Patent ID: 7249366

Claim:
A segment announcement receiver comprising: a receiver section that receives a plurality of announcements, wherein each of said plurality of announcements corresponds to a content being provided on one or more content streams, and said plurality of announcements are created by a plurality of announcers which are other than a broadcaster of said one or more content streams and include: a description about said corresponding content in said one or more of the content streams; a time at which said corresponding content is transmitted on said signal, and a content identifier; a filter record including a plurality of actions corresponding to an announcement type, content stream type, and announcer identification, said plurality of actions including at least one user preference for altering a presentation of said one or more content streams; and a controller that: compares an announcement type for an announcement in said plurality of announcements with said announcement type in said filter record, compares an announcer identification for said announcement with said announcer identification in said filter record, and compares a content stream type for said one or more content streams with said content stream type in said filter record; and if said announcement type for said announcement matches said announcement type in said filter record, said announcer identification for said announcement matches said announcer identification in said filter record, and said content stream type for said one or more content streams matches said content stream type in said filter record, selects a corresponding action from said plurality of actions to alter said presentation in accordance with said at least one user preference, wherein said plurality of announcements are not received via said broadcaster wherein said plurality of actions comprises at least one of switching a sound device of a presentation device to an ON state, switching the sound device of said presentation device to an OFF state, switching a display apparatus of said presentation device to an ON state, switching a display apparatus of said presentation device to an OFF state, changing the channel on said presentation device, starting a recording operation, and stopping a recording operation.