Phantom information commands

• US 20080098357A1
• Filed: 03/08/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Candelore, Brant L.
• Application Number:
  US11/715,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20080098357A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/127
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4355 involving reformatting operations of additional data, e.g. HTML pages on a television screen optimising the visualization of content for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/9577; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/066; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• 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 21/440236 by media transcoding, e.g. video is transformed into a slideshow of still pictures, audio is converted into text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8146 involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• 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 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A method of capture of program metadata in near real time consistent with certain embodiments involves monitoring remote control commands to detect an activate command that activates a mode of operation having potential for selection of a program; upon receipt of the activate command, further monitoring remote control commands for a selection command that selects a program; upon receipt of the selection command, issuing an information command that causes an access device to generate a video frame containing metadata associated with the program; and optical character recognition (OCR) processing the video frame containing the metadata relating to the program in order to extract the metadata associated with the program. The process can be carried out by a control device that is not a target device of at least one of the activate and selection commands, wherein the control device can respond to multiple remote command sets. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Claims

1. A method of capture of program metadata in near real time, comprising:

monitoring remote control commands to detect an activate command that activates a mode of operation having potential for selection of a program;

upon receipt of the activate command, further monitoring remote control commands for a selection command that selects a program;

upon receipt of the selection command, issuing an information command that causes an access device to generate a video frame containing metadata associated with the program; and

optical character recognition (OCR) processing the video frame containing the metadata relating to the program in order to extract the metadata associated with the program.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising issuing a cancel command that causes the access device to exit the metadata display.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the activate command comprises one of a program guide display command, a recorded program list display command and a playback device activation command.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the activate command comprises a sequence of commands.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selection command is preceded by a sequence of navigation commands.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the OCR processing is carried out on a selected segment of the video frame.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the OCR process is enabled to detect special symbols in the video frames.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising recording the metadata in association with recording a copy of the content.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the issuing comprises transmitting of one of an infrared remote control command and an RF remote control command.

10. The method according to claim 1, carried out by a control device that is not a target device of at least one of the activate and selection commands.

11. The method according to claim 1, carried out in a digital television device, wherein the digital television device is not a target device of at least one of the activate and selection commands.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising issuing a further information command that causes an access device to generate another video frame containing metadata associated with the program;

and

optical character recognition (OCR) processing the another video frame containing the metadata relating to the program in order to extract additional metadata associated with the program.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the access device comprises a television set top box, and wherein the process is carried out on a digital television device.

14. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on a programmed processor, carry out a process according to claim 1.

15. A method of capture of program metadata in near real time, comprising:

monitoring remote control commands to detect an activate command that activates a mode of operation having potential for selection of a program;

upon receipt of the activate command, further monitoring remote control commands for a selection command that selects a program;

upon receipt of the selection command, issuing an information command that causes an access device to generate a video frame containing metadata associated with the program;

optical character recognition (OCR) processing the video frame containing the metadata relating to the program in order to extract the metadata associated with the program;

issuing a cancel command that causes the access device to exit the metadata display; and

wherein issuing the information and cancel commands comprises transmitting of one of an infrared remote control command and an RF remote control command.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the activate command comprises one of a program guide display command, a recorded program list display command and a playback device activation command.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the activate command comprises a sequence of commands.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the selection command is preceded by a sequence of navigation commands.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the OCR processing is carried out on a selected segment of the video frame.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein the OCR process is enabled to detect special symbols in the video frames.

21. The method according to claim 15, further comprising recording the metadata in association with recording a copy of the content.

22. The method according to claim 15, carried out by a control device that is not a target device of at least one of the activate and selection commands.

23. The method according to claim 15, carried out in a digital television device, wherein the digital television device is not a target device of at least one of the activate and selection commands.

24. The method according to claim 16, further comprising issuing a further information command that causes an access device to generate another video frame containing metadata associated with the program;

and

optical character recognition (OCR) processing the another video frame containing the metadata relating to the program in order to extract additional metadata associated with the program.

25. The method according to claim 16, wherein the access device comprises a television set top box, and wherein the process is carried out on a digital television device.

28. The control device according to claim 25, wherein the control processor further causes the remote control command transmitter to issue a cancel command that causes the access device to exit the metadata display.

29. The control device according to claim 25, wherein the activate command comprises one of a program guide display command, a recorded program list display command and a playback device activation command.

30. The control device according to claim 25, wherein the activate command comprises a sequence of commands.

31. The control device according to claim 25, wherein the selection command is preceded by a sequence of navigation commands.

32. The control device according to claim 25, wherein the OCR processing is carried out on a selected segment of the video frame.

33. The control device according to claim 25, wherein the OCR process is enabled to detect special symbols in the video frames.

34. The control device according to claim 25, further comprising recording the metadata in association with recording a copy of the content.

35. The control device according to claim 25, wherein the issuing transmitting of one of an infrared remote control command and an RF remote control command.

36. The control device according to claim 25, wherein the control device that is not a target device of at least one of the activate and selection commands.

37. The control device according to claim 25, wherein the control device comprises a digital television device, wherein the digital television device is not a target device of at least one of the activate and selection commands.

38. The control device according to claim 25, wherein the control processor further causes the remote control command transmitter to issue a further information command that causes an access device to generate another video frame containing metadata associated with the program;

and

wherein the optical character recognition (OCR) machine processes the another video frame containing the metadata relating to the program in order to extract additional metadata associated with the program.

39. The control device according to claim 25, wherein the access device comprises a television set top box, and wherein the control device comprises a digital television device.

26. A control device that captures program metadata in near real time, comprising:

a control processor that controls a process wherein;

a remote control command receiver monitoring remote control commands to detect an activate command that activates a mode of operation having potential for selection of a program;

upon receipt of the activate command, the remote control command further monitoring remote control commands for a selection command that selects a program;

upon receipt of the selection command, the control processor causing a remote control command transmitter to issue an information command that causes an access device to generate a video frame containing metadata associated with the program;

a video receiver that receives the video frame; and

an optical character recognition (OCR) machine that processes the video frame containing the metadata relating to the program in order to extract the metadata associated with the program.

27. The control device according to claim 26, further comprising a frame store into which the video frame is stored for processing by the OCR machine.