WO2002005542A2

WO2002005542A2 - System and method for dynamically inserting interactive content into a tv signal based on program content

Info

Publication number: WO2002005542A2
Application number: PCT/US2001/021411
Authority: WO
Inventors: Samuel T. Barone, Jr.; Drake Smith
Original assignee: Mixed Signals Technologies, Inc.
Priority date: 2000-07-12
Filing date: 2001-07-06
Publication date: 2002-01-17
Also published as: AU2001273226A1; WO2002005542A3; EP1302065A2; EP1302065A4

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for inserting interactive content into a TV signal by relying on a portion of the TV signal (e.g., closed captioning data) to dynamically and automatically incorporate pertinent interactive content into the TV signal. In one embodiment, a closed captioning decoder (34) decodes the closed captioning information being transmitted along with the TV signal. A processor (36) compares the decoded data with an index of terms and/or phrases. If a match is found, the processor retrieves corresponding ITV data (either the interactive content information itself or suitable ITV data) and transmits the data to an ITV data encoder (37), which encodes the content into the TV signal prior to broadcast.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DYNAMICALLY INSERTING INTERACTIVE

CONTENT INTO A TV SIGNAL BASED ON PROGRAM CONTENT

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to techniques for the provision of interactive television

(ITV) content associated with a television program. More particularly, the invention relates to the dynamic and automatic provision of ITV content based on the current topic of a program.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Interactive television ("ITV")combines conventional television with additional content ("interactive content") to present a viewer with an enhanced version of a television program. Typically, the interactive content is in some way related to the television program being viewed, such as biographical information about one of the actors in the program, additional information about a topic covered in the program, and the like.

In order to experience interactive TV, a viewer must own an ITV receiver (for example, a "set-top box", or a TV receiver that has built-in ITV receiver capabilities) that receives specially prepared video signals which include ITV data in the form of Uniform Resource Locators ("URLs"), interactive content, triggers (e.g., Java-script program calls), and/or other commands. The ITV receiver receives and decodes the ITV data, which may then be used to access the interactive content from a remote location. Alternatively, the ITV receiver may receive data associated with interactive content directly from the TV signal, in which case the ITV receiver processes the data and displays the processed data in the form of interactive content.

Today, interactive television depends on World Wide Web ("Web") technology for delivering and viewing the enhanced content. Specific web sites, addressed with URLs, are created and maintained as ITV sites. The content in these sites may be viewed with ITV receivers in the same way a computer can browse a web site. ITV receivers include web browsers, and can display downloaded content along with TV video on a conventional television set. ITV receivers typically obtain the majority, if not all, of the ITV web content via one of the ITV web sites, typically over a telephone line. Which sites are accessed, and how content is displayed, is determined by interactive TV links and triggers contained in the video portion of the television program. One method for encoding interactive TV links and triggers is specified in EIA-746: Transport of Internet Uniform Resource Locator ("URL") Information Using Text-2 Service. FIG 1. illustrates the overall signal and data flow for a conventional interactive TV system. During the production phase of a TV program or commercial, the program is edited from one or more master recordings 10, and certain URL links and command triggers are embedded, by means of a data encoder 12, into the program, for example, in the vertical blanking interval (VBI) of the video portion of the program. The modified program is recorded by a data recorder 14 for subsequent broadcast.

When desired, the TV program is broadcast, along with the embedded URLs and/or command triggers, by means of a data player 16 and broadcast station 18. These URLs and triggers cause an ITV receiver 20 in the viewer' s home to retrieve enhanced content from the Internet 21 by way of a telephone interface 22. The telephone interface provides two way communication between the viewer and an ITV server 23 at a content provider. The telephone interface also provides the majority of the interactive content as the bandwidth reserved for ITV data in today's TV transmissions is very low. The TV program, along with the retrieved content, is displayed on a television or other display.

Typically, when a television program with available interactive TV content is first received, the viewer is given an option to receive the enhanced experience. If the viewer chooses the enhancements, the ITV receiver will establish a telephone connection to the Internet (if a connection is not already made), find the ITV web site based on a URL embedded in the television program, and then receive the content that produces the enhanced experience.

The system depicted in FIG. 1 is primarily suitable for programs that are prerecorded for broadcast at some future date. However, it is also desirable to provide ITV content in connection with unpredictable programs that are broadcast live, such as sporting events, award ceremonies, and the like. Since those programs are unpredictable and typically broadcast live or with relatively little delay, it is impossible to know ahead of time exactly what interactive content should be displayed at any given moment during the program.

Conventionally, these live broadcast shows are enhanced by means of an ITV producer

(i.e., a human operator), who watches the program and selects enhanced information for transmission by triggering its transmission based on what happens during the course of the show. This is a manual operation ■ — the ITV producer must take some action such as pressing a key on a keyboard to start the transmission of ITV data pertaining to something that just happened in the program. The producer looks and/or listens for significant events in the show that justify the transmission of supplemental data. While providing ITV content in connection with live broadcasts is highly beneficial, using an ITV producer has its drawbacks. In the first place, each program requires a dedicated ITV producer to monitor the program, which is economically inefficient. In addition, there is always the chance of operator error, significant lag time before the content is displayed due to a slow operator, or complete failure to transmit interactive content due to the operator being temporarily inattentive to the program.

Thus, the need exists for a system and method whereby interactive content is dynamically and automatically provided for TV programs, and in which such content is provided in an efficient and reliable manner. The present invention addresses these needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to various systems and methods for monitoring a portion of a TV signal to determine the current subject matter of the program. The monitored portion of the TV signal is processed and then compared with an index of terms and/or phrases. If a suitable match exists between the processed data and the index, corresponding ITV data is encoded in the TV signal, and the TV signal is then broadcast for receipt by an ITV receiver.

In one illustrative embodiment, the present invention relies on closed captioning data to dynamically and automatically incorporate interactive content into a TV program. A useful source of contextual information for a show is the closed captioning data that accompanies many television programs. As is well known, the closed captioning service is a written version of a show's dialog, narration, and sound effects. Thus, in one embodiment, the invention monitors closed captioning data and selects corresponding interactive content based on the closed captioning data.

Thus, according to one illustrative embodiment of the invention, a closed captioning decoder is provided to decode the closed captioning information embedded in the TV signal. The decoded closed captioning information is provided to a processor running a term- or phrase-matching algorithm. If a match is found, the processor retrieves corresponding ITV data (either the interactive content information itself or suitable ITV-related data) and transmits the data to an ITV data encoder, which encodes the content into the TV signal. ITV receivers receiving the TV signal decode the ITV data and either display the interactive content, or decode the ITV-related data and are thereby instructed to obtain interactive content, for example by accessing a remote site and receiving interactive content from the site for display. In another embodiment, the invention relies on voice recognition technology to determine the appropriate content for transmission and display. In that embodiment, appropriate voice recognition software is implemented by aprocessor to monitor and decipher the audio portion of the program and generate corresponding text data. The text data is then compared with an index of ITV content-related terms and/or phrases. If a match is found, corresponding ITV data is retrieved and transmitted to an ITV data encoder, which merges the ITV data with the TV signal for broadcast.

According to yet another illustrative embodiment, the invention is directed to a method of dynamically inserting interactive data into a TV signal, including processing the closed captioning data in the TV signal, comparing the processed closed captioning data with an index of terms and/or phrases, and inserting interactive data into the TV signal if there is a match between the processed closed captioning data and the index.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG.1 schematically illustrates a standard interactive TV system;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram that illustrates a system according to one illustrative embodiment of the invention; FIG. 3 is a flow chart of the operational steps involved in connection with the system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram that illustrates another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of the operational steps involved in connection with the system of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a flow chart depicting the operation of the ITV receiver upon receipt of ITV data.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS .2 and 3 , a novel system 30 is disclosed according to one illustrative embodiment of the invention. The system 30 also provides novel functionality that is the subject of one embodiment of the present invention.

In one illustrative embodiment, system 30 is designed to monitor and interpret closed captioning data embedded in a TV signal. The closed captioning data is processed and compared with an index of ITV content-related terms and/or phrases (i.e., terms and phrases for which there is associated interactive content for display). If a match is found, corresponding ITV data is inserted into the TV signal, and the combined signal is broadcast. Suitable ITV receivers receive and decode the data, which may be in the form of actual interactive content data, or alternatively in the form of ITV-related data, for example, a URL link or trigger (e.g., a Java-script function call). In the case of a URL link being received, the URL is then used by the ITV receiver to retrieve corresponding ITV content for display, as is well known in the art.

In one illustrative embodiment, system 30 includes a closed captioning encoder 33, a closed captioning decoder 34, a processor 36 programmed to execute a term- or phrase-

10 matching algorithm, and an ITV data encoder 37. A TV signal from a signal source 31 is introduced to closed captioning encoder 33 , which embeds closed captioning data into the TV signal. The closed captioning decoder 34 receives the combined signal and is operative to extract closed captioning data from the TV signal, as is well known in the art.

. , The system 30 illustrated in FIG. 2 may be comprised of separate hardware items or it may be contained in a single piece of equipment, as is well known to those skilled in the art.

As described above, the ITV-related data can take many different forms. For example, the ITV-related data can be a URL link that is utilized by ITV receiver 20 to access a 20 corresponding web site. Alternatively, the ITV-related data can be a simple trigger (e.g., a

Java-script program call to control receiver 20 to retrieve and display some content that was previously transferred to receiver 20), or any other suitable command that commands the ITV receiver to retrieve some interactive content, either locally or remotely.

In the embodiment shown in FIG.2, ITV receiver 20 is designed to communicate with

^ a server (not shown) at a remote site over the Internet or other suitable communication network facility. In one embodiment, ITV receiver 20 is programmed to automatically establish a link with the remote server upon the receipt of any received ITV-related data, and to transmit a request for content. Such a request can take any suitable form, as is well known to those having ordinary skill in the art.

30

In another embodiment, the ITV-related data is in the form of a URL link to the remote server. The URL is then used by the ITV receiver to access the remote server. Simply accessing the remote server can serve as the request for content, in the case where the URL uniquely identifies corresponding content, as is described in more detail below.

35 As used herein, the term "interactive content" is used to refer to any additional information that is used to supplement a TV signal, and that is intended to be displayed with a corresponding TV program to create an enhanced program. Thus, the interactive content may be transmitted with the TV signal in a side band, for example, in the band 21 along with the closed captioning data. Alternatively, a link or trigger may be transmitted with the TV signal, which is used by a set-top box to retrieve the appropriate content for display along with the TV signal. Also, the interactive content may already reside within the receiver 20, with the ITV-related data consisting of a command to retrieve and display such data.

As used herein, the term "ITV receiver" is intended to refer to set-top boxes, digital cable boxes, or any other suitable device which has web browsing capabilities.

Referring now to FIG. 3, one illustrative method of the present invention is described 0 in more detail. At step 40, the process begins with a TV signal being encoded with closed captioning data. Typically, an operator listens to the audio portion of the signal and manually enters the closed captioning data, which is then embedded into the TV signal by closed captioning encoder 33. The combined signal is then introduced to, and processed by, a suitable decoding device 34 to decode the closed captioning data and generate corresponding 5 text data, at step 42. The decoding is preferably performed by a closed captioning decoder, as is well known in the art.

At step 44, processed text data is compared with an index of ITV content-related terms and/or phrases. The processing of the incoming text data can take many different 0 forms. For example, the data can be assembled into two-word phrases, with each word in a sentence being separately grouped with the preceding and following word. For example, if the closed captioning data is "The winner is: John Smith", system 30 may be programmed to form the following phrases: "the winner", "winner is", "is John", and "John Smith". Each of those assembled phrases is then compared with the index of phrases. Alternatively, the 5 closed captioning data may be assembled into three-word phrases, or each individual word may be individually compared with an index of terms. For example, in the case of an awards show, each word may be compared with an index of ITV content-related terms, especially where a single word identifies some significant event, such as the announcement of a winning film that has a single-word title, or the like. ^ System 30 may also perform complex boolean functions, such as searching for a term or phrase within some range (e.g., five words) of another term or phrase. If a match is found, that will cause certain data to be retrieved, while matching the first term or phrase alone will cause different data to be retrieved. For example, in the case of a broadcast of a baseball game, if the closed captioning data is "John Smith hits a home run", system 30 may be ^ programmed to find a match where the phrase "John Smith" is located within five words of the phrase "home run", and to insert ITV data relating to the number of home runs hit by John Smith in the season upon finding that match. If the closed captioning data instead is "John Smith is at bat", system 30 may insert ITV data relating to some other statistics regarding John Smith, such as his current batting average or the like. Thus, the system may be made to be hierarchical where there are two or more matches from a given amount of closed captioning data.

In addition, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that a match may exist even though each character in a decoded phrase does not identically correspond to a character in one of the index phrases. For example, if the decoded phrase is "Jim Smith", and one of the index phrases is "Jimmy Smith" or "James Smith", system 30 may still declare a match since a substantial majority of the characters in the phrase match. By way of example, a match could be declared where at least some minimum percentage of the characters matched between an index phrase and a decoded phrase (a "matched value"), such as 80% or some other percentage. Alternatively, system 30 may declare a match where one term matches identically and the other term begins with the same letter, regardless of the remaining characters in the other term. In addition, software is commercially available that performs "sounds like" searches, such that an exact match is not necessary in order to declare that a match in fact exists. Such matching software routines are well known in the art and require no further elaboration here. Therefore, as used herein, the term "match" does not necessarily require an exact match, but can also refer to a "sounds like" match, situations where the phrases are not identical but rather are sufficiently similar, and any other suitable situation.

Preferably, the comparison of the decoded closed captioning data with the index of terms and/or phrases is performed before broadcast of the TV signal. Alternatively, such comparison may be performed by the respective ITV receivers. In that case, the index of terms and/or phrases is transferred to the respective ITV receivers, preferably prior to the commencement of the broadcast. Then, when the TV signal is received by the ITV receivers and the closed captioning data decoded by the receivers, the decoded data is processed and compared with the stored index, similar to the processor 36 running the matching algorithm.

While in one illustrative embodiment the closed captioning data is received by a closed captioning decoder after it is encoded with the TV signal, it will be apparent that the closed captioning data can be received and processed by a suitable processor before it is encoded. In such a case, the data may be taken directly from a user input terminal 35 (the connection being shown in dashed line in FIG. 2) where an operator manually enters the closed captioning information in ASCII or other format, with such data then being processed and compared with the index of terms and/or phrases. Returning to FIG. 3 , after the closed captioning data is processed and compared to the index of terms and/or phrases, operation proceeds to query block 46, and system 30 determines whether a match exists. If so, operation proceeds to step 48, and system 30 retrieves corresponding ITV data, preferably from memory 38. As described above, there may be more than one match for a given amount of closed captioning data. Thus, system 30 preferably ranks, the matches according to a set of rules. For example, system 30 may simply select the first match encountered within the closed captioning data. Alternatively, system 30 may select a complex match over a simple match. It will be understood that system 30 may incorporate any suitable selection rules in the event there are multiple matches.

The selected ITV data may consist of one or more of a link to a web site, a trigger (such as a Java-script program call), or actual ITV content information itself. System 30 preferably maintains a look-up or association table to determine the appropriate ITV data for retrieval, based upon the matched term or phrase. At step 50, the retrieved ITV data is inserted into the TV signal, in any suitable manner as is well known in the art. Operation then proceeds to step 52, and the TV signal with the embedded ITV data is broadcast.

If at step 46 no match is found, operation proceeds directly to step 52, and the TV signal is broadcast without any additional ITV data.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a system 60 is shown that depicts another illustrative embodiment of the invention. The system 60 of FIG. 4, for the most part, operates in a similar manner to system 30 of FIG.2 and includes many of the same components. However, in place of the closed captioning decoder 32, system 60 includes a voice recognition device 62, for example, a processor implementing suitable voice recognition software. Voice recognition device 62 receives the audio portion of a TV signal, and processes the audio signal to generate text data, as is well known in the art. The text data is forwarded to processor 36 running the term- and/or phrase-matching algorithm, similar to system 30 of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 5, operation of system 60 is described in greater detail. At step 70, the TV signal is received by the voice recognition device 62 prior to the broadcast of the signal. At step 72, voice recognition device 62 deciphers the audio portion of the incoming

TV signal, and generates corresponding text data. At step 74, the text data is processed and assembled into words and/or phrases, depending on how system 60 is programmed.

At step 76, the assembled text data is compared with an index of ITV content-related terms and/or phrases. Operation then proceeds to query block 78, and system 60 determines whether a match exists. If so, operation proceeds to step 80, and system 60 retrieves corresponding ITV data. At step 82, the retrieved ITV data is inserted into the TV signal, in any suitable manner as is well known in the art. Operation then proceeds to step 84, and the TV signal with the embedded ITV data is broadcast.

If at step 78 no match is found, operation proceeds directly to step 84, and the TV signal is broadcast without any additional ITV data.

Referring to FIG. 6, operation of ITV receiver 20 is described in more detail. At step 100, receiver 20 receives the TV signal with the ITV-related data embedded therein. At step 102, the ITV-reiated data is extracted from the TV signal by ITV receiver 20, and decoded to determine the contents of the ITV-related data. For example, as described above, the data may be a URL link which is to be used by the ITV receiver to establish a communication link with a particular web site to retrieve corresponding content. Alternatively, the ITV-related data may be in the form of a trigger or command to request content at that time, in which case ITV receiver 20 is preprogrammed to automatically establish a link with a predetermined web site and make a request for the content.

At query block 104, ITV receiver 20 determines whether the received ITV data is a

URL link. If so, operation proceeds to step 106, and receiver 20 accesses the remote web site using the embedded URL. At step 108, the appropriate interactive content is transferred from the remote web site to ITV receiver 20. At step 110, ITV receiver 20 receives, processes, and displays the interactive content along with the TV program. Operation then terminates at 112.

If at query block 104, ITV receiver 20 determines that the ITV-related data is not a URL, operation instead proceeds to step 114, and ITV receiver 20 processes the ITV data and displays it along with the TV program. Operation then terminates at step 112.

In one embodiment, the system 30 of the present invention operates in connection with the Internet. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be used in connection with any network, such as a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), or any other network that allows for two-way communication of data.

In one embodiment, the ITV data is embedded in the vertical blanking interval ("VBI") channel of the program. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the ITV data can be inserted in any suitable manner into the TV signal, such as in one or more of the supplemental data channels in the frame.

While the system and method of the invention have been described primarily in connection with sporting events, award shows, and the like, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention has utility in connection with any program for which it is desirable to provide ITV content in a dynamic, automatic manner. In addition, while the invention has been described as monitoring either closed captioning data or voice data, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the invention may utilize both closed captioning data and voice data. For example, in another embodiment of the invention, a system may include both a voice recognition device as well as a closed captioning decoder, with processor 36 relying on both the decoded closed captioning data as well as text data from the voice recognition device to search for a match.

In addition, while the present invention has been described primarily in connection with the monitoring of closed captioning data and voice data to determine the current subject matter of a program, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may monitor any other data incorporated into a TV signal from which the context of the program can be derived. For example, in a digital television (DTV) signal, it is presently contemplated that "metadata" will be included in the DTV signal, with such metadata serving to give some insight as. to the content of the program. Another example is "descriptive video service" (DVS) data which provides narration of a TV program for the blind and visually impaired. With an appropriate receiver (for example, a receiver with SAP ("Second Audio Program") capability), the DVS data can be processed and presented as additional audio to describe certain scenes. The present invention may also monitor such DVS data, process it and compare it with an index to determine if an appropriate match exists and, if so, to insert ITV data into the TV signal.

While the above description contains many specific features of the invention, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as exemplary embodiments thereof. Many other variations are possible. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. In an interactive television system, a method of inserting interactive data into a TV signal, wherein the TV signal includes closed captioning data, the method comprising: processing the closed captioning data; comparing the processed closed captioning data with an index of at least one of terms and phrases; and inserting corresponding interactive data into the TV signal if the comparison between the content-related data and the index results in a matched value that exceeds a predetermined threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the processed closed captioning data with the index comprises assembling the closed captioning data into phrases and comparing the assembled phrases with an index of phrases.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein inserting interactive data comprises inserting ITV-related data into the TV signal.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the inserted ITV-related data comprises a URL.

5. The method of claim 1, further including accessing a content server to retrieve the content.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein accessing the content server is performed over a computer network.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein inserting data comprises inserting interactive data for display.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the closed captioning data is performed before the TV signal is broadcast.

1 9. The method of claim 5, further including transmitting, to the content server, information contained within the interactive data.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein inserting corresponding interactive data occurs

5 when an exact match is found.

11. In an interactive television system, a method of inserting interactive data into a

TV signal, the method comprising:

10 processing the audio portion of the TV signal to form text data; comparing the text data with an index of at least one of terms and phrases; and

¹ inserting corresponding interactive data into the TV signal if the comparison between the content-related data and the index results in a matched value that exceeds a predetermined 15 threshold.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein comparing the text data with the index comprises assembling the text data into phrases and comparing the assembled phrases with y rr an index of phrases .

13. The method of claim 11, wherein inserting interactive data comprises inserting ITV-related data into the TV signal.

25

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the inserted ITV-related data comprises aURL.

15. The method of claim 11 , further including accessing a content server to retrieve the content.

30

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein accessing the content server is performed over a computer network.

35

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein inserting data comprises inserting interactive data for display.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein processing the audio portion of the TV signal is performed before the TV signal is broadcast.

19. The method of claim 15, further including transmitting, to the content server, information contained within the interactive data.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein processing the audio portion comprises using a voice recognition algorithm to generate text data based on the audio signal.

21. The method of claim 11 , wherein inserting corresponding interactive data occurs when an exact match is found.

22. A system for inserting interactive data into a TV signal, wherein the TV signal includes closed captioning data, comprising: a closed captioning decoder adapted to receive the TV signal and operative to decode the closed captioning data contained in the TV signal; a processor connected to the closed captioning decoder to receive the decoded closed captioning data, the processor being programmed to process the closed captioning data and to compare the processed data with an index of at least one of terms and phrases, the processor being further programmed to insert interactive data into the TV signal if the comparison between the processed data and the index results in a matched value that exceeds a predetermined threshold.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the processor is programmed to assemble the closed captioning data into phrases and compare the assembled phrases with an index of phrases.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the processor is programmed to retrieve and insert ITV-related data into the TV signal upon determining that a match exists.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the inserted ITV-related data comprises a URL.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the processor is programmed to retrieve and insert interactive data into the TV signal upon determining that a match exists.

27. A system for inserting interactive data into a TV signal, comprising: a voice recognition device adapted to receive the TV signal and operative to decipher the audio portion of the TV signal and to generate corresponding text data; a processor connected to the voice recognition device and operative to receive the text data, the processor being programmed to process the text data and to compare the processed text data with an index of at least one of terms and phrases, the processor being further programmed to insert interactive data into the TV signal if the comparison between the processed text data and the index results in a matched value that exceeds a predetermined threshold.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the processor is programmed to assemble the text data into phrases and compare the assembled phrases with an index of phrases.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the processor is programmed to retrieve and insert ITV-related data into the TV signal upon determining that a match exists.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the inserted ITV-related data comprises a URL.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein the processor is programmed to retrieve and insert interactive data into the TV signal upon determining that a match exists.

32. In an interactive television system, a method of inserting interactive data into a TV signal, the method comprising: monitoring a portion of the TV signal, wherein the portion of the TV signal includes content-related information; processing the portion of the TV signal to generate content-related data; comparing the content-related data with an index of at least one of terms and phrases; and inserting corresponding interactive data into the TV signal if the comparison between the content-related data and the index results in a matched value that exceeds a predetermined threshold. 0

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the portion of the TV signal comprises closed captioning data.

5 34. The method of claim 32, wherein the portion of the TV signal comprises the audio portion of the TV signal.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the portion of the TV signal comprises metadata r. included in the TV signal.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein comparing the content-related data with the index comprises assembling the closed captioning data into phrases and comparing the assembled phrases with an index of phrases. 5

37. The method of claim 32, wherein inserting interactive data comprises inserting ITV-related data into the TV signal.

0

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the inserted ITV-related data comprises a URL .

39. The method of claim 32, further including accessing a content server to retrieve the content. 5

40. The method of claim 39, wherein accessing the content server is performed over a computer network.

41. The method of claim 32, wherein inserting data comprises inserting interactive data for display.

42. The method of claim 32, wherein processing the closed captioning data is performed before the TV signal is broadcast.

43. The method of claim 41, further including transmitting, to the content server, information contained within the interactive data.

44. The method of claim 32, wherein inserting corresponding interactive data occurs when an exact match is found.

45. A system for inserting interactive data into a TV signal, wherein the TV signal includes context-related information, the system comprising: a processor adapted to receive a portion of the TV signal that includes the context- related information, the processor being programmed to process the portion of the TV signal and to compare the processed information with an index of at least one of terms and phrases, the processor being further programmed to insert interactive data into the TV signal if the comparison between the processed information and the index results in a matched value that exceeds a predetermined threshold.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the processor is programmed to assemble the information into phrases and compare the assembled phrases with an index of phrases.

47. The system of claim 45, wherein the processor is programmed to retrieve and insert ITV-related data into the TV signal upon determining that a match exists.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the inserted ITV-related data comprises a URL.

49. The system of claim 45, wherein the processor is programmed to retrieve and insert interactive data into the TV signal upon determining that a match exists.

^'