1626 results about "Radio program" patented technology

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for editing the content of a broadcast programming signal to provide a proprietary program signal that has been tailored to the preferences of an individual monitoring the broadcast programming signal. Accordingly, the systems and methods of the invention offer computer-integrated television monitoring.

In a broadcasting system, an electronic program guide (EPG) is used to determine what broadcast program is on a given channel at a given time in a given location. With the particular determined broadcast program as an input, timing offset objects defining interactive content related to the determined broadcast program can be retrieved from a timing offsets database. Each timing offset object specifies a time from the beginning of the program, an act to perform at the time, and a reference to interactive content on which to perform the act at the time. With the reference to the interactive content as an input, an interactive application or other interactive content can be retrieved from an interactive content database. The EPG, the timing offsets database, and the interactive content database may be located logically or physically together or separately, and they may be cached locally or referenced from an external source.

A system for selecting, erasing or reproducing program recordings using marking and descriptive data which is transmitted to a client location from a remote processing location. A database of identification signals specifying the characteristics of a known programming is maintained at a remote processing location. In a first embodiment, selected identification signals are downloaded from the database to the client location and are used by a processor at the client location to identify desired programming within a locally stored collection of previously received broadcast programming signals. In a second arrangement, locally stored programming signals are processed to extract identification data which is uploaded from the client location to the remote processing location for comparison to the database, and information describing the content of the matching programs is returned to the client location for use as a program guide, facilitating the selection, permanent storage, or playback of desired program records and/or the erasure of undesired programming. To conserve local storage space, identified program records may be uploaded and stored at the remote processing location, or shared program records in a central library may be made available for remote playback after an the identity of equivalent locally stored programming is confirmed.

In a broadband communications system, e.g., a cable system, programming content can be readily reserved and accessed for viewing using an interactive program guide, a network home graphic user interface (GUI), Quick View Guide, etc., in accordance with the invention. Such programming content may include in-progress programs, future programs and previously broadcast programs which are recorded at a headend in the cable system, and which may or may not have overlapping broadcast times. In addition, the user may reserve programs at a set-top terminal, and may also do so remotely from the terminal through a communications network such as, the Internet, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a wireless telephone network, etc.

The invention utilizes a computer apparatus to automatically generate displays or reports containing investment security or element recommendations (FIG. 4, box 133) along with an optional summarization of the reasons (FIG. 4, box 134) for the recommendation from magazines, online sources, and broadcast programs for one specific security or element (FIG. 4, box 132) at a time or one specific recommendation source (FIG. 7, box 184) at a time. The aforementioned reports could additionally include the performance of the recommendors (FIG. 5, box 156). A report could also be provided to show the performance statistics (FIG. 8b, box 196, box 204, box 206, box 208, box 210, box 212, box 214) of a recommendation source (FIG. 8b, box 194) for predetermined date ranges (FIG. 8b, box 216) either in an aggregated and averaged format (FIG. 8b) or for each recommendation (FIG. 8c) made by the recommendation source. Additionally, a report could be provided to show the performance of elements or securities that were mentioned (FIG. 51), not just recommended, in magazines, online sources, and broadcast programs.

An interactive entertainment system enables presentation of supplemental interactive content along side traditional broadcast video programs, such as television shows and movies. The programs are broadcast in a conventional manner. The supplemental content is supplied as part of the same program signal over the broadcast network, or separately over another distribution network. A viewer computing unit is located at the viewer's home to present the program and supplemental content to a viewer. When the viewer tunes to a particular channel, the viewer computing unit consults an electronic programming guide (EPG) to determine if the present program carried on the channel is interactive. If it is, the viewer computing unit launches a browser. The browser uses a target specification stored in the EPG to activate a target resource containing the supplemental content for enhancing the broadcast program. The target resource contains display layout instructions prescribing how the supplemental content and the video content program are to appear in relation to one another when displayed. When the data from the target resource is downloaded, the viewer computing unit is responsive to the layout instructions obtained from the target resource to display the supplemental content concurrently with the video content program. Embedding the layout instructions in the supplemental content advantageously places control of the presentation to the content developers. The developers are free to arrange the data and video in any manner they choose.

A media storage and access system and methodology including a set-top box which receives and processes a plurality of signal sources and makes programming available locally through connected devices or via a data network such as a LAN, WAN, or the Internet. The system also integrates a multimedia storage system that allows programming content to be digitally stored. The system utilizes an integrated digital storage system and operating software to allow users to view a broadcast program (e.g., television, radio, etc.) with the option of instantly reviewing previous segments within the program. In addition, the system allows the user to store selected media programming while the user is simultaneously watching or reviewing another program. The system also allows stored media assets to be accessed locally via a media device connected to the unit or remotely via the Internet.

A server system enables a subscriber to select a specific broadcast program for recording and a specific location and time frame for play-out of the recorded program.

Described herein are techniques, including methods and systems, including computer program products, for a video delivery module. A broadcast program and a video-on-demand program are ingested by a video delivery module. At least a portion of the broadcast program and at least a portion of the video-on-demand program are stored. The broadcast program, the video-on-demand program, or both are delivered as a unicast video stream to a first single subscriber through a multiplexer connected to a plurality of subscribers.

Serving advertisements with (e.g., in) audio documents may be improved by (a) accepting at least a portion of a document including audio content, (b) analyzing the audio content to determine relevancy information for the document, and (c) determining at least one advertisement relevant to the document using at least the relevancy information and serving constraints associated with advertisements. The advertisements may be scored if more than one advertisement was determined to be relevant to the document. Then, at least one of the advertisements to be served with an ad spot for the document may be determined using at least the scores. Examples of documents include radio programs, live or recorded musical works with lyrics, live or recorded dramatic works with dialog or a monolog, live or recorded talk shows, voice mail, segments of an audio conversation, etc. The audio content may be analyzed to determine relevancy information for the document by converting the audio content to textual information using speech recognition. Then, relevancy information may be determined from the textual information.

A method of and apparatus for allowing a user using a communications device to interact with first media material that is broadcast on a first broadcast channel y a first broadcast media source and second media material that is broadcast on a second broadcast channel by a second broadcast media source, the first media material and the second media material include a first media item and a second media item, respectively, the first media item and the second media item are associated with a first representation of the first media item and a representation of the second media item, respectively, that are received and presented by a broadcast reception device while the broadcast reception device is tuned to a third broadcast channel. The method includes maintaining in a temporary storage an item identifier, the item identifier identifies one of a first media item-related information and a second media item-related information. Additionally, when the broadcast reception device is tuned to the third broadcast channel and presents the first representation of the first media item, the method includes providing the item identifier as a basis for identifying the first media item-related information, the first media item-related information is a basis for a response to an interactivity activation made in reaction to presentation of the first representation of the first media item by the broadcast reception device. When the broadcast reception device is tuned to the third broadcast channel and presents the first representation of the second media item, the method includes providing the item identifier as a basis for identifying the second media item-related information, the second media item-related information is a basis for a response to an interactivity activation made in reaction to presentation of the representation of the second media item by the broadcast reception device.

The serving of advertisements with (e.g., on) audio documents may be improved in a number of ways. For example, a system may (a) accept information defining at least one ad spot associated with at least one instance of an audio document, (b) accept offers to have advertisements served in the ad spot(s), and (c) arbitrate among competing advertisements, using at least the offers, to determine at least one advertisement to be served in that ad spot(s). As another example, a system may (a) accept relevance information for an advertisement, (b) determine at least one audio document using the accepted relevance information, (c) present information about the audio document(s) to an advertiser associated with the advertisement, and (d) accept, from the advertiser, an offer to have its advertisement served with at least one of the audio document(s) accepted. As yet another example, a system may (a) accept relevance information for an audio document, (b) determine a plurality of advertisements relevant to the audio document using the relevance information and serving constraints of the advertisements, and (c) select at least one of the determined relevant advertisements to be served with the audio document. Examples of documents include radio programs, live or recorded musical works with lyrics, live or recorded dramatic works with dialog or a monolog, live or recorded talk shows, voice mail, segments of an audio conversation, etc.

In order to provide a speech input system for having access from a mobile terminal such as a PDA or a portable phone, or a stationary terminal such as a home telephone, a TV set, or a PC to a network through speech, and receiving a service from a provider for providing map information, music information, broadcast program information, and telephone information, the speech input system comprises speech input terminals 10, 30 provided with a speech input/output mean, and an access status display mean, a speech portal server 50 provided with a speech recognizing mean for receiving a speech to recognize it as a text, a command converting mean for checking the recognized text with a command text dictionary, and separating it into a command text and an object text, and a conversation control mean for having an access to, and receiving a service from a provider which provides different information based on the separated texts, and providing the speech input terminal with the service, and a provider 60 for searching information based on the command text and the object text received from the speech portal server, and serves the speech portal server with a search result.

A system for inserting viewer-specific advertising content comprises a viewer device. The viewer device identifies viewer characteristics regarding the viewer. Upon receipt of advertising content, the viewer device identifies advertisements matching the viewer characteristics. The viewer device inserts the advertisements matching the viewer characteristics into broadcast content.

A system and method for time-shifted viewing of broadcast television programs is disclosed. Simultaneous recording and playback are provided by using buffer storage as the source and destination of compressed or uncompressed digital video/audio programs. Full VCR-like control is provided for all playback within the buffer storage. Playback and control of recorded programs may be initiated by the user at any time after initiation of the broadcast program with simultaneous continuous recording of the ongoing live broadcast. Larger archival storage and removable is also provided for storing and building a library of programs. Viewer playback control data may be stored as part of the program or used as edit points prior to archival. Numerous options are provided for features such as continuous automatic recording in a circular buffer fashion, program archival, editing, Internet interfaces, multiple-channel recording and more.

An automation server interfaces with broadcast scheduling systems of various types to automatically synchronize the behavior of interactive applications relative to various broadcast programs, such as television shows and commercials, so as to maintain the appropriate interactive application for whatever broadcast program is airing. This allows for television shows which have an associated interactive application, but which are segmented by commercials (which may have their own interactive applications) to have their interactive application displayed while the television show in on, but not during commercials, while maintaining any state information that has been created during execution of the interactive application. The automation server includes multiple channel interfaces, each having a translator and an event manager. The translator translates native control signals from the scheduling system into a fixed set of atomic commands which represent the lifecycle behavior of a broadcast program. The event manager receives these atomic commands and uses them to determine the appropriate state for any interactive application that is associated with the broadcast program. The event manager transmits commands to a broadcast server which directly manages the interactive applications by transmitting code, data, and commands to broadcast receivers that controls the execution of the interactive applications in response to the event manager's commands.

A radio station (1) transmits a radio programme using a VHF-FM singal which is received by a WAP-enabled mobile commnicaitons device (3). The signal includes radio datea service (RDS) data which includes the URL of a web-site associated with the radio station. The user accesses the web-page and participates in an opinion poll by casting a vote. The server logs the vote. The radio station counts the votes and announces the votes while the radio programme is still on air.

A method of operating a personal video recorder, which is coupled to a display device to selectively present broadcast programs and recorded content to a viewer, maintains a viewing menu in the personal video recorder. The viewing menu includes for a predetermined day of a week at least channel and time information of broadcast programs the viewer has previously selected on the predetermined day of a previous week. The method displays the viewing menu on the predetermined day of the week to enable the viewer to select between executing and not executing the viewing menu in accordance with at least the channel and time information of the broadcast programs. Further, the method selectively updates the viewing menu upon viewer input on the predetermined day of the week to provide for a history of broadcast programs the viewer actually selected on the predetermined day of the week.

In a broadband communications system, e.g., a cable system, programming content can be readily reserved and accessed for viewing using interactive program guides in accordance with the invention. Such programming content may include in-progress programs, future programs and previously broadcast programs which are recorded at a headend in the cable system, and which may or may not have overlapping broadcast times. In addition, the user may reserve programs at a set-top terminal, and may also do so remotely from the terminal through a communications network such as, the Internet, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a wireless telephone network, etc.

The present system comprises a transmitting apparatus for digital broadcast which includes an original signal generating section, delaying section, information amount reducing section, and transmitting section. A receiving and reproducing apparatus for digital broadcast includes a signal reception front stage unit for receiving a high quality signal and a low quality signal, mode determining section and reproducing section composed of a delaying section and selecting section for selectively reproducing the high quality signal and the low quality signal. By employing time diversity, the transmitting apparatus sends the low quality signal having a smaller bandwidth and the high quality signal so that the low quality signal has a preceding time lag relative to the high quality signal, and the receiving apparatus reproduces broadcasting programs. Utilizing the frequency band for broadcast effectively, many broadcasting programs can be increased, and the investment for providing a gap filler can be minimized.