Identification of television programming using a portable wireless device

• US 7,873,974 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2007
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2005
• 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: DaCosta, Behram
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US11/657,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20070124775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,454 Days
• Field of Search: 725/62, 725/86, 725/87, 725/104, 235/472.01, 235/472.02, 455/556.2, 382/305, 382/307
• US Class Current: 725/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/372 Programme
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method consistent with certain embodiments provides portable delivery of television programs to a portable wireless device (PWD) involves using the PWD to capture a sample of a program being played by a television; transmitting attributes of the captured sample to a service provider so that the service provider can identify the program being played by the television; and receiving the television program at the PWD from the service provider via a wireless transmission. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Claims

1. A method for providing portable delivery of television programs to a portable wireless device (PWD), comprising:

using the PWD to capture a sample of a program being played by a television;

processing the captured sample to extract attributes of the sample of the program being played by the television;

transmitting the attributes of the captured sample to a service provider so that the service provider can identify the program being played by the television; and

receiving the television program at the PWD from the service provider via a wireless transmission.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the captured sample comprises at least one of an audio, a video and a still image sample of the program.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the attributes comprise the captured sample.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the attributes comprises at least one of information defining edges of displayed objects, displayed objects, relative sizes of displayed objects, text appearing in a still image, GPS data and an audio sample.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the service provider comprises one of DVBH, DMB, and cellular infrastructure.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the service provider comprises a cellular telephone network selected from the group consisting of CDMA 2000 and IEEE 802.16 compatible networks.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting an order for the program to be transmitted to the portable wireless device.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprises transmitting the order via a cellular telephone network.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving the wireless transmission of the television program comprises receiving a high speed data transmission via a cellular telephone network.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the PWD comprises one of a cellular telephone, a wireless telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a palm-top computer, a personal information manager, and a game console.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sample is captured via a camera forming a part of the PWD.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sample is captured via an audio recorder forming a part of the PWD.

13. A computer readable non-transitory medium carrying instructions that, when executed on a programmed processor carry out the process according to claim 1.

14. A method for providing portable delivery of television programs to a portable wireless device (PWD), comprising:

using the PWD to capture an audio or video sample of a program being played by a television using an audio or video recorder forming a part of the PWD, wherein the captured sample comprises at least one of an audio, a video and a still image sample of the program;

processing the captured sample to extract attributes of the sample of the program being played by the television;

transmitting the attributes of the captured sample to a service provider so that the service provider can identify the program being played by the television;

transmitting an order for the program to be transmitted to the portable wireless device; and

receiving the television program at the PWD from the service provider via a wireless transmission.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the attributes comprise the captured sample.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the attributes comprises at least one of information defining edges of displayed objects, displayed objects, relative sizes of displayed objects, text appearing in a still image, GPS data and an audio sample.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the service provider comprises one of DVBH, DMB, and cellular infrastructure.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the PWD comprises one of a cellular telephone, a wireless telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a palm-top computer, a personal information manager, and a game console.

19. A portable wireless device (PWD) apparatus that receives delivery of television programs, comprising:

an audio or video recording device forming a part of the PWD that captures an audio or video sample of a program being played by a television, wherein the captured sample comprises at least one of an audio, a video and a still image sample of the program;

a processor that processes the captured sample to extract attributes of the sample of the program being played by the television;

a transmitter that transmits the attributes of the captured sample to a first service provider so that the first service provider can identify the program being played by the television; and

a receiver that receives the television program at the PWD from a television transmitter via a wireless transmission.

20. The PWD apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the transmitter further transmits an order for the program to be transmitted to the portable wireless device.

21. The PWD apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the attributes comprise the captured sample.

22. The PWD apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the attributes comprises at least one of information defining edges of displayed objects, displayed objects, relative sizes of displayed objects, text appearing in a still image, GPS data and an audio sample.

23. The PWD apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the PWD comprises one of a cellular telephone, a wireless telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a palm-top computer, a personal information manager, and a game console.

24. The PWD apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the television transmitter comprises a part of the first service provider.

25. The PWD apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the television transmitter comprises a part of a second service provider.

26. The PWD apparatus according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the first and second service providers comprises one of DVBH, DMB, and cellular infrastructure.