System and method for supplying supplemental audio information for broadcast television programs

• US 8,402,500 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2008
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inventor Holdings LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Walker, Jay S., Jorasch, James A., Sparico, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, NGOC K
• Application Number:
  US12/272,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20090067820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,583 Days
• Field of Search: 725/87, 725/91, 725/93, 725 98- 99, 725/106, 725/122, 725/115, 725/118, 348/473, 348476-485, 379/88.05, 379/88.06, 709217-219
• US Class Current: 725/122
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4302 Content synchronisation processes, e.g. decoder synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• 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 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6137 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6187 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• 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 21/8352 : involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 : involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• 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 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method, computer readable medium and an apparatus for providing supplemental information related to a character featured on a broadcast television program, wherein the supplemental information is not broadcast along with the broadcast television program. A viewer can request specific supplemental information associated with the broadcast television program through a telephone or electronic network interface. In some embodiments, a service controller transmits the requested supplemental information such that an audio component of the supplemental information does not conflict with the audio component of the broadcast television program.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

recording supplemental information associated with a broadcast television program, wherein the supplemental information is related to at least one character featured on the broadcast television program and is not broadcast along with the broadcast television program;

storing the supplemental information in a storage device of a service controller;

receiving a request, at the service controller, for the supplemental information from a user during the broadcast television program; and

transmitting, by the service controller, the requested supplemental information to the user such that an audio component of the supplemental information does not conflict with an audio component of the broadcast television program.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to storing, editing the supplemental information such that an audio component of the broadcast television program and the edited supplemental information do not conflict with each other when listened to simultaneously.

3. The method of claim 1, in which receiving the request for the supplemental information comprises receiving request data at the service controller from an interactive voice response unit interface.

4. The method of claim 1, in which receiving the request comprises receiving request data via the internet.

5. The method of claim 1, in which receiving the request comprises:

receiving selection information from the user; and

determining, by the service controller, the supplemental information based on the selection information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising broadcasting synchronization information related to the broadcast television program.

7. The method of claim 6, in which receiving the request from the user further comprises receiving the synchronization information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental information further comprises live audio information.

9. The method of claim 1, in which transmitting comprises providing the supplemental information during at least one gap in the audio component of the broadcast television program.

10. The method of claim 1, in which transmitting comprises providing the supplemental information to the user via the internet.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a request for payment for providing the supplemental information.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions configured to direct a processor to:

record supplemental information associated with a broadcast television program, wherein the supplemental information is related to at least one character featured on the broadcast television program and is not broadcast along with the broadcast television program;

store the supplemental information;

receive a request for the supplemental information from a user during the broadcast television program; and

transmit the requested supplemental information to the user such that an audio component of the supplemental information does not conflict with an audio component of the broadcast television program.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising, prior to the instructions for storing the supplemental information, instructions configured to direct the processor to edit the supplemental information such that an audio component of the broadcast television program and the edited supplemental information do not conflict with each other when listened to simultaneously.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, in which the instructions for receiving the request further comprise instructions configured to direct the processor to receive request data via an interactive voice response unit interface.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, in which the instructions for receiving the request further comprise instructions configured to direct the processor to receive request data via the internet.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, in which the instructions for receiving the request further comprise instructions configured to direct the processor to:

receive selection information from the user; and

determine the supplemental information based on the selection information.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions configured to direct the processor to broadcast synchronization information related to the broadcast television program.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, in which the instructions for receiving the request further comprise instructions configured to direct the processor to receive the synchronization information.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, in which the instructions for transmitting the supplemental information comprise instructions configured to direct the processor to transmit live audio information.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, in which the instructions for transmitting the supplemental information comprise instructions configured to direct the processor to transmit the supplemental information during at least one gap in the audio component of the broadcast television program.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, in which the instructions for transmitting the supplemental information comprise instructions configured to direct the processor to transmit the supplemental information to the user via the internet.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions configured to direct the processor to transmit a request for payment for providing the supplemental information.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

a CPU;

a data storage device operatively connected to the CPU;

a device operatively connected to the CPU and configured to receive a request from a user for supplemental information associated with a broadcast television program, and to communicate the request to the CPU;

wherein the data storage device stores instructions configured to direct the CPU to;

receive supplemental information associated with a broadcast television program, wherein the supplemental information is related to at least one character featured on the broadcast television program and is not broadcast along with the broadcast television program;

store the supplemental information in the data storage device;

process a request for the supplemental information from a user during the broadcast television program; and

transmit the requested supplemental information such that an audio component of the supplemental information does not conflict with an audio component of the broadcast television program.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising an interactive voice response unit interface operatively connected to the CPU.