Method and system for extracting relevant information from content metadata

• US 8,115,869 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2007
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Nguyen, Phuong, Kunjithapatham, Anugeetha, Sheshagiri, Mithun, Messer, Alan, Rathod, Priyang
• Primary Examiner(s): Harold, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desir, Jean W
• Application Number:
  US11/821,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20080204595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,694 Days
• Field of Search: 348/465, 348/468, 348/461, 348/460, 348/473, 348/552, 707/999.003, 707/E17.014, 725/136, 725/141, 725/137
• US Class Current: 348/465
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7844 using original textual content or text extracted from visual content or transcript of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• 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 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• 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

Abstract

A method and system for extracting relevant information from content metadata is provided. User access to content is monitored. A set of extraction rules for information extraction is selected. Key information is extracted from metadata for the content based on the selected extraction rules. Additionally, a type for the content can be determined, and a set of extraction rules is selected based on the content type. The key information is used in queries for searching information of potential interest to the user, related to the content accessed.

Claims

1. A method of extracting information from content metadata, comprising the steps of:

while content is being displayed on a device, periodically updating a first word buffer with words extracted from closed captioning information corresponding to content since a beginning of a program or story;

monitoring user interaction with the device to identify when a user provides user input indicating an interest in learning more information about content currently being displayed on the electronic device;

determining a genre of the content;

selecting a set of extraction rules for information extraction, based on the genre of the content, wherein the set of extraction rules differs from another set of extraction rules corresponding to a different genre;

extracting key information from the first word buffer based on the selected extraction rules;

constructing a query for information of potential interest to the user based on the key information; and

issuing the query to one or more data sources, returning results.

2. The method of claim 1 further including, while content is being displayed on the device, periodically updating a second word buffer with words extracted from closed captioning information corresponding to content based on a most recent n seconds, wherein n is a preset value, such that the second word buffer maintains keywords only present in the closed captioning information during the last n seconds of time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the extracting of key information includes extracting words from the second word buffer based on a frequency of words appearing in the first word buffer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a genre of the content includes examining an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) object for a currently playing program.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of extraction rules involves more aggressively selecting keywords if the genre is related to a high-content, factual program than with other genres.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein selecting a set of extraction rules further includes the step of selecting a set of extraction rules from a rules library based on the genre of the content, wherein the rules library includes a list of rules for extracting various keywords.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein extracting key information further includes the step of tokenizing closed captioned text for the TV program into one or more sentences.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein extracting key information further includes:

tagging each word of a sentence based on the content of each word in the sentence.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein extracting key information further includes extracting keywords from each tagged sentence based on the extraction rules.

10. The method of claim 3 wherein selecting a set of extraction rules based on the genre further includes selecting extraction rules by mapping from content to a set of rules from a number of rules in a rules library that includes rules for extracting various keywords.

11. The method of claim 1 further including the step of searching available sources for information of potential interest to the user based on the query.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of providing information of potential interest to the user.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the content is accessed via a consumer electronics (CE) device, such that the step of monitoring further includes the step of monitoring user interaction with the device.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of determining key information includes extracting key information from metadata for the content accessed via the device, based on the selected extraction rules.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of monitoring further includes monitoring which content the user chooses to access via the device.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of monitoring further includes monitoring the closed caption information provided via a channel that the user chooses to access via the device.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

providing the search results to the user as information of potential interest to the user;

receiving a user selection form the information of potential interest to the user; and

performing further searching of available sources for additional information of potential interest to the user based on the user selected information.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein:

the content is accessed via a CE device, and the device can be connected to a local area network; and

searching available sources further includes forming a query based on the key information and searching the Internet using the query.

19. An electronic device comprising:

an indexer configured to, while content is being displayed on the electronic device, periodically update a first word buffer with words extracted from closed captioning information corresponding to content since a beginning of a program or story;

a monitor configured for monitoring user interaction with the electronic device to identify when a user provides user input indicating an interest in learning more information about content currently being displayed on the electronic device;

a genre extractor configured to determine a genre of the content;

a rule selector configured for selecting a set of extraction rules for information extraction, based on the genre of the content, wherein the set of extraction rules differs from another set of extraction rules corresponding to a different genre; and

an information extractor configured for extracting key information from the first word buffer based on the selected extraction rules.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein the rule selector is further configured for selecting a set of extraction rules based on the content type.

21. The device of claim 20 wherein the content comprises a TV program and the metadata for the TV program comprises closed captioned information associated with the TV program.

22. The device of claim 21 wherein the genre extractor is further configured for determining a genre for the content by extracting a genre for the TV program from an electronic program guide (EPG) object.

23. The device of claim 20 wherein the rule selector is further configured for selecting a set of extraction rules from a rules library based on the content type, wherein the rules library includes a list of rules for extracting various keywords.

24. The device of claim 21 wherein the information extractor includes a tokenizer configured for tokenizing closed captioned text for the TV program into on or more sentences.

25. The device of claim 24 wherein the information extractor further includes a tagger configured for tagging each word of a sentence based on the context of each word in the sentence.

26. The device of claim 25 wherein the information extractor further includes a rule engine configured for extracting keywords from each tagged sentence based on the extraction rules.

27. The device of claim 20 wherein the rule extractor is further configured for selecting extraction rules by mapping from content to a set of rules from a number of rules in a rules library that includes rules for extracting various keywords.

28. The device of claim 19 further comprising a search module configured for searching available sources for information of potential interest to the user based on said key information.

29. The device of claim 28 further comprising a user interface configured for providing information of potential interest to the user.

30. The device of claim 28 wherein the search module is further configured for forming a query based on the key information, and searching an external network using the query.

31. The device of claim 19 wherein the monitor is further configured for monitoring closed caption information provided via a channel that the user chooses to access via the device.

32. The device of claim 28 further comprising a user interface configured for

providing the search results to the user as information of potential interest to the user, and receiving a user selection from the information of potential interest to the user;

wherein the searching module is further configured for performing further searching of available sources for additional information of potential interest to the user based on the user selected information.

33. The device of claim 31 wherein the device comprises a consumer electronics (CE) device.

34. The device of claim 33 wherein the CE device is configured for connection to a local area network.

35. The device of claim 31 wherein the device comprises a TV.