In one aspect, an example method involves a computing device accessing first data representing a program schedule of a media program; accessing second data representing closed-captioning text of the media program; making a determination that first text of the program schedule has at least a threshold extent of similarity with second text of the closed-captioning text, where a portion of the media program was recorded proximate a time when a portion of the second data representing the second text of the closed-captioning text was generated; using the first text of the program schedule as a basis to select a portion of the program schedule; and responsive to at least the determination, storing third data indicative of a correlation between the selected portion of the program schedule and the recorded portion of the media program.

An apparatus (100) is proposed for inserting graphics into a television/video signal. The graphics generally includes text portions which are language-specific. For broadcasting the signal in at least two reception regions having different languages (DE, UK), differentiated graphics are therefore needed, which are inserted into the television/video signal in order to obtain the (at least) two television transmission signals to be broadcast in the (at least) two reception regions. For this purpose, the apparatus is provided with at least two text memories (118, 119), one for each one of the (at least) two different languages, for storing, for each graphics, text portions corresponding to each one of the (at least) two different languages, and at least two sub-circuits (renderers 150, 152) for inserting the (at least) two graphics signals into the television signal.

A method and an apparatus are used to target interactive virtual objects to subscribers in a television delivery system. Programs are selected and virtual object locations are defined in the selected programs. The virtual objects available for targeting are categorized and the categories are correlated to subscriber information to determine the optimum targeting of the virtual objects. The virtual objects may be targeted based on individual subscriber information or on information related to groups of subscribers. When a frame of a program includes a virtual object location, a default or an alternate virtual object is displayed. The virtual object location may change over space or time. The virtual object may be interactive, and may be used to link a subscriber to a remote location, such as an Internet web site. An operations center or a cable headend may generate a group assignment plan that assigns the subscribers' television terminals to groups, based on factors such as area of dominant influence and household income. A retrieval plan is then generated that instructs the television terminals to select the desired virtual object for display. The television terminals record which virtual objects were displayed, and report this information to the cable headends and the operations center. The reported information is used to generate billing for commercial advertisers, and to analyze viewer watching habits. Interactive virtual objects are received by the television terminal with directions on actions to be taken upon selection of the interactive virtual object. Actions may result in the initiation of processes locally at the television terminal, or communication with a remote site for the initiation of processes to be performed remotely. The invention uses upstream data reception hardware, databases and processing hardware and software, and corresponding features in the televisions to accomplish these functions.

Aspects relate to transmission of metadata from a source to a sink device, and optionally through one or more intermediaries. A source device encodes metadata into what would have been a blanking area of a field to be transmitted, according to a current video format. The source device encodes a timing for an active video data signal that is modified from a timing that would be used only for transmission of video data at a current resolution. A separate indicator from the source, or a negotiation between source and sink allows the sink to determine what part of the data indicated as being active video data is metadata, and to use that metadata for controlling aspects of the video display, and to use other parts of the received video data as video data for display. A sink can signal supported capabilities to a source.

Systems and methods are provided for customizing the display of interactive television overlays. A condition related to the display of an overlay on top of video for a television channel may be defined for each of a plurality of television channels. A default set of information types for an interactive television overlay (e.g., a FLIP overlay, a BROWSE overlay, etc.) may be defined for the plurality of television channels. When the overlay is displayed on top of video for a given television channel of the plurality of television channels, the overlay may include information of the default set of information types. One or more television channels of the plurality of television channels may be identified as channels for which the default set of information types does not apply (e.g., channels for which the overlay is not displayed or for which a custom set of information types is defined).

An apparatus for use in a high-definition media interface (HDMI) source device includes an HDMI interface for transmitting video data and metadata to a sink device. The apparatus is configured to encode the metadata in an auxiliary video information (AVI) information frame (InfoFrame). The apparatus is further configured to transmit the AVI InfoFrame during a frame synchronous transmission window (FSTW) of the video data, wherein the FSTW begins during a video blanking interval (VBI) of the video data, on a first video blank pixel that immediately follows a last active video pixel of a preceding video frame or video field and ends a predetermined number of video lines after a start of the VBI.

An apparatus for use in a high-definition media interface (HDMI) source device includes an HDMI interface for transmitting video data and metadata to a sink device. The apparatus is configured to encode the metadata in an auxiliary video information (AVI) information frame (InfoFrame). The apparatus is further configured to transmit the AVI InfoFrame during a frame synchronous transmission window (FSTW) of the video data, wherein the FSTW begins during a video blanking interval (VBI) of the video data, on a first video blank pixel that immediately follows a last active video pixel of a preceding video frame or video field and ends a predetermined number of video lines after a start of the VBI.

System and methods for finding and analyzing targeted content from audio and video content sources, including means and methods for extracting captions from audio and video content sources; searching the captions for a mention of at least one target; extracting audio and video segments relating to the at least one target; delivering extracted audio and video segments to a user device; harvesting social media data relevant to the at least one target; analyzing the search results in correlation with the social media data for target content.

Systems and methods are disclosed herein for returning to a first media asset that was replaced by playback of a second media asset when the first media asset is trending in social chatter. A media guidance application may identify the first media asset. In response to receiving a command from a user input device to access a second media asset, the media guidance application may replace playback of the first media asset with playback of the second media asset and monitor a social network for chatter relating to the first media asset. In response to detecting a threshold amount of chatter on the social network relating to the first media asset, the media guidance application may identify a play position in the first media asset corresponding to the chatter, and replace playback of the second media asset with playback of the first media asset at the identified play position.

An apparatus for use in a high-definition media interface (HDMI) source device includes an HDMI interface for transmitting video data and metadata to a sink device. The apparatus is configured to encode the metadata in an auxiliary video information (AVI) information frame (InfoFrame). The apparatus is further configured to transmit the AVI InfoFrame during a frame synchronous transmission window (FSTW) of the video data, wherein the FSTW begins during a video blanking interval (VBI) of the video data, on a first video blank pixel that immediately follows a last active video pixel of a preceding video frame or video field and ends a predetermined number of video lines after a start of the VBI.