IP Library Granted Patent US 8,726,309
Granted Patent B2
US 8,726,309 · App. 13/407,955 · Granted May 13, 2014

Methods and apparatus for presenting substitute content in an audio/video stream using text data

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,726,309
App. No.
13/407,955
Granted
May 13, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

Various embodiments of apparatus and/or methods are described for skipping, filtering and/or replacing content from an audio/video stream using text data associated with the audio/video stream. The text data is processed using location information that references a segment of the text data of the first audio/video stream to identify a location within the first audio/video stream. The location within the first audio/video stream is utilized to identify portions of the audio/video stream that are to be skipped during presentation. The portions of the audio/video stream that are to be skipped are filtered from the audio/video stream, and some of the skipped portions of the audio/video stream are replaced with substitute content. The filtered video stream, including the substitute content, is outputted for presentation to a user.

Claims (32)

1. A method for processing a first audio/video stream having at least one segment of a show, at least one interstitial of the show, and closed captioning data associated with the show, the method comprising:

receiving autonomous location information separately from the first audio/video stream, the autonomous location information comprising a first unique text string, a second unique text string, a first forward offset associated with the first unique text string, a first backward offset associated with the first unique text string, a second forward offset associated with the second unique text string, and a second backward offset associated with the second unique text string;

processing the closed captioning data to identify the first unique text string; determining that the first unique text string is not located within the closed captioning data;

in response to determining that the first unique text string is not located within the closed captioning data, processing the closed captioning data again to identify the second unique text string;

determining that the second unique text string is located within the closed captioning data; and

in response to determining that the second unique text string is located within the closed captioning data, utilizing the second forward offset and the second backward offset to specify a beginning boundary of a segment of the show and an ending boundary of the segment of the show.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: identifying a first video location within the first audio/video stream, the first video location corresponding to the beginning boundary; and identifying a second video location within the first audio/video stream, the second video location corresponding to the ending boundary.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying substitute content to present in association with the segment of the show; and

outputting a second audio/video stream for presentation on a display device, the second audio/video stream including the segment of the show and the substitute content.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein outputting the second audio/video stream comprises replacing the at least one interstitial of the show with the substitute content.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first forward offset and the first backward offset are each specified relative to a beginning of the first unique text string; and

the second forward offset and the second backward offset are each specified relative to a beginning of the second unique text string.

6. A receiving device comprising:

a communication interface that receives a first audio/video stream including at least one segment of a show, at least one interstitial of the show, and closed captioning data associated with the first audio/video stream;

a storage unit that stores the first audio/video stream and the closed captioning data;

control logic that:

receives autonomous location information separately from the first audio/video stream, the autonomous location information comprising a first unique text string, a second unique text string, a first forward offset associated with the first unique text string, a first backward offset associated with the first unique text string, a second forward offset associated with the second unique text string, and a second backward offset associated with the second unique text string;

reviews the closed captioning data to locate the first unique text string;

determines that the first unique text string is not located within the closed captioning data;

in response to determining that the first unique text string is not located within the closed captioning data, reviews the closed captioning data again to locate the second unique text string;

determines that the second unique text string is located within the closed captioning data; and

in response to determining that the second unique text string is located within the closed captioning data, utilizes the second forward offset and the second backward offset to specify a beginning boundary of a segment of the show and an ending boundary of the segment of the show;

identifies substitute content to present in association with the segment of the show; and

an audio/video interface that outputs a second audio/video stream for presentation on a display device, the second audio/video stream including the segment of the show and the substitute content.

7. The receiving device of claim 6 , wherein the control logic sorts the closed captioning data according to a presentation order of the closed captioning data and stores the sorted closed captioning data in a data file separate from the first audio/video stream.

8. The receiving device of claim 6 , wherein the audio/video interface replaces the at least one interstitial with the substitute content when outputting the second audio/video stream.

9. The receiving device of claim 6 , wherein the audio/video interface outputs the substitute content before the segment of the show in the second audio/video stream.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein:

the first forward offset and the first backward offset are each specified relative to a beginning of the first unique text string; and

the second forward offset and the second backward offset are each specified relative to a beginning of the second unique text string.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 2, 2024
From: KUMMER, DAVID A; CASAGRANDE, STEVEN M
To: ECHOSTAR TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 069452/0937 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 30, 2021
From: DISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION; DISH NETWORK L.L.C.; DISH TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C.
To: U.S. BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058295/0293 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 18, 2018
From: ECHOSTAR TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C.
To: DISH TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 047264/0127 →