Patent US7055166B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US7055166B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Apparatus and methods for broadcast monitoring
Assignee: Adeia Media Solutions Inc
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Filing: 1999-01-27
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Granted: 2006-05-30
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Expires: 2019-01-27
Abstract
Abstract Disclosed herein are systems and methods for editing the content of a broadcast programming signal to provide a proprietary program signal that has been tailored to the preferences of an individual monitoring the broadcast programming signal. Accordingly, the systems and methods of the invention offer computer-integrated television monitoring.
Inventors
- 👤 James D. Logan
- 👤 Richard Goldhor
- 👤 Daniel Goessling
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 12:49
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04H; H04H20/00; H04H20/38; H04H20/12; H04H20/14; H04H20/28; H04N; H04N21/00; H04N21/20; H04N21/25; H04N21/258; H04N21/25866; H04N21/25891; H04N21/262; H04N21/26208; H04N21/40; H04N21/45; H04N21/458; H04N21/80; H04N21/81; H04N21/812; H04N7/00; H04N7/08; H04N7/087; H04N7/088
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 50
Claim 1
Independent Claim
204 words
Apparatus for deriving a modified program signal from a broadcast programming signal transmitted for reception by an audience and for presenting said modified program signal to an individual, said apparatus comprising, in combination: an editing unit for generating, as a function of said broadcast programming signal, marking signals each of which includes information specifying the location of a corresponding program segment of said broadcast programming signal; a first communication system coupled to said editing unit for transmitting said marking signals; a receiver for receiving said broadcast programming signal; a random access buffer memory coupled to said receiver for persistently storing a representation of said broadcast programming signal as a stored broadcast programming signal; a second communication system for receiving said marking signals from said first communication system; a monitor for presenting a program signal to an individual; an input device operable by said individual for generating an instruction for selecting a specified one of said marking signals; and a processor coupled to input device and said random access buffer memory for selectively jumping to and delivering to said monitor that program segment within said stored broadcast programming stored in said random access buffer memory that corresponds to said specified one of said marking signals.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
204 words
Apparatus for deriving a modified program signal from a broadcast programming signal transmitted for reception by an audience and for presenting said modified program signal to an individual, said apparatus comprising, in combination: an editing unit for generating, as a function of said broadcast programming signal, marking signals each of which includes information specifying the location of a corresponding program segment of said broadcast programming signal; a first communication system coupled to said editing unit for transmitting said marking signals; a receiver for receiving said broadcast programming signal; a random access buffer memory coupled to said receiver for persistently storing a representation of said broadcast programming signal as a stored broadcast programming signal; a second communication system for receiving said marking signals from said first communication system; a monitor for presenting a program signal to an individual; an input device operable by said individual for generating an instruction for selecting a specified one of said marking signals; and a processor coupled to input device and said random access buffer memory for selectively jumping to and delivering to said monitor that program segment within said stored broadcast programming stored in said random access buffer memory that corresponds to said specified one of said marking signals.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said input device is a remote control device operated by said individual.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said receiver comprises two or more tuners for receiving and storing multiple broadcast programming signals in said buffer simultaneously.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said second communication system for receiving said marking signals, said receiver for receiving said broadcast programming signals, and said buffer are located at a shared server which delivers the program content on demand to said monitor in response to said input device.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said second communication system is a point-to-point communication device.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said point-to-point communication device is a cellular telephone.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
66 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said editing unit includes a time reference signal generator for generating time stamp signals and wherein said information specifying the location of a corresponding program segment of said broadcast programming signal includes a time stamp signal from said time reference signal generator representative of the start time of one of said a program segments of said broadcast programming signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said information specifying the location of a corresponding program segment further includes a time stamp signal from said time reference signal generator representative of the ending time of said one of said a program segments of said broadcast programming signal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said information specifying the location of a corresponding program segment further includes a signal representative of a program identification system.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said program identification system is a numerical guide.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said first communication system is further adapted for receiving said signal representative of a program identification system and for transmitting one of said marking signals in response thereto.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said receiver further includes a second time reference signal generator for generating time stamp signals which are stored at predetermined intervals to form a time based index into said stored broadcast programming signal in said random access buffer memory.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said buffer is further for marking said stored broadcast programming signal with a marker representative of a time of recording of said stored broadcast programming signal.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said processor is further for matching said time stamp signal in said marking signal with said marker, thereby synchronizing said stored broadcast programming signal with said marking signal specifying the location of a corresponding program segment.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said information including the location of corresponding program segments in said broadcast programming signal comprises a frame of video of said broadcast programming signal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said second communication system is further for transmitting a signal representative of a program identification system.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said program identification system is a numerical guide.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said first communication system is further adapted for receiving said signal representative of a program identification system and for transmitting one of said marking signals in response thereto.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein said second communication system is further for receiving said one of said marking signals including said frame of video of said broadcast programming signal.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
55 words
The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein said processor is further for matching said one of said marking signals including said frame of video of said broadcast programming signal with the corresponding frame of video of said stored broadcast programming signal, thereby synchronizing said stored broadcast programming signal with said one of said marking signals.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said processor comprises a selection control program for generating a signal representative of a user-specified program selection for receiving and storing a broadcast programming signal in said random access buffer memory.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein said selection control program is further for monitoring said user-specified selection and generating a program selection signal representative of said user-specified program selection.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said processor comprises a viewing control program for monitoring user viewing habits and generating a viewing log of said broadcast programming signal viewed by said user.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said processor comprises a viewing control program for monitoring user viewing habits and generating a topic data signal representative of user preferences based on said viewing habits.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein said processor further comprises a database memory for storing said topic data signal.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said processor comprises a viewing control program for monitoring user viewing habits and generating a priority data signal representative of user priority preferences based on said viewing habits.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein said processor further comprises a database memory for storing said priority data signal.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein said processor further comprises a segment processor, responsive to said priority data signal, for ordering segments of said stored broadcast programming signal according to said viewing habit.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a data interface for coupling to a source of computer-readable data, said computer-readable data being representative of information suitable for viewing on said monitor.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein said computer-readable data is representative of a beginning of a program segment.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 30 , wherein at least one of said marking signals is generated based on said computer-readable data.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein said computer-readable data comprises a menu of program segments, a beginning of each of said program segments corresponding to a particular one of said marking signals.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein said computer-readable data further comprises information describing one of said program segments.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 33 , wherein said processor is further for halting playback of said stored broadcast programming signal during viewing of said information describing one of said program segments.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 33 , wherein said processor provides simultaneous viewing on said monitor of said stored broadcast programming signal and said program segment information.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus of claim 33 , wherein said processor is coupled to said data interface and is adapted for determining time remaining in a program segment or a total broadcast programming signal based on said program segment information and is adapted for generating a time remaining signal.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein said processor comprises a search program for searching said stored broadcast programming signal and/or said computer-readable data for the occurrence of a selected search term.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
55 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said processor further comprises a segment processor for deleting a second of said program segments in response to said marking signal, said marking signal indicating a said second segment of said stored broadcast programming signal that is redundant with a first segment of said stored broadcast programming signal.
Claim 40
Independent Claim
101 words
A method of generating a proprietary program signal, comprising the steps of: (a) generating a first marking signal, including a blocking signal representative of information for preventing the selection of a second marking signal until after a predefined segment of a broadcast programming signal has been viewed; and (b) transmitting said marking signal to a remote location, whereby a user who receives said broadcast programming signal and said marking signals at said remote location is prevented from selecting said second marking signal until after a predefined segment of said broadcast programming signal denoted by said first marking signal has been viewed.
Claim 41
Independent Claim
101 words
A method of generating a proprietary program signal, comprising the steps of: (a) generating a first marking signal, including a blocking signal representative of information for preventing the selection of a second marking signal until after a predefined segment of a broadcast programming signal has been viewed; and (b) transmitting said marking signal to a remote location, whereby a user who receives said broadcast programming signal and said marking signals at said remote location is prevented from selecting said second marking signal until after a predefined segment of said broadcast programming signal denoted by said first marking signal has been viewed.
Claim 42
Independent Claim
147 words
An apparatus for generating a proprietary program signal, comprising: (a) an editing unfit for generating, as a function of said broadcast programming signal, a first marking signal, including a blocking signal representative of information for preventing the deletion of a specified segment of said stored broadcast programming signal, representative of information for modifying said broadcast programming signal; (b) a first communication system coupled to said sting unit for transmitting said marking signal; (c) a receiver for receiving said broadcast programming signal; (d) a buffer coupled to said receiver comprising a random access memory for persistently storing said broadcast programming signal as a stored broadcast programming signal; (e) a second communication system for receiving said marking signal from said first communication system; and (f) a processor coupled to said buffer and said second communication system for modifying said stored broadcast programming signal in response to said marking signal.
Claim 43
Independent Claim
147 words
An apparatus for generating a proprietary program signal, comprising: (a) an editing unfit for generating, as a function of said broadcast programming signal, a first marking signal, including a blocking signal representative of information for preventing the deletion of a specified segment of said stored broadcast programming signal, representative of information for modifying said broadcast programming signal; (b) a first communication system coupled to said sting unit for transmitting said marking signal; (c) a receiver for receiving said broadcast programming signal; (d) a buffer coupled to said receiver comprising a random access memory for persistently storing said broadcast programming signal as a stored broadcast programming signal; (e) a second communication system for receiving said marking signal from said first communication system; and (f) a processor coupled to said buffer and said second communication system for modifying said stored broadcast programming signal in response to said marking signal.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claim 40 , wherein said processor is further for removing said blocking signal from said marking signal, thereby allowing deletion of said stored segment of said broadcast programming signal.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 40 , wherein said blocking signal is representative of information for preventing the viewing of a segment of said stored broadcast programming signal.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claim 42 , wherein said processor is further for removing said blocking signal from said marking signal, thereby allowing viewing of said segment of said stored broadcast programming signal.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus of claim 40 , wherein said blocking signal is representative of information for preventing the selection of a second marking signal until after a predefined segment of said stored broadcast programming signal has been viewed.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus of claim 40 , further comprising a marking interface coupled to said processor for receiving input signals representative of user-generated instructions for selection of a marking signal for use in modifying said stored broadcast programming signal.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 45 , wherein said user-generated instructions are user-generated remote control instructions.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said buffer is located remotely from said monitor and is selected from the group consisting of a digital video disc, a compact disc or other media storage, an Internet server, and a cable broadcast server.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2009-05-29 | 2009-11-28 | 2010-05-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2013-05-29 | 2013-11-28 | 2014-05-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2017-05-29 | 2017-11-28 | 2018-05-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |