Content schedule detection and adjustment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11218775-B2
Application number	US-201615259598-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2016
Priority date	Sep 8, 2016
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

Various implementations described herein are directed to determining variations or changes to a predetermined programming schedule. In accordance with one method, a predicted end time of video content may be determined to be later than a scheduled end time of the video content. Also, it may be determined that video content scheduled to be displayed on a first stream or channel has been moved to a second stream or channel. A scheduled recording or transmission time of video content may be altered based on detected changes to the predetermined programming schedule. A program listing such as an electronic program guide may be revised based on detected changes to the predetermined programming schedule.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
determining, by one or more computing devices and based on a visual indicator in a first video content item, a predicted end time of the first video content item;
determining that the predicted end time of the first video content item is later than a scheduled end time of the first video content item, wherein the scheduled end time is indicated in a content listing that comprises a first entry corresponding to the first video content item and a second entry corresponding to a second video content item scheduled after the first video content item;
modifying, based on the predicted end time of the first video content item, the first entry in the content listing;
modifying, based on the predicted end time of the first video content item, the second entry in the content listing, wherein the modifying the second entry in the content listing comprises modifying an indication of a stream on which the second video content item will be provided; and
causing display of an updated content listing comprising the modified first entry and the modified second entry.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the first entry in the content listing comprises modifying the scheduled end time of the first video content item to be the predicted end time of the first video content item.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the second entry in the content listing comprises modifying, in an electronic program guide, a scheduled start time of the second video content item to be later than the predicted end time of the first video content item.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the predicted end time of the first video content item comprises determining, based on a detected scoreboard or a detected clock, the predicted end time.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the predicted end time of the first video content item comprises determining, based on a textual overlay indicating a change in scheduling, the predicted end time.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising modifying, based on the predicted end time of the first video content item, a scheduled recording of the first video content item or a scheduled recording of the second video content item.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the predicted end time of the first video content item comprises determining, using at least one of computer vision technology or automatic content recognition technology, the predicted end time.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that a commercial is being displayed during the first video content item; and
updating, based on the determination that the commercial is being displayed, the modified first entry in the content listing.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the updating the modified first entry based on the determination that the commercial is being displayed comprises updating the modified first entry in the content listing to indicate that the first video content item is displaying the commercial.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the first entry in the content listing comprises modifying, prior to the scheduled end time of the first video content item, the first entry in the content listing and wherein modifying the second entry in the content listing comprises modifying, prior to the scheduled end time of the first video content item, the second entry in the content listing.

11. A method comprising:
determining, by one or more computing devices and based on one or more closed captions corresponding to a first video content item, a predicted end time of the first video content item;
determining that the predicted end time of the first video content item is later than a scheduled end time of the first video content item; and
changing, based on the predicted end time of the first video content item and prior to the scheduled end time of the first video content item, a video stream from which a second video content item is recorded, wherein the second video content item is scheduled after the first video content item.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising transmitting, based on the predicted end time of the first video content item, an instruction to modify a start time and an end time of a recording of the second video content item.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein modifying the start time and the end time of the recording comprises modifying the start time of the recording to be the predicted end time of the first video content item.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising extracting, from the first video content item, the one or more closed captions.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
retrieving the scheduled end time of the first video content item from metadata corresponding to the first video content item; and
comparing the predicted end time of the first video content item to the scheduled end time of the first video content item.

16. A method comprising:
determining, by one or more computing devices and based a visual indicator in a first video content item, a predicted end time of the first video content item;
determining that the predicted end time of the first video content item is later than a scheduled end time of the first video content item; and
modifying, based on the predicted end time of the first video content item and prior to the scheduled end time of the first video content item, an indication of a stream on which a second video content item will be provided, wherein the second video content item is scheduled after the first video content item.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the visual indicator comprises a video overlay displayed with the first video content item.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein determining the predicted end time of the first video content item comprises determining, based on a determined remaining distance in a race, the predicted end time.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
determining, based on the visual indicator, a status of the first video content item; and
modifying, based on the status of the first video content item, and by adding a status indicator, a first entry in a content listing.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the status indicator comprises one or more of a time, a score, a number of outs, an inning, or a current batter.

Assignees

• Comcast Cable Comm Llc

Inventors

• Curtis Brian
• Schwartz Erik
• Deichmann Stefan
• Neumann Jan

Classifications

• H04N21/26241

  involving the time of distribution, e.g. the best time of the day for inserting an advertisement or airing a children programme · CPC title

• H04N21/262

  Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists {(scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62)} · CPC title

• H04N21/4334

  Recording operations (recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27) · CPC title

• H04N21/435

  Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream · CPC title

• H04N21/84

  Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors {(systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73)} · CPC title