System and method for enhancing recorded radio or television programs with information on the world wide web

9,591,362

15/156299

May 16, 2016

The present invention is directed to a system, method and computer program for enabling a user (100) (an auditor or a viewer) to access complementary information related to one or a plurality of sequences or topics of interest (102) in a recorded program (103) previously broadcast on the radio or television and played back on a device, such as an audio or video tape or disk recorder/player (104). The preferred embodiment of the invention relates to a system and method for enabling a person (100) listening to or watching a recorded program (103), to select one or a plurality of topics (101) (102) drawing his or her attention and for immediately receiving further information related to these topics from the World Wide Web. The system is based on the synchronization of local times (204) (205) of transmitters (201) and recorders (203). The flow of information transmitted, received and recorded is always synchronized, independently of the relative positions of recorders and transmitters. The synchronization is done referring to an absolute or universal time such as the Global Positioning System Time (GPS-time), the Global Orbiting Navigational Satellite System (GLONASS) time or another suitable universal time based on a satellite system. The GPS or GLONASS receivers are integrated or connected to the broadcasting stations. At the receiver side, GPS or GLONASS receivers may be integrated or connected to the audio or video recorders. The system is also based on a plurality of hyperlinks defined during the production and recording of the broadcast program, for given sequences corresponding to particular intervals of time synchronized with the universal (absolute) time. The hyperlinks are associated with the information that is broadcast in the program. They can be selected by users during the playback of the recorded program during predefined intervals of time and activated to access additional information and services.

YAHOO! INC. (Sunnyvale, CA, US)

YAHOO! INC (Sunnyvale, CA, US)

1. A method comprising: transmitting, by a server to a client device, a plurality of program tables, each program table in the plurality relating to a previously recorded broadcast, each program table comprising a plurality of information relating to the previously recorded broadcast, the plurality of information comprising broadcast channel, broadcast station, URL of channel information server, program name, and universal time of recording interval; receiving, by the server from the client device, selection of a program table in the plurality of program tables, the selection of the program table causing the corresponding previously recorded broadcast to start playing; transmitting, by the server to the client device, instructions to reset a program timer on the client device when the corresponding previously recorded broadcast program starts playing; receiving, by the server from the client device, a selection of a topic; determining, by the server, a selection time from the program timer; retrieving, by the server, additional information about the selected topic from a web page corresponding to the selection time; and transmitting, by the server to the client device for display, the additional information.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the universal time of recording interval comprises a start time and an end time corresponding to broadcasting and recording of the broadcast program.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying one or more hyperlinks defined for the universal time of recording interval.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising storing the one or more hyperlinks in the program table.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising computing, for the one or more hyperlinks, time intervals computed from a start of the recorded program by subtracting, from the universal time of recording interval, a universal absolute time corresponding to a start of the broadcast program on the broadcast channel.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the universal time of recording interval is transformed into a relative time interval by subtracting the universal time corresponding to a start of the recording from the universal time of recording interval.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the determining of the selection time further comprises selecting, by the server, a hyperlink corresponding to the selection time from the program table.

8. A system comprising: a processor; a storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising: program table transmitting logic executed by the processor for transmitting, to a client device, a plurality of program tables, each program table in the plurality relating to a previously recorded broadcast, each program table comprising a plurality of information relating to the previously recorded broadcast, the plurality of information comprising broadcast channel, broadcast station, URL of channel information server, program name, and universal time of recording interval; program table selection receiving logic executed by the processor for receiving, from the client device, selection of a program table in the plurality of program tables, the selection of the program table causing the corresponding previously recorded broadcast to start playing; program timer reset instruction transmitting logic executed by the processor for transmitting, to the client device, instructions to reset a program timer on the client device when the corresponding previously recorded broadcast program starts playing; topic selection receiving logic executed by the processor for receiving, from the client device, a selection of a topic; selection time determining logic executed by the processor for determining a selection time from the program timer; information retrieving logic executed by the processor for retrieving additional information about the selected topic from a web page corresponding to the selection time; and additional information display logic executed by the processor for transmitting, to the client device for display, the additional information.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the universal time of recording interval comprises a start time and an end time corresponding to broadcasting and recording of the broadcast program.

10. The system of claim 8 , further comprising hyperlink identifying logic executed by the processor for identifying one or more hyperlinks defined for the universal time of recording interval.

11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising storing logic executed by the processor for storing the one or more hyperlinks in the program table.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising computing logic executed by the processor for computing, for the one or more hyperlinks, time intervals computed from a start of the recorded program by subtracting, from the universal time of recording interval, a universal absolute time corresponding to a start of the broadcast program on the broadcast channel.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the universal time of recording interval is transformed into a relative time interval by subtracting the universal time corresponding to a start of the recording from the universal time of recording interval.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the selection time determining logic for determining the selection time further comprises hyperlink selecting logic executed by the processor for selecting a hyperlink corresponding to the selection time from the program table.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer program code for execution by a processor, the computer program code comprising instructions for: transmitting, by the processor to a client device, a plurality of program tables, each program table in the plurality relating to a previously recorded broadcast, each program table comprising a plurality of information relating to the previously recorded broadcast, the plurality of information comprising broadcast channel, broadcast station, URL of channel information server, program name, and universal time of recording interval; receiving, by the processor from the client device, selection of a program table in the plurality of program tables, the selection of the program table causing the corresponding previously recorded broadcast to start playing; transmitting, by the processor to the client device, instructions to reset a program timer on the client device when the corresponding previously recorded broadcast program starts playing; receiving, by the processor from the client device, a selection of a topic; determining, by the processor, a selection time from the program timer; retrieving, by the processor, additional information about the selected topic from a web page corresponding to the selection time; and transmitting, by the processor to the client device for display, the additional information.

16. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the universal time of recording interval comprises a start time and an end time corresponding to broadcasting and recording of the broadcast program.

17. The medium of claim 15 , further comprising identifying one or more hyperlinks defined for the universal time of recording interval.

18. The medium of claim 17 , further comprising storing the one or more hyperlinks in the program table.

19. The medium of claim 18 , further comprising computing, for the one or more hyperlinks, time intervals computed from a start of the recorded program by subtracting, from the universal time of recording interval, a universal absolute time corresponding to a start of the broadcast program on the broadcast channel.

20. The medium of claim 17 , wherein the universal time of recording interval is transformed into a relative time interval by subtracting the universal time corresponding to a start of the recording from the universal time of recording interval.

6748421 June 2004 Ozkan
7984472 July 2011 Incentis Carro

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