System and method for generating metadata for video programming events

• US 7,444,660 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2001
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MeeVee, Inc. (LiveUniverse, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MeeVee, Inc. (LiveUniverse, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dudkiewicz, Gil Gavriel
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley; Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown; Reuben M.
• Application Number:
  US09/793,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20020152474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,801 Days
• Field of Search: 725/46, 725/45, 725/39, 725/54
• US Class Current: 725/45
• 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 21/4334 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 21/4532 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 21/4661 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 21/8405 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 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A device for generating metadata for a programming event receives data corresponding to a programming event that includes descriptive information and timing information. The device analyzes the data to determine goodness of fit scores for the programming event corresponding to categories of a classification hierarchy. The device then stores metadata for the programming event that includes goodness of fit scores, time data and descriptive data. The stored goodness of fit scores may be a representative subset of all goodness of fit scores for the programming event. Also disclosed are processes performed in a device for generating metadata for programming events. Also disclosed is metadata encoded in a computer readable medium. The metadata includes a programming event identifier, descriptive data describing the programming event, time data enabling determination of a start time and duration of the programming event, and goodness of fit scores for the programming event that are associated with categories of the classification hierarchy.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing device for generating metadata that describes the subject matter of segments of a program, comprising:

receiving in the data processing device data corresponding to a program, the data including production data comprising descriptive information and timing information;

analyzing by the data processing device the data to determine individual segments of the program that pertain to different subject matter and the times and durations of the individual segments;

analyzing by the data processing device the data to assign goodness of fit scores for each segment corresponding to subject matter categories of a subject matter classification hierarchy,

wherein the subject matter categories of the hierarchy comprise at least a set of top-level categories, sets of first level sub-categories each corresponding to and encompassed by a respective one of said top-level categories, and sets of second level sub-categories each corresponding to and encompassed by a respective one of said first level sub-categories; and

storing metadata for each segment, the metadata comprising goodness of fit scores and their associated categories, time data, and descriptive data.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein storing is preceded by determining a representative subset of said goodness of fit scores, and

wherein storing goodness of fit scores comprises storing said representative subset of said goodness of fit scores and their associated categories.

3. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the received data further comprises electronic program guide data.

4. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein determining a time and duration is preceded by processing the production data to conform to a standard delimited format.

5. A program-controlled device for generating metadata that describes the subject matter segments of a program, the device comprising a computer readable medium having stored therein programming instructions for causing the device to perform operations comprising:

receiving data corresponding to a program, the data including production data comprising descriptive information and timing information;

analyzing the data to determine individual segments of the program that pertain to different subject matter and the times and durations of the individual segments;

analyzing the data to assign goodness of fit scores for each segment corresponding to subject matter categories of a subject matter classification hierarchy,

wherein the subject matter categories of the hierarchy comprise at least a set of top-level categories, sets of first level sub-categories each corresponding to and encompassed by a respective one of said top-level categories, and sets of second level sub-categories each corresponding to and encompassed by a respective one of said first level sub-categories; and

storing metadata for each segment, the metadata comprising goodness of fit scores and their associated categories, time data, and descriptive data.

6. The device claimed in claim 5, wherein said storing is preceded by determining a representative subset of said goodness of fit scores, and

wherein storing goodness of fit scores comprises storing said representative subset of said goodness of fit scores and their associated categories.

7. The device claimed in claim 5, wherein the received data further comprises electronic program guide data.

8. The device claimed in claim 5, wherein determining a time and duration is preceded by processing the production data to conform to a standard delimited format.

9. A device for generating metadata that describes the subject matter of segments of a program comprising:

means for receiving data corresponding to a program, the data including production data comprising descriptive information and timing information;

means for analyzing the data to determine individual segments of the program that pertain to different subject matter and the times and durations of the individual segments;

means for analyzing the data to assign goodness of fit scores for each segment corresponding to subject matter categories of a subject matter classification hierarchy,

wherein the subject matter categories of the hierarchy comprise at least a set of top-level categories, sets of first level sub-categories each corresponding to and encompassed by a respective one of said top-level categories, and sets of second level sub-categories each corresponding to and encompassed by a respective one of said first level sub-categories; and

means for storing metadata for each segment, the metadata comprising goodness of fit scores and their associated categories, time data, and descriptive data.

10. The device claimed in claim 9, further comprising means for determining a representative subset of said goodness of fit scores, and

wherein the means for storing goodness of fit scores stores said representative subset of said goodness of fit scores and their associated categories.

11. The device claimed in claim 9, wherein the received data further comprises electronic program guide data.

12. The device claimed in claim 9, further comprising means for processing the production data to conform to a standard delimited format.