CARRIER-BASED ACTIVE TEXT ENHANCEMENT

• US 20160345078A1
• Filed: 05/22/2015
• Published: 11/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Landow, Kate Megan Carney
• Granted Patent: US 10,477,283 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/432 Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium, e.g. hard-disk details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• 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 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8545 for generating interactive applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content

Abstract

Auxiliary or enhanced features associated with broadcast television programs are activated using carrier-based active text enhancement (CATE) signals embedded within timed text (TT) associated with the broadcast program. The active text enhancements can be interpreted by the viewer'"'"'s set top box (STB) or other receiver to activate software applications, video clips, imagery, uniform resource locators (URLs), interactive interface features or the like on either or both of primary or secondary displays. Timed text enhancements can flexibly reference different types of content to provide richer and more powerful viewer experiences for the viewer.

Claims

1. A system to process auxiliary content associated with broadcast television programming, the system comprising:

a television receiver interface configured to receive the broadcast television programming;

a display interface configured to provide imagery for presentation to a viewer;

a data storage configured to store data associated with the auxiliary content; and

a processor configured to interpret timed text associated with the received broadcast television programming and to thereby recognize a carrier-based active text enhancement signal in the timed text that identifies the auxiliary content and a time to present the auxiliary content, wherein the data associated with the auxiliary content is received in a stream with the timed text and stored in the data storage prior to the time to present the auxiliary content, and wherein the carrier-based active text enhancement signal initiates processing of the data associated with the auxiliary content that is previously stored in the data storage to thereby automatically render the auxiliary content to the viewer for viewing via the display interface.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the stream is contained within an MPEG multiplex representing a television program that is broadcast as part of the broadcast television programming.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the carrier-based active text enhancement signal specifies a presentation time stamp identifying a time that the auxiliary content is active.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises a network interface to a network, and wherein at least some of the data associated with the auxiliary content is retrieved from a service on the network via the network interface and stored in the data storage prior to the carrier-based active text enhancement signal that initiates the processing of the data.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein the system further comprises a network interface to a network, and wherein at least some of the data associated with the auxiliary content is retrieved from a service on the network via the network interface in response to a uniform resource locator (URL) contained in the carrier-based active text enhancement signal that initiates the processing of the data.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the auxiliary content comprises video content that is played in response to a viewer input, and wherein a prompt for the viewer input is presented in response to the carrier-based active text enhancement signal.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the auxiliary content comprises a software application that is executed in response to a viewer input, and wherein a prompt for the viewer input is presented in response to the carrier-based active text enhancement signal.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the timed text is formatted in accordance with a SMPTE timed text standard.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the timed text is formatted in accordance with a W3C Timed Text Markup Language (TTML) standard.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the timed text is formatted in accordance with a Web Video Text Tracks (WebVTT) standard.

4. (canceled)

12. A method performed by a television receiver device to provide enhanced content to a viewer of a broadcast television program, the method comprising:

receiving the broadcast television programming by the television receiver device, wherein the received broadcast television programming is associated with a stream comprising timed text that comprises at least one text enhancement signal, the text enhancement signal identifying the enhanced content and a time during presentation of the broadcast television program that the enhanced content is active;

receiving the enhanced content at the television receiver device as part of the media stream that comprises the at least one text enhancement signal, wherein the enhanced content is received by the television receiver device prior to the time that the enhanced content is active;

storing the enhanced content by the television receiver device;

interpreting the timed text by the television receiver device to thereby identify the at least one text enhancement signal; and

in response to the at least one text enhancement signal, the television receiver directing that the enhanced content be provided to the viewer during playback of the broadcast television program.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the receiving of the timed text is received by the television receiver as part of the broadcast television programming.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the enhanced content is received as part of the timed text.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the enhanced content comprises motion video content that is received as part of the timed text received as part of the broadcast television programming.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the enhanced content is received via a server on a network.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the at least one text enhancement signal comprises a uniform resource locator that identifies a location of the enhanced content on the network.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the enhanced content is received via an out-of-band signal transmitted via the same medium as the broadcast television programming.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the enhanced content comprises video content that is played in response to a viewer input, and wherein a prompt for the viewer input is presented in response to the text enhancement signal.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein the enhanced content comprises a software application that is executed in response to a viewer input, and wherein a prompt for the viewer input is presented in response to the carrier-based active text enhancement signal.