In-band data recognition and synchronization system

• US 8,572,669 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2009
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Kevin P., Stevens, Paul, Feder, Adam, Barton, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheleheda, James R
• Application Number:
  US12/572,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20100027976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 725/135, 707/6, 382/181
• US Class Current: 725/135
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/31 using in-band signals, e.g. subsonic or cue signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/236 Assembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. transport stream, by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, e.g. inserting a URL [Uniform Resource Locator] into a video stream, multiplexing software data into a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, e.g. to obtain a constant bit-rate; Assembling of a packetised elementary stream multiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• 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 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 : using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A method and apparatus for recognizing and synchronizing to in-band data at a multimedia device is provided. A content stream includes in-band data. The in-band data is processed and in-band data pattern data associated with the content stream are created. Metadata are attached to the event identification data. The event identification data are provided to multimedia devices which receive broadcasted multimedia content streams containing video programs with in-band data. The in-band data are processed and compared to the event identification data. If a match occurs, the multimedia device uses the metadata to perform specified actions.

Claims

1. A method for processing in-band data, comprising:

receiving, at a first multimedia device, a multimedia content stream comprising in-band data;

processing the in-band data by the multimedia device, wherein processing the in-band data comprises computing a hash value sequence associated with a location in the multimedia content stream;

determining that the hash value sequence matches a particular pattern of hash values associated with one or more actions;

inserting one or more in-band tags into the multimedia content stream, the one or more in-band tags corresponding to the location in the multimedia content stream and comprising command and control information for performing the one or more actions.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

subsequent to inserting the one or more in-band tags into the multimedia content stream, storing the multimedia content stream for later playback by the first multimedia device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein inserting the one or more in-band tags comprises inserting one or more data objects representing the one or more in-band tags into the multimedia content stream corresponding to the location in the multimedia content stream.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

playing the multimedia content stream subsequent to inserting the one or more in-band tags into the multimedia content stream;

processing the one or more in-band tags during playback;

responsive to processing the one or more in-band tags during playback, performing the one or more actions.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

subsequent to inserting the one or more in-band tags into the multimedia content stream, sending the multimedia content stream by the first multimedia device to a server or to a second multimedia device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the hash value sequence comprises:

a first hash value associated with a first time offset; and

a second hash value associated with a second time offset.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising software instructions, which when executed by a processor, perform:

receiving, at a first multimedia device, a multimedia content stream comprising in-band data;

processing the in-band data by the multimedia device, wherein processing the in-band data comprises computing a hash value sequence associated with a location in the multimedia content stream;

determining that the hash value sequence matches a particular pattern of hash values associated with one or more actions;

inserting one or more in-band tags into the multimedia content stream, the one or more in-band tags corresponding to the location in the multimedia content stream and comprising command and control information for performing the one or more actions.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 7, wherein the software instructions, when executed by the processor, further perform:

subsequent to inserting the one or more in-band tags into the multimedia content stream, storing the multimedia content stream for later playback by the first multimedia device.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 7, wherein inserting the one or more in-band tags comprises inserting one or more data objects representing the one or more in-band tags into the multimedia content stream corresponding to the location in the multimedia content stream.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 7, wherein the software instructions, when executed by the processor, further perform:

playing the multimedia content stream subsequent to inserting the one or more in-band tags into the multimedia content stream;

processing the one or more in-band tags during playback;

responsive to processing the one or more in-band tags during playback, performing the one or more actions.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 7, wherein the software instructions, when executed by the processor, further perform:

subsequent to inserting the one or more in-band tags into the multimedia content stream, sending the multimedia content stream by the first multimedia device to a server or to a second multimedia device.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 7, wherein the hash value sequence comprises:

a first hash value associated with a first time offset; and

a second hash value associated with a second time offset.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that causes a first multimedia device to receive a multimedia content stream comprising in-band data;

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that causes the first multimedia device to process the in-band data, wherein processing the in-band data comprises computing a hash value sequence associated with a location in the multimedia content stream;

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that causes the first multimedia device to determine that the hash value sequence matches a particular pattern of hash values associated with one or more actions;

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that causes the first multimedia device to insert one or more in-band tags in the multimedia content stream, the one or more in-band tags corresponding to the location in the multimedia content stream and comprising command and control information for performing the one or more actions.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

subsequent to inserting the one or more in-band tags into the multimedia content stream, a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that causes the first multimedia device to store the multimedia content stream for later playback by the first multimedia device.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein inserting the one or more in-band tags comprises inserting one or more data objects representing the one or more in-band tags into the multimedia content stream corresponding to the location in the multimedia content stream.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that causes the first multimedia device to play the multimedia content stream subsequent to inserting the one or more in-band tags into the multimedia content stream;

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that causes the first multimedia device to process the one or more in-band tags during playback;

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that causes, responsive to processing the one or more in-band tags during playback, the first multimedia device to perform the one or more actions.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that causes, subsequent to inserting the one or more in-band tags into the multimedia content stream, the first multimedia device to send the multimedia content stream to a server or to a second multimedia device.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the hash value sequence comprises:

a first hash value associated with a first time offset; and

a second hash value associated with a second time offset.