Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US5878222?oq=6%2C373%2C753
Timestamp: 2018-06-25 12:37:32
Document Index: 504394538

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 15', 'arts 0', '§73', '§73', 'arts 70', 'arts 0', 'arts 70']

US5878222A - Method and apparatus for controlling video/audio and channel selection for a communication signal based on channel data indicative of channel contents of a signal - Google Patents
Method and apparatus for controlling video/audio and channel selection for a communication signal based on channel data indicative of channel contents of a signal Download PDF
US5878222A
US5878222A US08889117 US88911797A US5878222A US 5878222 A US5878222 A US 5878222A US 08889117 US08889117 US 08889117 US 88911797 A US88911797 A US 88911797A US 5878222 A US5878222 A US 5878222A
US08889117
A signal processing unit is provided with at least one analyzing unit to analyze channel data generated for a number of channels of a communication signal indicative of its channel contents to determine if channel contents of the channels are among channel contents defined by selection data. The signal processing unit is further provided with an arbitrating unit for arbitrating display and/or recording resource contentions among channels having channel contents that are defined by the selection data. The channel data may be texts, uniform resource locators, images as well as numeric data, and the like. The signal processing unit is suitable for incorporation in a stand-alone as well as a client computer system.
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/626,389, filed Mar. 29, 1996 abandoned, which is a continuation of prior filed pending application Ser. No. 8/338,429 filed Nov. 14, 1994 entitled A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MONITORING THE DATA CONTENT OF MULTIPLE TELEVISION CHANNEL, abandoned.
The present invention provides a communication system for controlling video/audio and channel selections in multiple channels of video/audio (television) signals based on the textual contents of the input information of the signal. The described embodiment includes a plurality of tuners that simultaneously receive the television signal having a plurality of channels and a plurality of decoding units for converting signals received by the tuning unit. The decoding unit generates a stream of text responsive to each signal provided by each tuning unit. The preferred embodiment of the present invention also includes an analyzing unit responsive to predefined user profile information and the decoded television signal, for determining whether a decoded signal includes information that matches the predefined profile information. The profile information includes a channel and a caption of key phases predefined by the user. Each channel is monitored by a tuning unit, decoded, and provided to the analyzing unit that searches the decoded information to detect these key phrases. For each channel being monitored, a channel priority is set so that when the analyzing unit detects that a channel being monitored has a predefined item of interest to the user, the detected information is passed on to an arbitrating unit to determine if the priority information is of a higher priority than a current channel being displayed.
(a) at least one analyzing unit for receiving channel data indicative of channel contents of the channels, and responsive thereto, analyzing the received channel data, including non-textual channel data, to determine if channel contents of said channels are among channel contents defined by selection data; and
(b) an arbitrating unit coupled to said at least one analyzing unit to arbitrate display and/or recording resource contentions among said channels having channel contents that are defined by said selection data.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said arbitrating unit includes an arbitration logic routine for arbitrating said display and/or recording resource contentions, in accordance with predefined priority information of said selection data.
16. A computer system having a bus for communicating information, and a signal processing unit coupled to said bus for processing a signal having a plurality of channels, said signal processing unit comprising:
(a) at least one analyzer for receiving channel data indicative of channel contents of said signal, and responsive thereto, analyzing said received channel data to determine if channel contents of said channels are among channel contents defined by selection data; and
(b) an arbitration unit coupled to said at least one analyzer for arbitrating for display and/or record resource conflicts among said channels having channel contents defined by said selection data.
17. The computer system of claim 16 further comprising a display unit coupled to said arbitrating unit, including a plurality of display windows for displaying channel contents of successful ones of said arbitrating channels of said signal under the control of said arbitrating unit.
(a) a communication network interface for communicating in said communication network system;
(b) a communication network server coupled to said communication network interface for receiving a signal having a plurality of channels; said communication network server generating channel data indicative of channel contents of said channels; and
(c) a client computer system coupled to said communication network interface for receiving said channels and said channel data from said network server, analyzing said received channel data to determine if channel contents of said channels are among channel contents defined by selection data, and arbitrating display and/or recording resource conflicts among channels having channel contents defined by the selection data.
32. The communication network system of claim 31 wherein said communication network server comprises:
(b.1) one or more tuners for tuning to said channels;
(b.2) one or more decoders coupled to said one or more tuners to receive said channels; and to generate said channel data;
(b.3) one or more buffers coupled to said one or more tuners for temporarily storing portions of the channel contents of said channels for a predetermined duration of time; and
(b.4) a server interface coupled to said buffers and said decoders for coupling said communication network server to said communication network interface.
33. The communication network system of claim 31 wherein said client computer system comprises:
(c.1) at least one analyzer coupled to said communication network interface for receiving and analyzing said channel data to determine whether said channel contents are among channel contents defined by said selection data; and
(c.2) an arbitration unit coupled to said at least one analyzer for performing said arbitration.
34. A method for controlling rendering of a signal having a plurality of channels, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) analyzing channel data indicative of channel contents of the channels to determine whether channel contents of said channels are among channel contents defined by selection data; and
(b) arbitrating display and/or recording resource contentions among said channels having channel contents that are defined by the selection data.
35. The method of claim 34, wherein step (a) further comprises causing a corresponding web page of a URL to be retrieved.
(a) one or more decoders for receiving a signal having a plurality of channels and generating channel data representing channel contents of the channels, including decoding uniform resource locators (URLs) included in some of said channels; and
(b) at least one analyzer coupled to the one or more decoders for analyzing said channel data to determine if said represented channel contents are among channel contents defined by selection data, including analyzing corresponding web pages of channel data that are URLs.
(a) at least one analyzer for analyzing channel data representing channel contents of channels of a signal to determine if channel contents of said channels are among channel contents defined by selection data, including analyzing corresponding web pages of said channel data that are uniform resource locators (URLs); and
(b) a display/recording unit coupled to the at least one analyzer for displaying and/or recording channel contents of said channels that are among channel contents defined by the selection data.
(a) receiving a signal having a plurality of channels, and generating channel data representing channel contents of the channels, including decoding uniform resource locators (URLs) included in some of said channels; and
(b) analyzing said channel data to determine if channel contents of said channels are among channel contents defined by selection data, including analyzing corresponding web pages of channel data that are URLs.
(a) one or more decoders for receiving a signal having a plurality of channels and generating channel data representing channel contents of the channels, including taking snapshots of video images of said channels; and
(b) at least one analyzer coupled to the one or more decoders for analyzing said channel data to determine if said represented channel contents are among channel contents defined by selection data, including analyzing said video image snapshots taken.
(a) at least one analyzer for analyzing channel data representing channel contents of channels of a signal to determine if channel contents of said channels are among channel contents defined by selection data, including analyzing video image snapshots taken of said channels; and
(a) receiving a signal having a plurality of channels, and generating channel data representing channel contents of the channels, including taking snapshot of video images of said channels; and
(b) analyzing said channel data to determine if channel contents of said channels are among channel contents defined by selection data, including analyzing said video image snapshots taken.
(a) one or more decoders for receiving a signal having a plurality of channels and generating channel data representing channel contents of the channels, including decoding numeric data included in some of said channels; and
(b) at least one analyzer coupled to the one or more decoders for analyzing said channel data to determine if said represented channel contents are among channel contents defined by selection data, including evaluating numerical expressions of said selection data using said decoded numeric data.
(a) at least one analyzer for analyzing channel data representing channel contents of channels of a signal to determine if channel contents of said channels are among channel contents defined by selection data, including evaluating numeric expressions of said selection data for channel data that are numeric; and
(a) receiving a signal having a plurality of channels, and generating channel data representing channel contents of the channels, including decoding numeric data included for some of said channels; and
(b) analyzing said channel data to determine if channel contents of said channels are among channel contents defined by selection data, including evaluating numeric expressions of said selection data for said channel data that are numeric.
US08889117 1994-11-14 1997-07-07 Method and apparatus for controlling video/audio and channel selection for a communication signal based on channel data indicative of channel contents of a signal Expired - Lifetime US5878222A (en)
US62638996 true 1996-03-29 1996-03-29
US08889117 US5878222A (en) 1994-11-14 1997-07-07 Method and apparatus for controlling video/audio and channel selection for a communication signal based on channel data indicative of channel contents of a signal
US62638996 Continuation 1996-03-29 1996-03-29
US5878222A true US5878222A (en) 1999-03-02
USRE42103E1 (en) * 1995-10-30 2011-02-01 Disney Enterprises, Inc. Apparatus and method of automatically accessing on-line services in response to broadcast of on-line addresses
EP1114554A1 (en) * 1998-07-20 2001-07-11 Mate - Media Access Technologies Ltd A method of automatic selection of video channels
KR100794152B1 (en) * 1999-11-18 2008-01-14 코닌클리케 필립스 일렉트로닉스 엔.브이. Method and apparatus for audio/data/visual information selection
JP4555296B2 (en) * 2004-08-02 2010-09-29 三菱電機株式会社 How to broadcast receiving apparatus and a broadcast reception
Code of Federal Regulations, 47 CFR § 15.119, Parts 0-19, Oct. 1992, pp. 551-561.
Code of Federal Regulations, 47 CFR §73.682 & §73.699, Parts 70-79, Oct. 1992, pp. 192-197, 216-217, & 229.
Code of Federal Regulations, 47 CFR 15.119, Parts 0 19, Oct. 1992, pp. 551 561. *
Code of Federal Regulations, 47 CFR 73.682 & 73.699, Parts 70 79, Oct. 1992, pp. 192 197, 216 217, & 229. *
CN100559851C (en) 2003-01-08 2009-11-11 提维股份有限公司 A system for remotely controlling client recording and storage behavior
US5867205A (en) 1999-02-02 grant