Interactive information aggregator for an interactive television system

• US 7,146,632 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2001
• Issued: 12/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Digeo Incorporated (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, Douglas Allyn
• Primary Examiner(s): BUI, KIEU OANH T
• Application Number:
  US09/878,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20020188958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,006 Days
• Field of Search: 725/9, 725/32, 725/46, 725/112, 725/114, 725/116, 725/135, 725/136, 725/100, 725/130, 709251-253
• US Class Current: 725/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/4622 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 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• 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 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

An interactive information aggregator is provided for off-broadcast access to trigger information, which can include interactive television triggers, accompanying content and data, network addresses. The aggregator can be implemented in an interactive television system so as to perform real-time capture and aggregation of trigger information through cooperation with content providers, use of a network of collection devices deployed in the interactive television system, or generation of trigger information by third-party entities. The aggregated information can then be made available to ancillary devices used by viewers, independently of being provided to a set top box and television. For instance, the aggregated information can be provided to ancillary devices that do not have direct access or capability to process television broadcast signals. This provides users of the ancillary devices with the capability to participate in an interactive television experience where they would otherwise not have such interactive capability.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

sending one or more television signals, including trigger information related to content of the television signals, to a first client terminal via a first channel of a communication network;

aggregating at least some of the trigger information related to the content of the sent television signals; and

sending at least some of the aggregated trigger information separate from the content of the television signals to a second client terminal via a second channel of the communication network;

wherein aggregating the trigger information related to the content of the television signals includes receiving the trigger information from a plurality of collection devices that have the capability to detect and extract trigger information in the sent television signals.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein aggregating the trigger information related to the content of the sent television signals includes extracting the trigger information from the television signals.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein aggregating the trigger information related to the content of the television signals includes receiving at least a portion of the trigger information via a direct feed from a source of the television signals.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein aggregating the trigger information related to the content of the television signals includes receiving at least a portion of the trigger information from a third-party entity.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein aggregating the trigger information related to the content of the television signals includes receiving at least a portion of the trigger information from a unit that processes the television signals.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending at least some of the aggregated trigger information to the second client terminal via a network different from the communication network.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of collection devices includes a bank of set top boxes that are not deployed to subscriber residences, the method further comprising:

tuning each set top box to a channel corresponding to a television signal;

using the set top boxes to obtain trigger information from the television signal on the respective channels to which the set top boxes are tuned; and

aggregating the trigger information obtained by the set top boxes and sending the aggregated trigger information to the second client terminal.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of collection devices includes a plurality of client terminals deployed in subscriber residences, the method further comprising:

requesting the deployed client terminals to send trigger information;

for the deployed client terminals, determining whether the trigger information to send has been previously sent;

if the trigger information is determined to have not been previously sent, sending a copy of the trigger information from at least one of the deployed client terminals; and

receiving the copy of the trigger information sent from the at least one of the deployed client terminals and delivering the trigger information to the second client terminal.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising modifying the trigger information received from the collection device, prior to sending that trigger information to the second client terminal.

10. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a machine-readable medium having machine-executable instructions stored thereon to;

aggregate at least some trigger information related to content of television signals that are sent to a first client terminal via a first channel of a communication network; and

send at least some of the aggregated trigger information separate from the content of the television signals to a second client terminal via a second channel of the communication network,

wherein the instructions to aggregate at least some trigger information related to the content of the television signals include instructions to receive the trigger information from a plurality of collection devices that are each tuned to a channel corresponding to a television signal and have the capability to detect and extract trigger information in the television signals.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 10 wherein the machine-readable medium further includes instructions stored thereon to:

receive the trigger information from each of the collection devices, the collection devices capable to obtain the trigger information from the television signal on the respective channels to which the collection devices are tuned; and

aggregate the trigger information received from the collection devices and send the aggregated trigger information to the second client terminal.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 10 wherein the plurality of collection devices is comprised of deployed client terminals, the machine-readable medium further including instructions stored thereon to:

request the deployed client terminals to send trigger information;

determine whether the trigger information to send has been previously sent by any one of the deployed client terminals;

if the trigger information is determined to have not been previously sent, receive a copy of the trigger information sent from at least one of the deployed client terminals; and

deliver the trigger information to the second client terminal.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 10 wherein the machine-readable medium further includes instructions stored thereon to modify the trigger information prior to sending the trigger information to the second client terminal.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

an aggregator communicatively coupled to a broadcast center of an interactive television system, the aggregator capable to aggregate at least some trigger information related to content of television signals that are sent from the broadcast center to a first client terminal via a first channel of a communication network of the interactive television system, the aggregator further capable to receive the trigger information from a plurality of collection devices and send at least some of the aggregated trigger information separate from the content of the television signals to a second client terminal via a second channel of the communication network.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the collection devices include a plurality of client terminals deployed in different subscriber residences, and wherein the aggregator includes a server to direct trigger information, received from the deployed client terminals, to the second client terminal.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the plurality of collection devices comprises set top boxes deployed at the broadcast center to receive the television signals and extract the trigger information from the television signals, and wherein the aggregator includes an input to receive the trigger information from the set top boxes.

17. An interactive television system, comprising:

a broadcast center to send television signals, along with trigger information related to content of the television signals, to a first client terminal via a first channel of a communication network coupled to the broadcast center;

an aggregator communicatively coupled to the broadcast center, the aggregator capable to aggregate at least some of the trigger information related to the content of television signals that are sent from the broadcast center to the first client terminal, the aggregator further capable to send at least some of the aggregated trigger information separate from the content of the television signals to a second client terminal via a second channel of the communication network; and

a unit disposed in the broadcast center to process the television signals that are sent to the first client terminal and to provide the trigger information related to the content of the sent television signals to the aggregator.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a direct feed from a source of the television signals to the aggregator to provide at least a portion of the trigger information to the aggregator.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising a third-party service to provide at least a portion of the trigger information to the aggregator.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the unit comprises a plurality of collection devices to provide the trigger information to the aggregator.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the plurality of collection devices includes a bank of set top boxes communicatively coupled to the broadcast center and to the aggregator, the set top boxes being tuned to a channel corresponding to a television signal and capable to obtain trigger information from the television signal on the respective channels to which the set top boxes are tuned, the aggregator capable to receive the trigger information obtained by the set top boxes and to send the aggregated trigger information to the second client terminal.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the plurality of collection devices includes a plurality of deployed client terminals coupled to the communication network, the aggregator capable to request the deployed client terminals to send trigger information that the client terminals receive, the deployed client terminals capable to determine whether the trigger information to send has been previously sent to the aggregator, at least one of the deployed client terminals capable to send a copy of the trigger information if the trigger information is determined to have not been previously sent, the aggregator capable to receive the copy of the trigger information sent from the at least one of the deployed client terminals and to deliver the trigger information to the second client terminal.

23. A method, comprising:

sending one or more television signals, including trigger information related to content of the television signals, to a first client terminal via a first channel of a communication network;

aggregating at least some of the trigger information related to the content of the sent television signals, wherein aggregation of the trigger information includes;

requesting client terminals that have been deployed in different subscriber residences to send trigger information obtained from the television signals and

receiving the trigger information from at least one of the deployed client terminals; and

sending at least some of the aggregated trigger information to a second client terminal via a second channel of the communication network.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising modifying the copy of the trigger information received from the deployed client terminal, prior to sending that trigger information to the second client terminal.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising receiving the trigger information from at least one of a source of the television signal, a third-party entity, or a plurality of collection devices.

26. An interactive television system, comprising:

a broadcast center to send television signals, along with information related to content of the television signals, to a first client terminal via a first channel of a communication network coupled to the broadcast center;

an aggregator communicatively coupled to the broadcast center, the aggregator capable to aggregate at least some of the trigger information related to the content of television signals that are sent from the broadcast center to the first client terminal, the aggregator further capable to send at least some of the aggregated trigger information separate from the content of the television signals to a second client terminal via a second channel of the communication network; and

a plurality of set top boxes communicatively coupled to the broadcast center and to the aggregator, the set top boxes being tuned to a channel corresponding to a television signal and capable to obtain trigger information from the television signal on the respective channels to which the set top boxes are tuned, the aggregator capable to receive the trigger information obtained by the set top boxes and to send the aggregated trigger information to the second client terminal.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the set top boxes include a cable modem capable to transmit the trigger information obtained from the television signal to the aggregator.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein the set top boxes are coupled to the communication network to receive the television signals available on a plurality of channels of the communication network.

29. A method, comprising:

sending one or more television signals, including trigger information related to content of the television signals, to a first client terminal via a first channel of a communication network having a plurality of different channels, the communication network comprising a portion of an interactive television network through which the television signals may be distributed to the first client terminal, the trigger information including addresses where data regarding the content of the television signals may be accessed from a network different from the communication network;

aggregating at least some of the trigger information related to the content of the sent television signals, including obtaining the trigger information from the television signals and storing the obtained trigger information in a storage medium, wherein storing the obtained trigger information in the storage medium includes recording characteristics related to the trigger information; and

sending at least some of the aggregated trigger information to a second client terminal via a second channel of the communication network, the second channel of the communication network being different from the first channel and capable to use a communication protocol different from a communication protocol used on the first channel, the second client terminal being a different type of terminal than the first client terminal and capable to process the aggregated trigger information separately from trigger information processed by the first client terminal.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the aggregated trigger information is capable of being received from deployed client terminals, the method further comprising:

requesting the deployed client terminals to send trigger information;

for the deployed client terminals, determining whether the trigger information to send has been previously sent;

if the trigger information is determined to have not been previously sent, sending a copy of the trigger information from at least one of the deployed client terminals; and

receiving the copy of the trigger information sent from the at least one of the deployed client terminals and delivering the trigger information to the second client terminal.

31. An interactive television system, the system comprising:

a broadcast center to send television signals, along with information related to content of the television signals, to a first client terminal via a first channel of a communication network coupled to the broadcast center, the first channel being one of a plurality of channels of the communication network capable to carry television signals, the first client terminal being communicatively coupled to the communication network to allow the television signals to be provided to the first client terminal via the communication network; and

an aggregator communicatively coupled to the broadcast center, the aggregator capable to aggregate at least some of the trigger information related to the content of television signals that are sent from the broadcast center to the first client terminal, including being capable to obtain the trigger information from the television signals and to store the obtained trigger information in a storage medium coupled to the aggregator, wherein storage of the obtained trigger information in the storage medium includes recordation of characteristics related to the trigger information in the storage medium, the aggregator further capable to send at least some of the aggregated trigger information separate from the content of the television signals to a second client terminal via a second channel of the communication network, the second client terminal being a different type of terminal than the first client terminal, the second channel capable to use a communication protocol different than a communication protocol on the first channel for the aggregated trigger information sent to the second client terminal, the second client terminal capable to process the aggregated trigger information separately from trigger information processed by the first client terminal.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising a plurality of set top boxes communicatively coupled to the broadcast center and to the aggregator, the set top boxes being tuned to a channel corresponding to a television signal and capable to obtain trigger information from the television signal on the respective channels to which the set top boxes are tuned, the aggregator capable to receive the trigger information obtained by the set top boxes and to send the aggregated trigger information to the second client terminal.