This application discloses a method for using closed captions to initiate display of related content. A computing device obtains closed captions of a video stream displayed to a user of the computing device, and identifies in the closed captions a set of information items including one or more emphasized words that are relevant for identifying information of one or more related content files. The computing device then transmits the emphasized words to a server that is distinct from a source of the video stream, and obtains therefrom the information of the one or more content files related to the emphasized words. In response to obtaining the information of the one or more content files and without user intervention, the computing device causes an application to be invoked for presenting the one or more content files to the user of the computing device.

A method of a reception apparatus for processing closed caption data. The method includes receiving audio/video (A/V) content and closed caption data for a first caption service and a second caption service. The closed caption data for the first caption service includes closed caption text and the closed caption data for the second caption service includes additional data. Caption service blocks are extracted from the closed caption data for both the first caption service and the second caption service when the first caption service is to be displayed with the A/V content. The additional data included in the closed caption data for the second caption service is parsed from the caption services blocks for the second caption service. A presentation of the A/V content and the closed caption text is output by the circuitry for display to a user of the reception apparatus.

A reception apparatus, including circuitry configured to receive a broadcast stream including audio/video content and a uniform resource identifier (URI). The circuitry is configured to determine whether a command identifier associated with the URI indicates the URI is a location of a server to which service usage information is to be sent. The circuitry is configured to, when the command identifier indicates the URI is the location of the server to which the service usage information is to be sent, associate the URI with the service provider. The circuitry is configured to provide the service usage infonnation to the server according to the associated URI.

A transmitting apparatus including circuitry configured to generate caption data corresponding to content data and having elements defined in Extensible Markup Language (XML), and output the content data and the generated caption data to a reproducing device.

A transmitting apparatus including circuitry configured to generate caption data corresponding to content data and having elements defined in Extensible Markup Language (XML), and output the content data and the generated caption data to a reproducing device.

Systems and methods for using an audio stream to identify metadata associated with a currently playing television program are disclosed. A video stream including audio description data is received. A set of information is determined from the audio description data. A request including the set of information is sent to a server remotely located from the client for additional processing. A set of instructions is received from the server. The set of instructions is determined based on the additional processing of the set of information. One or more applications are executed in accordance with the set of instructions in response to receiving the set of instructions.

A digital cable broadcast receiver and a method for automatically processing caption data of various standards and types, is disclosed. The digital broadcast receiver includes: a demultiplexer for dividing a received broadcast stream into video data, audio data, supplementary information; a controller for determining whether caption data included in the video data is digital caption data or analog caption data on the basis of caption information included in the supplementary information, and outputting a control signal according to a result of the determining: a digital caption decoder for extracting and decoding digital caption data from the video data according to the control signal; and an analog caption decoder for extracting and decoding analog caption data from the video data according to the control signal.

In one aspect, an example method for outputting an alert indicating a functional state of a back-up video-broadcast system involves a computing device receiving first closed-captioning data that corresponds to a first video-stream; the computing device receiving second closed-captioning data that corresponds to a second video-stream; the computing device making a determination that the received first closed-captioning data and the received second closed-captioning data lack a threshold extent of similarity; and responsive to the determination that the received first closed-captioning data and the received second closed-captioning data lack the threshold extent of similarity, the computing device outputting an alert.

A method of processing a broadcast signal including an interactive broadcast service at a transmitter is disclosed. The method comprises generating an parameter table containing metadata about applications and interactive broadcast events targeted to the applications, dividing the parameter table into a plurality of parameter blocks, inserting each of the parameter blocks into each of a plurality of parameter table sections, generating a trigger which is a signaling element to identify signaling and establish timing of playout of the interactive broadcast events, inserting the trigger into a closed caption channel of the broadcast signal, transmitting the broadcast signal including the closed caption channel and a specific channel carrying the plurality of parameter table sections, wherein the trigger includes location information specifying a location of the parameter table in the broadcast signal.

Methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums for providing and/or processing service usage reporting data. The reception apparatus includes a receiver, a parser, and a processor. The receiver receives closed caption service data. The closed caption service data includes closed caption data within a first service block having a service number in the range of 1-6, and the service usage reporting data within a second service block having a different service number in the range of 1-6. The closed caption data includes closed caption text. The parser parses the service usage reporting data within the second service block having the different service number in the range of 1-6. The processor provides service-usage information to a service-usage reporting server (SURS) based on the service usage reporting data.