Augmenting metadata using user entered metadata

• US 8,805,866 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2013
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Wang, Zhibing, Liao, Yupeng
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THU NGUYET T
• Application Number:
  US13/961,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20130325819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• Field of Search: 707/758
• US Class Current: 707/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/70 of video data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7867 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, title and artist information, manually generated time, location and usage information, user ratings

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method obtains metadata associated with a media program. The method receives user entered metadata from a first user for an object in a frame of the media program and compares the user entered metadata from the first user with user entered metadata from second users for the object. Then, the method verifies that the user entered metadata from the first user and the second users should be associated as augmenting metadata for the object in the media program based on the comparison. Upon verifying, the method performs: determining metadata storage including metadata for one or more other objects in the media program and storing the user entered metadata for the object in the media program in the metadata storage for the media program as the augmenting metadata.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining metadata associated with a media program, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, user entered metadata from a first user for an object in a frame of the media program;

comparing, by the computing device, the user entered metadata from the first user with user entered metadata from second users for the object;

verifying, by the computing device, that the user entered metadata from the first user and the second users should be associated as augmenting metadata for the object in the media program based on the comparison; and

upon verifying, performing;

determining, by the computing device, metadata storage including metadata for one or more other objects in the media program; and

storing, by the computing device, the user entered metadata for the object in the media program in the metadata storage for the media program as the augmenting metadata.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

comparing comprises comparing the user entered metadata from the first user and the second users to a threshold; and

verifying comprises verifying the user entered metadata from the first user and the second users if the threshold is satisfied.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the threshold comprises a number of users that entered the user entered metadata for the object.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the threshold comprises a percentage of users that entered the user entered metadata for the object.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking the object across proximate frames of the media program; and

upon verifying, associating the user entered metadata from the first user with the object in the frame and at least one of the proximate frames of the media program.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the augmenting metadata is stored with original metadata, the original metadata determined prior to receiving the user entered metadata.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the original metadata is determined when the media program is released for viewing, wherein the user entered metadata is received upon the first user viewing the media program through a video delivery service offering delivery of the media program.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a search query for the object;

determining the stored augmented metadata for the object based on the search query; and

returning a search result using the stored augmented metadata for the object.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user entered metadata is used to determine a thumbnail for the frame that includes the object.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the search result causes display of the thumbnail as a search aware thumbnail for the media program.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is a performer depicted in the media program and the user entered metadata identifies the performer.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata storage does not include metadata for the object before the storing of the augmenting metadata.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for obtaining metadata associated with a media program, wherein the instructions, when executed, control a computer system to be configured for:

receiving user entered metadata from a first user for an object in a frame of the media program;

comparing the user entered metadata from the first user with user entered metadata from second users for the object;

verifying that the user entered metadata from the first user and the second users should be associated as augmenting metadata for the object in the media program based on the comparison; and

upon verifying, performing;

determining metadata storage including metadata for one or more other objects in the media program; and

storing the user entered metadata for the object in the media program in the metadata storage for the media program as the augmenting metadata.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein:

comparing comprises comparing the user entered metadata from the first user and the second users to a threshold; and

verifying comprises verifying the user entered metadata from the first user and the second users if the threshold is satisfied.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further configured for:

tracking the object across proximate frames of the media program; and

upon verifying, associating the user entered metadata from the first user with the object in the frame and at least one of the proximate frames of the media program.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the augmenting metadata is stored with original metadata, the original metadata determined prior to receiving the user entered metadata.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the original metadata is determined when the media program is released for viewing, wherein the user entered metadata is received upon the first user viewing the media program through a video delivery service offering delivery of the media program.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a search query for the object;

determining the stored augmented metadata for the object based on the search query; and

returning a search result using the stored augmented metadata for the object.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the user entered metadata is used to determine a thumbnail for the frame that includes the object and the search result causes display of the thumbnail as a search aware thumbnail for the media program.

20. An apparatus comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, that when executed, control the one or more computer processors to be configured for;

receiving user entered metadata from a first user for an object in a frame of the media program;

comparing the user entered metadata from the first user with user entered metadata from second users for the object;

verifying that the user entered metadata from the first user and the second users should be associated as augmenting metadata for the object in the media program based on the comparison; and

upon verifying, performing;

determining metadata storage including metadata for one or more other objects in the media program; and

storing the user entered metadata for the object in the media program in the metadata storage for the media program as the augmenting metadata.