Closed caption tagging system

• US 8,036,514 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2005
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Barton, Jim, Chamberlin, David, Smith, Kevin, Look, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): ATALA, JAMIE JO
• Application Number:
  US11/182,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20050262539A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,280 Days
• Field of Search: 386/96, 386/125, 386/126, 386/45, 386/46, 386/104, 725/46, 725/44, 725/47
• US Class Current: 386/248
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• 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 21/4305 Synchronising client clock from received content stream, e.g. locking decoder clock with encoder clock, extraction of the PCR packets arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter by comparing receiver clock with transmitter clock H04L7/0012; arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter wherein the receiver takes measures against momentary loss of synchronisation H04L7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• 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 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 21/8455 : involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 : by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 : for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 : Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 : the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/79 : Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 : for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 : using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8233 : the additional signal being a character code signal

Abstract

A closed caption tagging system provides a mechanism for inserting tags into an audio or video television broadcast stream prior to or at the time of transmission. The tags contain command and control information that the receiver translates and acts upon. The receiver receives the broadcast stream and detects and processes the tags within the broadcast stream which is stored on a storage device that resides on the receiver. Program material from the broadcast stream is played back to the viewer from the storage device. Tags indicate the start and end points of a program segment. Program segments such as commercials are automatically replaced by the receiver with new program segments that are selected based on various criteria.

Claims

1. A method for automatic replacement of program segments in a multimedia television broadcast stream at a receiver, comprising:

receiving the multimedia television broadcast stream;

detecting a start point of a first program segment in the broadcast stream by detecting at least one tag in the broadcast stream, the at least one tag indicative of the start point of the first program segment in the broadcast stream;

wherein the at least one tag in the broadcast stream comprises at least;

a unique indicator identifying the tag, and a tag type located in the tag'"'"'s contents; and

substituting the first program segment with a new program segment from a plurality of new program segments during playback of the broadcast stream to a viewer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting an end point of the first program segment in the broadcast stream by detecting an end tag in the broadcast stream, the end tag indicative of the end point of the first program segment.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the tags are located in the closed caption area of the broadcast stream.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the new program segment is stored on a storage device on the receiver.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the storage device comprises one or more hard disks.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving new program segments via the broadcast stream; and

storing the new program segments on the storage device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the new program segments are stored at a remotely accessible location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the new program segment to be played back is selected based on criteria that includes any of:

locale, the time of day, program material, the viewer'"'"'s viewing habits, the viewer'"'"'s program preferences, or the viewer'"'"'s personal information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the criteria may result in the first program segment not being substituted.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the new program segment is selected from a plurality of new program segments that have program objects describing features of the plurality of the new program segments, wherein the features are used to select a best matching new program segment.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a rotation mechanism is used when selecting the new program segment to avoid ad burnout.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein a tag, received in the broadcast stream, comprises a duration of the first program segment.

12. An apparatus for automatic replacement of program segments in a multimedia television broadcast stream at a receiver, comprising:

one or more processors;

a receiving module, wherein the receiving module receives the multimedia television broadcast stream;

a detection module, wherein the detection module detects a start point of a first program segment in the broadcast stream by detecting at least one tag in the broadcast stream, the at least one tag indicative of the start point of the first program segment in the broadcast stream;

wherein the at least one tag in the broadcast stream comprises at least;

a unique indicator identifying the tag, and a tag type located in the tag'"'"'s contents; and

a substitution module, wherein the substitution module substitutes the first program segment with a new program segment from a plurality of new program segments during playback of the broadcast stream to a viewer.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the detection module detects an end point of the first program segment in the broadcast stream by detecting an end tag in the broadcast stream, the end tag indicative of the end point of the first program segment.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the tags are located in the closed caption area of the broadcast stream.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the new program segment is stored on a storage device on the receiver.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the storage device comprises one or more hard disks.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a program segment receiving module, wherein the program segment receiving module receives new program segments via the broadcast stream; and

a storage module, wherein the storage module stores the new program segments on the storage device.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the new program segments are stored at a remotely accessible location.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the new program segment to be played back is selected based on criteria that includes any of:

locale, the time of day, program material, the viewer'"'"'s viewing habits, the viewer'"'"'s program preferences, or the viewer'"'"'s personal information.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the criteria may result in the first program segment not being substituted.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the new program segment is selected from a plurality of new program segments that have program objects describing features of the plurality of the new program segments, wherein the features are used to select a best matching new program segment.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a rotation mechanism is used when selecting the new program segment to avoid ad burnout.

35. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a tag, received in the broadcast stream, comprises a duration of the first program segment.

23. A program storage medium readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for automatic replacement of program segments in a multimedia television broadcast stream at a receiver, comprising:

receiving the multimedia television broadcast stream;

detecting a start point of a first program segment in the broadcast stream by-detecting at least one tag in the broadcast stream, the at least one tag indicative of the start point of the first program segment in the broadcast stream;

wherein the at least one tag in the broadcast stream comprises at least;

a unique indicator identifying the tag, and a tag type located in the tag'"'"'s contents; and

substituting the first program segment with a new program segment from a plurality of new program segments during playback of the broadcast stream to a viewer.

24. The program storage medium of claim 23, wherein the steps further comprise detecting an end point of the first program segment in the broadcast stream by detecting an end tag in the broadcast stream, the end tag indicative of the end point of the first program segment.

25. The program storage medium of claim 24, wherein the tags are located in the closed caption area of the broadcast stream.

26. The program storage medium of claim 23, wherein the new program segment is stored on a storage device on the receiver.

27. The program storage medium of claim 26, wherein the storage device comprises one or more hard disks.

28. The program storage medium of claim 26, wherein the steps further comprising:

receiving new program segments via the broadcast stream; and

storing the new program segments on the storage device.

29. The program storage medium of claim 23, wherein the new program segments are stored at a remotely accessible location.

30. The program storage medium of claim 23, wherein the new program segment to be played back is selected based on criteria that includes any of:

locale, the time of day, program material, the viewer'"'"'s viewing habits, the viewer'"'"'s program preferences, or the viewer'"'"'s personal information.

31. The program storage medium of claim 30, wherein the criteria may result in the first program segment not being substituted.

32. The program storage medium of claim 30, wherein the new program segment is selected from a plurality of new program segments that have program objects describing features of the plurality of the new program segments, wherein the features are used to select a best matching new program segment.

33. The program storage medium of claim 23, wherein a rotation mechanism is used when selecting the new program segment to avoid ad burnout.

36. The program storage medium of claim 23, wherein a tag, received in the broadcast stream, comprises a duration of the first program segment.