System and method for content-based navigation of live and recorded TV and video programs

• US 9,020,326 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2005
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gibbon, David Crawford, Liu, Zhu, Shahraray, Behzad
• Primary Examiner(s): DANG, HUNG Q
• Application Number:
  US11/263,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20070050827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,466 Days
• Field of Search: 386/69, 386/83, 386/124, 386291-299, 386239-248, 386353-356
• US Class Current: 386/241
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• 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: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• 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 21/44008 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A system, method and computer-readable medium are presented for providing real-time content-based navigation of live video programming. The method aspect of the invention comprises receiving a live video program, generating an index to the received live video program by extracting images and/or text from the video program, recording the live video program, presenting at least a portion of data associated with the generated index to a user, receiving user input regarding a portion of the recorded video program to which the user desires to navigate and playing back the recorded video program starting at the navigated portion identified by the user input.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a broadcast video program from a network from a first source;

receiving an indication of a portion of interest in the broadcast video program;

after receiving the indication of the portion of interest;

generating an index to the broadcast video program, wherein the index;

comprises scenes associated with the portion of interest;

comprises scenes which are not associated with the portion of interest;

is generated independent of index information transmitted with the broadcast video program; and

is generated by combining extracted images and text from the broadcast video program with network-based content provided by an external source, the network-based content being transmitted separately from the broadcast video program; and

automatically, via a processor and without user input, supplementing the index with the network-based content as the index is generated, wherein the network-based content is from a second source that is distinct from the first source;

presenting the index on a display, wherein presenting of the index occurs on a first computing device different from a second computing device which displays the broadcast video program, wherein the first computing device is a hand-held device comprising a touch-sensitive screen, wherein the handheld device presents the extracted images and text, and wherein the broadcast video program is navigated via touch input received from the touch-sensitive screen of the hand-held device;

receiving user input regarding a location of the broadcast video program to navigate to based on the index; and

playing the broadcast video program, on the display, starting at the location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network-based content is transmitted concurrently with the broadcast video program.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the external source is a server connected via the Internet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the index further comprises using one of:

a content-based sampling module to extract images, a textual module to extract text, and an automatic speech recognition module to extract text.

5. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving a broadcast video program from a network from a first source;

receiving an indication of a portion of interest in the broadcast video program;

after receiving the indication of the portion of interest;

generating an index to the broadcast video program, wherein the index;

comprises scenes associated with the portion of interest;

comprises scenes which are not associated with the portion of interest;

is generated independent of index information transmitted with the broadcast video program; and

is generated by combining extracted images and text from the broadcast video program with network-based content provided by an external source, the network-based content being transmitted separately from the broadcast video program; and

automatically, via a processor and without user input, supplementing the index with the network-based content as the index is generated, wherein the network-based content is from a second source that is distinct from the first source;

presenting the index on a display, wherein presenting of the index occurs on a first computing device different from a second computing device which displays the broadcast video program, wherein the first computing device is a hand-held device comprising a touch-sensitive screen, wherein the handheld device presents the extracted images and text, and wherein the broadcast video program is navigated via touch input received from the touch-sensitive screen of the hand-held device;

receiving user input regarding a location of the broadcast video program to navigate to based on the index; and

playing the broadcast video program, on the display, starting at the location.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the network-based content is transmitted concurrently with the broadcast video program.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the external source is a server connected via the Internet.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein generating the index to the broadcast video program further comprises using one of:

a content-based sampling module to extract images, a textual module to extract text and an automatic speech recognition module to extract text.

9. A computer-readable storage device having instructions stored which, when executed by a computing device cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a broadcast video program from a network from a first source;

receiving an indication of a portion of interest in the broadcast video program;

after receiving the indication of the portion of interest;

generating an index to the broadcast video program, wherein the index;

comprises scenes associated with the portion of interest;

comprises scenes which are not associated with the portion of interest;

is generated independent of index information transmitted with the broadcast video program; and

is generated by combining extracted images and text from the broadcast video program with network-based content provided by an external source, the network-based content being transmitted separately from the broadcast video program; and

automatically, via a processor and without user input, supplementing the index with the network-based content as the index is generated, wherein the network-based content is from a second source that is distinct from the first source;

presenting the index on a display, wherein presenting of the index occurs on a first computing device different from a second computing device which displays the broadcast video program, wherein the first computing device is a hand-held device comprising a touch-sensitive screen, wherein the handheld device presents the extracted images and text, and wherein the broadcast video program is navigated via touch input received from the touch-sensitive screen of the hand-held device;

receiving user input regarding a location of the broadcast video program to navigate to based on the index; and

playing the broadcast video program, on the display, starting at the location.

10. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the network-based content is transmitted concurrently with the broadcast video program.

11. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein generating the index further comprises using one of:

a content-based sampling module to extract images, a textual module to extract text, and an automatic speech recognition module to extract text.