Patent Publication Number: US-8977106-B2

Title: Methods and apparatus for filtering content in a video stream using closed captioning data

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/942,111, entitled “METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR FILTERING CONTENT IN A VIDEO STREAM USING TEXT DATA”, filed on Nov. 19, 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Digital video recorders (DVRs) and personal video recorders (PVRs) allow viewers to record video in a digital format to a disk drive or other type of storage medium for later playback. DVRs are often incorporated into set-top boxes for satellite and cable television services. A television program stored on a set-top box allows a viewer to perform time shifting functions, and may additionally allow a viewer to skip over commercial breaks and other portions of the recording that the viewer does not desire to watch. However, the user performs this function manually, for example, using a fast forward button of a remote control associated with the DVR. This manual fast forwarding is an inconvenience for the user. Further, manual fast forwarding by a user often leads to inaccurate results, because the user may fast forward past portions of the recording they desire to watch, or may resume playback during the portion of the recording that they want to skip over. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The same number represents the same element or same type of element in all drawings. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of an entertainment system. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an embodiment of a content distribution system. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an embodiment of functional components of the DVR of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an embodiment of a satellite broadcast system. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates an embodiment of a cable television distribution system. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates an embodiment of a process for filtering a video stream based on text data. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates an embodiment of a process for filtering interstitials from a video stream based on text data. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates the relationship between the variables of the segment metadata. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates an example of a metadata stream transmitted to a DVR. 
         FIG. 10  illustrates an embodiment of a process for creating segment bookmarks of a recording. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The various embodiments described herein generally provide apparatus, systems and methods which facilitate the reception, processing, and outputting of audio/video (A/V) content. In short, various embodiments described herein provide apparatus, system and/or methods for filtering content from a A/V stream based on data included in the A/V stream or associated with the A/V stream. 
     In at least one embodiment, the A/V stream to be received, processed, outputted and/or communicated may come in any form of a video stream. It is to be appreciated that the video stream may be supplied by any source, such as an over-the-air broadcast, a satellite or cable television distribution system, a digital video disk (DVD) or other optical disk, the internet or other communication networks, and the like. In at least one embodiment, the video stream may include text data, such as closed captioning data or subtitles, that is included in the video stream or associated with the video stream. Thus, in at least one embodiment, the video stream may comprise video data, audio data and text data. 
     In various embodiments described herein, the text data corresponding with an A/V stream is processed to identify portions of the A/V stream. An A/V stream will also be referred to herein as a video stream. However, it is to be appreciated that a video stream may include an associated audio component. In at least one embodiment, the boundaries of the identified portions of the video stream may be indexed for utilization during presentation of the video stream. The portions of the video stream between indexed boundaries may then be designated for presentation to a user, or may be designated for skipping during presentation of the video stream. Thus, in at least one embodiment, portions of a video stream that a user desires to view may be presented to the user, and portions of the video stream that a user desires not to view may be skipped during presentation of the video stream. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of an entertainment system  100 . The entertainment system  100  presents content to a user  106 . In at least one embodiment, the content presented to the user  106  includes a video stream, such as a television program, movie or other recorded content and the like. The entertainment system  100  includes a presentation device  102  and a content source  104 . Each of these components is discussed in greater detail below. 
     The presentation device  102  is configured to receive content from one or more content source(s)  104 , and to present the received content to the user  106 . In at least one embodiment, the presentation device  102  is a display device configured to display content to the user  106 . In other embodiments, the presentation device  102  is a set-top box (e.g., a satellite or cable television converter box), digital video recorder (DVR) or other similar device that processes and provides one or more audio and/or video streams to a display device for presentation to a user. It is to be appreciated that the presentation device  102  may also be embodied as an apparatus combining the functionality of a display device and a set-top box, DVR or the like. 
     The presentation device  102  may receive a video stream in any format (e.g., analog or digital format), and present the video stream to the user  106 . In at least one embodiment, the presentation device  102  may filter a received video stream to skip portions of the video stream. More particularly, in at least one embodiment, the presentation device  102  may filter a video stream by identifying data in the video stream or associated with the video stream that may be correlated with boundaries for portions of the video stream. For example, the presentation device  102  may parse the text data (e.g., the closed captioning data or subtitles) for a video stream to identify the boundaries for various portions of the video stream. In at least one embodiment, the presentation device  102  may receive metadata including instructions for parsing the text data to identify the boundaries in the video stream. The identified boundaries may then be utilized for determining which portions of the video stream will be presented to the user  106 . 
     The content source  104  may comprise any system or apparatus configured to provide presentation data, such as a video stream, to the presentation device  102 . The content source  104  may be external or internal to the presentation device  102 . The presentation device  102  and the content source  104  may be communicatively coupled through any type of wired or wireless connection, communication network and the like. Exemplary content sources include television distribution systems (e.g., over the air distribution systems, cable television distribution systems, satellite television distribution systems and broadband distribution systems), DVD players and other optical disk players, digital storage mediums (e.g., DVRs) and the internet. The video stream provided by the content source  104  may include text data, such as subtitles or closed captioning data. The text data may be embedded in the video stream (e.g., in vertical blanking interval line  21  or user data) or may be provided in a separate data stream. In at least one embodiment, the content source  104  may further provide metadata to the presentation device  102  that is utilized for filtering of the video stream. The metadata is discussed in greater detail below. Thus, through the operation of the entertainment system  100 , the user  106  is presented with a filtered version of a video stream. Entertainment system  100  may include other elements or components not illustrated for the sake of brevity. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an embodiment of a content distribution system  200 . The content distribution system  200  is configured to present a filtered video stream to a user  106 . The content distribution system  200  includes a DVR  202 , a display device  204 , a transmission network  206  and a content provider  208 . Each of these components is discussed in greater detail below. 
     The display device  204  may comprise any type of device operable for receiving and displaying analog and/or digital video signals. In at least one embodiment, the display device  204  may be a television set or video display that contains an integrated television converter device (e.g., an internal cable-ready television tuner housed inside a television), or, alternatively, that is connected to an external television converter device for receiving and demodulating analog and/or digital signals for presentation on the display device  204  (e.g., a set-top box). 
     Using an integrated television converter device, the display device  204  may be operable to communicate directly with the transmission network  206 . For example, the transmission network  206  may comprise an over-the-air distribution system (e.g., free television), and the display device  204  may receive television broadcast signals using an internal or external antenna. The transmission network  206  may also comprise a cable television distribution system, and the display device  204  may comprise a cable ready television adapted to receive and demodulate analog or digital cable television signals for presentation to the user  106 . A direct broadcast satellite or other type of wired or wireless communications network may also be used solely or in conjunction with the foregoing. In at least one embodiment, the display device  204  may communicate with the transmission network  206  through an intermediate device, such as a set-top box. 
     The DVR  202  is communicatively coupled to the display device  204  through any type of wired or wireless connection. Exemplary wired connections include coax, fiber, composite video and high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI). Exemplary wireless connections include WiFi and Bluetooth. In at least one embodiment, the DVR  202  may be embodied in a television converter device (e.g., a satellite television receiver). The DVR  202  may also be incorporated into the display device  204 . 
     The DVR  202  captures and records video content from attached devices onto a storage medium for subsequent presentation to the user  106 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the DVR  202  is coupled to a content provider  208  (e.g., a satellite television provider) through the transmission network  206 . Thus, the DVR  202  receives a television signal (e.g., a broadcast) or other data signal (e.g., digital video data or other data formatted into a video stream) from the transmission network  206 , and records television programs and other content provided by the content provider  208 . The DVR  202  may perform processing functions to parse text data associated with or embedded in the video stream in order to filter portions of the video stream for presentation on the display device  204 . It is to be appreciated that the DVR  202  may capture and record video streams from other non-broadcast services, such as video recorders, DVD players, personal computers or the internet. 
     The DVR  202  may include a remote control or other input device (not shown) that the user  106  may utilize for remotely operating the DVR  202  and/or the display device  204 . More specifically, a remote control may be operable for controlling the presentation of video and/or other data presented by the DVR  202  on the display device  204 . 
     The content provider  208  comprises any source or sources of television or other video signals. In at least one embodiment, the content provider  208  provides a television broadcast signal to the DVR  202  over the transmission network  206 . The content provider  208  may provide closed captioning data with the television broadcast signal. The content provider  208  may be a television station that generates and provides the content or may be a television service that provides retransmission of television signals (e.g., a satellite television provider). It is to be appreciated that the content provider  208  may also provide some retransmission services while generating and providing some original or derivative content. 
     The transmission network  206  may comprise any type of communication network utilized between the DVR  202  and the content provider  208 . Exemplary communication networks include television distribution networks (e.g., over the air, satellite and cable television networks), wireless communication networks, public switched telephone networks (PSTN), and local area networks (LAN) or wide area networks (WAN) providing data communication services. The transmission network  206  may utilize any desired combination of wired (e.g., cable and fiber) and/or wireless (e.g., cellular, satellite, microwave, and radio frequency) communication mediums and any desired network topology (or topologies when multiple mediums are utilized). The DVR  202  may communicate with the transmission network  206  through a wired or wireless connection. The transmission network  206  may distribute television broadcast and other data signals in digital or analog form. Exemplary video formats include moving picture expert group (MPEG), flash, Windows Media, and the like. Content distribution system  200  may include other elements or components not illustrated for the sake of brevity. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an embodiment of functional components of the DVR  202  of  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 3  will be discussed in reference to the content distribution system  200  illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The DVR  202  comprises a receiver  302 , a recording module  304 , a storage medium  306 , a parsing module  308  and a presentation module  310 . Each of these components is discussed in greater detail below. 
     The receiver  302  receives a video stream  312  and closed captioning data  314  from the transmission network  206  (see  FIG. 2 ). The receiver  302  may comprise a wired or wireless receiver. In at least one embodiment, the closed captioning data  314  is embedded within the video stream  312 . The receiver  302  may further receive other data from the transmission network  206 , such as metadata  316  instructing the DVR  202  how to parse the closed captioning data  314  to determine boundaries within the video stream  312 . 
     The recording module  304  receives the video stream  312  and the closed captioning data  314 , and stores the video stream  312  and the closed captioning data  314  on the storage medium  306 . The storage medium  306  may be any type of temporary or persistent storage device capable of storing the video stream  312  and the closed captioning data  314 . The storage medium  306  may be internal and/or external to the DVR  202  and may include one or more storage devices. For example, the storage medium  306  may be an internal hard drive or flash memory. The video stream  312  and the closed captioning data  314  may be stored together and/or separately on the storage medium  306 . 
     The parsing module  308  is configured to index the closed captioning data  314  according to a presentation order. In at least one embodiment, the parsing module  308  indexes the closed captioning data  314  during the recording process. In some embodiments, the parsing module  308  may index the closed captioning data  314  subsequent to recording. For example, the parsing module  308  may index the closed captioning data  314  upon receiving a playback instruction from the user  106  (see  FIG. 2 ). The parsing module  308  is further configured to parse the closed captioning data  314  to identify portions of the video stream to skip and/or present during presentation of the video stream  312  using the metadata  316  sent to the DVR  202 . 
     The presentation module  310  is configured to present recorded video streams to the user  106  (see  FIG. 2 ). The presentation module  310  retrieves the video stream  312  and/or the closed captioning data  314  from the storage medium  306 , and presents the content of the video stream  312  to the user  106  (see  FIG. 2 ). In at least one embodiment, the presentation module  310  receives information from the parsing module  308  identifying portions of the video stream  312  that are to be skipped and/or shown during presentation. The presentation module  310  filters the video stream  312  to skip portions that are designated for skipping, and presents the filtered video stream  318  to the user  106  (see  FIG. 2 ). In at least one embodiment, the presentation module  310  may remove portions of the video stream  312  that are designated for skipping. If applicable, the presentation module  310  also presents the closed captioning data  314  corresponding to the portions of the filtered video stream  316  that are presented to the user  106 . 
     Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the various functional elements  302  through  310  shown as operable within the DVR  202  may be combined into fewer discrete elements or may be broken up into a larger number of discrete functional elements as a matter of design choice. For example, the parsing module  308 , the recording module  304  and/or the presentation module  310  may be combined into a single processing module. Thus, the particular functional decomposition suggested by  FIG. 3  is intended merely as exemplary of one possible functional decomposition of elements within the DVR  202 . 
       FIG. 4  illustrates an embodiment of a satellite broadcast system  400 . More particularly,  FIG. 4  illustrates details of a transmission network  206 A. Satellite broadcast system  400  will be discussed in reference to content distribution system  200  illustrated  FIGS. 2-3 . 
     Satellite broadcast system  400  includes a content provider  208  in signal communication with an uplink system  402  of a transmission network  206 A. The content provider  208  provides the uplink system  402  with television programs that are transmitted to a DVR  202 . Television programs may be broadcast by the transmission network  206 A to the DVR  202 . The television program may be embodied as MPEG-2, MPEG-4 or other digital video signals, analog or baseband signals, and/or other video data on a channel of the satellite broadcast system  400 . 
     Satellite broadcast system  400  further comprises a satellite  404  in signal communication with the uplink system  402 . The satellite  404  broadcasts television programs received from the uplink system  402 . The satellite broadcast system  400  further comprises a satellite antenna  406  for receiving the television program broadcast from the satellite  404 . The satellite antenna  406  is in signal communication with the DVR  202 , and provides the DVR  202  with the television program. The broadcast television program content is received and stored on the DVR  202 , and may be presented on the display device  204  responsive to the user  106  selecting to view the recorded television program. The transmission network  206 A may also be configured to transmit metadata and other data to the DVR  202 . The metadata may be utilized by the DVR  202  to process the television programming and filter out portions of the television programming. 
     In at least one embodiment, the DVR  202  may be configured to receive over-the-air television programming from a transmitter  408  using a built in receiver/tuner. For example, the DVR  202  may receive local programming over-the-air, and may receive national programming from the transmission network  206 A. In at least one embodiment, the DVR  202  may receive the metadata from the transmitter  408 . In some embodiments, the DVR  202  may receive the metadata for the over-the-air programming from the content provider  208  through the transmission network  206 A. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the DVR  202  may optionally be communicatively coupled to the content provider  208  through a broadband network  410  using a broadband connection  412 . The broadband connection  412  may be utilized to deliver metadata and/or video programming to the DVR  202 . It is to be appreciated that any combination of the described communication paths may be utilized to transmit video programming and/or metadata between the content provider  208  and the DVR  202 . For example, the DVR  202  may receive video programming through the transmission network  206 A, and may request metadata associated with the video programming from the content provider  208  using the broadband network  410 . It is also to be appreciated that the metadata and the video programming may be provided by difference sources (e.g., two different content providers  208 ). 
     Transmission network  206  (see  FIG. 2 ) may also be embodied in a cable television distribution system.  FIG. 5  illustrates an embodiment of a cable television distribution system  500 . More particularly,  FIG. 5  illustrates details of a transmission network  206 B. Cable television distribution system  500  will be discussed in reference to content distribution system  200  illustrated in  FIGS. 2-3 . 
     Cable television distribution system  500  comprises a head-end  502  in signal communication with a content provider  208 . The content provider  208  provides the head-end  502  with television programs that are transmitted to the display device  204 . Television programs may be broadcast by transmission network  206 B, or may be pushed to the DVR  202  responsive to a request by the user  106 . Television programs may also be pushed to the DVR  202  using a broadband connection  412  through the broadband network  410 . 
     Cable television distribution system  500  further comprises a local distribution network  504  in signal communication with the head-end  502 . The local distribution network  504  is operable for receiving content from the head-end  502  and distributing the content to individual display devices  204 . The DVR  202  is in signal communication with the local distribution network  504  using a drop  506  from a feeder line of the local distribution network  504 . The local distribution network  504  may provide content as a broadcast to the DVR  202 , or may provide content to a specific addressable DVR  202  using the broadband connection  412 . In at least one embodiment, the broadband network  410  may be integrated within the transmission network  206 B. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates an embodiment of a process for filtering a video stream based on text data. The operation of  FIG. 6  is discussed in reference to filtering a broadcast television program. However, it is to be appreciated that the operation of the process of  FIG. 6  may be applied to filter other types of video stream content, such as DVD videos. The operations of the process of  FIG. 6  are not all-inclusive, and may comprise other operations not illustrated for the sake of brevity. 
     The process includes parsing text data associated with a video stream using the metadata to identify portions of the video stream to skip during presentation of the video stream (operation  602 ). Operation  602  may be performed to skip portions of a video stream for a variety of reasons. For example, a user may desire to skip commercials, portions of a television program or other content which is of no interest to the user, or portions of the video stream which are offensive or should otherwise not be shown to certain users. In at least one embodiment, operation  602  includes parsing the text data in the video stream that is displayable to a user. 
     In at least one embodiment, a video stream may include a recording of a contiguous block of programming from a television channel (e.g., an episode of a television show). For example, a DVR may record a single channel between 7:00 and 8:00, which may correspond with a single episode of a television program. An hour long recording may include approximately 42 minutes of video frames of the television program, and approximately 18 minutes of video frames of commercials and other content that is not part of the television program. 
     The television program may be comprised of multiple segments of video frames, which are interspersed with interstitials (e.g., commercials). As used herein, an interstitial is the video frames of a recording that do not belong to a selected show (e.g., commercials, promotions, alerts, and other shows). A segment of video includes contiguous video frames of the program that are between one or more interstitials. 
     Illustrated in the table below is one exemplary breakdown of the segments and interstitials within a recording of a one hour television program. For example, the recording may include six segments of the program, each including 7 minutes of video frames. Between each pair of segments is 3 minutes of interstitials. The beginning and ending of the recording includes 1.5 minutes of interstitials. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                 TABLE #1 
               
             
            
               
                   
               
               
                 Exemplary one hour television recording 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 Portion of the recording 
                 Duration (mins) 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 Interstitial #1 
                 1.5 
               
               
                   
                 Segment #1 
                 7 
               
               
                   
                 Interstitial #2 
                 3 
               
               
                   
                 Segment #2 
                 7 
               
               
                   
                 Interstitial #3 
                 3 
               
               
                   
                 Segment #3 
                 7 
               
               
                   
                 Interstitial #4 
                 3 
               
               
                   
                 Segment #4 
                 7 
               
               
                   
                 Interstitial #5 
                 3 
               
               
                   
                 Segment #5 
                 7 
               
               
                   
                 Interstitial #6 
                 3 
               
               
                   
                 Segment #6 
                 7 
               
               
                   
                 Interstitial #7 
                 1.5 
               
               
                   
                 Total duration 
                 60 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     A string included within the text data may be utilized to identify specific locations within the video stream. The marked location may be located within a portion of the video stream that is designated for presentation (e.g., part of a television program), or may be within a portion of the video stream that is designated for skipping (e.g., in a portion of the program that a user does not desire to view). 
     For example, a string may identify a location within segment #1. Once the location is identified within segment #1, the boundaries of segment #1 may be determined. In at least one embodiment, the boundaries of segment #1 are identified using offsets relative to the identified location of a string. For example, if the identified location of the string in segment #1 is 6 minutes into the, one hour recording, then an offset of 4.5 minutes prior to the location of the string describes the beginning of segment #1. Likewise, an offset of 2.5 minutes after the location of the string describes the ending of segment #1. A similar process may be utilized with additional strings and offsets to locate the boundaries of the other segments of the video streams. In at least one embodiment, multiple anchor frames, each having different starting and ending offset times, may be utilized within one segment for redundancy. 
     Thus, the parsing process identifies portions of the video stream that are to be skipped during presentation to a user. In the example illustrated in table #1, operation  602  identifies interstitials #1-7 for skipping during presentation of the video stream. It is to be appreciated that other techniques may also be utilized to determine the boundaries of a segment once a location is identified by the parsing process. For example, a first string may be Utilized to identify the location of the beginning boundary of the segment, and a second string may be utilized to identify the location of the ending boundary of the string. 
     Once the parsing process is complete, portions of the video stream may be filtered prior to presentation. The process further includes filtering the video stream based on the identified portions of the video stream (operation  604 ) to generate a filtered video stream. The process further includes presenting the filtered video stream to a user (operation  606 ). 
     As described above, interstitials #1-7 are designated for skipping during the presentation of the video stream. Thus, segments #1-6 will be presented to the user without the interstitials presented between each segment. The presentation of the television program will start at the beginning of segment #1 (1.5 minutes into the recording), skipping the video frames of interstitial #1. After the ending of segment #1, the presentation will continue at the beginning of segment #2. Therefore, the television user doesn&#39;t see the video frames of interstitial #2. In at least one embodiment, an indicator, such as a small icon displayed in a corner of the screen, may be presented to a user to indicate that a portion of the video stream was skipped during the presentation. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates an embodiment of a process for filtering interstitials from a video stream based on text data. The operation of  FIG. 7  is discussed in reference to filtering a broadcast television program. However, it is to be appreciated that the operation of the process of  FIG. 7  may be applied to filter other types of video stream content. The operations of the process of  FIG. 7  are not all-inclusive, and may comprise other operations not illustrated for the sake of brevity. 
     The process includes recording a video stream including at least one segment of a show, at least one interstitial of the show, and closed captioning data associated with the segments of the show (operation  702 ). 
     The process further includes receiving metadata associated with the video stream that identifies the boundaries of the segments of the show (operation  704 ). In at least one embodiment, for each segment of the show, the metadata includes a string located within the segment, and a beginning and an ending offset from the string that identifies the boundaries of the segment. Offsets are utilized, because the actual presentation times of the beginning and ending boundaries of the segment may change due to many factors, which are discussed in greater detail below. Operations  702  and  704  may be performed in parallel, or sequentially in either order. For example, the metadata may be received prior to recording the video stream, subsequently to recording the video stream, or at the same time as the video stream. 
     The process further includes indexing the closed captioning data according to a presentation order (operation  706 ). Closed captioning data is typically transmitted in two or four byte intervals associated with particular video frames. Because video frames don&#39;t always arrive in their presentation order, the closed captioning data is sorted according to the presentation order (e.g., by a presentation time stamp) of the closed captioning data. In at least one embodiment, the indexing process may be performed responsive to receiving the metadata in step  704 . Thus, a DVR may not perform the indexing process unless the metadata used to filter the video stream is available for processing. In other embodiments, the closed captioning data may be indexed before the metadata arrives at the DVR. For example, the indexing may be performed in real-time during recording. In at least one embodiment, the sorted closed captioning data is stored in a file and associated with the recorded video stream. 
     The process further includes processing the closed captioning data, to filter the interstitials from the recorded video stream, based on the metadata, to generate a filtered video stream (operation  708 ). It is to be appreciated that operation  708  may identify either the boundaries of the segments of the interstitials or the segments of the show to filter the interstitials from the video stream. 
     In at least one embodiment, operation  708  may include creating segment bookmarks that mark the start and end of a segment. A segment bookmark is a structure created by the recording software. A start segment bookmark points to the start of the segment, and an end segment bookmark points to the end of a segment. The metadata for a segment includes information that specifies the boundaries of one segment. More specifically, in at least one embodiment, the metadata includes a string (which may be unique within the closed captioning data of the recording, or unique within the segments of the show), that is associated with an anchor frame. As used herein, an anchor frame refers to a video frame that contains selected bytes of a closed captioning string. In at least one embodiment, the anchor frame contains the last bytes of the closed captioning string. It is to be appreciated that the anchor frame may be a show frame within the segment, or may be a skip frame within the segment. 
     By locating the anchor frame, the beginning bookmark may be created based on the anchor frame and the beginning offset. Likewise, the ending bookmark may be created based on the anchor frame and the ending offset. The video frames between a beginning bookmark and an ending bookmark may define the portions of the video stream that are presented to a user. 
     The process further includes presenting the filtered video stream to a user (operation  710 ). If segment bookmarks are created, the presentation process includes presenting the segment of the video stream between the beginning bookmark and the ending bookmark. Because the interstitial portions of the video stream are not included within the bookmarks for a segment, they are excluded from presentation to the user. 
     As described above, the actual presentation times of each segment of a television program within different recordings may vary. For example, two users may not begin recording a program at the same exact points in a broadcast. Thus, there may be a difference in the video frames contained within the recording made by each viewer. Also, many nationally televised shows are broadcast by affiliates of a broadcast network. The broadcast network may have different affiliates in each television market around the country. Each affiliate has some discretion in the location of the interstitials of the television program, and is allowed to insert some of their own content (e.g., local commercials) into various portions of the time slot of the television program. For example, an affiliate may make one of the commercial breaks longer than commercial breaks of other affiliates to accommodate a longer portion of local content, and likewise may make another commercial break shorter in order to offset the difference. Thus, when a television program is recorded in Denver, the recording may not be the same as a television program recorded in New York City. 
     Table #2 illustrates two exemplary break downs of interstitial and segment durations for two different affiliates transmitting the same television program in two different markets. The duration of each segment doesn&#39;t change, but the duration (and content) of each interstitial is different for the two affiliates. Table #3 illustrates exemplary segment and interstitial starting and ending times for each affiliate illustrated in  FIG. 2 . For example, viewers in NYC and Denver may begin watching or recording a program at 7:00 in their respective time zones. The viewer in NYC will see the beginning of the first segment of the program at 1.5 minutes into the recording, while the viewer in Denver will see the beginning of the first segment of the program at 1 minute into the recording. Regardless of the starting time of the segment, both viewers will see the same content of the segment for the seven minutes following the start of the segment. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                 TABLE #2 
               
             
            
               
                   
               
               
                 Exemplary one hour recording of a television program for two affiliates. 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 Portion of program 
                 Duration (NYC) 
                 Duration (Denver) 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 Interstitial #1 
                 1.5 
                 1 
               
               
                   
                 Segment #1 
                 7 
                 7 
               
               
                   
                 Interstitial #2 
                 3 
                 3 
               
               
                   
                 Segment #2 
                 7 
                 7 
               
               
                   
                 Interstitial #3 
                 3 
                 4 
               
               
                   
                 Segment #3 
                 7 
                 7 
               
               
                   
                 Interstitial #4 
                 3 
                 3 
               
               
                   
                 Segment #4 
                 7 
                 7 
               
               
                   
                 Interstitial #5 
                 3 
                 2.5 
               
               
                   
                 Segment #5 
                 7 
                 7 
               
               
                   
                 Interstitial #6 
                 3 
                 4 
               
               
                   
                 Segment #6 
                 7 
                 7 
               
               
                   
                 Interstitial #7 
                 1.5 
                 0.5 
               
               
                   
                 Total duration 
                 60 
                 60 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                 TABLE #3 
               
             
            
               
                   
               
               
                 Exemplary segment and interstitial starting and ending times 
               
               
                 for a recording from each affiliate. 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 Start 
                 End 
                 Start 
                 End 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 Portion of program 
                 NYC 
                   
                 Denver 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 Interstitial #1 
                 0 
                 1.5 
                 0 
                 1 
               
               
                   
                 Segment #1 
                 1.5 
                 8.5 
                 1 
                 8 
               
               
                   
                 Interstitial #2 
                 8.5 
                 11.5 
                 8 
                 11 
               
               
                   
                 Segment #2 
                 11.5 
                 18.5 
                 11 
                 18 
               
               
                   
                 Interstitial #3 
                 18.5 
                 21.5 
                 18 
                 22 
               
               
                   
                 Segment #3 
                 21.5 
                 28.5 
                 22 
                 29 
               
               
                   
                 Interstitial #4 
                 28.5 
                 31.5 
                 29 
                 32 
               
               
                   
                 Segment #4 
                 31.5 
                 38.5 
                 32 
                 39 
               
               
                   
                 Interstitial #5 
                 38.5 
                 41.5 
                 39 
                 41.5 
               
               
                   
                 Segment #5 
                 41.5 
                 48.5 
                 41.5 
                 48.5 
               
               
                   
                 Interstitial #6 
                 48.5 
                 51.5 
                 48.5 
                 52.5 
               
               
                   
                 Segment #6 
                 51.5 
                 58.5 
                 52.5 
                 59.5 
               
               
                   
                 Interstitial #7 
                 58.5 
                 60 
                 59.5 
                 60 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     The process of  FIG. 7  operates to identify an anchor frame within each segment of the television program. Beginning and ending offsets relative to each anchor frame are then utilized to create beginning and ending bookmarks for the segment. Because the duration and content of each segment is the same, the beginning and the ending of the segment will be the same offset relative to the anchor frame regardless of the presentation times of the anchor frame. For example, an anchor frame for segment #1 may be 2 minutes into the segment (relative to the beginning of the segment). In NYC, this means that the anchor frame has a presentation time of 3.5 minutes into the recording. However, in Denver, the anchor frame has a presentation time of 3 minutes into the recording. Beginning and ending offsets having the same duration are still utilized in both markets, so the beginning bookmark for the NYC recording is created at a presentation time of 1.5 minutes into the recording, and the beginning bookmark for the Denver recording is created at a presentation time of 1.0 minutes into the recording. Thus, each viewer skips over different duration interstitials #1, and begins viewing the same frame of segment #1. 
     In at least one embodiment, the metadata that includes the strings and offsets utilized to identify the boundaries of a segment may be transmitted to a DVR through a metadata stream and the like. The data that identifies the boundaries of a segment is referred to herein as segment metadata. The show metadata, which may be delivered via a metadata stream, may include segment metadata for one or more segments of the show, and other information, such as the unique program ID (UPID) for the program. Each show may be identified by a UPID. A recording (e.g., one file recorded by a DVR between 7:00 and 8:00) may include multiple UPIDs. For example, if a television program doesn&#39;t start exactly at the hour, then the DVR may capture a portion of a program having a different UPID. The UPID allows a DVR to associate a particular show with its corresponding metadata. 
     Illustrated in table #4 is one exemplary format for segment metadata utilized by the processes of  FIGS. 6-7 . The segment metadata is carried in the segment_descriptor( ). For error handling in the case of stream corruption or censoring of offensive closed captioning by local affiliates, multiple segment_descriptor( ) may be utilized for a segment. If there are multiple segment_descriptor( ) for a given segment, then the segment_number will be the same for each but the cc_string[ ], start_offset, and end_offset will be different. Basically, alternate anchor frames may be specified for a given segment. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                 TABLE #4 
               
             
            
               
                   
               
               
                 Example of segment metadata structure. 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 syntax 
                 no. of bits 
                 mnemonic 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 segment_descriptor( ) 
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 { 
               
               
                   
                  segment_tag 
                 8 
                 uimsbf 
               
               
                   
                  segment_length 
                 8 
                 uimsbf 
               
               
                   
                  segment_number 
                 8 
                 uimsbf 
               
               
                   
                  last_segment_number 
                 8 
                 uimsbf 
               
               
                   
                  cc_string_length 
                 8 
                 uimsbf 
               
               
                   
                  cc_string[ ] 
                 cc_string_length * 8 
                 char string 
               
               
                   
                  start_offset 
                 32  
                 uimsbf 
               
               
                   
                  end_offset 
                 32  
                 uimsbf 
               
               
                   
                 } 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     segment_tag—0xC1 
     segment_length—The number of bytes in the segment_descriptor( ) after this field. 
     segment_number—A show normally consists of multiple segments. The segment metadata will be numbered 1 to N in time order (e.g., 1=first (earliest) segment, N=last (latest) segment). 
     last_segment_number—The number of the last segment_number. 
     cc_string_length—The number of bytes in the closed captioning string (cc_string[ ]). 
     cc_string[ ]—The closed captioning bytes in presentation order (not transmission order). The string may include all the bytes carried in a video frame (2 or 4), and may include the bytes from multiple video frames. The string may contain closed captioning bytes from enough video frames to make the string unique within the segment. 
     start_offset—The number of presentation time stamps (PTS) ticks ( 1/90000 s) from the anchor frame to the video frame that starts the segment. The start_offset points backwards in the recording from the anchor frame. 
     end_offset—The number of PTS ticks from the anchor frame to the video frame that starts the interstitial immediately after the segment. The end_offset points forward in the recording. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates the relationship between the variables of the segment metadata. However, it is to be appreciated the other exemplary data formats may be utilized for the segment metadata.  FIG. 9  illustrates an example of a metadata stream transmitted to a DVR. A program_unique_id_descriptor( ) uniquely identifies the show so that the metadata stream may be associated with the correct recording file. The package type in the described example is “Show Metadata”. 
     In at least one embodiment, the DVR records an event, and monitors the metadata stream for “Show Metadata” metadata. If corresponding metadata is found, then the metadata is processed to create segment bookmarks for the show. The segment bookmarks are then utilized to skip the interstitials of the show. 
     The metadata stream carrying the show metadata may be delivered at any time. Thus, the metadata stream may arrive at a DVR, before, during or after a recording is made. If the metadata stream arrives at the DVR prior to an airing of the show, then the show metadata may be saved for future use should a user later decide to record the show. If a metadata stream arrives at the DVR after the show airs, then the DVR can process the metadata stream to determine whether that particular show has been recorded. If the show has been recorded, then the DVR may begin processing the metadata stream to generate the segment bookmarks. If the show has not been recorded, then the metadata stream may be discarded if the show metadata is not needed by the DVR. 
     In at least one embodiment, the metadata is stored on a server and delivered responsive to a request from the DVR. For example, the DVR may request the metadata from a server when it records a selected program. The metadata is then delivered to the DVR from the server and utilized to parse the closed captioning data. 
     A DVR may index the closed captioning data before parsing the closed captioning data. Table 5 illustrates exemplary information utilized to index the closed captioning data. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                 TABLE #5 
               
             
            
               
                   
               
               
                 Start code detector information 
               
            
           
           
               
               
            
               
                 Information 
                 Comments 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Size 
                 The number of closed captioning bytes in the video 
               
               
                   
                 frame (2 or 4). 
               
               
                 Closed captioning 
                 The undecoded (i.e., encoded) closed captioning 
               
               
                 (CC) bytes 
                 bytes in the video frame. 
               
               
                 PTS 
                 The PTS of the video frame that carries the closed 
               
               
                   
                 captioning bytes. 
               
               
                 Offset 
                 The byte offset into the transport packet stream to the 
               
               
                   
                 first transport packet of the video frame that carries 
               
               
                   
                 the closed captioning bytes. 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     In at least one embodiment, the DVR may filter the closed captioning stream and discard pairs of NULL (value=0x80) closed captioning bytes. There may be 2 or 4 closed captioning bytes per video frame. If the frame contains 2 closed captioning bytes, and both bytes are equal to 0x80, then the bytes may be discarded and not saved. Otherwise, both closed captioning bytes are saved. If the frame contains 4 closed captioning bytes, and the first two bytes are equal to 0x80, then the first two bytes will be discarded and not saved. Otherwise, the first two closed captioning bytes are saved. If the second two bytes are equal to 0x80, then the second two bytes are discarded and not saved. Otherwise the second two closed captioning bytes are saved. The DVR may sort the closed captioning stream so that the closed captioning bytes are in the presentation order. This is because the presentation order is utilized in the segment metadata. The PTS may be used to sort the closed captioning bytes into the presentation order. 
     The filtered and sorted closed captioning stream may be saved to a storage medium of the DVR, and associated with the recording of the video stream. Illustrated below is an exemplary array structure for storing the filtered, sorted, and indexed closed captioning stream. However, it is to be appreciated that other storage structures may also be utilized. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                 struct cc_s 
               
               
                 { 
               
            
           
           
               
               
            
               
                   
                 int n; // number of closed captioning bytes in the closed captioning 
               
            
           
           
               
               
            
               
                   
                 buffer (2 or 4) 
               
            
           
           
               
               
            
               
                   
                 u8 cc[4]; // the undecoded closed captioning bytes (unsigned char 
               
            
           
           
               
               
            
               
                   
                 data type) 
               
            
           
           
               
               
            
               
                   
                 s64 pts; // 33-bit PTS of the video frame (long long data type) 
               
               
                   
                 u64 offset; // zero-based (0 = 1st byte) offset into the recording 
               
            
           
           
               
            
               
                 }; 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     As described above, segment bookmarks may be utilized to mark the beginning and ending of a segment. Table #6 illustrates exemplary information contained in the segment bookmarks. It is to be appreciated however, that the segment bookmarks may contain other information than listed in table #6. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                 TABLE #6 
               
             
            
               
                   
               
               
                 Segment bookmark information 
               
            
           
           
               
               
            
               
                 Information 
                 Comments 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Start or End flag 
                 Designates this bookmark as starting a segment or 
               
               
                   
                 ending a segment, 
               
               
                 PTS 
                 The PTS of the video frame that starts/ends the 
               
               
                   
                 segment. 
               
               
                 Offset 
                 The byte offset into the recording. 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
       FIG. 10  illustrates an embodiment of a process for creating segment bookmarks of a recording. The operation of  FIG. 10  is discussed in reference to segment bookmarks for a television program. However, it is to be appreciated that the operation of the process of  FIG. 10  may be applied to create segment bookmarks for other types of video stream content. Further, the operations of  FIG. 10  are discussed in reference to particular data structures illustrated above. It is to be appreciated, however, that the operations of  FIG. 10  may be utilized in accordance with any types of data structures and other suitable types of data. The operations of the process of  FIG. 10  are not all-inclusive, and may comprise other operations not illustrated for the sake of brevity. 
     After recording a show, an index of the closed captioning data for the show and the show metadata associated with the program is processed to create segment bookmarks for each segment of the show. In at least one embodiment, the show metadata is processed in segment_number order, 1 to N, to create the segment bookmarks for the show. 
     The process includes selecting a string from the metadata for use in identifying a segment (operation  1002 ). This is selected from a segment_descriptor( ). The process further includes matching the cc_string[ ] from the segment_descriptor( ) to the closed captioning bytes in the index of the closed captioning data (operation  1004 ). If a match is found, then the video frame indexed by the closed captioning data is designated as the anchor frame (operation  1006 ). If a match is not found, then an alternate segment_descriptor( ) if one exists, may be utilized to select an alternate anchor frame (operation  1008 ), and processing continues at operation  1004 . The show metadata may include multiple segment_descriptor( ) in case there are transmission problems with the closed captioning data. For example, if one or more closed captioning bytes transmitted by a content provider are not received by a DVR, then a match of a segment_descriptor( ) may not be found. Thus, an alternate segment_descriptor( ) may be utilized to locate an alternate anchor frame in the segment. 
     The process further includes determining the PTS of the selected anchor frame (operation  1010 ). The PTS may be determined from either the video stream, or through the closed captioning data index file. The process further includes creating the beginning bookmark of the segment (operation  1012 ). The PTS of the video frame at the start of the segment is determined by taking the PTS of the anchor frame and subtracting the start_offset from the segment_descriptor( ). The beginning bookmark points to the PTS of the video frame at the start of the segment. The process further includes creating the ending bookmark of the segment (operation  1014 ). The PTS of the video frame at the end of the segment is determined by taking the PTS of the anchor frame and adding the end_offset from the segment_descriptor( ). The ending bookmark points to the PTS of the video frame at the end of the segment. In at least one embodiment, modulo arithmetic is utilized to handle cases where the PTS rolls. The segment bookmarks may be created once, and utilized multiple times if the user desires to watch a program on more than one occasion. The operations of the process of  FIG. 10  are repeated for any remaining segments (e.g., any remaining segment_descriptor( ) fields for segments that have not been processed). 
     Although specific embodiments were described herein, the scope of the invention is not limited to those specific embodiments. The scope of the invention is defined by the following claims and any equivalents therein.