System and method for providing synchronized events to a television application

• US 8,832,754 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2003
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications Management LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TVWorks LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Thompson, Matthew, Vickers, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): ALAM, MUSHFIKH I
• Application Number:
  US10/430,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20030229899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,145 Days
• Field of Search: 725/54, 725 32- 36
• US Class Current: 725/93
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• 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 21/43074 of additional data with content streams on the same device, e.g. of EPG data or interactive icon with a TV program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/442 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/29; arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information H04H60/35; monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; monitoring in wireless networks H04W24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A set top box client in an enhanced television system stores a table associating time references with events. The table is accessed to synchronize the delivery of events to an enhanced television application that is associated with an underlying video program. The enhanced television system delivers broadcast video, video-on-demand and video from a storage component such as a personal video recorder or a digital video disk player. The enhanced television system further provides an application that provides enhancements to an associated video program by overlaying a user interface, by providing overlaid graphical and/or text information or by providing additional audio information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a device, a time code with a video program from a server, the time code indicating an elapsed video time since a start of the video program;

determining that the elapsed video time corresponds to a time reference in an event table accessed by the device, wherein the event table correlates the time reference with an event reference that identifies an event that is executable by an application on the device; and

triggering the application to execute the event in response to the determining, wherein the event table further provides an association between the event reference and auxiliary information, which is updated to indicate whether the event reference has been communicated to the application.

2. The method of claim 1, the application being a synchronized television application.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the event table before receiving the video program.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the event table in part after receiving part of the video program.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the elapsed video time to the time reference in the event table; and

providing the application the event reference in response to the comparison satisfying a predetermined criterion.

6. The method of claim 5, the predetermined criterion being whether the time reference is the same as the elapsed video time.

7. The method of claim 5 the predetermined criterion being whether the time reference is the same as the elapsed video time within a predetermined non-zero threshold.

8. The method of claim 5 the predetermined criterion being whether the time reference is less than the elapsed video time.

9. The method of claim 1, the receiving of the time code with the video program comprising receiving the video program and the time code at the device from a local video storage.

10. The method of claim 1, the time code being embedded in the video program.

11. The method of claim 1, the determining that the elapsed video time corresponds to the time reference in the event table accessed by the device being performed by referring to the event table periodically.

12. The method of claim 1, the determining that the elapsed video time corresponds to the time reference in the event table accessed by the device comprising:

determining a time period between the time reference and a sequential previous time reference in the event table, wherein the time reference and the sequential previous time reference are non-zero time offsets from the start of the video program; and

determining when the elapsed video time corresponds to the time period.

13. The method of claim 12, the elapsed video time resetting once it corresponds to the time period.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary information further indicates how many times the event reference has been communicated to the application.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary information further indicates one of a hardware and software requirement for executing the event.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary information further indicates a parental control rating for the event.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary information further indicates a skill level rating for the event.

18. The method of claim 1, the video program not being the event.

19. The method of claim 1, the auxiliary information further causing the event reference not to be communicated to the application.

20. A system comprising:

a device configured with an application for executing events, and with instructions that cause the device to;

receive a time code with a video program from a server, the time code indicating an elapsed video time since a start of the video program;

determine the elapsed video time corresponds to a time reference in an event table accessed by the device, wherein the event table correlates the time reference with an event reference that identifies an event that is executable by an application on the device; and

trigger the application to execute the event in response to the determining, wherein the event table comprises auxiliary information, which is updated to indicate whether the event reference has been communicated to the application.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the auxiliary information further indicates how many times the event has been communicated to the application.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the auxiliary information further indicates one of a hardware and software requirement for executing the event.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the auxiliary information further indicates a parental control rating for the event.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the auxiliary information further indicates a skill level rating for the event.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the auxiliary information further causes the event reference not to be communicated to the application.