial.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein deriving said set of features includes:

deriving said set of features from audio data representing at least one of said dialog and said narration associated with said television commercial.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein searching said list of television programs includes identifying a set of television programs, the method further comprising:

identifying a television channel associated with said television program; and

selecting said television program from said set of television programs based on said television channel.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein searching said list of television programs includes identifying a set of television programs, the method further comprising:

receiving a user-specified selection of said television program from said set of television programs.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein generating said list of television programs includes:

prior to coordinating said request, generating said list of television programs from said electronic program guide data during a time interval when said digital video recorder is not processing user commands.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein generating said list of television programs includes:

subsequent to coordinating said request, generating said list of television programs from said electronic program guide data during a time interval when said digital video recorder is not processing user commands.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein deriving said set of features includes:

deriving said set of features by parsing at least one of said dialog and said narration associated with said television commercial.