Patent ID: 8635639

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for identifying an end of a television program, performed on a computing device having at least one processor and memory storing at least one program for execution by the at least one processor to perform the method, comprising: during a scheduled presentation of a television program, determining that the television program is within a first predetermined time interval including a time when the television program is scheduled to end; monitoring subtitles for the television program during the first predetermined time interval; and when a sequence of strings in the subtitles corresponds to a known sequence of strings in an aggregation of subtitles indicating that the television program has ended, notifying at least one electronic device that the television program has ended; wherein: the aggregation of subtitles includes known sequences of strings indicating that a respective television program in a plurality of television programs has ended; and the known sequences of strings are obtained by: periodically obtaining subtitles for the plurality of television programs during respective predetermined time intervals that include respective times when respective television programs in the plurality of television programs are scheduled to end; identifying sequences of strings from the subtitles for the plurality of television programs in accordance with predefined criteria associated with the plurality of television programs; and updating the known sequences of strings in the aggregation of subtitles that indicate that a respective television program has ended with the identified sequences of strings.