Rules-based ancillary data

1. A machine or group of machines for curating ancillary data to be presented to audience members of a visual program content, comprising:

a first graphical user interface including a plurality of tracks extending along a timeline of the visual program content, each track corresponding to a visual program content feature from a plurality of visual program content features, each track indicating time periods on the timeline of the visual program content in which the corresponding visual program content feature appears in the visual program content, at least one of the time periods corresponding to a length of a scene of the visual program content, at least one of the time periods during the scene being shorter than the length of the scene, and at least one of the time periods being longer than the length of the scene;

a second graphical user interface configured to create:

a timeline rule that correlates ancillary data objects to respective tracks of the plurality of tracks such that an ancillary data object appears in correlation to a respective visual program content feature during the time periods on the timeline of the visual program content in which the corresponding visual program content feature appears in the visual program content; and

an environmental rule that correlates the timeline rule to respective environmental features of an audience member; and

a processor operably connected to the first graphical user interface and to the second graphical user interface and configured to transmit a signal indicating that the ancillary data objects are to be presented to the audience member when both the timeline rule and the environmental rule are met such that the ancillary data objects are presented to the audience member when a) the respective ones of the visual program content features appear in the visual program content during playback by the audience member and b) the respective environmental features are present.

2. The machine or group of machines of claim 1 , wherein the visual program content features are selected from a group comprising:

content title;

characters;

content script or plot;

content scene;

wardrobe wore by the characters;

performers, producers, or directors of the content;

items appearing in the content;

geographical locations where the content storyline takes place;

music in audio of the content; and

statistics related to the content such as sports statistics.

3. The machine or group of machines of claim 1 , wherein the environmental features of the audience member include:

a date range in which the audience member watches the visual program content;

a geographical location of the audience member;

a time zone of the audience member;

gender of the audience member; and

an age range of the audience member.

4. The machine or group of machines of claim 1 , wherein the environmental rule indicates that an ancillary data object is to be presented to the audience member when a correlated environmental feature of the audience member is present.

5. The machine or group of machines of claim 1 , wherein the indicating that the ancillary data objects are to be presented to the audience member includes making an ancillary data object selectable by the audience member on a display on which the visual program contents is displayed or on a second display, wherein the audience member selecting the ancillary data object when presented displays additional information regarding the ancillary data object.

6. The machine or group of machines of claim 1 , wherein the indicating that the ancillary data objects are to be presented to the audience member includes making an ancillary data object selectable by the audience member on a display on which the visual program contents is displayed or on a second display only when a) two or more correlated visual program content features appear in the visual program content during playback and b) two or more environmental features of the audience member are present.

7. The machine or group of machines of claim 1 , wherein the indicating that the ancillary data objects are to be presented to the audience member includes making an ancillary data object selectable by the audience member on a display on which the visual program contents is displayed or on a second display only when a) one or more correlated visual program content features appear in the visual program content during playback and b) three or more environmental features of the audience member are present.

8. The machine or group of machines of claim 1 , wherein the timeline rule indicates that an ancillary data object is to be presented to the audience member when a) a first correlated visual program content feature appears in the visual program content and b) a second correlated visual program content feature appears in the visual program content at the same time as the first correlated visual program content feature.

9. A method for curating ancillary data to be presented to audience members of a visual program content, the method comprising:

receiving at a first graphical user interface indications of time periods on a timeline of the visual program content in which corresponding visual program content features from a plurality of visual content features appear in the visual program content, the first graphical user interface including a plurality of tracks extending along the timeline of the visual program content, each track corresponding to a visual program content feature from the plurality of visual program content features, at least one of the time periods corresponding to a length of a scene of the visual program content, at least one of the time periods during the scene being shorter than the length of the scene, and at least one of the time periods being longer than the length of the scene;

receiving at a second graphical user interface timeline rules and environmental rules including:

creating a timeline rule that correlates ancillary data objects to respective tracks of the plurality of tracks such that an ancillary data object appears in correlation to a respective visual program content feature during the time periods on the timeline of the visual program content in which the corresponding visual program content feature appears in the visual program content;

creating an environmental rule to correlate the timeline rule to respective environmental features of an audience member; and

indicating that the ancillary data objects are to be presented to the audience member when both the timeline rule and the environmental rule are met such that the ancillary data objects are presented to the audience member when a) the respective ones of the visual program content features appear in the visual program content during playback by the audience member and b) the respective environmental features are present.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the environmental features of the audience member include:

a date range in which the audience member watches the visual program content;

a geographical location of the audience member;

a time zone of the audience member;

gender of the audience member; and

an age range of the audience member.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the environmental rule indicates that an ancillary data object is to be presented to the audience member when a correlated environmental feature of the audience member is present.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the indicating that the ancillary data objects are to be presented to the audience member includes making an ancillary data object selectable by the audience member on a display on which the visual program contents is displayed or on a second display, wherein the audience member selecting the ancillary data object when presented displays additional information regarding the ancillary data object.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the indicating that the ancillary data objects are to be presented to the audience member includes making an ancillary data object selectable by the audience member on a display on which the visual program contents is displayed or on a second display only when a) two or more correlated visual program content features appear in the visual program content during playback and b) two or more environmental features of the audience member are present.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the indicating that the ancillary data objects are to be presented to the audience member includes making an ancillary data object selectable by the audience member on a display on which the visual program contents is displayed or on a second display only when a) one or more correlated visual program content features appear in the visual program content during playback and b) three or more environmental features of the audience member are present.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the timeline rule indicates that an ancillary data object is to be presented to the audience member when a) a first correlated visual program content feature appears in the visual program content and b) a second correlated visual program content feature appears in the visual program content at the same time as the first correlated visual program content feature.