Claims
- 1. A monitoring system capable of identifying content similarity within a plurality of broadcast content streams, each of said plurality of broadcast content streams having detectable content attributes, said monitoring system operable to (i) monitor said plurality of broadcast content streams, and (ii) compare a first segment and a second segment of at least one broadcast content stream to identify select-similar broadcast content within said segments as a function of ones of said detectable content attributes.
- 2. The monitoring system for identifying content similarity within a plurality of broadcast content streams as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a content monitoring controller that is operable to (i) receive said plurality of broadcast content streams from at least one receiver, (ii) monitor said plurality of received broadcast content streams, and (iii) sense content changes in said plurality of received broadcast content streams as a function of said detectable content attributes.
- 3. The monitoring system for identifying content similarity within a plurality of broadcast content streams as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a content detecting controller that identifies select broadcast content as a function of ones of said detectable content attributes, said content detecting controller operable to identify a defined set of select broadcast content as a function of ones of said detectable content attributes associated with said select broadcast content.
- 4. The monitoring system for identifying content similarity within a plurality of broadcast content streams as set forth in claim 3 wherein said content detecting controller is further operable to identify said defined set of select broadcast content as unscheduled broadcast content that preempts scheduled broadcast content.
- 5. The monitoring system for identifying content similarity within a plurality of broadcast content streams as set forth in claim 3 wherein said content detecting controller is further operable to identify said defined set of select broadcast content as substantially similar to a prior defined set of select broadcast content.
- 6. The monitoring system for identifying content similarity within a plurality of broadcast content streams as set forth in claim 5 wherein said content detecting controller is further operable to maintain said defined set of select broadcast content in memory.
- 7. The monitoring system for identifying content similarity within a plurality of broadcast content streams as set forth in claim 5 wherein said prior defined set of select broadcast content is maintained in memory and said content detecting controller is further operable to modify said prior defined set of select broadcast content as a function of said defined set of select broadcast content.
- 8. The monitoring system for identifying content similarity within a plurality of broadcast content streams as set forth in claim 3 wherein said content detecting controller is further operable to define at least one threshold value that is associated with said detectable content attributes of said select broadcast content.
- 9. The monitoring system for identifying content similarity within a plurality of broadcast content streams as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of said received broadcast content streams comprises a plurality of video frames and said monitoring system further operable to (i) extract image text from said plurality of video frames, (ii) determine at least one attribute of said extracted image text, and (iii) compare said at least one extracted image text attribute and at least one of said detectable content attributes.
- 10. The monitoring system for identifying content similarity within a plurality of broadcast content streams as set forth in claim 1 wherein said monitoring system is further operable to identify two temporally disparate sets of select broadcast content within one of said plurality of broadcast content streams.
- 11. The monitoring system for identifying content similarity within a plurality of broadcast content streams as set forth in claim 1 wherein said monitoring system is further operable to identify two disparate sets of select broadcast content within two of said plurality of broadcast content streams.
- 12. The monitoring system for identifying content similarity within a plurality of broadcast content streams as set forth in claim 1 wherein said monitoring system is further operable to generate a control signal as a function of said identified select broadcast content.
- 13. The monitoring system for identifying content similarity within a plurality of broadcast content streams as set forth in claim 12 wherein said monitoring system is associated with an appliance, said generated control signal directs operation of said appliance.
- 14. The monitoring system for identifying content similarity within a plurality of broadcast content streams as set forth in claim 13 wherein said associated appliance is capable of operating in one of an active mode and a standby mode and, when said appliance is operating in said standby mode, said generated control signal directs said associated appliance to switch from said standby mode to said active mode.
- 15. The monitoring system for identifying content similarity within a plurality of broadcast content streams as set forth in claim 1 wherein said monitoring system is further operable to monitor at least one of audio content, video content and textual content within said plurality of broadcast content streams.
- 16. The monitoring system for identifying content similarity within a plurality of broadcast content streams as set forth in claim 15 wherein said monitoring system identifies said select-similar content broadcast within at least one of said plurality of broadcast content streams as a function of said at least one of audio content, video content and textual content.
- 17. The monitoring system for identifying content similarity within a plurality of broadcast content streams as set forth in claim 15 wherein ones of said detectable content attributes include a transcript of said at least one of audio content, video content and textual content, and monitoring system identifies said select-similar content broadcast within at least one of said plurality of broadcast content streams as a function of said transcript.
- 18. The monitoring system for identifying content similarity within a plurality of broadcast content streams as set forth in claim 1 wherein said monitoring system (i) monitors said plurality of broadcast content streams using at least one similarity processor to identify similar broadcast content, and (ii) compares said first segment and said second segment of said at least one broadcast content stream using at least one compare content processor to identify said select-similar broadcast content.
- 19. A method of operating a monitoring system to identify content similarity within a plurality of broadcast content streams having detectable content attributes, said method operating said monitoring system comprising the steps of:
monitoring said plurality of content streams received from at least one broadcast source; and compare a first segment and a second segment of at least one broadcast content stream to identify select-similar broadcast content within said segments as a function of ones of said detectable content attributes.
- 20. The method of operating said monitoring system as set forth in claim 19 further comprising the steps of:
receiving said plurality of broadcast content streams from at least one receiver; monitoring said plurality of received broadcast content streams; and sensing content changes in said plurality of received broadcast content streams as a function of said detectable content attributes.
- 21. The method of operating said monitoring system as set forth in claim 19 further comprising the step of identifying a defined set of select broadcast content as a function of ones of said detectable content attributes associated with said select broadcast content.
- 22. The method of operating said monitoring system as set forth in claim 21 further comprising the step of identifying said defined set of select broadcast content as unscheduled broadcast content that preempts scheduled broadcast content.
- 23. The method of operating said monitoring system as set forth in claim 21 further comprising the step of identifying said defined set of select broadcast content as substantially similar to a prior defined set of select broadcast content.
- 24. The method of operating said monitoring system as set forth in claim 23 further comprising the step of maintaining said defined set of select broadcast content in memory.
- 25. The method of operating said monitoring system as set forth in claim 23 wherein said prior defined set of select broadcast content is maintained in memory, and said method further comprises the step of modifying said prior defined set of select broadcast content as a function of said defined set of select broadcast content.
- 26. The method of operating said monitoring system as set forth in claim 21 further comprising the step of defining at least one threshold value that is associated with said detectable content attributes of said select broadcast content.
- 27. The method of operating said monitoring system as set forth in claim 26 wherein at least one of said received broadcast content streams comprises a plurality of video frames, and said method further comprises the steps of:
extracting image text from said plurality of video frames; determining at least one attribute of said extracted image text, and comparing said at least one extracted image text attribute and at least one of said detectable content attributes.
- 28. The method of operating said monitoring system as set forth in claim 19 further comprising the step of identifying two temporally disparate sets of select broadcast content within one of said plurality of broadcast content streams.
- 29. The method of operating said monitoring system as set forth in claim 19 further comprising the step of identifying two disparate sets of select broadcast content within two of said plurality of broadcast content streams.
- 30. The method of operating said monitoring system as set forth in claim 19 further comprising the step of generating a control signal as a function of said identified select broadcast content.
- 31. The method of operating said monitoring system as set forth in claim 30 wherein said monitoring system is associated with an appliance and said generated control signal directs operation of said appliance.
- 32. The method of operating said monitoring system as set forth in claim 31 wherein said associated appliance is capable of operating in one of an active mode and a standby mode and, when said appliance is operating in said standby mode, said generated control signal directs said associated appliance to switch from said standby mode to said active mode.
- 33. The method of operating said monitoring system as set forth in claim 19 further comprising the step of monitoring at least one of audio content, video content and textual content within said plurality of broadcast content streams.
- 34. The method of operating said monitoring system as set forth in claim 33 further comprising the step of identifying said select-similar content broadcast within at least one of said plurality of broadcast content streams as a function of said at least one of audio content, video content and textual content.
- 35. The method of operating said monitoring system as set forth in claim 19 wherein ones of said detectable content attributes include a transcript of said at least one of audio content, video content and textual content, and said method further comprises the step of identifying said select-similar content broadcast within at least one of said plurality of broadcast content streams as a function of said transcript.
- 36. The method of operating said monitoring system as set forth in claim 33 further comprising the steps of (i) using at least one similarity processor to identify similar broadcast content while monitoring said plurality of broadcast content streams using, and using at least one compare content processor to identify said select-similar broadcast content while comparing said first segment and said second segment of said at least one broadcast content stream.
- 37. An appliance comprising:
a receiver capable of receiving broadcast content streams; and a monitoring system capable of identifying content similarity within a plurality of broadcast content streams, each of said plurality of broadcast content streams having detectable content attributes, said monitoring system operable to (i) monitor said plurality of broadcast content streams, and (ii) compare a first segment and a second segment of at least one broadcast content stream to identify select-similar broadcast content within said segments as a function of ones of said detectable content attributes.
- 38. The appliance as set forth in claim 37 wherein said monitoring system further comprises a content monitoring controller that is operable to (i) receive said plurality of broadcast content streams from at least one receiver, (ii) monitor said plurality of received broadcast content streams, and (iii) sense content changes in said plurality of received broadcast content streams as a function of said detectable content attributes.
- 39. The appliance as set forth in claim 37 wherein said monitoring system further comprises a content detecting controller that identifies select broadcast content as a function of ones of said detectable content attributes, said content detecting controller operable to identify a defined set of select broadcast content as a function of ones of said detectable content attributes associated with said select broadcast content.
- 40. The appliance as set forth in claim 39 wherein said content detecting controller is further operable to identify said defined set of select broadcast content as unscheduled broadcast content that preempts scheduled broadcast content.
- 41. The appliance as set forth in claim 39 wherein said content detecting controller is further operable to identify said defined set of select broadcast content as substantially similar to a prior defined set of select broadcast content.
- 42. The appliance as set forth in claim 41 wherein said content detecting controller is further operable to maintain said defined set of select broadcast content in memory.
- 43. The appliance as set forth in claim 42 wherein said prior defined set of select broadcast content is maintained in memory and said content detecting controller is further operable to modify said prior defined set of select broadcast content as a function of said defined set of select broadcast content.
- 44. The appliance as set forth in claim 39 wherein said content detecting controller is further operable to define at least one threshold value that is associated with said detectable content attributes of said select broadcast content.
- 45. The appliance as set forth in claim 37 wherein at least one of said received broadcast content streams comprises a plurality of video frames and said monitoring system further operable to (i) extract image text from said plurality of video frames, (ii) determine at least one attribute of said extracted image text, and (iii) compare said at least one extracted image text attribute and at least one of said detectable content attributes.
- 46. The appliance as set forth in claim 37 wherein said monitoring system is further operable to identify two temporally disparate sets of select broadcast content within one of said plurality of broadcast content streams.
- 47. The appliance as set forth in claim 37 wherein said monitoring system is further operable to identify two disparate sets of select broadcast content within two of said plurality of broadcast content streams.
- 48. The appliance as set forth in claim 37 wherein said monitoring system is further operable to generate a control signal as a function of said identified select broadcast content, said generated control signal directing operation of said appliance.
- 49. The appliance as set forth in claim 48 wherein said appliance is capable of operating in one of an active mode and a standby mode and, when said appliance is operating in said standby mode, said generated control signal directs said appliance to switch from said standby mode to said active mode.
- 50. The appliance as set forth in claim 37 wherein said monitoring system is further operable to monitor at least one of audio content, video content and textual content within said plurality of broadcast content streams.
- 51. The appliance as set forth in claim 50 wherein said monitoring system identifies said select-similar content broadcast within at least one of said plurality of broadcast content streams as a function of said at least one of audio content, video content and textual content.
- 52. The appliance as set forth in claim 50 wherein ones of said detectable content attributes include a transcript of said at least one of audio content, video content and textual content, and monitoring system identifies said select-similar content broadcast within at least one of said plurality of broadcast content streams as a function of said transcript.
- 53. The appliance as set forth in claim 37 wherein said monitoring system (i) monitors said plurality of broadcast content streams using at least one similarity processor to identify similar broadcast content, and (ii) compares said first segment and said second segment of said at least one broadcast content stream using at least one compare content processor to identify said select-similar broadcast content.
- 54. A control signal detectable by an appliance, said control signal generated by the steps of:
monitoring a plurality of broadcast content streams having detectable content attributes, said plurality of broadcast content streams received from at least one broadcast source; and comparing a first segment and a second segment of at least one broadcast content stream to identify select-similar broadcast content within said segments as a function of ones of said detectable content attributes.
- 55. The control signal as set forth in claim 54 wherein said generated control signal directs operation of said appliance.
- 56. The control signal as set forth in claim 55 wherein said associated appliance is capable of operating in one of an active mode and a standby mode and, when said appliance is operating in said standby mode, said generated control signal directs said associated appliance to switch from said standby mode to said active mode.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present invention is related to those disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. [Docket No. 701483], filed concurrently herewith, entitled “SYSTEMS FOR MONITORING BROADCAST CONTENT AND GENERATING NOTIFICATION SIGNALS AS A FUNCTION OF SUBSCRIBER PROFILES AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME” The above application is commonly assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The disclosure of this related patent application is incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.