Method and system for the automatic collection and conditioning of closed caption text originating from multiple geographic locations

• US 7,009,657 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2001
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medialink Worldwide, Inc. (Synaptic Digital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Medialink Worldwide, Inc. (Synaptic Digital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Taylor, Joe Dulin Jr., Mitts, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): Yenke, Brian P.
• Application Number:
  US09/911,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20020044219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,688 Days
• Field of Search: 348/465, 348/468, 348/461, 348466-467, 348/478, 348/552, 348/554, 348/569, 348/589, 348/906, 707/3, 707/10, 709/219, 725/53, 725 86-104, 725/115, 725/120, 725/137, 725/139, 725/145
• US Class Current: 348/465
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/313 Selection or weighting of terms for indexing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3334 Selection or weighting of terms from queries, including natural language queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0885 for the transmission of subtitles

Abstract

There is provided a system for the automatic collection and conditioning of closed caption texts originating from multiple geographic locations, comprising: (1) at least one remote capture client means having a tuner to receive one or more television signals, a decoder to decode closed caption text stream in the television signals, and means to write the closed caption text stream to a text file, (2) central server means operatively connected to the remote capture client means for storing the text files and making the text files available to a user, and (3) an inquiry client means operatively connected to the central server means for searching the text files. The remote capture client is preferably adapted to automatically create text files and “push” them to the central server. The central server is preferably adapted to provide search results and/or text files to the inquiry client via a web browser.

Claims

1. A system for the automatic collection and conditioning of closed caption text originating from multiple geographic locations comprising:

(1) a remote capture client means having a tuner to receive at least one broadcast source, a decoder operatively connected to said tuner to decode closed caption text streams in said at least one broadcast source, and a text handler operatively connected to said decoder to write said decoded closed caption text streams to one or more closed caption text files;

said closed captioned text files being derived from one or more television program segments captioned from one or more geographically diverse television signals; and

(2) a central server means for conditioning for format consistency and parsing said text files; and

(3) transmission means for transferring said text files from said remote capture client to said central server means, said transmission means being controlled by said remote capture client, whereby said text files are pushed by said remote capture client to said central server means.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for transferring comprises file transfer protocol.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for transferring comprises a move routine, whereby said text files are deleted from said remote capture client means upon successful transfer of said text files to said central server means.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said move routine comprises an API wrapper.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for transferring initiates a communications session between said remote capture client means and said central server means when a text file is created at said remote capture client means.

6. A method for the automatic collection and conditioning of closed caption text originating from multiple diverse geographic locations comprising:

(a) receiving at least one broadcast source;

(b) decoding closed caption text streams in said at least one broadcast source;

(c) writing said decoded closed caption text streams to one or more closed caption text files;

(d) storing said text files at a remote capture client means; and

(e) transferring said text files to a central server means, conditioning said text files for format consistency said transferring being controlled by said remote capture client, whereby said text files are pushed from said remote capture client means to said central server means.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said step (e) utilizes a file transfer protocol.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said step (e) further comprises deleting said text files from said remote capture client means upon successful transfer of said text files to said central server means.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein said step (d) is initiated when a text file is created at said remote capture client means.

10. A system for the automatic collection and conditioning of closed caption text originating from multiple geographic locations comprising:

(a) a remote capture client means having a tuner to receive at least one broadcast source of a plurality of broadcast source from geographically diverse locations, a decoder operatively connected to said tuner to decode closed caption text streams in said at least one broadcast source, and a text handler operatively connected to said decoder to write said decoded closed caption text streams to one or more format consistent closed caption text files, said closed captioned text files being directed from one or more television program segments closed captioned from said geographically diverse location; and

(b) a central server means for storing and processing said text files;

(c) an inquiry client means for submitting a search profile to said central server;

(d) means for comparing said search profile to said text files to create a search result; and

(e) means for displaying said search result using a web browser on said inquiry client.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said means for displaying comprises a server side scripting environment.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said server side scripting environment is selected for the group consisting of:

ASP, ISAPI, ASP.NET, VB.NET, as combinations thereof.