System and method of analyzing internet protocol television content credits information

• US 8,938,761 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: White, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marandi, James R
• Application Number:
  US12/558,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20110067077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,954 Days
• US Class Current: 725/53
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/34 Recording or statistical evaluation of computer activity, e.g. of down time, of input/output operation ; Recording or statistical evaluation of user activity, e.g. usability assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/50 Allocation of resources, e.g. of the central processing unit [CPU]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/258 Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30
• 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 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• 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 21/442 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 21/4532 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 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82

Abstract

An Internet Protocol television (IPTV) system is disclosed. The system includes a selector module that is adapted to select a content item based upon metadata information associated with the content item and send the content item to a first set-top box. The content is recorded and video information associated with the content item is analyzed using a video interpretation algorithm, and credits information associated with the content item is obtained from the set-top-box.

Claims

1. A server device, comprising:

a memory to store computer instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operation comprising;

selecting a content item for analysis of metadata information associated with the content item based on a personalization profile of a subscriber of content services;

identifying a first set-top box that has available data analysis content storage space, wherein data analysis content storage space comprises a portion of storage of a digital video recorder of the first set-top box reserved for use by the server for data analysis;

streaming the content item to the first set-top box as a transmitted content item, wherein the first set-top box analyzes the transmitted content item according to the personalization profile while the transmitted content item is being streamed to the first set-top box to identify a list of search terms;

obtaining credits information as received credits information associated with the transmitted content item at the first set-top box, wherein the credits information is obtained from the analysis of the transmitted content item, and

determining if the transmitted content item satisfies an interest analysis based on the personalization profile of the subscriber; and

responsive to determining the transmitted content item satisfies the interest analysis, providing an alert at the first set-top box that the transmitted content is available.

2. The server device of claim 1, wherein, responsive to determining that the transmitted content item does not satisfy the interest analysis, instructing the first set-top box to erase the transmitted content item.

3. The server device of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the received credits information does not match the search term; and

transmitting the instruction to the first set-top box in response to making the determination.

4. The server device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the received credits information matches the search term; and

transmitting a recommendation to view the content item to the first set-top box associated with the subscriber in response to making the determination.

5. The server device of claim 1, wherein the credits information is located at a beginning or at an end of the transmitted content item.

7. The set-top box device of claim 1, wherein, responsive to determining that the content item does not satisfy the interest analysis, the operations further comprise erasing the transmitted content item.

6. A set-top box device, comprising:

a memory to store computer instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operation comprising;

receiving an inquiry from an interactive television network whether the set-top box device has available data analysis content storage space, wherein data analysis content storage space comprises a portion of storage of a digital video recorder of the set-top box reserved for use by the interactive television network for data analysis;

receiving a content item streamed from the interactive television network responsive to responding to the inquiry that the set-top box device has the available data analysis content storage space;

analyzing the content item while it is being streamed according to a personalization profile of a subscriber;

sending credits information to the interactive television network, wherein the credits information is obtained from the analysis of the content item;

determining if the content item satisfies an interest analysis based on the personalization profile of the subscriber; and

responsive to determining the content item satisfies the interest analysis, providing an alert at the set-top box that the content is available.

8. The set-top box device of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a recommendation to view the content item according to a determination that the credits information comprises a search term.

9. The set-top box device of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a recommendation to erase the content item according to a determination that the credits information does not comprise a search term.

10. The set-top box device of claim 6, wherein the credits information is located at a beginning of the content item.

11. The set-top box device of claim 6, wherein the credits information is located at an end of the content item.

12. A method, the method comprising:

inquiring, by a system comprising a processor, whether a first set-top box device has available data analysis content storage space, wherein data analysis content storage space comprises a portion of storage of a digital video recorder of the first set-top box reserved for use by an interactive television network for data analysis;

responsive to responding that the set-top box device has the available data analysis content storage space, streaming, by the system, a content item to a first set-top box via the interactive television network;

directing, by the system, the first set-top box to analyze the content item according to a personalization profile of a subscriber while the content item is being streamed;

receiving, by the system, credits information from the first set-top box obtained by the first set-top box from the analysis of the content item;

determining if the content item satisfies an interest analysis based on the personalization profile of the subscriber; and

responsive to determining the content item satisfies the interest analysis, providing an alert at the set-top box that the content is available.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, by the system, a selection of the content item based upon metadata information associated with the content item; and

sending, by the system, an instruction to the first set-top box to erase the content item.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the instruction is sent responsive to receiving the credits information.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining, by the system, that the credits information does not include a search term; and

in response to determining that the credits information does not include the search term, sending, by the system, the instruction to the first set-top box.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first set-top box includes a recommendation module for generating the recommendation to view the content item.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, by the system, a selection of the content item;

determining, by the system, that the credits information includes a search term; and

in response to determining that the credits information includes the search term, sending, by the system, a recommendation to view the content item to a second set-top box associated with the subscriber, wherein the first set-top box differs from the second set-top box.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the credits information is located at a beginning or at an end of the content item.