JP2004521525A - Visualization and playback of TV show programs at a lower level than the programs - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is a method and system for displaying content such as television programs at a segment level. The present invention divides the content into at least two segments, displays expression information of at least one of the at least two segments, and indicates a degree to which at least one of the at least two segments is related to the content. The term "content" relates to any type of program or information that is broadcast, stored by a user, or transmitted to a user.

Description

[0001]
[Cross-reference to related applications]
This application was filed on July 28, 2000, with the provisional application of George Marmaropoulos and John Zimmerman as the inventor, entitled "VISUALIZATION AND PLAYBACK OF TELEVISION SHOWS AT S.A. US Patent Application. N. No. 60 / 221,404, the entire application of which is incorporated by reference.
[0002]
[Background of the Invention]
The present invention relates generally to a user interaction paradigm associated with customizing the television viewing process.
[0003]
Digital television and digital information are changing home entertainment, but will continue to change by providing large amounts of digital content. The vast number of channels and the variety of available content makes it impossible for viewers to browse through the content using conventional channel surfing techniques. Electronic program guides (EPGs), such as those described in US Pat. Nos. 4,706,121 and 5,353,121, which are incorporated by reference, select programs based on selection criteria set by the viewer. A schedule information processing system that provides a convenient method for a viewer to perform is provided. However, even the evolving EPG is not sufficient to achieve a level of personalization of large amounts of information that is readily available.
[0004]
Various devices and systems, such as personal television recorders and agent technology, achieve some level of personalization. These systems operate at the metadata level using EPGs and user preferences. Such devices typically have a hard disk with the ability to store hours of video content to facilitate the process of watching favorite programs. However, a new paradigm is beginning to be needed that allows users to intuitively search and find the specific content they want to see.
[0005]
Heretofore, users have conceptualized content in units of individually indivisible show programs. Therefore, the user cannot select the viewing of the content only at the show program level.
[0006]
[Summary of the Invention]
According to one aspect of the invention, a method for displaying content at the segment level comprises several steps. In one procedure, the content is partitioned into at least two segments (a partitioning procedure). In another procedure, expression information of at least one of at least two segments is displayed (display procedure). In a further procedure, the extent to which at least one of the at least two segments relates to the content is indicated (instruction procedure).
[0007]
Here, the term "content" relates to any type of program or information that is broadcast, stored by a user, or transmitted to a user.
[0008]
In some embodiments of the present invention, the segmentation procedure includes pixel color analysis in sampled frames, speech analysis, object recognition techniques, filled-in content descriptions, closed captions, speech to. Perform segmentation based on text, MPEG 7, or audio analysis.
[0009]
In another embodiment of the invention, the indicating procedure indicates the length of each segment or the length of the segment relative to the length of the content in which each segment is contained. The instruction procedure indicates the temporal position of the segment within the content in which the segment is contained.
[0010]
In another embodiment, the pointing procedure generates a symbol, which may be a picture or text. The user searches for the content using the symbol.
[0011]
In other embodiments, the user can select segment representation information to display (ie, play) the segment in full or partial format.
[0012]
In another embodiment, the method retains the segments on a storage medium. The user may accumulate and display more than one segment.
[0013]
According to another aspect of the present invention, a system for displaying content at a segment level includes at least one content information source, a means for dividing the content, and a display means for displaying at least one expression information of the divided segment. And
[0014]
In some embodiments, the display means is a television or monitor. The content is at least one television program information source or a linear media information source. Further, the source of the television program or streaming media is a satellite information source, a terrestrial base information source, or a broadcast information source.
[0015]
In other embodiments, the means for segmenting content operates at the content headend, at the user's location, or at both the content headend and the user's location.
[0016]
In another embodiment, the means for segmenting content automatically segments the content based on a user's individual viewing habits. Further, the display means displays at least one of the at least two segments.
[0017]
In another aspect of the present invention, a program for realizing a function of displaying content at a segment level and recorded on a processor-readable medium has portions for executing various procedures. The program includes a portion that divides the content into at least two segments, a portion that displays at least one of the at least two segments, and a portion that indicates the degree to which at least one of the at least two segments is related to the content. And
[0018]
The present invention has several advantages. For example, systems, methods, and programs may partition content and cause the partitioned content to be displayed. The user can select only the segment that he / she wants to see, and search only a specific segment from a large amount of content. As a result, the number of channels and the amount of information continue to increase, and television viewing becomes simpler and more personalized. In addition, large amounts of information are organized and viewed immediately and easily without extra browsing. These effects, as well as numerous other effects, will be elucidated with reference to the following examples.
[0019]
[Detailed description of main embodiments]
The proposed methods, systems and programs provide television viewers with the ability to select content at a lower level than the program (hereinafter referred to as the segment level).
[0020]
FIG. 1 is an illustration of a preferred embodiment of a proposed user interface embodying segment level representation information. The user first selects an item from the category menu 10 on the user interface 100. Here, the user can search for content in a certain category. In FIG. 1, a user selects a talk show program using a normal input device such as a remote controller or a keyboard. As a result, content (that is, a television program represented by an icon) suitable for the selected talk show program category appears. Each piece of content that fits into a category can be selected. In FIG. 1, the user selects the icon 11 using a normal input device such as a remote controller or a keyboard. This icon represents another content (ie, another program).
[0021]
The icon 11 corresponds to the television program “Late Night Show Program sent by David Letterman” (hereinafter, referred to as “Late Night Show Program”). The program includes a number of segments, including guest interviews, musician performances, and comedian performances.
[0022]
There are several known methods of segmenting content to display the content at the segment level. One method breaks up the content into segments by examining closed captions associated with the content to identify clues to the start and end of the segment. As an example, a clue to identify where the segment starts is the word string "Tonight's next guest is ~". A clue to identify the end of a segment is the word string "thank you".
[0023]
Another way is to identify segments from the unique composition of the program. This is achieved, for example, by identifying the music performance within the talk show program by recognizing the continuous part where the music is played. The clues are when the music starts and when it ends.
[0024]
Still other methods include, for example, the sound associated with a segment such as a whistle that is played at the beginning and end of a quarter of a football game, or where applause reaches a threshold volume (i.e., the great Acting). Many other content segmentation methods are available and may be used in the present invention.
[0025]
The icon 11 is selected in FIG. 1, and the segment display area 12 displays segment expression information 13 to 17. The segment drawings 13 to 17 represent various segments of the late-night show program. For example, the segment drawing 13 corresponds to a segment in which Dolly Parton appears as a guest in a late-night show program. The segment drawing 14 corresponds to a segment in which a Drew Carey appears in a late-night show program. If the user wants to watch one or more segments in the late night show program, the user can select the corresponding segment expression information. When the segment expression information is deleted, the segment is displayed or accumulated. As an example, consider a case where the user selects the segment expression information 13 from the segment display area 12. The user can view the segment, create a sequence of selected segments, view the whole as an editable montage, or save the segment for later viewing.
[0026]
The area of the segment expression information is proportional to the time length of the segment. As an example, in FIG. 1, it is understood that the segment expression information 13 and 14 are longer than the segment expression information 15 and 16 by simply looking at the segment display area 12. Further, the user can immediately and easily compare the length of the segment expression information with the length of the entire content (that is, the program). As an example, the user estimates that the segment expression information 13 is about ５ of the length of the segment display area 12. As a result, the user can determine that the length of this segment corresponding to the segment expression information 13 is 1/5 of one hour, that is, 12 minutes, because the late-night show program is a one-hour program. Alternatively, when the user highlights the segment expression information, the segment length and the segment length for the entire content are given.
[0027]
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a user interface 101 in which segment expression information provides a user with detailed information on a segment of a content section. The display area 12 contains segment expression information 13 to 17 indicated by icons such as the icons 21. When the user highlights the segment expression information, information such as information about celebrities, clues to form the segment, themes, etc. is provided. In FIG. 2, when the user highlights the segment expression information 13 corresponding to Dolly Parton, information 20 appears to assist the user in deciding whether to save or view the highlighted segment. Displaying the segment expression information as described above is useful for other reasons. Generally, the content department focuses on the specific segments contained therein. For example, news programs focus on the "Top Stories" segment. In addition, "Top Articles" usually appear early in the Content Department. By displaying content at the segment level, a user can know where the segment is located within the entire content, as well as the degree of importance of the segment, based on the segment's relationship to the entire content.
[0028]
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a user interface that allows a user to search for content using a segment. In the user interface 102, the user has searched for a financial content section from the category menu 10 shown in FIG. The content part represented by the icons 31 to 33 was found by the user's search. The user may then search for content portions 31-33 at the segment level. The user performs this segment-level search by selecting a specific segment 37 from the search engine 36. In FIG. 3, the user only wants to find a segment relating to Nokia in the content section related to finance. As shown in display areas 34 and 35, segment representation information 38 and 39 has been found. The user knows that there is no segment containing the desired segment in the content part represented by the icon 33. Further, the user can visualize a segment related to Nokia (that is, segment expression information 39) in which the content part corresponding to the icon 32 is more detailed than the content part related to Nokia corresponding to the icon 31. The user views or accumulates both segments found by the search, only short segments (ie, segments corresponding to segment expression information 38), or only long segments (ie, segments corresponding to segment expression information 39). You might want to do that.
[0029]
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a system that displays content at a segment level. The display screen 401 displays the user interface 101. The segment expression information and menu are selected, edited, or operated using a cursor (not shown). The cursor is moved up, down, left and right using a conventional input device such as a remote controller 47 or other well-known conventional input device.
[0030]
When a user selects a category of content portion, microprocessor 45 consults content information source 44 to find the selected content portion. The microprocessor 45 then divides the selected content section according to the user's input. This is performed, for example, when the user selects an icon representing the content section. The microprocessor 45 divides the program as described above and displays the segment as segment expression information. Alternatively, the microprocessor 45 may consult the content information source 44 to divide the program into two or more categories.
[0031]
When the user selects the segment representation information, the microprocessor 45 may instruct the display 401 to display the segment. Microprocessor 45 may store the selected segment on storage medium 46. Microprocessor 45 may automatically recommend segments based on the user's individual program viewing habits.
[0032]
Segment level representation is broadly relevant to all forms of streaming media, such as wireless and streaming feeds from the Internet. For example, it relates to a wireless device (eg, a device such as a digital cable wireless feed). The wireless content section is sorted, searched, and displayed for selection by the user.
[0033]
FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a program for displaying content at the segment level and recorded on a processor-readable medium. The program queries at step 500 whether the user has selected a category of content. If not, the program instructs the microprocessor 45 at step 502 to generate a category menu. After generation, the program instructs the microprocessor 45 to request input at step 503 and receive it at step 504. If the user has selected a category in step 500, or if input has been received in step 503, the program instructs the microprocessor 45 to search and, in step 501, content based on the selected category. And / or command to be filtered.
[0034]
After the content has been searched and / or filtered based on the selected category, the program asks the user if he wants to search for the segment within the category results. This is performed in step 505. If the user does not want to search for the segment in the selected category, the program queries whether the icon representing the content part has been selected. This is performed in step 506. If not, the program waits at step 507 until an icon is selected. When the user selects the icon, the content part represented by the icon is classified in step 508.
[0035]
If the user wishes to search for a segment within the selected category, the program instructs the microprocessor 45 to partition all content parts within the category at step 509. At step 510, the program queries whether the user has selected a segment category. If not, the program instructs the microprocessor 45 to generate a segment category menu in step 511. After generating the category menu, the program instructs the microprocessor 45 to request input in step 512 and to receive input in step 513. If the user had selected a segment category in step 510, or if input was received in step 513, the program causes the microprocessor 45 to search in step 514 for segments based on the selected segment category. And / or to filter. When the content part represented by the icon is classified in step 508, or when the program instructs the microprocessor 45 to search and / or filter the segment based on the segment category selected in step 514. , The program instructs the display 401 in step 515 to display the segment as segment expression information.
[0036]
The above description and examples are typical examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a preferred embodiment of a user / interface for embodying segment level expression information.
FIG. 2
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a preferred embodiment of a user / interface in which segment expression information includes additional information.
FIG. 3
FIG. 3 is an illustration of a preferred embodiment of a user / interface that allows a user to search for content by segment.
FIG. 4
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a preferred embodiment of a system for displaying content at a segment level.
FIG. 5
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a program recorded on a processor-readable medium, which realizes a function of displaying content at a segment level.

Claims (19)

A segmentation procedure for segmenting the content into at least two segments;
A display procedure for displaying expression information of at least one of the at least two segments;
An instruction procedure indicating an extent to which at least one of the at least two segments is relevant to the content;
A method for displaying content at the segment level, comprising: The segmentation procedure includes pixel color analysis in a sampled frame, conversation analysis, object recognition technology, filled-in content description, closed caption, speech-to-text. The method of claim 1, wherein the segmentation is based on one of text, MPEG7, and audio analysis. The method of claim 1 wherein the indicating procedure indicates the length of each segment symbolically. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicating procedure indicates the length of at least one of the at least two segments by a length relative to the length of the content in which the segment is contained. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicating procedure indicates a length of at least one of the at least two segments by a temporal position in the content. The method of claim 1, wherein the presentation information includes at least one of a picture part and a text part. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein a user can search for content using the presentation information. The method of claim 1, wherein a user may select the presentation information of at least one of the at least two segments to display the segment. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of storing the segment represented by the representation information of at least one of the at least two segments on a storage medium. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the user is able to store and display more than one segment. At least one content source,
Means for dividing the content into at least two segments;
Display means for displaying expression information of at least one of the at least two segments;
A system for displaying content at a segment level. The system according to claim 11, wherein the display means is a television or a monitor. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the content is at least one television program source or linear media source. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one source of television programs or streaming media is a satellite source, a terrestrial base source, or a broadcast source. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for segmenting content operates at a content headend, a user location, or both a content headend and a user location. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for segmenting content automatically segments content based on a user's individual viewing habits. The system of claim 11, further comprising a storage medium. The system of claim 11, wherein the display means displays at least one of the at least two segments. The ability to divide content into at least two segments,
Displaying at least one of at least two segments;
The ability to indicate the extent to which at least one of the at least two segments is relevant to the content;
A program recorded on a processor-readable medium that causes a processor to execute the program and display content at a segment level.

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