User editable metadata for interactive television programs
Television programming may be annotated with metadata and the metadata may be shared among subscribers. A set-top box may receive, from a server, metadata relating to a television program, the metadata having been created by users of other set-top boxes and at least some elements of the metadata including information describing portions of the television program to which the metadata is relevant. The set-top box may present the metadata during portions of the television program at which the metadata is relevant.
1. A device comprising:
a processor to:
receive a television program;
provide the television program for presentation on a display device to a viewer;
receive first information regarding a selection, by the viewer, to view questions and comments associated with a type of scene;
provide, based on the selection, a query for the questions and for the comments related to the type of scenes;
receive, from a server, metadata after providing the query,
the metadata being related to the television program,
the metadata having been created by one or more other viewers of the television program,
the metadata including:
a graphic annotation,
a question regarding a portion, of a frame of the television program, being highlighted by the graphic annotation,
information relating to a section of the television program that includes the frame, and
the comments related to the type of scene;
provide, for presentation on the display device and based on the metadata, the graphic annotation and the question; and
provide, for presentation on the display device and based on the metadata, one or more of the comments during one or more other frames of the television program that include the type of scene.
2. The device of claim 1 ,
where the graphic annotation includes a circle or a rectangle overlaid on the frame, and
where the portion is located within an interior of the circle or the rectangle.
3. The device of claim 1 , where the processor is further to:
receive additional metadata relating to the television program from the viewer; and
transmit, to the server, the additional metadata.
4. The device of claim 1 ,
where the metadata includes a plurality of metadata entries, and
where a particular metadata entry, of the plurality of metadata entries, includes a field that defines a type of the particular metadata entry.
5. The device of claim 1 ,
where the television program includes a live broadcast, and
where the portion includes an image of a person.
6. The device of claim 1 , where the processor is further to:
receive, from the viewer, a request to provide a reply to the question;
present, based on the request, an interface for providing the reply to the question; and
receive, via the interface and from the viewer, the reply.
7. A server device comprising:
one or more processors to:
receive metadata created by one or more viewers of a television program,
the metadata relating to the television program, and
the metadata including:
comments related to a type of scene,
a graphic annotation, and
a question regarding a portion, of a frame of the television program, being highlighted by the graphic annotation;
store the metadata;
receive a query for the metadata from a device of another viewer of the television program,
the query being based on the other viewer using the device to select a first option to view questions and a second option associated with the type of scene;
identify the metadata based on the query; and
transmit the metadata to the device of the other viewer for presentation of the graphic annotation and the question during the frame of the television program and for presentation of one or more of the comments during one or more other frames of the television program that include the type of scene.
8. The server device of claim 7 ,
where the graphic annotation includes a circle or rectangle overlaid on the frame, and
where the portion is located within an interior of the circle or rectangle.
9. The server device of claim 7 ,
where the metadata includes a plurality of metadata entries, and
where a particular metadata entry, of the plurality of metadata entries, includes a field that defines a type of the metadata entry.
10. The server device of claim 7 , where the other viewer or the device of the other viewer is approved, by the one or more viewers, to receive the metadata relating to the television program.
11. A method comprising:
receiving, by a set-top box, a television program;
providing, by the set-top box, the television program to a video display device connected to the set-top box;
receiving, by the set-top box, first information regarding a first selection, by a user of the set-top box, to view questions and to view comments associated with a type of scene;
providing, by the set-top box and based on the selection, a query for the questions and for the comments related to the type of scene;
receiving, from a server and by the set-top box, metadata after providing the query,
the metadata relating to the television program,
the metadata having been created by one or more other users of other set-top boxes, and
the metadata including:
a graphic annotation,
a question regarding a portion, of a frame of the television program, being highlighted by the graphic annotation, and
the comments related to the type of scene;
providing, by the set-top box and for presentation, the graphic annotation and the question via the video display device; and
providing, by the set-top box and for presentation, one or more of the comments during one or more other frames of the television program that include the type of scene.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
providing, by the set-top box, a graphical interface to receive other metadata relating to the television program;
receiving the other metadata via the graphical interface; and
transmitting the other metadata to the server.
13. The method of claim 11 ,
where the graphic annotation includes a circle or rectangle overlaid on the frame, and
where the portion is located within an interior of the circle or rectangle.
14. The method of claim 11 ,
where the metadata further includes information relating to structural elements of the television program, and
where the structural elements define the frame or another type of section of the television program.
15. The method of claim 11 ,
where the metadata includes a plurality of metadata entries, and
where a particular metadata entry, of the plurality of metadata entries, includes a field that defines a type of the particular metadata entry.
16. The method of claim 11 ,
where the portion includes an image of a person, and
where the question includes a request to identify the person.
17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:
one or more instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
receive metadata created by a first viewer one or more viewers of a television program,
the metadata relating to the television program, and
the metadata including:
comments related to a type of scene,
a graphic annotation, and
a question regarding a portion, of a frame of the television program, being highlighted by the graphic annotation;
receive a query for the metadata from a device of another viewer of the television program,
the query being based on the other viewer selecting a first option to view questions and a second option associated with the type of scene;
identify the metadata based on the query; and
transmit, based on the query, the metadata to the device of the other viewer for presentation of the graphic annotation and the question during the frame of the television program and for presentation of one or more of the comments during one or more other frames of the television program that include the type of scene.
18. The device of claim 17 ,
where the graphic annotation includes a circle or rectangle overlaid on the frame, and
where the portion is located within an interior of the circle or rectangle.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 ,
where the portion includes an image of a person, and
where the question includes a request for the other viewer to identify the person.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , where the other viewer or the device of the other viewer is approved, by the one or more viewers, to receive the metadata relating to the television program.