System and method for enhancing recorded radio or television programs with information on the world wide web

• US 7,984,472 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2002
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Incentis Carro, Fernando
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller; John W
• Assistant Examiner(s): HANCE, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US10/476,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20040133919A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,400 Days
• Field of Search: 725/112
• US Class Current: 725/112
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• 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 21/4334 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• 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 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4725 using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots details of information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• 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 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/91 Television signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9201 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system, method and computer program for enabling a user (an auditor or a viewer) to access complementary information related to one or a plurality of sequences or topics of interest in a recorded program previously broadcast on the radio or television and played back on a device, such as an audio or video tape or disk recorder/player. The preferred embodiment of the invention relates to a system and method for enabling a person listening to or watching a recorded program, to select one or a plurality of topics drawing his or her attention and for immediately receiving further information related to these topics from the World Wide Web. The system is based on the synchronization of local times of transmitters and recorders. The flow of information transmitted, received and recorded is always synchronized, independently of the relative positions of recorders and transmitters.

Claims

1. A method of retrieving a hyperlink associated with a recorded program previously broadcast on a channel when the recorded program is played back, the method performed by a device that records the program while being broadcast and that plays back the recorded program, the device coupled to at least one server on a network, the method comprising:

identifying the channel that has previously broadcast the recorded program, the program recorded according to a universal time standard;

recovering a destination address within the network associated with the identified channel;

recovering from at least one server associated with the recovered destination address a universal start time corresponding to a start time of the broadcast of the program on the identified channel as identified by a universal-time device, the universal start time based on a satellite-based universal time;

recovering from the at least one server associated with the recovered destination address a universal time interval corresponding to one of a duration and an end time of the broadcast of the program on the identified channel, wherein the program comprises a plurality of hyperlinks displayed simultaneously and at least one destination address associated with each of the hyperlinks, each of the hyperlinks alive in the program for a time interval defined by a universal start time corresponding to a start time within the broadcast of the program and a duration or a universal end time corresponding to a respective duration or end time within the broadcast of the program, and wherein the universal start time of the broadcast of the program, the universal time interval of the broadcast of the program, and the destination address, universal start time,

and duration or universal end time of each of the hyperlinks are stored in a program timing table in the at least one server associated with the recovered destination address;

accessing the program timing file and retrieving therefrom information for the recovered universal start time and the universal time interval of the broadcast program utilizing the recovered destination address, the information accessed comprising information defining the time that each of the hyperlinks in the program are alive including the universal time interval associated with each of the hyperlinks and the at least one destination address within the network associated with each of the hyperlinks, the hyperlinks selectable in accessing multimedia information;

synchronizing the recovered universal start time and the recovered universal time interval of the broadcast program with the universal start time and the universal time interval associated with each of the hyperlinks according to the same universal time;

computing, for each of the hyperlinks, a relative start time and a relative time interval, the relative start time computed by subtracting the universal start time of the broadcast program from the universal start time associated with a hyperlink, the relative start time, the relative time interval, and the at least one address associated with each of the hyperlinks stored in a local program timing table in the device;

starting a program timer at a start of playback of the recorded program;

receiving a selection command and, responsive to receipt of the selection command, determining based on the program timer a selection time corresponding to a time from the start of playback to a time when the selection command is received; and

identifying and retrieving, during playback of the recorded program, from the local program table, a destination addresses associated with at least one of a plurality of hyperlinks displayed in the recorded program simultaneously based on the relative time interval associated with a displayed hyperlink and on the selection time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing information for the recovered universal time interval comprises:

creating the program table for the recorded program;

retrieving and storing in the program table, the information related to the hyperlink, the stored information comprising the universal time interval associated with the hyperlink, the destination address within the network associated with the hyperlink accessing multimedia information, a hyperlink name and/or a hyperlink description.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein computing for the hyperlink, a relative time interval by subtracting the universal start time from the universal time interval associated with the hyperlink further comprises storing the computed relative time interval for the hyperlink in the program table.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing in the program table a program name and a universal time interval corresponding to the previous broadcast of the program on the identified channel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a user device retrieving the hyperlink and a receiver device receiving the broadcast program are separate devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the hyperlink comprises a plurality of hyper links and wherein accessing information comprises:

selecting a hyperlink from the plurality of hyperlinks;

accessing the information on a server connected to the network using a destination address associated with the selected hyperlink; and

retrieving the information from the accessed server.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein selecting a hyperlink further comprises selecting in the program table a hyperlink using a name, description and/or destination address associated with the hyperlink.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising displaying the retrieved information on a user device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the hyperlink is retrieved by a user device comprising a web browser, the information is retrieved from a web server, the network comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) network, the destination addresses comprises Universal Resource Locators (URLs) and the multimedia information comprises web pages.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the multimedia information comprises at least one service.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the universal time device is integrated with a player and/or recorder device playing back and/or recording the broadcast program.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the recovered universal time interval comprises a universal time of the start of the program and at least one of a universal time corresponding to an end of the program and/or a duration of the program.

13. A system for retrieving a hyperlink associated with a recorded program previously broadcast on a channel when the recorded program is played back, the system comprising a device that records the program while being broadcast and that plays back the recorded program, the device coupled to at least one server on a network, the system comprising:

means for identifying the channel that has previously broadcast the recorded program, the program recorded according to a universal time standard;

means for recovering a destination address within the network associated with the identified channel;

means for recovering from at least one server associated with the recovered destination address a universal start time corresponding to a start time of the broadcast of the program on the identified channel as identified by a universal-time device, the universal start time based on a satellite-based universal time;

means for recovering from the at least one server associated with the recovered destination address a universal time interval corresponding to one of a duration and an end time of the broadcast of the program on the identified channel, wherein the program comprises a plurality of hyperlinks displayed simultaneously and at least one destination address associated with each of the hyperlinks, each of the hyperlinks alive in the program for a time interval defined by a universal start time corresponding to a start time within the broadcast of the program and a duration or a universal end time corresponding to a respective duration or end time within the broadcast of the program, and wherein the universal start time of the broadcast of the program, the universal time interval of the broadcast of the program, and the destination address, universal start time, and duration or universal end time of each of the hyperlinks are stored in a program timing table in the at least one server associated with the recovered destination address;

means for accessing the program timing file and retrieving therefrom information for the recovered universal start time and the universal time interval of the broadcast program utilizing the recovered destination address, the information accessed comprising information defining the time that each of the hyperlinks in the program are alive including the universal time interval associated with each of the hyperlinks and the at least one destination address within the network associated with each of the hyperlinks, the hyperlinks selectable in accessing multimedia information;

means for synchronizing the recovered universal start time and the recovered universal time interval of the broadcast program with the universal start time and the universal time interval associated with each of the hyperlinks according to the same universal time;

means for computing for each of the hyperlinks, a relative start time and a relative time interval, the relative start time computed by subtracting the universal start time of the broadcast program from the universal start time associated with a hyperlink, the relative start time, the relative time interval, and the at least one address associated with each of the hyperlinks stored in a local program timing table in the device;

means for starting a program timer at a start of playback of the recorded program;

means for receiving a selection command and, responsive to receipt of the selection command, determining based on the program timer, a selection time corresponding to a time from the start of playback to a time when the selection command is received; and

means for identifying and retrieving, during playback of the recorded program, from the local program table, a destination addresses associated with at least one of a plurality of hyperlinks displayed in the recorded program simultaneously based on the relative time interval associated with a displayed hyperlink and on the selection time.

14. A computer program product for retrieving a hyperlink associated with a recorded program previously broadcast on a channel when the recorded program is played back, the computer program product causing a device to record the program while being broadcast and to play back the recorded program, the device coupled to at least one server on a network, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable media having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to identify the channel that has previously broadcast the recorded program, the program recorded according to a universal time standard;

computer readable program code configured to recover a destination address within the network associated with the identified channel;

computer readable program code configured to recover from at least one server associated with the recovered destination address a universal start time corresponding to a start time of the broadcast of the program on the identified channel as identified by a universal-time device, the universal start time based on a satellite-based universal time;

computer readable program code configured to recover from the at least one server associated with the recovered destination address a universal time interval corresponding to one of a duration and an end time of the broadcast of the program on the identified channel, wherein the program comprises a plurality of hyperlinks displayed simultaneously and at least one destination address associated with each of the hyperlinks, each of the hyperlinks alive in the program for a time interval defined by a universal start time corresponding to a start time within the broadcast of the program and a duration or a universal end time corresponding to a respective duration or end time within the broadcast of the program, and wherein the universal start time of the broadcast of the program, the universal time interval of the broadcast of the program, and the destination address, universal start time, and duration or universal end time of each of the hyperlinks are stored in a program timing table in the at least one server associated with the recovered destination address;

computer readable program code configured to access the program timing file and retrieving therefrom information for the recovered universal start time and the universal time interval of the broadcast program utilizing the recovered destination address, the information accessed comprising information defining the time that each of the hyperlinks in the program are alive including the universal time interval associated with each of the hyperlinks and the at least one destination address within the network associated with each of the hyperlinks, the hyperlinks selectable in accessing multimedia information;

computer readable program code configured to synchronize the recovered universal start time and the recovered universal time interval of the broadcast program with the universal start time and the universal time interval associated with each of the hyperlinks according to the same universal time;

computer readable program code configured to compute for each of the hyperlinks, a relative start time and a relative time interval, the relative start time computed by subtracting the universal start time of the broadcast program from the universal start time associated with a hyperlink, the relative start time, the relative time interval, and the at least one address associated with each of the hyperlinks stored in a local program timing table in the device;

computer readable program code configured to start a program timer at the start of playback of the recorded program;

computer readable program code configured to receive a selection command and, responsive to receipt of the selection command, determining based on the program timer, a selection time corresponding to a time from the start of playback to a time when the selection command is received; and

computer readable program code configured to identify and retrieve, during playback of the recorded program, from the local program table, a destination addresses associated with at least one of a plurality of hyperlinks displayed in the recorded program simultaneously based on the relative time interval associated with a displayed hyperlink and on the selection time.