DYNAMICALLY CONTROLLING VIDEO AND DATA TRANSMISSIONS

Abstract: A video and data distribution system may account for the dynamically changing nature of its audience. By receiving feedback from the audience, the content of the broadcast may be modified automatically. For example, the information which is broadcast may be tagged and information about the viewer selected programming and ancillary data may be utilized to assess the nature of the currently active audience. This information may be provided as feedback information to the broadcast system to modify the nature of the information being broadcast.

Description: DYNAMICALLY CONTROLLING VIDEO AND DATA TRANSMISSIONS Background This invention relates generally to the distribution of video and data to a plurality of receivers. A variety of video distribution systems currently exist including cable distribution networks, airwave broadcast networks, and satellite distribution systems as examples. Like any service provider, the broadcast system attempts to provide the viewers or users of the system with the most desired content. However, the determination of what is the most desired content is a complex function of the viewer demographics. While conventionally a broadcaster may predict that certain demographics may watch certain types of broadcasts on certain days of the week, certain times and under certain circumstances, the real demographic profile is really much more dynamic. Accurate prediction is not always possible. Thus, there is a need for a way to more accurately predict and deliver the content that current, active viewers are interested in seeing on a video distribution system. Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a block depiction of one embodiment of a system in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a flow chart for software resident on the receiver shown in Figure 1 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is a flow chart for software resident on the content selector shown in Figure 1 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing how the video and data programming may be altered depending on the current viewer demographics at any given time, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Description Referring to Figure 1, a video distribution system 10 provides video content to a plurality of receivers such as the receiver 26. The video distribution system 10 may use a transport 24 such as an airwave transport, a cable transport or a satellite transport, as examples. The video content may initially reside on a content database 20. The content contained on the database 20 may be forwarded to the content selector 14. The content selector 14 may be a processor-based system such as a server. In the course of being forwarded, the content may be tagged with metadata 22. The content files may be tagged with metadata in order to facilitate the identification of those files when receiving viewer feedback related to those files. Thus, the tags provide a way to identify which content viewers are interested in and for facilitating the feedback of information from viewers to the content selector 14. The tagged content files 18 may then be delivered to the content selector 14. The content selector 14 may select content for distribution over the system in accordance with a preordained schedule 16. The information may be distributed over the transport 24 for receipt by the receivers 26. The receivers 26, under control of software 28 resident on those receivers, may provide feedback to a viewer database 12. In particular, the feedback may be in the form of responses to queries posed by the content selector 14 about what viewers would like to see. The feedback may also include information about the channels that have been tuned by the receiver 26 over various time intervals. The feedback may also be information about the associated content that the receiver 26 has displayed in response to viewer selections. For example, the content provided by the content selector 14 may include not only programming but also so-called ancillary data. The ancillary data may include viewer selectable additional information which may be related or unrelated to the programming content. For example, the ancillary data may provide links to Internet web pages that contain additional information about the content or programming. Similarly, the ancillary data may include advertising information. The ancillary data may also include other information which the content provider thinks viewers may wish to receive . The viewers may select this ancillary information using their receivers 26. For example, the receivers 26 may be set-top boxes which allow the user to use a remote control unit to mouse click on icons displayed on the display screen. These icons may be indicative of the type of ancillary data which is available for viewing. When the user mouse clicks on an icon, the screen display may be changed to access the ancillary data, either directly if resident on the receiver 26 or indirectly through a back channel 44 such as a link to the Internet. For example, the viewer may be automatically directed to a particular web site which contains the information which the content selector 14 thinks the viewer will want to view. The receiver 26 may collect and provide feedback to the viewer database 12 about the content which is actually selected for viewing by the user. This may provide valuable information about the demographics of the currently active viewers . The feedback may be used to dynamically tune the viewer database 12. The dynamically tuned database 12 may be utilized to adapt the distributed content to the aggregated dynamic nature of the current audience. For example, audiences in any given city may be made up of homebased workers during a week day. However, in those cities experiencing heavy snow, school age children may be viewing in unusually large numbers during the daytime. In such case, the system 10 may detect the change in the viewing habits of the currently active viewers . The content selector 14 may then automatically modify the planned schedule 16 to provide content which may be more attractive to the currently actively viewing demographics . The software 28 resident on the receiver may receive content as indicated in block 30 in Figure 2 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. That content may be displayed on the viewer's receiver 26 as indicated in block 32. The receiver 26 may then be called upon to measure and store (block 34) the viewer's responses to a variety of stimuli including ancillary data and associated icons as one example. In addition, the system may measure other activities currently ongoing on the receiver 26 to gain an understanding of the currently active viewer. The information about the user selections and other activities may be compiled by the receiver 26 and transmitted as indicated in block 35. The software 28 may be part of the software which comes with a receiver 26 such as a set-top box. It may also be in the form of script which may be downloaded from the content selector 14 to the receiver 26 upon approval of the viewer. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 3, content selector software 36 resident on the content selector 14, may receive the viewer data from the viewer database 12 as indicated in block 38. The selector 14 may use this information to automatically and dynamically modify pre-established demographic profile assumptions . The received viewer data may be in the form of metadata derived from the tags which accompanied the broadcast content. The metadata tags may be returned by the receiver 26 over the back channel 44 to the viewer database 12. The metadata indicates the content which viewers actually viewed either as programming or as ancillary data. This feedback may be used to derive a dynamically changed demographic mapping as indicated in block 40. Based on the modified demographic mapping, different content files may be selected for broadcast as indicated in block 42. In other words, the ongoing programming or ancillary data broadcasts may be modified to satisfy the currently active viewing audience. The modified content may then be transmitted by the content selector 14 over the transport 24 to receivers 26 as indicated in block 44. In a system 10 which broadcasts to a large geographic audience, the content may be modified for that entire audience. However, in another embodiment, the broadcast content may be modified for some but not all geographic areas . Figure 4 illustrates schematically how the content may be modified in one embodiment of the present invention to accommodate for dynamically changing global or local demographics. At the top of Figure 4, three story files 50a, 50b and 50c provide data for story A, story B and story C. Each story may be a story which may be broadcast as part of a news broadcast as one example. Each story file 50 may have an add-on story file indicated as 52, 54 or 56. The add-on stories may cater to specific demographics. Thus, the base story file 50 may provide the basic information one needs to understand a news event. The enhancements represented by the add-on story files 52, 54 and 56 may be selectively added to the base story file 50 depending on the demographics currently constituting the active viewers. As shown at the bottom of Figure 4, the content selector 14 may provide the broadcast schedule 58 depending on the nature of the demographics. For example, three different demographic profiles are indicated at 62 and four different times 60 are indicated across the schedule 58. In time one regardless of the demographic type, the story A is broadcast. At time two for demographics type one, the addon story files 52a and 54a may be broadcast. For demographics two or three, the story B may begin in time two. Similarly, at time three, with demographics one, the add-on story file 56a may be broadcast following by the story C. In this case, the story B may have been omitted as not being of interest to the currently active audience. With demographics two, the add-on story file 56a is skipped as is the story B and the broadcast content moves immediately to story C. Similarly, if the demographics number three is active, the story B may be supplemented with the add-on file 52b and then followed by the story C. In this case, the story C may be supplemented by the add-on file 52c. Thus, in one embodiment, the main story may be allotted a given quantity of time and the add-on stories may be allotted less time so that if add-on stories are selected, a given number of add-on stories may be selected to complete the available time interval taken by a story file 50. In other cases, it may be immaterial that the time used by the selected stories does not add up to the time originally scheduled since the schedule may not be particularly time sensitive . As an example, the midday news on a weekday may be normally tailored to home workers . However, the programming may be altered when feedback suggests the typical audience has changed. For example, snow in one geographical area may result in school closures increasing the number of school age viewers . A news segment related to local entertainment may be modified to include a segment related to entertainment news of interest to children. Thus, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the real time broadcast of information over a video distribution system may be modified dynamically. In particular, the broadcast content may be modified dynamically based on the currently active viewer demographics. In some embodiments of the present invention, an initial demographic assumption is utilized to control the broadcast content. This assumption is then modified based on feedback received from actual viewers. This feedback may include what channels have been tuned to by the viewers, what ancillary data has been selected by the viewers, the amount of time that viewers are viewing various content as well as other information which may be provided via a back channel 44. Alternatively, in a two way transport system 24, the information may be provided back over the same transport which was utilized to provide the content to the receivers 26. While the present invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate numerous modifications and variations therefrom. It is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of this present invention. What is claimed is:

Claims: 1. A method comprising: broadcasting content to a plurality of viewers; receiving real time feedback from those viewers indicative of the demographics of the audience currently receiving said broadcast; and automatically modifying the content being broadcast based on the dynamic broadcast demographics . 2. The method of claim 1 wherein broadcasting content includes broadcasting programming together with ancillary data. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein broadcasting content includes broadcasting a plurality of video files including tags for identifying those files. 4. The method of claim 3 wherein receiving real time feedback includes receiving information in the form of tags about the content which was actually selected for viewing by a plurality of viewers. 5. The method of claim 4 wherein receiving real time feedback includes receiving information about the content that was selected for viewing by viewers together with other information indicative of the demographics of the audience currently receiving the broadcast content. 6. The method of claim 5 wherein broadcasting content includes broadcasting programming together with ancillary data and wherein receiving real time feedback includes receiving information about the ancillary data selected for viewing by viewers . 7. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving real time feedback includes receiving feedback over a backchannel . 8. The method of claim 1 wherein broadcasting content includes broadcasting programming and ancillary data over a digital distribution network. 9. The method of claim 8 including receiving said feedback over said distribution network. 10. An article comprising a medium storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to: broadcast content to a plurality of viewers; receive real time feedback from said viewers indicative of the demographics of the audience currently receiving said broadcast; and automatically modify the content being broadcast based on the dynamic broadcast demographics. 11. The article of claim 10 further storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to broadcast programming together with ancillary data. 12. The article of claim 10 further storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to broadcast a plurality of video files including tags for identifying those files. 13. The article of claim 12 further storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to receive real time feedback in the form of tags about the content which was actually selected for viewing by a plurality of viewers . 14. The article of claim 13 wherein receiving real time feedback includes receiving information about the content that was selected for viewing by viewers together with other information indicative of the demographics of the audience currently receiving the broadcast content. 15. The article of 14 further storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to broadcast programming together with ancillary data and receive information about the ancillary data selected for viewing by viewers . 16. The article of claim 10 further storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to receive feedback over a backchannel. 17. The article of claim 10 further storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to broadcast programming and ancillary data over a digital distribution network. 18. The article of claim 17 further storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to receive said feedback over said distribution network. 19. A system comprising: a processor-based device; and software associated with said processor-based device that causes said processor-based device to broadcast content to a plurality of viewers, receive real time feedback from said viewers indicative of the demographics of the audience currently receiving said broadcasts, and automatically modify the content being broadcast based on the dynamic broadcast demographics. 20. The system of claim 19 wherein said device is a server. 21. The system of claim 20 wherein said server is coupled to the Internet. 22. The system of claim 21 wherein said device broadcasts programming together with ancillary data. 23. The system of claim 19 wherein said software causes said d'evice to broadcast a plurality of programming files and said device applies tags to identify said programming files . 24. The system of claim 19 wherein said device is a digital broadcast device. 25. The system of claim 19 including a transport coupled to said device, said transport broadcasting said content to said viewers and receiving said feedback from said viewers. 26. The system of claim 19 including a transport coupled to said device, said transport broadcasting said content to said viewers, said system further including a back channel from said viewers to said device to receive feedback from said viewers .

Inventors: KINDER DAVID B, MO STANLEY, WELSH LINDA B, KINDER, DAVID, B., MO, STANLEY, WELSH, LINDA, B.
Applicants: INTEL CORP, KINDER DAVID B, MO STANLEY, WELSH LINDA B, INTEL CORPORATION, KINDER, DAVID, B., MO, STANLEY, WELSH, LINDA, B.
Application year: 2001
Main classification: H04N71
IPC codes: H04N7