FR2926430A1 - INTERACTIVE SYSTEM FOR DIGITAL TELEVISION. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an interactive system comprising in at least one user: a user terminal which receives digital television signals, television rendering means which are connected to the user terminal, a remote control, the system further comprising a unit; adapted to perform a recording when the user operates in a certain way his remote control, while he is watching a television sequence; characterized in that the system also comprises an Internet access terminal able to access by Internet to a database on a remote server; in that the recording unit records the television sequence viewed by the user for a duration of less than or of the order of one minute; and in that the television sequence is stored and made available to the user for later viewing on the Internet access terminal.

Description

The present invention relates to the digital television field. More specifically, the present invention relates to an electronic beast system of digital television programs. The digital television field is now developing applications 5 allowing a viewer to use his television other than for a simple viewing of programs broadcast by broadcasters. For example, EP 1 145 543 discloses a system for recording broadcasts on a remote media server in response to a request made by a user. If desired, the user can also record transmission guide data. The request is made by pressing a key on a remote control. The recorded programs, as well as the program guide data, can be replayed on demand by the remote media server in response to a request from the user. In addition, teleshopping systems are known. US 2006/0015925 proposes such a solution. In this document, a teleshopping broadcast is recorded and pre-cut by the broadcaster in several segments each corresponding to a product. Identification metadata is associated with each segment. The program is then provided to the user with a segment guide. With a remote control, the user selects the segments of interest and visualizes it with the associated metadata. However, this solution does not allow the user to select a segment of a program of his choice or an advertisement of his choice among all those that are broadcast, for example a film, a cultural program, etc. WO 01/65851 proposes a second solution. In this document, a broadcaster inserts a pictogram into certain sequences of a program to signal interactivity to the user. The user, if he is interested in the product, press on the remote control and then triggers the sending of an encoded message to a remote center. The user then receives an information message or the seller's email address, etc.

However, this system requires the broadcaster to predict all the sequences during which a user would be likely to be interested in what he sees on the screen, and display the pictogram quite often. Otherwise, the user could, again, not be able to order a product for which the broadcaster has not provided the insertion of the pictogram. Another solution is proposed in document US 2006/0150218, in which a coded message is sent to a recorder, for example a digital video recorder, when a user presses a key on his remote control because he is interested in a product appearing. in a sequence. The recorder then creates a record including information about the date and time at which and the channel on which the sequence is being broadcast, as well as the identification of the user. The record is sent to a remote server that identifies the sequence, and therefore the product, returns the purchase information for that product and places the order with a seller. This system also applies when watching a DVD. In this case, the sequence is identified from a time difference between the moment when the sequence passes and an origin time, for example the launching of the film, as well as from the coordinates relating to the color of pixels at the edge. image.

The information that such a system allows the user to retrieve a posteriori are necessarily necessarily limited An object of the invention is to provide a system that allows a user to have later access to any information he may have. find interesting in a TV program from an internet terminal.

The system proposed by the invention is an interactive system comprising in at least one user: a user terminal that receives digital television signals; television rendering means which are connected to the user terminal; - a remote control ; the system further comprising a unit capable of performing a recording when the user operates in a certain way his remote control, while he is watching a television sequence; characterized in that the system also includes an Internet access terminal adapted to access a database via the Internet on a remote server; in that the recording unit records the television sequence viewed by the user for a duration of less than or of the order of one minute; and in that the television sequence is stored and made available to the user for later viewing on the Internet access terminal. The invention also proposes a method of exchanging information, characterized in that, in a system proposed by the invention, it comprises the following steps: sending to the user terminal a signal by the remote control; - On receipt of the signal, sending information by the user terminal to the recording unit; - recording on the duration less than or of the order of the minute of the television sequence watched by the user and corresponding to this information; and - access to the television sequence and the information from the Internet access terminal and / or from the television rendering means. Other characteristics, objects and advantages of the present invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows, with reference to the appended drawings, given by way of non-limiting examples and in which the single FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation. interactive information exchange system. The interactive information exchange system comprises, in a user, television rendering means 3, a user terminal 4 and a remote control 2 as well as a terminal 7 for accessing the Internet. The television rendering means 3 may be a television set, a computer, a mobile telephone capable of receiving and displaying programs broadcast by broadcasters, or any other apparatus making it possible to capture and display such programs. A program is included in the sequel as being a television program, a film, a television documentary, an advertisement or any other television broadcast. The user terminal 4 may be a set-top box. This set-top box can be provided by Internet providers. The remote control 2 communicates with the user terminal 4 by infrared link. The terminal 7 Internet access can be a computer or a mobile phone or the TV itself. The system also comprises a recording unit 5, which records a television sequence viewed by the user over a period of a few seconds (and in any event for a shorter duration or at most 20 minutes). , and preferably about 30 seconds) when the user operates in a certain way his remote control 2, while he is watching a television sequence. The recorded television sequence is made available to the user for later viewing, either on the television rendering means 3 or 25 on the terminal 7 Internet access. The recorded television sequence can be stored in the user terminal 4 or in a local or remote server accessible via the Internet. Means, and especially for example a metadata enrichment unit 6 which is for example a server whose functions are described more

away, allow to automatically recognize television programs broadcast regularly (an advertisement for example). The recording unit 5 can be integrated into the user terminal 4. For example, in the case where the user terminal 4 is a set-top box, the recording unit 5 can be the one associated with an offset function (or time shifting). The recording unit 5 can also be a remote server which then puts the sequence online at the user's availability. The recording unit 5 may still be a hard disk of a personal computer of the user.

Subsequently, modes of operation of the proposed system will be described. In all modes of operation, a user 1 watches any television program - for example an entertainment show, a television game show - or a television commercial broadcast by a television broadcaster on a television channel, using his television rendering means. 3. In a first mode of operation, when the user 1 is interested in the content of a television sequence of the program and wishes to record it to be able to view it again from its terminal 7 for access to the Internet for later action it presses a dedicated key on the remote control 2. The remote control 2 then sends a signal to the user terminal 4. The user terminal 4 therefore commands the recording unit 5 to record the last minutes of the sequence (in particular, and without limitation, the last thirty seconds or the last minute) and to make this sequence available to the terminal 7 In the case where the user terminal 4 is a set-top box, it is the shift function that is controlled. In all cases, this record is accessible by the user 1 via the terminal 7 and allows it to view the sequence again, that this user wishes to use this function as a reminder (for example the title of a a play that is spoken of in a program or advertisement on a program for which he does not wish to miss the broadcast) or simply as a recorder.

The system further includes a backtrack module that allows the user to return to a television sequence already broadcast by pressing a specific key on his remote control and, when positioned on the extract that interests him, and that he actuates his remote control, memorizes the fragment.

The backtrack module thus extracts a fragment of the recorded television sequence, when the user 1 activates his remote control 2, during a subsequent viewing and replaces the television sequence with this fragment. This is particularly useful for ad programs to select the right ad since they usually last less than 20 seconds.

In a second mode of operation, an object 9, by which the user 1 is interested, appears on the television rendering means 3. The user 1 interested then presses on a dedicated key of the remote control 2. The remote control 2 then sends a signal to the user terminal 4. The user terminal 4 commands the recording unit 5 to record the sequence on which the object 9 appears (for example, and in a nonlimiting manner, the last thirty seconds of the sequence) and make it available to the terminal 7 Internet access. The user terminal 4 also sends a label containing information to a metadata enrichment unit 6. This information may be a number of the user 1 subscriber to the service proposed by the invention, an email address of the user, an string identifier (eg channel name) identifying the channel watched by the user, a date and time of viewing. This tag enables the metadata enrichment unit 6 to associate, automatically or manually by a team of operators, metadata with the recorded sequence. In the case where the association of the metadata with the label is carried out manually by a team of operators, the recorded sequence can be sent to them or made accessible remotely by the recording unit 5. Alternatively, the operators can watch in real time the channel on

which is broadcast the program or advertisement where appears the object 9 under the same conditions as the user 1 (that is to say with the shift function automatically operated when the user presses the dedicated key of his remote control 2). In the latter case, the operator 1 can then view the sequence again and, after receiving the tag corresponding to the sequence, associate therewith metadata. If the association of the metadata is automated with the metadata enrichment system 6, during a first broadcast of a program - an advertisement for example - a footprint is created by a human operator using a program specific computer. These fingerprints are files of a few compressed bytes representing program sequences uniquely. The metadata enrichment unit 6 thus has a fingerprint for each program sequence and continuously monitors the television program. An association module 61 then compares at each instant the sequence broadcast to a fingerprint database. When a fingerprint is recognized, the program sequence (string, start date, end date) is identified and corresponding metadata are associated with it. This makes it possible to automatically associate metadata with any type of program broadcast more than once and already informed by an operator at the first broadcast, without any further manual intervention by the latter. The information, including the channel identifier, the date and the watch time, make it possible to identify the program and the sequence to be recorded. The associated metadata can be data or actions. The data will include a phone number of a seller or reseller, an address of a seller or reseller closest to the user's home, an email address of the seller or reseller, an address of an Internet site on which the object can be purchased, the name or brand name of a product, a program name, a date and / or time to which a program, a title / name of a film or document is being broadcast theater or other cultural event (concert, sporting event, festival, ...), an album title, a singer's name, a prize, etc.

Among the actions, one will quote buy, call, to see, to activate alert email, to activate alert SMS, sending by SMS. The metadata enrichment unit 6 thus allows the user 1 to obtain metadata on any object, program or other appearing in a program. Metadata allow, for example and depending on the type of program to which they relate, to make an online purchase of a product or ticket for a cultural event (which makes the effort of taking note on a piece of paper during the broadcast of the program), to make an order for information (for example a brochure at a travel agent), not to miss a television show, to record a television program, to be informed by SMS alert or email of a broadcast of an upcoming program, to obtain more information on a topic discussed in the program watched as finding a theater or cinema, etc. The metadata associated with the tag is stored in a database on a remote server accessible from the Internet access terminal 7. From this terminal 7 Internet access, the user can not only view the selected television sequence, but also access the metadata associated with the sequence. Application examples are given below but do not limit the scope of the present invention. In a first example, a user 1 looks, through its set-top box 4, an emission E at a date D and at an hour H on a channel C on his television 3. In this emission E, we speak of the last film of PB The user 1 wishes to note the title T of the PB film which has just been mentioned on the antenna. He then presses the dedicated key on his remote control 2, for example the OK button, which sends a signal to the set-top box 3. The set-top box 3 triggers the recording by the recording unit 5 of the last seconds of the broadcast before the user 1 presses the key and creates a label 30 corresponding to the sequence. It puts the recording of the sequence at the

availability of the user 1 on a personal account of the user accessible from the terminal 7 on the website of the Internet operator who provided the set-top box, for example in the form: List of your labels (C) D TE see with D displayed in the day of the week day of the month month year, or DD / MM / YYYY, DD / MM / YY, or any other format in use (Anglo-Saxon, Asian ...); TE the type of broadcast (eg a cultural broadcast), TE can also be the title of the show, and alternatively, the type of show and the title of the show can both appear on the label. The user 1 then has access to the recorded sequence and can view it when he wishes by clicking on see. Once he has found the title of the film by reviewing the excerpt, he can go to a movie ticket purchase site and book his session. Alternatively, the metadata enrichment unit 6 has associated metadata with this tag. This metadata can be the title T of the PB film and / or the director's name and / or a link to an Internet site to learn about the cinemas offering the film, or even to reserve a cinema ticket for see this movie. The label can then have the following form: Lists of your labels (C) D TE see T P.B. rooms

By clicking on rooms, the user 1 then has access to the site giving information on the cinemas proposing the film T of PB The user 1 has direct access to the title of the film, on behalf of the rooms which diffuses it without having to do manual searches as is the case with the standard service.

In a second example, the user 1 is watching an advertisement on his television set 3. The subject of the advertisement is a program E 'which will be on the date D' and the time H '. The user 1 wishes not to miss the emission E ', he then presses the dedicated key on his remote control 2 which sends a signal to its set-top box 4. The set-top box 4 activates the recording of the last seconds of the sequence as in the first example. The set-top box 4 creates a tag to which the metadata enrichment unit 6 associates the alert metadata. The user 1 will then be able to confirm the activation of the alert from his terminal 7 and he will be alerted on the date D 'and the time H' (or possibly before this date D 'and / or before the hour H 'so that it can predict) by sending an SMS on a laptop of the user 1, by sending an email on a mailbox of the user 1, or by any means allowing to prevent it from displaying or scrolling a line of text when turning on the TV 3 or on the date D 'and at the time H' while the user is watching another program, etc.) . The label can then have the following form: Lists of your labels (C) D'H 'TE see alert In a third example close to the second example, user 1 looks at an advertisement on his television 3. The subject of advertising is a leisure center CL. The user wishes to retain the telephone number and address of the WEB site broadcast in the advertising of this leisure center CL, he then presses the dedicated key of his remote control 2. By the same process as in the first and second examples, a label is created by the set-top box 4 and metadata are associated with it by the metadata enrichment unit 6. The label, accessible from the terminal 7 may then have the following form: List of your DP CL labels see Tel . www.centreloisir.com where Tel. is a telephone number of a standard of the leisure center CL, www.centreloisir.com is a website of the recreation center L, and here, P = advertising. The user 1 will be able, once on his / her internet access terminal 7, to find this information and to contact the standard of the leisure center CL and / or to access the website of the leisure center CL in order to obtain further information on the center CL and / or order a brochure. In a fourth example, the user 1 looks at an advertisement whose subject is a consumer product bearing an NP name under a mark M. The user wishes to buy this product, he then presses a dedicated key on his remote control 2. By a process similar to the first three examples, a label is created by the set-top box 4 and metadata are associated with it by the metadata enrichment unit 6. The label can then have the following form: List of your DP NP labels M Buy Where to Buy is a link to a website where the NP product can be purchased, such as a food retailer's retail site. The metadata may still include the price of the product that is recommended by the manufacturer or the price indicated on the website or a promotional price, etc. If the product is a music CD or DVD (concert), the metadata may include the name of the singer or group and / or a price.

In a fifth example, the user 1 watches a film, whose title is TF, broadcast on the channel C. The user 1 wants to buy either a DVD of the film or a soundtrack of the film. He then presses a dedicated key on his remote control 2. By a process similar to the first, second, third and fourth examples, a label is created by the set-top box 4 and metadata are associated with it by the metadata enrichment unit. 6. The label can then have the following form: List of your labels (C) F TF see buy DVD buy CD where to buy DVD and buy CD are links to a purchase site (s) where the user 1 can get the DVD or CD, and F = Movie. It is understood in the present invention that the metadata available for a given example may also be used for another example if this is adequate. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments, nor the use examples described above, but extends to any embodiment and any example of use according to its spirit.

Claims (12)

An interactive system comprising in at least one user: a user terminal (4) which receives digital television signals; television rendering means (3) which are connected to the user terminal (4); a remote control (2); the system further comprising a unit (5) adapted to perform a recording when the user operates in a certain way his remote control, while he is watching a television sequence; characterized in that the system also comprises an Internet access terminal (7) adapted to access a database on a remote server over the Internet; in that the recording unit (5) records the television sequence viewed by the user for a period of less than or of the order of one minute; and in that the television sequence is stored and made available to the user for later viewing on the terminal (7) Internet access. 2. System according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the recorded television sequence lasts about 30 sec. 3. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the terminal (7) for accessing the Internet is chosen from: a computer, a mobile phone, or a television. 4. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the user terminal (4) comprises means adapted to create, when the user actuates the remote control to store the television sequence, a label corresponding to the watched television sequence by the user (1), said system further comprising means for associating at least one metadata with this tag, this metadata being stored in the database on a remote server. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the recording unit (5) is integrated in the user terminal (4) or in a hard disk of a user's personal computer (1). . 6. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the recording unit (5) is a remote server. 7. System according to any one of claims 4 and 5 and 6 in combination with claim 4, characterized in that a metadata is chosen from: an Internet link, a telephone number, an address, a date, a time, a movie title, show title, program type, product name, price, proper name, title / name of a cultural event, action such as purchase, alert, call , and see. 8. System according to the preceding claim, characterized in that a metadata is relative to a distributor or seller. 9. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a metadata enrichment unit (6) automatically associates the at least one metadata with the tag using a module ( 61) of association. 10. System according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the association module (61) automatically associates the at least one metadata to the label with a footprint uniquely representing a television sequence and allocated when an earlier broadcast of the television sequence by a human operator using a specific computer program. 11. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the system further comprises a rear return module which allows the user to return to a television sequence already broadcast by pressing a specific key on his remote control then , when it is positioned on the extract which interests it, and that it activates its remote control, memorizes the fragment. ^ ^ ^ ^ 13. upon receipt of the signal, sending information by the user terminal (4) to the recording unit (5); recording on the duration less than or of the order of one minute of the television sequence watched by the user and corresponding to this information; access to the television sequence and information from the Internet access terminal (7) 12. A method of information exchange, characterized in that, in the system according to one of the preceding claims, it comprises the following steps: sending to the user terminal (4) a signal by the remote control (2); Method according to Claim 12, characterized in that the recording time is approximately 30 seconds. 14. Method according to one of claims 12 or 13, characterized in that the terminal (7) for access to the Internet is chosen from: a computer, a mobile phone, or a television. 15. Method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: creation of a label by the user terminal (4) corresponding to the television sequence viewed and containing the information; associating at least one metadata with the tag by the metadata enriching unit (6); and ^ storing the metadata in a database on a remote server and accessible by the terminal (7) for accessing the Internet. 16. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the metadata enrichment unit (6) associates the at least one metadata automatically to the tag by means of an association module (61). . Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the association module (61) automatically associates the at least one metadata with the label by means of a footprint that uniquely represents the television sequence and is allocated during a broadcast. previous television sequence by a human operator.