Patent Document

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to video broadcast information systems in which selected video news items are delivered to consumers by recording each selected video news item on a VCR cassette in accordance with user selected key word criteria. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Video news services such as satellite delivered cable television news channels provide continuous coverage of general interest news to a wide audience. Many news broadcast services, which only broadcast news, repeat important stories often, so that subscribers who have recently tuned in will not miss an important news item. Typically, a viewer tunes in and listens long enough for an update of the current events and top news stories. 
   Thus, receiving video news of particular interest to a specific viewer is mostly a matter of being tuned in at the right time. Except for the most important news stories, which are repeated often, the more specialized news items which are of lesser general interest are repeated less often, or not repeated at all. Also, a more timely news item may replace a less timely, but still important news item. 
   In order not to miss a news item of importance to a particular subscriber, it may be required to listen continuously, or at least as often as is practical. The result is that a subscriber receives a great amount of information which is not of interest, in order to receive the information which is of interest. 
   To focus on specific interests, specialized news channels provide continuous coverage of news events which relate to a specific category of news. For example, a specialized news channel may broadcast only stories relating to sports or finance, or the like. Still, even a specialized broadcast news service may contain a wider range of news than a particular subscriber desires. In addition, a subscriber&#39;s interests may be spread across more than one news category. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is embodied in a system method and apparatus for selectively recording on a VCR cassette, those news items of interest to a particular subscriber. 
   In accordance with the present invention, an advance data stream representing the text of each upcoming broadcast news item is provided in advance of the video broadcast of that news item. The subscriber enters one or more key word criteria representative of the news items of interest, i.e., representing a desired word pattern match. The user selected key word criteria is stored in a memory. The advance data stream is searched for a match with any of the key word criteria entered by the subscriber. If a match between the stored user selected key word criteria and the advance data stream is found, the subscriber&#39;s VCR is enabled at the appropriate later time to record the desired news item. Since the data stream representing the text of the video news item is provided in advance, the news item selected as a result of the key word match may be recorded in its entirety. 
   After a given time interval (e.g., after a day of broadcasting), the VCR cassette contains only those news items of interest to the particular subscriber, which the subscriber may watch at any convenient later time. In such manner, the subscriber will save time by not having to watch every news item. Instead, by viewing the VCR recording at a later time, the subscriber will be kept informed of those news items of specific interest to the individual subscriber. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is block diagram of a system for selectively recording video items on a VCR in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an encoder for encoding video signals for selectively recording video items on a VCR used in conjunction with the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is an illustration of a timing diagram of a video signal with a time advanced data stream used in conjunction with the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is an illustration of a video signal including advanced text data signals encoded on the horizontal synchronizing pulses of a video signal used in conjunction with a first embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is an illustration of a video signal including advanced text data signals encoded on the vertical synchronizing interval of a video signal used in conjunction with a second embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 6  is a block diagram of a first embodiment of a VCR system controller in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 7  is a block diagram of a second embodiment of VCR system controller in accordance with the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   A block diagram of an encoder for encoding video signals with an advance text data stream is shown in FIG.  2 . First, the digitized text of each video news item is prepared in advance. Such advance text may be available from the text normally previously entered and later read by television news reporters during the broadcast. The composite video and audio signal  22  is combined with the time advanced digitized text  24  in a transmitter  26 . 
   A timing diagram of a composite video signal with a time advanced data stream is illustrated in  FIG. 3. A  standard television signal consists of video lines  30 ,  34  separated by horizontal synchronization intervals  32 ,  36 . The audio portion  38  of the composite video signal is carried as an FM signal modulating a 4.5 Mhz subcarrier. In accordance with the present invention, a digitized advanced text data stream  41  corresponding to the audio portion of the composite video signal, but advanced in time, is also transmitted with the composite video data stream. The composite video signal may alternatively be a compressed digital video signal. 
   For a portion of the video broadcast, such as news item N, the text corresponding to the audio portion of news item N is transmitted as an advanced text data stream  44 . Between news items, a new item field marker  40  indicates where the text for the previous item ends, and the text for the next new item begins. For example, new item field marker  40  indicates the beginning of the text  42  of the next news item N+1, following the previous text  44  of the previous news item. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , a television  10  receives an input signal through a VCR  12  connected to a source of video signal at terminal  11 . The video signal at terminal  11  is also coupled to a data separator which separates digital data carried on the broadcast video signal and provides such separated digital data to controller  18 . A keypad  20  through which the subscriber enters selected key word criteria is coupled to controller  18 . Controller  18  also connected to an infrared (IR) emitter  16 . 
   In operation, the subscriber enters key words through keypad  20  representative of the video programs of interest. The controller  18  searches the advance data stream received from data separator  14 . When a match is found, controller  18  through IR emitter  16  turns VCR  12  on and off at the appropriate times to record the video program which corresponds to the match. A match may consist of an exact match between a single key word and the same word found in the advance data stream. A match may also be any of typically well known search conventions or search criteria such as a root word with wild card character, a range search or the like. 
   First Embodiment of the Invention 
   A first embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG.  4 . Data is encoded on the horizontal synchronizing pulses and spread throughout the video signal. 
   In particular, one or more data bits  48 ,  52  and  56  are encoded on respective horizontal synchronizing pulses  46 ,  50  and  54  separating the video lines  45 ,  58 . The data bits  48 ,  52  and  56  represent advanced text data spaced throughout the video signal and transmitted in delayed real time synchronism with the audio portion of the video signal. 
   A block diagram of a VCR system controller, in accordance with the first embodiment of the video signal, is shown in FIG.  6 . The advanced text data is stripped from the video signal by separator  14 . The received text is coupled to a detector  72 , which detects the occurrence of a new item field marker. The received text is also coupled to the search and compare logic  74 . A keypad  20  is coupled to a key word register  76  (a memory for storage of one or more key words or key word search criteria), the output of which is coupled to the search and compare logic  74 . The reset input of flip-flop  78  is coupled to the output of the new item field marker detector  72 , which also serves as the input clock (input data strobe) to a first in, first out (FIFO) memory buffer. The set input of flip-flop  78  is coupled to the output of the search and compare logic  74 . A delay  84  provides a delayed signal corresponding to the output of the new item field detector  72  to provide a delayed version of that signal which serves as the output clock (output data strobe) of FIFO  82 . The data output of FIFO  82  is coupled to a VCR recording control memory  80 , the output of which is coupled to IR emitter  16 . 
   During operation, flip-flop  78  indicates the decision as to whether the later broadcast video news item corresponding to the advance text being received contains a key word match and is therefore to be recorded by the VCR  12  (in FIG.  1 ). A reset condition of flip-plop  78  at the end of the advanced text reception, indicates that the news item is not to be recorded. A set condition of flip-flop  78  at the end of the advanced text reception, indicates that the news item is to be recorded. 
   In operation, at the beginning of the advanced text of a news item, the detection of the new item field by detector  72 , stores the current contents of flip-flop  78  in FIFO  82 , and resets flip-flop  78 . If at any time during the advanced text of the news item, the search and compare logic  74  detects a match between the contents of the key word register  76  and the data stream from data separator  14 , then flip-flop  78  will be set. Thus, when the next new item field marker is received, the clock in to FIFO  82  causes the contents of flip-flop  78  to be recorded in FIFO  82 . 
   The video of the news item is delayed by a fixed amount measured from its corresponding new item field marker. The fixed delay is substantially equal to the delay provided by clock delay  84 . At such fixed time delay later, the output of delay  84  to the clock in signal of FIFO  82  causes FIFO  82  to output the previously stored value of flip-flop  78  to VCR recording control memory  80 . It is noted that in yet another embodiment, where the maximum length of any news item is known in advance, a predetermined delay from the occurrence of a key word match may be used to record a portion of the video signal in some fixed time interval before and after the occurrence of the key word match. In the latter case the new item field separators may be eliminated. 
   The VCR recording control memory  80  contains the control codes necessary to drive the IR emitter  16  which turns on and turns off VCR  12  at the appropriate time. That is, responsive to the stored bits in FIFO  82 , the VCR recording control memory  80  causes the VCR to record the video news items selected as a result of matches between the advanced text received from data separator  14  and the contents of key word register  76 . 
   Second Embodiment of the Invention 
   In a second embodiment of the present invention, shown in  FIG. 5 , time advanced data is encoded in more concentrated form on one line of each vertical blanking interval, or for consecutive vertical blanking intervals, just before the beginning of each news item to which such data relates. In particular, a burst of data is encoded in the vertical interval  60 , as a group of data bits  70  on an unused video line in the vertical blanking interval. In yet other alternative embodiments, data may be carried in other portions of the video signal. For example, data may also be carried on one or more unused video lines  62 ,  64 ,  66 ,  68  of the vertical blanking interval, modulated on an in-band subcarrier signal or on an out of band carrier signal transmitted simultaneously, but not within the spectrum occupied by the video signal. 
     FIG. 7  illustrates a block diagram of a VCR system controller in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention. Since the data is concentrated as a burst of data occurring just before the video news item to which it relates, the text of the received news item can be searched just before the video news item is received. The decision to record or not to record the broadcast video news item is made just before the news item begins. The VCR is set to record mode, and on left on pause. In recording pause mode, the VCR can begin recording relative quickly. An important advantage of the second embodiment is that it simplifies the VCR system controller. In particular, the FIFO  82  memory and delay  84  of  FIG. 6  are not necessary, and are eliminated. Instead of a delay  84 , the Q output of flip-flop  78  is coupled to VCR recording control memory  80  without substantial delay. 
   In operation, a new field marker is detected  72  which sets flip-flop  78 . The data following the new field marker is searched by search and compare logic  74  to detect a match, if any, between the received data and the contents of key word register  76 . If no match is detected, the VCR recording control memory outputs a control signal to stop any VCR recording. If a match is detected, the VCR recording control memory outputs a control signal to start the VCR recording. In such manner, news items which contain text matching the key word register contents will be recorded on the VCR cassette.

Technology Category: 5