U.S. patent application number 09/219574 was filed with the patent office on 2002-04-25 for sound bite augmentation.
Invention is credited to LEUNG, ELSIE Y., SHALKEY, ERIC, YUEN, HENRY C..
Application Number | 20020047946 09/219574 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26749374 |
Filed Date | 2002-04-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020047946 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
YUEN, HENRY C. ; et
al. |
April 25, 2002 |
SOUND BITE AUGMENTATION
Abstract
An audio description of a television program, i.e., a sound
bite, is reproduced simultaneously with the display of the program
at a television receiver. Specifically, the sound bite is embedded
in a television signal that contains audio component and a video
component. The television signal is transmitted to a plurality of
television receivers and intercepted at one of the receivers. The
video component is displayed on a monitor and the audio component
is reproduced. On command the sound bite is reproduced instead of
the audio component. An audio description of a television program,
i.e., a sound bite, is also reproduced simultaneously with the
display of a program listing of the program at a television
receiver. Specifically, when the program listing is marked with an
on-screen cursor, the sound bite is reproduced.
Inventors: |
YUEN, HENRY C.; (PASADENA,
CA) ; LEUNG, ELSIE Y.; (PASADENA, CA) ;
SHALKEY, ERIC; (BEDFORD, MA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CHRISTIE, PARKER & HALE
P. O. BOX 7068
PASADENA
CA
911097068
|
Family ID: |
26749374 |
Appl. No.: |
09/219574 |
Filed: |
December 24, 1998 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60068782 |
Dec 24, 1997 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
348/738 ;
348/E5.122; 725/39 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 21/235 20130101;
H04N 21/435 20130101; H04N 21/4722 20130101; H04N 21/4821 20130101;
H04N 21/4312 20130101; H04N 21/8106 20130101; H04N 5/60 20130101;
H04N 21/2668 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
348/738 ;
725/39 |
International
Class: |
H04N 005/445; G06F
013/00 |
Claims
1. A method for augmenting the display of a television program
comprising the steps of: embedding a sound bite in a television
signal that contains an audio component and an video component;
transmitting the television signal; intercepting the transmitted
signal at one of a plurality of television receivers; displaying
the video component; reproducing the audio component; and on
command reproducing the sound bite instead of the audio
component.
2. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising the step of
displaying an icon with the video component to signal the presence
of the sound bite.
3. A method for augmenting the display of a television program
guide (EPG) comprising the steps of: displaying a plurality of
program listings of an EPG on a television monitor; storing a
plurality of sound bites relating to the program listings in a
memory; marking one of the displayed program listings with a
cursor; and reproducing the sound bite relating to the marked
program listing.
4. The method of claim 3, in which the storing step stores sound
bites relating only to some of the program listings, the method
additionally comprising the step of displaying an icon with program
listings to signal the presence of the sound bite.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of provisional
application Ser. No. 60/068,782 filed Dec. 24, 1997, the disclosure
of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to the field of television, and more
particularly, to the augmentation of the display of a television
program or a television program guide.
[0003] For many years, it has been the practice to transmit textual
data with a television signal in a teletext or XDS format. At the
television receivers, the user has the option of displaying the
transmitted textual material instead of the television program. The
audio component of the television signal is either reproduced as
sound or muted.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, an audio
description of a television program, i.e., a sound bite, is
reproduced simultaneously with the display of the program at a
television receiver. Specifically, the sound bite is embedded in a
television signal that contains an audio component and a video
component. The television signal is transmitted to a plurality of
television receivers and intercepted at one of the receivers. The
video component is displayed on a monitor and the audio component
is reproduced as sound. On command the sound bite is reproduced
instead of the audio component.
[0005] According to another aspect of the invention, an audio
description of a television program, i.e., a sound bite, is
reproduced simultaneously with the display of a program listing of
the program at a television receiver. Specifically, when the
program listing is marked with an on-screen cursor, the sound bite
is reproduced.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The features of the specific embodiments of the best mode
are illustrated in the drawings in which:
[0007] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a television
distribution system incorporating the principles of the
invention;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of one of the television
receivers shown in FIG. 1;
[0009] FIG. 3 represents a typical television screen in one
embodiment of the invention;
[0010] FIG. 4 represents a typical television screen in another
embodiment of the invention; and
[0011] FIG. 5 represents a typical television screen in yet another
embodiment of the invention.
DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0012] As illustrated in FIG. 1, a source of television (tv)
signals 2 is connected by a data inserter 3 to a tv transmitter 4.
Source 2 comprises a plurality of audio-video programs. A sound
bite source 5 is also connected to data inserter 3 to embed the
sound bite data in the tv signal. It should be noted that the sound
bites are in addition to the audio component of the tv signal. The
sound bite data is preferable in coded digital form such as
teletext or XDS format, but alternatively it could be embedded in
the tv signal in analog form. In an analog tv signal transmission
system, inserter 3 embeds the sound bite data in the VBI of the tv
signal. In a digital tv signal transmission system, inserter 3
mixes the sound bite data in the digital data stream with the tv
signal.
[0013] Transmitter 4 is connected to a cable feed 6 for
transmission of the tv signal through a cable network. The cable
network has a large number of cable drops 7 each connected to a tv
receiver 8 to deliver the tv signal thereto. Alternatively, the tv
signal and sound bite data could be transmitted to the tv receivers
by wireless terrestrial or satellite links.
[0014] In general, the sound bites could be transmitted in
different ways. One way is to transmit a single sound bite for each
tv program in real time as the tv program is being broadcast.
Another way is to transmit a number of different sound bites in a
continuously repeating carousel such that the desired sound bite is
selectively grabbed from the tv signal for reproduction at a tv
receiver. Yet another way is to set up a backlink from each tv
receiver 8 to sound bite source 5 (FIG. 1). The backlink could be
by telephone, cable, or pager. The sound bites transmitted in the
tv signal depend on the command signals sent back by the particular
tv receiver. Thus a separate sound bite could be earmarked for each
tv receiver.
[0015] FIG. 2 represents one of tv receivers 8 in an embodiment of
the invention that augments display of a television program with a
sound bite. Cable drop 7, or other means for intercepting the tv
signal, is connected to a tuner 12, which selects the channel to be
displayed. Tuner 12 is coupled by an IF amplifier 14 and a picture
detector 16 to a TV monitor 18. A sound detector 20 is coupled by a
switch 22 to an audio amplifier 24. A speaker 26 reproduces the
audio signal from amplifier 24. Digital data is embedded in the tv
signal, e.g., in the VBI, as a sound bite. The sound bite is
preferably related to the television program. A VBI detector 28 or
other means to extract the sound bite data recovers the sound bite
and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 30 converts the sound bite
to an analog signal suitable for reproduction by speaker 26. As
illustrated in FIG. 3, an on-screen icon 34, shown as a pair of
lips, signals the presence of the sound bite. When the user of the
television receiver issues an appropriate command by clicking on
the icon or pushing a prescribed key on a controller, switch 22
transmits the output of DAC 30, rather than sound detector 20, to
speaker 26. The length of the sound bite depends on the amount of
space available in the tv signal for this purpose. If desired, part
or all of the sound bite could be stored temporarily at the
television receiver before being reproduced.
[0016] If a number of different sound bites are transmitted in a
carousel, the appropriate sound bite for each particular user could
be selectively grabbed. The selective grabbing could be based on a
user profile as described in application Ser. No. 60/104,008, filed
on Oct. 13, 1998, the disclosure of which is incorporated fully
herein by reference, or on the location of the tv receiver such as
its zip code. In the former case, the reproduced sound bite could
be customized to the profile of the user. In the latter case, the
reproduced sound bite could be customized to the location of the
user so users in different geographic locations receive different
sound bites. For example, if the tv program is an advertisement,
the sound bite could be the street address of the nearest retail
establishment where the advertised product can be purchased. The
sound bites are tagged with codes identifying different themes or
locations (zip codes), which are compared with a code at each
receiver. When a match occurs, the sound bite is reproduced at the
particular receiver.
[0017] In another embodiment, the invention augments display of a
television program guide (EPG). The invention is incorporated into
a television schedule system such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
5,353,121, issued on Oct. 4, 1994, the disclosure of which is
incorporated fully herein by reference. As illustrated in FIG. 4,
upon command a program note 52 is overlaid on a television program
guide. Program note 52 relates to the television program
highlighted by a cursor 32. As cursor 32 moves, the program note
changes accordingly. Sound bites relating to the television
programs of the guide are stored in local memory, i.e., RAM. The
stored sound bites could be downloaded with the EPG data on a
regular basis. On-screen icons 38 are located in the cells of
programs that have sound bites. When such a cell is highlighted,
the user can issue a command, i.e., by clicking on the icon, to
reproduce the sound bite, either instead of a program note 52 or in
addition to program note 52.
[0018] In another embodiment, the invention augments display of
another television program guide (EPG). The invention in
incorporated into apparatus for displaying television programs and
related text such as disclosed in PCT International Application
W096/07270, published on Mar. 7, 1996, the disclosure of which is
incorporated fully herein by reference. As illustrated in FIG. 5, a
detail window 44 is permanently displayed as part of a television
program guide. The description in detail window 44 relates to the
television program highlighted by a cursor 48. As cursor 38 moves,
the description changes accordingly. Sound bites relating to the
television programs of the guide are stored in local memory, i.e.,
RAM. On-screen icons 54 are located in the cells of programs that
have sound bites. When such a cell is highlighted, the user can
issue a command, i.e., by clicking on the icon, to reproduce the
sound bite, either instead of a program description or in addition
to a program description.
[0019] To increase the capacity to reproduce sound bites with the
highlighted cells of an EPG, a backlink could be utilized. When the
viewer at a tv receiver clicks on the icon, a command is sent on a
dedicated backlink channel to the sound bite source with a tag
identifying the program displayed in the highlighted cell and the
particular tv receiver. The sound bite is sent in a dedicated
channel either with or without a tv signal. Along with the sound
bite is a tag identifying the particular tv receiver so the sound
bite is selectively grabbed only by that receiver.
[0020] Instead of clicking on an icon as described above, a
microprocessor could be programmed to initiate a sound bite in the
EPG when an on-screen cursor is moved to a cell that has an
available sound bite and remains there for a prescribed period of
time.
[0021] Another alternative is to provide a completely audio guide.
While the user is watching television, the user can navigate about
the screen with a cursor . In essence there is an invisible grid of
cells with boundary lines, as in an EPG. As the cursor moves across
an invisible boundary line, an audible signal such as a beep is
given. In this way, the user can tell where he or she is in the
guide while continuing to watch television full screen. When the
cursor moves into a cell that has a sound bite, a different audible
signal is given. If the cursor remains in the cell for a prescribed
period of time, the sound bite is reproduced.
[0022] The content of the sound bites can be designed to elicit
information from the television viewer from which a viewer profile
can be developed. For example, the sound bites could be questions
requiring yes or no answers about the television program being
displayed or the program listing being highlighted in the EPG. The
answers could be made by pressing specific keys on a remote
controller or verbally, if speech recognition software is provided.
Reference is made to a provisional application of Henry Yuen filed
on Nov. 30, 1998, entitled "Smart Agent Based on Habit, Statistical
Inforence, and Psycho-deomgraphic Profiling", attorney docket Case
33791 for a description of the types of questions that might be
asked and the way the profile might be generated.
* * * * *