Method and apparatus for automatically altering viewed segments of television broadcast

• US 20060294566A1
• Filed: 03/14/2006
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wayne Zlattner
• Original Assignee: Wayne Zlattner
• Inventors: Zlattner, Wayne
• Application Number:
  US10/571,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20060294566A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/112
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/10 Arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or the distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/40 characterised in that additional data relating to the broadcast data are available via a different channel than the broadcast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/375 Commercial
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet
• 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 21/254 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 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4508 Management of client data or end-user data
• 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 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A system and method for identifying real time changes in broadcasted segments, communicating the changes over the Internet to a user PC (130) and performing pre-defined operation in response to the identified changes, including switching to another channel, changing the volume of the current channel, using IR/RF transceivers (140, 150).

Claims

1. A system for reporting selective changes in TV broadcasting content, comprising:

TV analysis means for detecting and reporting changes in TV broadcasted content for a plurality of channel; and

a Web Server in communication with said TV analysis means, for receiving said reported changes and for transmitting them to at least one subscriber, said Web Server storing a database of said plurality of channels and their current status;

wherein said transmitting comprises selectively transmitting a full status report for all said plurality of channels or a partial status report for a selected number of channels.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said TV analysis means is automatic.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said Web Server transmits a full status report to said at least one subscriber upon said subscriber connecting to the system.

4. A system for selectively changing viewed TV segments, comprising:

TV analysis means for detecting and communicating changes in TV broadcasted content for a plurality of channels;

a computer storing a database of desired selective changes in viewed TV segments, said computer in communication with said TV analysis means;

a first IR/RF transceiver in communication with said computer; and

a second IR/RF transceiver in communication with said first IR/RF transceiver and with at least one media device,

wherein said first and second IR/RF transceivers are operable to communicate from said computer to said at least one media device control signals for implementing said desired selective changes.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said TV analysis means is automatic.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein said at least one media device is selected from the group comprising:

cable decoder, satellite decoder, TV set, VCR, DVD player and receiver.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein said selective changes are selected from a group comprising:

switching to a different channel and changing the volume.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said database additionally comprises information about desired action following said selective change.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said desired action is selected from the group comprising:

switching back to the original channel, switching to a different channel and changing the volume.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein said first IR/RF transceiver is operable to receive IR signals from said computer, convert the IR signals to RF signals and transmit the RF signals to the second IR/RF transceiver.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said second IR/RF transceiver is operable to receive RF signals from the first IR/RF transceiver, convert them to IR signals and transmit the IR signals to said at least one media device.

12. The system of claim 4, additionally comprising a hand held remote control device, operable to transmit to said second IR/RF transceiver IR signals denoting change of viewed channel.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said second IR/RF transceiver is operable to convert said IR signals to RF signals and transmit the RF signals to said first IR/RF transceiver.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said first IR/RF transceiver is operable to convert said RF signals to IR signals and communicate the IR signals to said computer for synchronization.

15. A system for selectively changing viewed TV segments, comprising:

TV analysis means for detecting and reporting changes in TV broadcasted content for a plurality of channels;

a Web Server in communication with said TV analysis means, for receiving said reported changes and for transmitting them to at least one subscriber, said Web Server storing a database of said plurality of channels and their current status;

at least one subscriber computer storing a database of desired selective changes in viewed TV segments, said computer in communication with said Web Server;

a first IR/RF transceiver in communication with said computer; and

a second IR/RF transceiver in communication with said first IR/RF transceiver and with at least one media device,

wherein said first and second IR/RF transceivers are operable to communicate from said computer to said at least one media device control signals for implementing said desired selective changes.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said TV analysis means is automatic.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said Web Server transmits a full status report to said at least one subscriber upon said subscriber connecting to the system.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said at least one media device is selected from the group comprising:

cable decoder, satellite decoder, TV set, VCR, DVD player and receiver.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein said selective changes are selected from the group comprising:

switching to a different channel and changing the volume.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said database additionally comprises information about desired action following said selective change.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said desired action is selected from the group comprising:

switching back to the original channel, switching to a different channel and changing the volume.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein said first IR/RF transceiver is operable to receive IR signals from said computer, convert the IR signals to RF signals and transmit the RF signals to the second IR/RF transceiver.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said second IR/RF transceiver is operable to receive RF signals from the first IR/RF transceiver, convert them to IR signals and transmit the IR signals to said at least one media device.

24. The system of claim 15, additionally comprising a hand held remote control device operable to transmit to said second IR/RF transceiver IR signals denoting change of viewed channel.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said second IR/RF transceiver is operable to convert said IR signals to RF signals and transmit the RF signals to said first IR/RF transceiver.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said first IR/RF transceiver is operable to convert said RF signals to IR signals and communicate the IR signals to said computer for synchronization.

27. A method of reporting selective changes in TV broadcasting content, comprising the steps of:

detecting changes in TV broadcasted content for a plurality of channels; and

reporting said detected changes to at least one subscriber;

wherein said reporting comprises selectively transmitting a full status report for all said plurality of channels or a partial status report for a selected number of channels.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said detecting is automatic.

29. A method of selectively changing viewed TV segments, comprising the steps of:

detecting changes in TV broadcasted content for a plurality of channels;

communicating said detected changes to a computer storing a database of desired selective changes in viewed TV segments; and

transmitting to at least one media device control signals for implementing said desired selective changes.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said detecting is automatic.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein said at least one media device is selected from the group comprising:

cable decoder, satellite decoder, TV set, VCR, DVD player and receiver.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein said selective changes are selected from a group comprising:

switching to a different channel and changing the volume.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said database additionally comprises information about desired action following said selective change.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said desired action is selected from the group comprising:

switching back to the original channel, switching to a different channel and changing the volume.

35. A system for remote operation of a media device, comprising:

a Web Server;

a computer in communication with said Web Server, operable to receive remote operation instructions from the Web Server;

a first IR/RF transceiver in communication with said computer; and

a second IR/RF transceiver in communication with said first IR/RF transceiver and with at least one media device,

wherein said first and second IR/RF transceivers are operable to communicate from said computer to said at least one media device control signals for implementing said instructions.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein said media device is selected from the group comprising:

cable decoder, satellite decoder, TV set, VCR, DVD player and receiver.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein said instructions are selected from the group comprising:

turning on, recording and turning off.

38. The system of claim 35, additionally comprising a cellular phone for transmitting said instructions to the Web Site.