Method and system for receiving and processing digital content

• US 8,813,153 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Brotz, Mario Udo, Wang, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruckart, Benjamin R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malangone, Carmine
• Application Number:
  US13/826,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20130227599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 725/51, 725/112, 709/217
• US Class Current: 725/112
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4349 by extracting from data carousels, e.g. extraction of software modules from a DVB carousel
• 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 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 21/4622 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 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

An intelligent device is configured to receive a DTV signal that includes audio/visual information as well as data signals in a datacast format. The datacast format includes web pages, e.g., in the HTML (hypertext markup language) format of the world wide web. An intelligent filter modifies itself based on user behavior and user preferences in terms of the web pages that a viewer routinely visits. The intelligent filter is then used to identify certain web pages of the pages that are being broadcast and these identified web pages are stored in a cache memory for later use by the viewer. A second tuner can be used to poll multiple channels when updating the cached contents. Cached web pages avoid broadcast latencies (due to periodic updating) and thereby are displayed faster to the viewer.

Claims

1. A method of managing digital content, the method comprising:

scanning a first channel for a first portion of digital content;

responsive to not detecting the first portion of digital content at least during a time period, ceasing scanning the first channel and scanning a second channel for the first portion of digital content;

responsive to detecting the first portion of digital content during the time period, accessing the first portion of digital content using the first channel;

comparing a first identifier to a plurality of identifiers to determine whether the plurality of identifiers comprises the first identifier, wherein the first identifier is associated with the first portion of digital content and wherein the plurality of identifiers is established based on past user downloading of digital content and not on user input of preferences;

responsive to a determination that the plurality of identifiers comprises the first identifier, storing the first portion of digital content in a memory of the digital electronic system, wherein the storing is performed contemporaneously with a processing of other content accessed using a second channel;

responsive to a user request for a second portion of digital content,

determining if the second portion of digital content is stored in the memory; and

accessing the second portion of digital content from the memory responsive to a determination that the second portion of digital content is stored in the memory.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

recording a plurality of counts associated with the plurality of identifiers, wherein each of the plurality of counts is associated with a number of times a respective portion of digital content has been accessed by the digital electronic system; and

ranking the plurality of identifiers based on the plurality of counts.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

determining, based on the plurality of counts, that the second portion of digital content has been accessed fewer times than the first portion of digital content; and

responsive to the determining, removing the second identifier from the plurality of identifiers.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

recording a plurality of timestamps associated with the plurality of identifiers, wherein each of the plurality of timestamps is associated with a respective time at which a respective portion of digital content has been accessed by the digital electronic system;

determining, based on the plurality of timestamps, that the second portion of digital content has not been accessed by the digital electronic system for a predetermined period of time; and

responsive to the determining, removing the second identifier from the plurality of identifiers.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

supplying the second portion of digital content for display on a display device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion of digital content is selected from a group consisting of audio and video.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user request is input to the digital electronic system via an input device, and wherein the input device is selected from a group consisting of a remote control, a keyboard, a mouse, a cursor directing device, and a joystick.

8. A system comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory comprises instructions that when executed by the system implement a method of managing digital content, the method comprising:

accessing a first portion of digital content using a first channel, wherein the first channel is selected under program control by a component of a digital electronic system;

comparing a first identifier to a plurality of identifiers to determine whether the plurality of identifiers comprises the first identifier, wherein the first identifier is associated with the first portion of digital content wherein the plurality of identifiers is established based on past user downloading of digital content;

responsive to a determination that the plurality of identifiers comprises the first identifier, storing the first portion of digital content in a memory of the digital electronic system, wherein the storing is performed with a processing of other content accessed using a second channel; and

responsive to a user request for a second portion of digital content, accessing the second portion of digital content from the memory if the second portion of digital content is stored in the memory.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

recording a plurality of counts associated with the plurality of identifiers, wherein each of the plurality of counts is associated with a number of times a respective portion of digital content has been accessed by the digital electronic system; and

ranking the plurality of identifiers based on the plurality of counts.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

determining, based on the plurality of counts, that the second portion of digital content has been accessed fewer times than the first portion of digital content; and

responsive to the determining, removing the second identifier from the plurality of identifiers.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

recording a plurality of timestamps associated with the plurality of identifiers, wherein each of the plurality of timestamps is associated with a respective time at which a respective portion of digital content has been accessed by the digital electronic system;

determining, based on the plurality of timestamps, that the second portion of digital content has not been accessed by the digital electronic system for a predetermined period of time; and

responsive to the determining, removing the second identifier from the plurality of identifiers.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

supplying the second portion of digital content for display on a display device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the first portion of digital content is selected from a group consisting of audio and video.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the user request is input to the digital electronic system via an input device, and wherein the input device is selected from a group consisting of a remote control, a keyboard, a mouse, a cursor directing device, and a joystick.

15. A computer-readable memory having computer-readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer system to perform a method of managing digital content in a digital electronic system, the method comprising:

accessing a first portion of digital content using a first channel;

comparing a first identifier to a plurality of identifiers to determine whether the plurality of identifiers comprises the first identifier, wherein the first identifier is associated with the first portion of digital content, wherein the plurality of identifiers is established based on past user downloading of digital content;

responsive to a determination that the plurality of identifiers comprises the first identifier, storing the first portion of digital content in a memory of the digital electronic system, wherein the storing is performed with a processing of other content accessed using a second channel;

responsive to a user request for a second portion of digital content,

determining if the second portion of digital content is stored in the memory; and

accessing the second portion of digital content from the memory if the second portion of digital content is stored in the memory otherwise accessing the second portion of digital content over the internet.

16. The computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

recording a plurality of counts associated with the plurality of identifiers, wherein each of the plurality of counts is associated with a number of times a respective portion of digital content has been accessed by the digital electronic system; and

ranking the plurality of identifiers based on the plurality of counts.

17. The computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

determining, based on the plurality of counts, that the second portion of digital content has been accessed fewer times than the first portion of digital content; and

responsive to the determining, removing the second identifier from the plurality of identifiers.

18. The computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

recording a plurality of timestamps associated with the plurality of identifiers, wherein each of the plurality of timestamps is associated with a respective time at which a respective portion of digital content has been accessed by the digital electronic system;

determining, based on the plurality of timestamps, that the second portion of digital content has not been accessed by the digital electronic system for a predetermined period of time; and

responsive to the determining, removing the second identifier from the plurality of identifiers.

19. The computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

supplying the second portion of digital content for display on a display device.

20. The computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein the first portion of digital content is selected from a group consisting of audio and video.

21. The computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein the user request is input to the digital electronic system via an input device, and wherein the input device is selected from a group consisting of a remote control, a keyboard, a mouse, a cursor directing device, and a joystick.