Method and system for automatic insertion of interactive TV triggers into a broadcast data stream

• US 9,788,058 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2001
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications Management LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: de Andrade, David, Sahota, Ranjit
• Primary Examiner(s): Saltarelli, Dominic D
• Application Number:
  US98/416,44
• Time in Patent Office: 6,014 Days
• Field of Search: 725109-114, 725136-142, 725 18- 19, 725 32- 36, 709217-219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for automatic insertion of interactive television (TV) triggers into a broadcast data stream. The automatic insertion of the Interactive TV trigger can be based on recognition of one or more elements within the broadcast data stream. In particular, a recognized element can trigger the insertion of the interactive TV trigger into the broadcast data stream. Furthermore, the interactive TV trigger can be pre-inserted into the stored broadcast content having the recognized element prior to being broadcast.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device located at a distribution point within a distribution network, a first transmission comprising a video data stream, wherein the receiving is from a source located remotely from the distribution point, and wherein the first transmission is received by the computing device via the distribution network during delivery of the video data stream to a terminal;

determining, by the computing device and in response to the receiving, a first pattern in the video data stream received in the first transmission;

generating, in response to the determining the first pattern, a modified video data stream by inserting, into the video data stream, a first interactive trigger associated with the first pattern;

transmitting, to the terminal, a second transmission comprising the modified video data stream, wherein the transmitting is by the computing device via the distribution network and is in response to the generating;

determining, by the terminal, a second pattern in the modified video data stream received in the second transmission; and

inserting a second interactive trigger associated with the second pattern into the modified video data stream in response to the determining of the second pattern.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the first pattern or the second pattern comprises a voice pattern.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the first pattern or the second pattern comprises an audio pattern.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the first pattern or the second pattern comprises a video pattern.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the first pattern or the second pattern comprises a text pattern.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first interactive trigger or the second interactive trigger comprises an Advanced Television Enhancement Forum (ATVEF) trigger.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first pattern or the second pattern comprises a media pattern.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a third pattern in the video data stream received in the first transmission; and

inserting a third interactive trigger associated with the third pattern into the modified video data stream comprised in the second transmission.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving, by the computing device, of the first transmission comprises receiving the first transmission from the source located remotely from the computing device via a satellite.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing dynamically the generating of the modified video data stream in the second transmission.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device at a distribution point within a distribution network, a first transmission comprising media content, the first transmission being received through the distribution network from a source located remotely from the distribution point;

determining, by the computing device at the distribution point and in response to the receiving, a plurality of audio or video patterns within the media content; and

inserting, automatically in response to the determining, a plurality of interactive triggers associated with the plurality of audio or video patterns into the media content at multiple points along a delivery path of the media content to a terminal, wherein the inserting at one of the multiple points comprises inserting at least one of the plurality of interactive triggers into the media content prior to transmitting the media content to the terminal, and wherein the inserting at another one of the multiple points comprises inserting at least another one of the plurality of interactive triggers into the media content after reception of the media content by the terminal.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising performing the inserting of the plurality of interactive triggers dynamically with the transmitting of the media content to the terminal.

13. A system comprising:

one or more computer servers located at a distribution point within a distribution network; and

a terminal connected to the distribution network,

wherein the one or more computer servers are configured to;

receive, from a source located remotely from the distribution point, a first transmission comprising a video data stream, wherein the one or more computer servers are configured to receive the first transmission during delivery of the video data stream from the source to the terminal;

determine, in response to the reception of the first transmission, a first pattern in the video data stream received in the first transmission;

generate, in response to the determination of the first pattern, a modified video data stream by inserting a first interactive trigger associated with the first pattern into the video data stream; and

transmit, via the distribution network and in response to the generation of the modified video data stream, a second transmission comprising the modified video data stream; and

wherein the terminal is configured to;

determine a second pattern in the modified video data stream received in the second transmission, and

insert a second interactive trigger associated with the second pattern into the modified video data stream in response to the determination by the terminal of the second pattern.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first pattern or the second pattern comprises a voice pattern, an audio pattern, a video pattern, a text pattern, a media pattern, or combinations thereof.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the first interactive trigger or the second interactive trigger comprises an Advanced Television Enhancement Forum (ATVEF) trigger.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more computer servers are configured to:

determine a third pattern in the video data stream received in the first transmission; and

insert a third interactive trigger associated with the third pattern into the modified video data stream comprised in the second transmission.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more computer servers are configured to:

receive, at the distribution point, the first transmission from the source located remotely from the distribution point via a satellite.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more computer servers are configured to:

perform dynamically the generation of the modified video data stream in the second transmission.

19. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing device at a distribution point within a network, a first pattern in a video stream received from a remote source;

transmitting, by the computing device and responsive to the determining of the first pattern, a modified version of the video stream over the network to a terminal, wherein the modified version of the video stream includes a first interactive trigger inserted into the video stream;

determining, by the terminal, a second pattern in the modified version of the video stream; and

inserting, by the terminal and responsive to the determining of the second pattern, a second interactive trigger into the modified version of the video stream.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first pattern comprises at least one of an image pattern, and audio pattern, a voice pattern, and a text pattern.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the video stream is received from the remote source via a satellite link.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising inserting, automatically and dynamically, the first interactive trigger into the modified version of the video stream being transmitted.