System and method for linking DVD text to recommended viewing

• US 7,778,515 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2001
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shinohara, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, THAI Q
• Application Number:
  US09/898,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20030002850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,333 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/83, 386/1, 386/45, 386125-126, 725/53, 725/57, 725/61, 345/327
• US Class Current: 386/213
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• 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 21/4334 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 21/4622 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 21/4668 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• 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 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9206 the additional signal being a character code signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method for automatically linking DVD text to recommended viewing, based on a viewer selection of a word or phrase displayed in a DVD-based program. A microprocessor in a PVR associated with the TV can automatically record TV programming or recommend additional products and/or programs based on the selected word or phrase from the DVD text.

Claims

1. A system for linking content to viewing and/or shopping recommendations, comprising:

an input device for selecting alpha numeric characters that are presented on a video display and that are within the video portion of a DVD content by highlighting the characters using the input device and pressing a selector key on the input device;

means for receiving the alpha numeric characters;

means responsive to the means for receiving for automatically accessing a source of recommended viewing and/or shopping.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for storing at least some of the content.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the input device is a user input device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for receiving includes a personal video recorder (PVR).

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the source of recommended viewing and/or shopping communicates with a WAN.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising media player means for playing media-stored content on a storage medium and sending the media-stored content to a television.

7. A system for linking content to viewing and/or shopping recommendations, comprising:

an input device for selecting alpha numeric characters that are presented on a video display and that are within the video portion of a DVD content, the alpha numeric characters representing an actor'"'"'s name;

a processor receiving the alpha numeric characters;

the processor automatically accessing a source of recommended viewing and/or shopping to return content titles associated with the actor'"'"'s name.