System for transmitting information from a streamed program to external devices and media

• US 8,010,987 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2004
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Synamedia Limited
• Original Assignee: NDS Limited (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Skov, Soren, Praest, Peter, Thomsen, Soren, Nygaard, Kristian Knak, Darshan, Ezra
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton; Brian T
• Assistant Examiner(s): STRONCZER, RYAN S
• Application Number:
  US10/556,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20070094703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,646 Days
• Field of Search: 725/139, 725/141
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/40 for identifying broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26603 for automatically generating descriptors from content, e.g. when it is not made available by its provider, using content analysis techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• 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 21/8405 represented by keywords
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/91 Television signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method for selecting a section from a streamed broadcast program is disclosed. The method includes receiving a streamed broadcast program, rendering the received streamed broadcast program on a display, selecting a section from the received streamed broadcast program substantially when the section is rendered on the display, and producing an indication signal which enables identification of the section based on a time at which selection of the section was carried out with respect to rendering progress of the streamed broadcast program on the display. Related apparatus and methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting a video and/or audio sequence to a target device based on a selection of a streamed broadcast program, the streamed broadcast program being broadcast to a user for being rendered on a display, the selection being selected from the streamed broadcast program by the user pressing a key on a keypad of a user selection unit, the selection being made by the user at a selection time substantially when the selection is rendered on the display, the method comprising:

receiving an indication signal which enables identification of the selection based on the selection time at which the selection was selected;

computing the selection time when the user pressed the key on the keypad;

then

identifying the selection based on the computed selection time when the user pressed the key on the keypad with respect to rendering progress of the streamed broadcast program on the display, wherein the identifying includes identifying the selection based on the indication signal; and

then

transmitting the video and/or audio sequence based on the selection of the streamed broadcast program to at least one of an external device and an external medium;

wherein the receiving, the identifying and the transmitting are performed at a Headend.

2. The method according to claim 1 and wherein said identifying comprises:

the computing, based on the indication signal, of the selection time representing the time at which the selection was selected within a rendering period of the streamed broadcast program on the display; and

recognizing the selection as a discrete section which, in a sequential series of discrete sections constructed from the streamed broadcast program, corresponds to the selection time.

3. The method according to claim 2 and wherein each of the sections in the sequential series of discrete sections is tagged with a unique identification (UID), and the recognizing comprises determining a UID of the discrete section.

4. The method according to claim 1 and also comprising:

finding, in response to the identifying, a replacement section that relates to the selection; and

transmitting a video and/or audio sequence of the replacement section to at least one of the following;

the external device; and

the external medium.

5. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the external device comprises at least one of the following:

a mobile telephone;

a computing device;

an entertainment device;

a printer; and

a communication device.

6. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the external medium comprises at least one of the following:

a medium in the external device; and

a medium attached to the external device.

7. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the external medium comprises a memory stick.

8. The method according to claim 1 and also comprising receiving the video and/or audio sequence embedded in at least one of the following:

a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) message;

a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) push message;

a JAVA™

application; and

an electronic-mail (e-mail) message.

9. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the video and/or audio sequence is suitable for at least one of the following:

playing on the external device;

displaying on the external device;

editing via the external device; and

transmitting to another external device.

10. The method according to claim 1 and also comprising:

editing the video and/or audio sequence.

11. The method according to claim 10 and wherein the editing comprises at least one of the following:

cropping a displayed area of the video and/or audio sequence;

reducing a displayed area of the video and/or audio sequence; and

enlarging a displayed area of the video and/or audio sequence.

12. The method according to claim 10 and also comprising returning editing values of selection parameters in response to the editing.

13. The method according to claim 12 and wherein the returning comprises returning the editing values to a server.

14. The method according to claim 13 and wherein the server is associated with the headend.

15. The method according to claim 13 and wherein the server is comprised in the headend.

16. The method according to claim 12 and wherein the editing values comprise at least one of the following:

picture display coordinates;

picture size information;

information regarding picture elements positions; and

audio parameters.

17. The method according to claim 12 and also comprising:

processing the video and/or audio sequence and the editing values to produce a result comprising at least one of the following;

an edited video and/or audio sequence; and

a new video and/or audio sequence; and

transmitting the result, in response to the processing, to at least one of the external device and the external medium.

18. The method according to claim 1 and also comprising:

receiving a request to receive at least one of the following;

another video and/or audio sequence preceding the selection in the streamed broadcast program; and

another video and/or audio sequence following the selection in the streamed broadcast program.

19. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the streamed broadcast program comprises at least one of the following:

a streamed audio program;

a streamed video program;

a streamed A/V program; and

a streamed multimedia program.

20. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the streamed broadcast program comprises at least one of the following:

a television program;

an audio program;

a video clip;

an interactive television program;

a multimedia program; and

a multimedia presentation.

21. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the identifying comprises identifying the selection within an identification error range.

22. The method according to claim 1 and wherein:

the streamed broadcast program comprises an analog program;

the selecting comprises pressing a key on a telephone keypad; and

the computing comprises computing the selection time at a voice response system.

23. The method according to claim 22 and wherein the analog program comprises at least one of the following:

an audio program;

a video program;

an A/V program; and

a multimedia program.

24. The method according to claim 2 and wherein:

the streamed broadcast program comprises a digital program;

the user selection unit is a remote control having the key;

the selecting comprises pressing the key on the remote control; and

the computing comprises computing the selection time at a Headend.

25. The method according to claim 24 and wherein the digital program comprises at least one of the following:

an audio program;

a video program;

an A/V program; and

a multimedia program.

26. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the indication signal is received from an STB.

27. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the transmitting of the video and/or audio sequence comprises:

producing an indication of agreement by a user to pay for the transmitting of the video and/or audio sequence; and

transmitting the video and/or audio sequence in response to the producing.

28. The method according to claim 10 and wherein the editing comprises editing the video and/or audio sequence via one of the following:

the external device; and

an STB.

29. The method according to claim 1 and also comprising, prior to the selecting, inviting a user to select a desired selection.

30. The method according to claim 29 and wherein the inviting comprises displaying a message inviting the user to select the desired selection.

31. The method according to claim 29 and wherein the inviting comprises playing a message inviting the user to select the desired selection.

32. The method according to claim 1 and also comprising, prior to the selecting, accepting user input information comprising at least one of the following:

a user'"'"'s mobile telephone number;

a source of a video signal received at one of the display and a user'"'"'s STB;

a user'"'"'s mobile telephone type;

an indication indicating a mobile operator that provides cellular services for the user'"'"'s mobile telephone; and

a target mobile telephone number.

33. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the selection comprises a plurality of sub-sections, and the selecting comprises selecting a start sub-section and a stop sub-section from the plurality of sub-sections.

34. The method according to claim 33 and also comprising determining a timeout stop sub-section if the stop sub-section is not selected within a timeout period.

35. The method according to claim 33 and wherein the selecting comprises selecting the start sub-section by pressing on a first key of an input device, and selecting the stop sub-section by pressing on a second key of the input device.

36. The method according to claim 33 and wherein the selecting comprises selecting the start sub-section by pressing once on a key of an input device, and selecting the stop sub-section by pressing again on the key of the input device.

37. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the transmitting of the video and/or audio sequence comprises associating branding information identifying a provider of the streamed broadcast program with the video and/or audio sequence.

38. The method according to claim 37 and wherein the branding information comprises an owner rights code.

39. The method according to claim 3 and wherein the UID comprises an identifier based on a combination of values obtained from at least one of the following:

a time code;

a frame counter; and

a discontinuation counter.

40. The method according to claim 3 and wherein the UID comprises an identifier derived from a received broadcast transmission.

41. The method according to claim 3 and wherein the UID comprises an identifier derived from time information provided by an external clock.

42. The method according to claim 2 and wherein the computing also comprises performing computations correcting at least one of the following:

synchronization inaccuracies in at least one clock of at least one sub-system that is involved in computation of the selection time; and

effect of latencies in the at least one sub-system.

43. The method according to claim 2 and wherein the recognizing comprises:

finding a first preferred section and a second preferred section from a set of preferred sections representing the best sections of the sequential series of discrete sections, the first preferred section being the nearest preferred section before the discrete section that corresponds to the selection time, and the second preferred section being the nearest preferred section after the discrete section that corresponds to the selection time; and

selecting the selection as one of the first and the second preferred sections which is closer in the sequential series of discrete sections to the discrete section that corresponds to the selection time.

44. The method according to claim 43 and wherein the set of preferred sections comprises predefined preferred sections.

45. The method according to claim 43 and wherein the selecting of the selection as one of the first and the second preferred sections comprises selecting the selection as one of the first and the second preferred sections in response to a determination of the streamed broadcast program as a preview.

46. The method according to claim 43 and also comprising enabling linked access to external information via the selection.

49. A Headend System to perform the steps of the method of claim 1.

47. A system for transmitting a video and/or audio sequence to a target device based on a selection of a streamed broadcast program, the streamed broadcast program being broadcast to a user for being rendered on a display, the selection being selected from the streamed broadcast program by the user pressing a key on a keypad of a user selection unit, the selection being made by the user at a selection time substantially when the selection is rendered on the display, the system comprising:

a receiver for receiving an indication signal which enables identification of the selection based on the selection time at which the selection was selected, wherein the identifying includes identifying the selection based on the indication signal;

an identifier unit to;

compute the selection time when the user pressed the key on the keypad; and

then identify the selection based on the computed selection time when the user pressed the key on the keypad with respect to rendering progress of the streamed broadcast program on the display; and

a transmitting unit to transmit the video and/or audio sequence based on the selection of the streamed broadcast program to at least one of an external device and an external medium;

wherein the receiver, the identifier unit and the transmitting unit are comprised in a Headend.

48. A system for transmitting a video and/or audio sequence to a target device based on a selection of a streamed broadcast program, the streamed broadcast program being broadcast to a user for being rendered on a display, the selection being selected from the streamed broadcast program by the user pressing a key on a keypad of a user selection unit, the selection being made by the user at a selection time substantially when the selection is rendered on the display, the system comprising:

means for receiving an indication signal which enables identification of the selection based on the selection time at which the selection was selected, wherein the identifying includes identifying the selection based on the indication signal;

means for computing the selection time when the user pressed the key on the keypad;

means for identifying the selection based on the computed selection time when the user pressed the key on the keypad with respect to rendering progress of the streamed broadcast program on the display; and

means for transmitting the video and/or audio sequence based on the selection of the streamed broadcast program to at least one of an external device and an external medium,

wherein the means for receiving, the means for identifying and the means for transmitting are comprised in a Headend.