Advanced television system

• US 8,397,255 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2006
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Synamedia Limited
• Original Assignee: NDS Limited (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wachtfogel, Reuven, Richardson, David, Kipnis, Shlomo, Maissel, Jonathan, Tsuria, Yossef, Silver, Yonatan
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheleheda, James R
• Application Number:
  US11/599,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20070067800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,310 Days
• Field of Search: 725/32, 725/34, 725/35, 725/36, 386/239, 386/248, 386/249, 386/250
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/213 Read-only discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/216 Rewritable discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2516 Hard disks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2575 DVD-RAMs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/455 said record carriers being in one device and being used as primary and secondary/backup media, e.g. HDD-DVD combo device, or as source and target media, e.g. PC and portable player
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/024 on tapes G11B27/028, G11B27/029 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/032 on tapes G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• 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 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• 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 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 : being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/4112 : having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• 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 21/42204 : User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 : Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 : for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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 21/4331 : Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/44016 : involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• 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 21/4532 : 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 21/4622 : 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 21/466 : Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 : for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• 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 21/4722 : for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 : for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 : Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 : Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• 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 21/8456 : by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• 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 5/445 : for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 : Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• 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 5/781 : 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 5/84 : using optical recording H04N5/80, H04N5/89, H04N5/91 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0887 : for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 : for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction

Abstract

A digital television recording method comprising: broadcasting a television program associated with a broadcaster set of parameters enabling access to a first set of predetermined portions of the program; operating an agent for determining whether to record the program and for associating with the program, upon recording of the program, an agent set of parameters enabling access to a second set of predetermined portions of the program; storing the program together with the broadcaster set of parameters and the agent set of parameters to generate an addressable program; retrieving at least a portion of the addressable program; displaying the at least a portion of the addressable program to a user; receiving from the user a user set of parameters enabling access to a third set of predetermined portions of the addressable program; editing the addressable program to include the user set of parameters enabling access to the third set of predetermined portions of the addressable program thereby generating an edited addressable program; and storing the edited addressable program.

Claims

1. A method for use with a transmission system, said transmission system comprising:

a headend for transmitting program material including full-length commercials, and a multiplicity of user locations, the method comprising;

receiving at a user location the program material being transmitted from the headend;

receiving at the user location a set of parameters associated with a particular full-length commercial that is included in the program material;

the set of parameters comprising a tag that, at least unless certain predetermined conditions exist, disables at least one of a fast-forward mode and a fast-backward mode;

in response to a user requesting one of the fast-forward mode and the fast-backward mode during a portion of the program material, determining whether the tag is associated with the portion of the program material and, if the tag is associated with the portion of the program material, whether the requested mode is disabled; and

if the determining step indicates that the requested mode is not disabled, rendering for display a specially prepared meaningful shortened version of a full-length commercial regardless of whether the portion of the program material is a commercial.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tag is not associated with the portion of the program material, and the shortened version is rendered.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the tag is associated with the portion of the program material but the requested mode is not disabled, and the shortened version is rendered.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the tag is associated with the portion of the program material and the requested mode is disabled, and the shortened version is not rendered.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the shortened version has a duration of approximately three seconds.

6. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising:

after rendering the shortened version for display, rendering for display other shortened versions of other full-length commercials throughout a duration of the portion of the program material for as long as the requested mode remains requested but not disabled.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined conditions are selected from a group consisting of:

the particular full-length commercial has been displayed at the user location a predetermined number of times, a predetermined number of commercials has been displayed at the user location during a predetermined time period, the requested mode is requested during browsing through available programs, a cost for receiving the program material is greater if a predetermined number of commercials is not displayed at the user location during a predetermined time period.

8. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising recording commercial playback statistics including incrementing playback data for a specific full-length commercial when a corresponding shortened version of the specific full-length commercial is rendered for display in one of the fast-forward mode and the fast-backward mode.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting the commercial playback statistics to the headend.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

rendering for display at least a portion of the commercial playback statistics.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

deleting the corresponding shortened version of the specific full-length commercial based upon the commercial playback statistics.

12. A digital television recording apparatus for use with a transmission system, said transmission system comprising:

a headend for transmitting program material including full-length commercials, and a multiplicity of user locations, the apparatus comprising;

a receiver operative to receive the program material being transmitted from the headend, and to receive a set of parameters associated with a particular full-length commercial that is included in the program material;

the set of parameters comprising a tag that, at least unless certain predetermined conditions exist, disables at least one of a fast-forward mode and a fast-backward mode;

a processor operative to;

in response to a user requesting one of the fast-forward mode and the fast-backward mode during a portion of the program material, determine whether the tag is associated with the portion of the program material and, if the tag is associated with the portion of the program material, whether the requested mode is disabled; and

if there is a determination that the requested mode is not disabled, render for display a specially prepared meaningful shortened version of a full-length commercial regardless of whether the portion of the program material is a commercial.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein, in response to the requested mode, the processor is operative to render the shortened version for display, if the tag is not associated with the portion of the program material.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein, in response to the requested mode, the processor is operative to render the shortened version for display, if the tag is associated with the portion of the program material but the requested mode is not disabled.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein, in response to the requested mode, the processor is operative to render the portion of the program material for normal display, if the tag is associated with the portion of the program material and the requested mode is disabled.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the shortened version has a duration of approximately three seconds.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein, after rendering the shortened version for display, the processor is operative to render for display other shortened versions of other full-length commercials throughout a duration of the portion of the program material for as long as the requested mode remains requested but not disabled.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the predetermined conditions are selected from a group consisting of:

the particular full-length commercial has been displayed at a user location a predetermined number of times, a predetermined number of commercials has been displayed at the user location during a predetermined time period, the requested mode is requested during browsing through available programs, a cost for receiving the program material is greater if a predetermined number of commercials is not displayed at the user location during a predetermined time period.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a statistics manager operative to record commercial playback statistics including incrementing playback data for a specific full-length commercial when a corresponding shortened version of the specific full-length commercial is rendered for display in one of the fast-forward mode and the fast-backward mode.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a transmitter operative to transmit the commercial playback statistics to the headend.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is operative to render for display at least a portion of the commercial playback statistics.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a commercial manager operative to delete the corresponding shortened version of the specific full-length commercial based upon the commercial playback statistics.