Methods and Apparatus for Generating Metadata Utilized to Filter Content from a Video Stream Using Text Data

• US 20090133093A1
• Filed: 11/20/2007
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Network LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies Corporation (Dish Network Corporation)
• Inventors: Hodge, Kenneth Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,136,140 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/137
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• 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 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording

Abstract

Various embodiments of apparatus, systems and/or methods are described for generating metadata utilized by a DVR to filter content from a video stream. A video stream is reviewed to identify portions the video stream to skip during presentation of the video stream. Text data associated with the video stream is parsed to identify a string in the text data that identifies boundaries of the portions of the video stream that are to be skipped during presentation by the DVR. The string is provided to the DVR, and the DVR utilizes the string to skip the portion of the video stream during presentation of the video stream by the DVR.

Claims

1. A method for generating metadata utilized to filter content from a video stream, the method comprising:

reviewing a video stream to identify at least one portion of the video stream to skip during presentation of the video stream;

parsing text data associated with the video stream to identify a text string in the text data that identifies at least one boundary of the portion of the video stream; and

providing the text string to a digital video recorder (DVR), wherein the DVR utilizes the text string to skip the portion of the video stream during presentation of the video stream by the DVR.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a location of the text string in the video stream;

determining an offset of the at least one boundary relative to the location of the text string; and

providing the offset to the DVR, wherein the DVR utilizes the offset to skip the at least one portion of the video stream during presentation of the video stream by the DVR.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the text string is unique within the text data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the text string further comprises broadcasting a data file to the DVR in a metadata stream.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein reviewing the video stream further comprises:

receiving user input indicating a transition between the portion of the video stream to skip during presentation of the video stream and other portions of the video stream.

6. A method for generating metadata utilized to filter content from a video stream of a television show, the method comprising:

receiving the video stream including at least one segment of the show, at least one interstitial of the show, and closed captioning data associated with the at least one segment of the show;

reviewing the video stream to identify at least one boundary of the at least one segment of the show;

parsing the closed captioning data corresponding to the at least one segment of the show to locate a text string that identifies the at least one segment within the video stream, the text string corresponding to an anchor frame of the at least one segment;

determining an offset of the at least one boundary of the at least one segment of the show relative to the anchor frame; and

providing the text string and the offset to a digital video recorder (DVR), wherein the DVR utilizes the text string and the offset to skip the at least one interstitial during presentation of the video stream.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the text string is unique within the closed captioning data for the at least one segment of the show.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein reviewing the video stream further comprises:

presenting the video stream to a user; and

receiving user input indicating a transition between the at least one interstitial and the at least one segment of the video stream.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the video stream and parsing the closed captioning data further comprises:

recording the video stream during a broadcast of the show; and

parsing the recorded closed captioning data to locate the text string.

10. A method for generating metadata utilized to filter interstitials from a television show, the method comprising:

recording the show in a file during a first broadcast time, the file including at least one segment of the show, at least one interstitial of the show, and closed captioning data associated with the at least one segment of the show;

reviewing video data of the file to identify a transition between the at least one segment of the show and the at least one interstitial of the show;

parsing the closed captioning data corresponding to the at least one segment of the show to locate a text string that identifies the at least one segment within the video stream, the text string corresponding to an anchor frame of the at least one segment;

determining an offset of the transition relative to the anchor frame; and

providing the text string and the offset to a digital video recorder (DVR) recording the show during a second broadcast time, wherein the DVR utilizes the text string and the offset to skip the at least one interstitial during presentation of the video stream.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first broadcast time is in a first time zone, and the second broadcast time is in a second time zone.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the text string is unique within the closed captioning data for the at least one segment of the show.

13. A system comprising:

a metadata generation apparatus including;

a receiver that receives a first television broadcast of a television show, the first television broadcast including at least one segment of the show, at least one interstitial of the show, and closed captioning data associated with the at least one segment of the show;

a presentation module that presents the first television broadcast to a user;

an identification module that receives user input identifying a transition between the at least one interstitial of the show and the at least one segment of the show, that parses the closed captioning data corresponding to the at least one segment of the show to locate a text string that identifies the at least one segment within the first television broadcast, the text string corresponding to an anchor frame of the at least one segment, and the identification module determining an offset of the transition relative to the anchor frame; and

a transmission network communicatively coupled to the identification module that provides the text string and the offset to a digital video recorder (DVR), wherein the DVR utilizes the text string and the offset to skip the at least one interstitial during presentation of the video stream.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the text string is unique within the closed captioning data for the at least one segment of the show.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein a recording module of the metadata generation apparatus records the first television broadcast to a storage medium, and wherein the presentation module presents the recorded first television broadcast to the user.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the transmission network provides a second television broadcast of the television show to the DVR.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the transmission network provides the first television broadcast to the metadata generation apparatus.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the transmission network provides the text string and the offset to the DVR as a broadcast.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the transmission network provides the text string and the offset to the DVR responsive to a request from the DVR.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the first television broadcast is in a first time zone, and the second television broadcast is in a second time zone.