Identifying an end of a television program

1. A method, comprising:

at a computing device having at least one processor and memory storing at least one program for execution by the at least one processor,

periodically obtaining subtitles for a plurality of television programs during respective predetermined time intervals proximate to and including respective times when respective television programs in the plurality of television programs are scheduled to end;

identifying sequences of strings from the subtitles for the plurality of television programs that satisfy predefined criteria associated with the plurality of television programs, wherein the predefined criteria include a threshold percentage of the plurality of television programs in which any of the sequences occurs at the end of the programs; and

updating an aggregation of subtitles indicating that a television program in the plurality of television programs has ended, with the identified sequences of strings.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the subtitles for the plurality of television programs during the respective predetermined time interval includes:

obtaining subtitles from a television signal on which a television program in the plurality of television program is being broadcast; and

identifying sequences of strings in the subtitles.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein a subtitle in the television programs is included in an image stream of the television signal, and wherein obtaining the subtitle includes:

obtaining images from the image stream; and

performing optical character recognition on the images to obtain the subtitle from the images.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein a subtitle in the television programs is included in a text stream of the television signal, and obtaining the subtitles from the television signal includes: extracting the subtitle from the text stream.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the respective predetermined time intervals that include respective times when respective television programs in the plurality of television programs are scheduled to end are identified by:

obtaining metadata for the respective television programs; and

determining the time when the respective television programs are scheduled to end in accordance with the metadata for the respective television programs.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: notifying at least one electronic device that the television program has ended.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least one client device includes a set top box.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least one client device includes television set.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least one client device includes computer system.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aggregation of subtitles can be used to determine an end of another television program including one of the identified sequences.

11. A system to identify an end of a television program, comprising:

at least one processor;

memory; and

at least one program stored in the memory and executable by the at least one processor, the at least one program comprising instructions for:

periodically obtaining subtitles for a plurality of television programs during respective predetermined time intervals proximate to and including respective times when respective television programs in the plurality of television programs are scheduled to end;

identifying sequences of strings from the subtitles for the plurality of television programs that satisfy predefined criteria associated with the plurality of television programs, wherein the predefined criteria include a threshold percentage of the plurality of television programs in which any of the sequences occurs at the end of the programs; and

updating an aggregation of subtitles indicating that a television program in the plurality of television programs has ended, with the identified sequences of strings.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein obtaining the subtitles for the plurality of television programs during the respective predetermined time interval includes:

obtaining subtitles from a television signal on which a television program in the plurality of television program is being broadcast; and

identifying sequences of strings in the subtitles.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein a subtitle in the television programs is included in an image stream of the television signal, and wherein obtaining the subtitle includes:

obtaining images from the image stream; and

performing optical character recognition on the images to obtain the subtitle from the images.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein a subtitle in the television programs is included in a text stream of the television signal, and obtaining the subtitles from the television signal includes: extracting the subtitle from the text stream.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the respective predetermined time intervals that include respective times when respective television programs in the plurality of television programs are scheduled to end are identified by:

obtaining metadata for the respective television programs; and

determining the time when the respective television programs are scheduled to end in accordance with the metadata for the respective television programs.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for: notifying at least one electronic device that the television program has ended.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing at least one program configured for execution by at least one processor of a computing device, the at least one program comprising instructions for:

periodically obtaining subtitles for a plurality of television programs during respective predetermined time intervals proximate to and including respective times when respective television programs in the plurality of television programs are scheduled to end;

identifying sequences of strings from the subtitles for the plurality of television programs that satisfy predefined criteria associated with the plurality of television programs, wherein the predefined criteria include a threshold percentage of the plurality of television programs in which any of the sequences occurs at the end of the programs; and

updating an aggregation of subtitles indicating that a television program in the plurality of television programs has ended, with the identified sequences of strings.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein obtaining the subtitles for the plurality of television programs during the respective predetermined time interval includes:

obtaining subtitles from a television signal on which a television program in the plurality of television program is being broadcast; and

identifying sequences of strings in the subtitles.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein a subtitle in the television programs is included in an image stream of the television signal, and wherein obtaining the subtitle includes:

obtaining images from the image stream; and

performing optical character recognition on the images to obtain the subtitle from the images.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the respective predetermined time intervals that include respective times when respective television programs in the plurality of television programs are scheduled to end are identified by:

obtaining metadata for the respective television programs; and

determining the time when the respective television programs are scheduled to end in accordance with the metadata for the respective television programs.