Method for extracting program and apparatus for extracting program

• US 7,600,244 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2004
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Maruyama, Kazuna, Shikata, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton; Brian T
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEN, CAI Y
• Application Number:
  US11/001,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20050125844A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,769 Days
• Field of Search: 725/44, 725/45, 725/46, 725/47, 725/100, 725/101, 725/103, 725/144, 725/145
• US Class Current: 725/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/4532 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• 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

Abstract

This method facilitates an operation of selecting one program from among a plurality of programs, each having the substantially same content without placing burden on the user, and in particular, an operation of extracting an upward compatible program. The method retrieves a program scheduled to be broadcast having the same content as a pre-recorded program and extracts a difference between the pre-recorded program and the scheduled program and, in the event that the difference satisfies a predetermined criterion of determination, notifies the result to the user. When the difference is extracted, the method gives a plurality of meta data related to each program the order of priority based on information of user'"'"'s taste and compares the meta data corresponding to each other and extracts an upward compatible program based on the order of priority and the comparison result.

Claims

1. A method of selecting a program among a plurality of programs in order to replace a pre-recorded program with a selected program, the method comprising the steps of:

retrieving meta data of a scheduled program to be broadcast at some future time, the meta data including items of information related to content of the program and a mode in which the program content is broadcast;

comparing a predetermined item of meta data of the scheduled program with an item of meta data of a pre-recorded program to determine whether the scheduled program and the pre-recorded program have the substantially same content, wherein the meta data of the pre-recorded program is only meta data that is received when the pre-recorded program was broadcast;

extracting a difference in modes of broadcast between the scheduled program and the pre-recorded program based on a comparison result of the meta data of the scheduled and the pre-recorded programs in the event that they are determined to have the substantially same content at the comparing step;

providing a user with the modes of broadcast included in the meta data of both of the programs in the event that there is a difference between them;

assigning to a plurality of different items an order of priority based on information of a user'"'"'s taste and comparing the meta data of the scheduled and pre-recorded programs having the substantially same content; and

determining whether the scheduled program is preferred to the pre-recorded program based on the order of priority and a result of the comparison,

wherein the step of providing meta data to the user is executed in the event that the scheduled program is determined to be preferred to the pre-recorded program.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said selection is performed on the basis of weight assigned to each difference in meta data according to the order of priority.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the order of priority is set according to a genre of the program.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information of the user'"'"'s taste is information estimated based on information set by the user and/or information of the user'"'"'s operation history.

5. An apparatus for selecting a program among a plurality of programs in order to replace a pre-recorded program with a selected program, the apparatus comprising:

a same program retrieving part for retrieving meta data of a scheduled program to be broadcast at some future time, the meta data including items of information related to content of the program and a mode in which the program content is broadcast, and for comparing a predetermined item of meta data of the scheduled program with a item of meta data of a pre-recorded program to determine whether the scheduled program and the pre-recorded program have the substantially same content, wherein the meta data of the pre-recorded program is only meta data that is received when the pre-recorded program was broadcast;

a difference extracting part for extracting a difference in modes of broadcast between the scheduled program and the pre-recorded program based on a comparison result of the meta data of the scheduled and the pre-recorded programs in the event that they are determined to have the substantially same content by the same program retrieving part; and

a determining part for determining whether the scheduled program is preferred to the pre-recorded program in the event that a difference is extracted,

wherein the determining part has functions of;

(a) assigning to a plurality of the items an order of priority based on information of a user'"'"'s taste;

(b) comparing the meta data of the scheduled and pre-recorded programs having the substantially same content; and

(c) determining whether the scheduled program is preferred to the pre-recorded program based on the order of priority and a result of the comparison.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, which is configured such that the determination is performed on the basis of weight assigned to each difference in meta data according to the order of priority.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, which is configured such that the order of priority is set according to a genre of the program.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, which is configured such that the information of the user'"'"'s taste is information estimated based on information set by the user and/or information of the user'"'"'s operation history.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a notification part suitable for notifying the result of the determination to the user.