System and method for supplying supplemental audio information for broadcast television programs

• US 7,454,776 B1
• Filed: 09/12/2000
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inventor Holdings LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Sparico, Thomas M., Jorasch, James A., Walker, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Ngoc K
• Application Number:
  US09/660,579
• Time in Patent Office: 2,989 Days
• Field of Search: 725/86, 725/87, 725/91, 725/93, 725/98, 725/99, 725/106, 725/122, 725/115, 725/118, 348/473, 348476-479, 348480-485, 379/88.05, 379/88.06, 709217-219
• US Class Current: 725/122
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4302 Content synchronisation processes, e.g. decoder synchronisation
• 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6137 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6187 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 : involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 : involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• 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

An apparatus, method, and program for providing supplemental information related to a broadcast television program. Through a telephone or electronic network interface, a caller can request specific supplemental information related to one or more characters within the broadcast television program. The supplemental information is synchronized to the audio component of the television program so that there is no conflict, and is communicated to the caller via the network interface.

Claims

1. A data processing apparatus for providing supplemental broadcast information, comprising:

a CPU;

a storage device operatively connected to said CPU;

an apparatus, adapted for communicating with said CPU, for receiving a request of a user for supplemental audio information related to a broadcast television program and for relaying the request to said CPU; and

said storage device storing a program, adapted to be executed by said CPU,

for processing the request for supplemental audio information,

for synchronizing the requested supplemental audio information to the broadcast television program such that the requested supplemental audio information does not conflict with an audio component of the broadcast television program when listened to simultaneously, and

for transmitting the requested supplemental audio information simultaneous with the broadcast television program to the user such that the requested supplemental audio information does not conflict with the audio component of the broadcast television program.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the supplemental audio information comprises audio information recorded on a recording medium.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, in which the request is received from a caller over a telephone network.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, in which transmitting the requested supplemental audio information comprises transmitting the requested supplemental audio information through said apparatus to a speaker of a telephone.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, in which the synchronized requested supplemental audio information is provided during one or more gaps in the audio component of the broadcast television program.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, in which the request is received via the Internet.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, in which transmitting the requested supplemental audio information comprises transmitting the requested supplemental audio information to the user via the Internet.

8. A method for providing supplemental information synchronized to a broadcast television program using a CPU, and a storage device operatively connected to the CPU and containing a program adapted to be executed by the CPU for processing a request for supplemental information, and an apparatus adapted for communicating with the CPU, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for supplemental audio information by a user via the apparatus;

receiving selection information from the caller via the apparatus;

processing the selection information by having the CPU execute the program to determine requested supplemental audio information;

receiving synchronization information;

synchronizing the requested supplemental audio information with an audio component of the broadcast television program using the synchronization information such that the requested supplemental audio information does not conflict with the audio component when listened to simultaneously; and

communicating the requested supplemental audio information to the user simultaneous with the broadcast television program such that the requested supplemental audio information does not conflict with the audio component of the broadcast television program.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of

updating a database within the storage device indicating that the requested supplemental audio information has been communicated in said communicating step.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of requesting payment for the communicated supplemental information.

11. The method according to claim 8, in which the request is received from a caller via a telephone network.

12. The method according to claim 8, in which communicating comprises transmitting the requested supplemental audio information to a speaker of a telephone.

13. The method according to claim 8, in which the synchronized requested supplemental audio information is provided during one or more gaps in the audio component of the broadcast television program.

14. The method according to claim 8, in which the request is received from a caller via the Internet.

15. The method according to claim 8, in which communicating comprises transmitting the requested supplemental audio information to the apparatus via the Internet.

16. A computer readable medium that stores computer executable process steps for processing requests for supplemental information related to a broadcast television program, the steps comprising:

a step to receive a supplemental audio information request from a user via a network interface;

a step to receive selection information;

a step to process the selection information;

a step to retrieve the requested supplemental audio information;

a step to synchronize the requested supplemental audio information to an audio component of the broadcast television program such that the requested supplemental audio information does not conflict with the audio component when listened to simultaneously; and

a step to output the synchronized requested supplemental audio information simultaneous with the broadcast television program such that the requested supplemental audio information does not conflict with the audio component of the broadcast television program.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 16, further comprising the step of receiving synchronization information related to the broadcast television program.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 16, in which the synchronized requested supplemental audio information is output to a speaker of a telephone.

19. The computer readable medium according to claim 16, in which the synchronized requested supplemental audio information is provided during one or more gaps in the audio component of the broadcast television program.

20. The computer readable medium according to claim 16, in which the synchronized requested supplemental audio information is output to the user via the Internet.

21. A method of receiving supplemental information related to a broadcast television program including an audio component and a video component, comprising the steps of:

viewing a broadcast television program;

receiving ordering information for supplemental audio information from the broadcast television program;

requesting the supplemental audio information in accordance with the ordering information;

providing selection information;

receiving supplemental audio information according to the selection information during the broadcast television program,

in which the supplemental audio information is synchronized with the broadcast television program such that the supplemental audio information does not conflict with an audio component of the broadcast television program when listened to simultaneously.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein the step of receiving ordering information comprises

receiving

program identification information,

a telephone number used for ordering the supplemental audio information, and

synchronization information related to the broadcast television program.

23. A method according to claim 21, further including the step of

paying for the supplemental audio information.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein the step of paying for the supplemental audio information is accomplished by a credit card transaction.

25. A method according to claim 23, wherein said step of paying for the supplemental audio information is performed through a telephone bill.

26. The method according to claim 21, in which receiving the supplemental audio information according to the selection information during the broadcast television program is from a speaker of a telephone.

27. The method according to claim 21, in which the synchronized requested supplemental audio information is received during one or more gaps in the audio component of the broadcast television program.

28. The method according to claim 21, in which receiving the supplemental audio information according to the selection information during the broadcast television program is via the Internet.

29. An apparatus comprising:

a CPU;

a storage device coupled to the CPU;

a receiver for receiving a request for supplemental audio information related to a television program and for relaying the request to the CPU; and

a program, adapted to be executed by the CPU, that is stored on the storage device and that is

for processing the request for supplemental audio information,

for synchronizing the requested supplemental audio information to the television program such that the requested supplemental audio information does not conflict with an audio component of the television program when listened to simultaneously, and

for transmitting the requested supplemental audio information to a user simultaneous with the broadcast television program such that the requested supplemental audio information does not conflict with the audio component of the broadcast television program,

wherein the supplemental audio information comprises supplemental dialogue for a character within the television program.

30. The apparatus according to claim 29, in which transmitting the requested supplemental audio information is to a speaker of a telephone.

31. The apparatus according to claim 29, in which the synchronized requested supplemental audio information is provided during one or more gaps in the audio component of the broadcast television program.

32. The apparatus according to claim 29, in which transmitting the requested supplemental audio information is via the Internet.

33. An apparatus comprising:

a CPU;

a storage device coupled to the CPU;

a receiver for receiving a request for supplemental audio information related to a television program and for relaying the request to the CPU; and

a program, adapted to be executed by the CPU, that is stored on the storage device and that is

for processing the request for supplemental audio information,

for synchronizing the requested supplemental audio information to the television program such that the requested supplemental audio information does not conflict with an audio component of the television program when listened to simultaneously, and

for transmitting the requested supplemental audio information to a user simultaneous with the broadcast television program such that the requested supplemental audio information does not conflict with the audio component of the broadcast television program,

wherein the supplemental audio information comprises a foreign language version of the television program.

34. The apparatus according to claim 33, in which transmitting the requested supplemental audio information is to a speaker of a telephone.

35. The apparatus according to claim 33, in which the synchronized requested supplemental audio information is provided during one or more gaps in the audio component of the broadcast television program.

36. The apparatus according to claim 33, in which transmitting the requested supplemental audio information is via the Internet.

37. An apparatus comprising:

a CPU;

a storage device coupled to the CPU;

a receiver for receiving a request for supplemental audio information related to a television program and for relaying the request to the CPU; and

a program, adapted to be executed by the CPU, that is stored on the storage device and that is

for processing the request for supplemental audio information,

for synchronizing the requested supplemental audio information to the television program such that the requested supplemental audio information does not conflict with an audio component of the television program when listened to simultaneously, and

for transmitting the requested supplemental audio information to a user simultaneous with the broadcast television program such that the requested supplemental audio information does not conflict with the audio component of the broadcast television program,

wherein the supplemental audio information comprises a descriptive audio version of the television program for the visually impaired.

38. The apparatus according to claim 37, in which transmitting the requested supplemental audio information is to a speaker of a telephone.

39. The apparatus according to claim 37, in which the synchronized requested supplemental audio information is provided during one or more gaps in the audio component of the broadcast television program.

40. The apparatus according to claim 37, in which transmitting the requested supplemental audio information is via the Internet.