Apparatus and methods for broadcast monitoring

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for editing the content of a broadcast programming signal to provide a proprietary program signal that has been tailored to the preferences of an individual monitoring the broadcast programming signal. Accordingly, the systems and methods of the invention offer computer-integrated television monitoring.

1 . A system for providing a modified program signal from a broadcast programming signal, comprising:
 means for receiving a broadcast programming signal;   a random access buffer memory coupled to said receiver for persistently storing a representation of said broadcast programming signal as a stored broadcast programming signal;   a communication system for receiving marking signals from another communication system, wherein each of the marking signal includes information specifying a location of a corresponding program segment of said broadcast programming signal;   an input device operable for generating an instruction for selecting a specified one of said marking signals; and   a processor coupled to the input device and the random access buffer memory for selectively jumping to and delivering a program segment within said stored broadcast programming signal stored in said random access buffer memory that corresponds to said specified one of said marking signals.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a data interface coupled to a source of computer readable data, wherein the processor is coupled to the data interface to deliver the computer readable data and wherein the computer readable data comprises program segment information associated with one or more of the marking signals and the programming segments associated with the one or more marking signals. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the program segment information comprises a quality rating for the programming segments associated with the one or more marking signals. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the program segment information comprises feedback from prior users of the programming segments associated with the one or more marking signals. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the feedback comprises commentary supplied by prior users of the programming segments associated with the one or more marking signals. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the feedback is determined from selective jumping to and delivering of the programming segments associated with the one or more marking signals requested by the prior users. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the input device is further operable for generating an access request for the computer readable data and wherein the requested computer readable data is delivered to the communication system. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the broadcast programming signal and computer readable data are transmitted over a digital communications network and the broadcast programming signal comprises video content. 
     
     
         9 . A method for generating a proprietary program signal, comprising the steps of:
 receiving a broadcast programming signal at an editing station;   generating a marking signal at said editing station representative of information for modifying said broadcast programming signal;   transmitting said marking signal from said editing station to a first set of user devices;   generating a viewing log signal at said user devices based on use of the first broadcast programming signal and marking signal at the user devices;   transmitting said viewing log signal from said user devices to said editing station;   generating a second marking signal at said editing station representative of information for modifying the broadcast programming signal based on the viewing log signals; and   transmitting said second marking signal from said editing station to a second set of user devices for modifying said the broadcast programming signal.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the second marking signal comprises computer readable data comprising program segment information corresponding to program segments within the broadcast programming signal. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the program segment information comprises feedback associated with operators of the first set of user devices. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising displaying the program segment information in a first portion of a monitor screen provided in the user devices and the corresponding program segments in a second portion of the monitor screen provided in the user devices. 
     
     
         13 . A method of generating a proprietary program signal, comprising the steps of:
 generating a marking signal representative of information for modifying a broadcast programming signal;   transmitting said marking signal to a remote location;   generating computer-readable data representative of a menu of program segments, wherein each of said program segments corresponds to a particular marking signal; and   transmitting said computer-readable data to said remote location; whereby a viewer at said remote location may select a marking signal for modifying said broadcast programming signal based on said computer-readable data.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said computer-readable data further comprises program segment information. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the step of halting playback of said broadcast programming signal during viewing of said program segment information. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the step of viewing said program segment information simultaneously with viewing said broadcast programming signal. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:
 generating a time remaining signal based on said program segment information and representative of the time remaining in a program segment or a total broadcast programming signal; and   displaying the tune remaining in a program segment or total broadcast programming signal based on said time remaining signal.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:
 receiving computer-readable data representative of viewer comments related to said broadcast programming signal; and   transmitting said computer-readable data representative of viewer comments to said remote location.