Methods for identifying video segments and displaying contextually targeted content on a connected television

A system comprising a database storing cue points and content for a multiplicity of video segments, and a first processor system programmed to perform the following steps:

• (a) determining which cue points stored in said database are possible matches to cue points received from a television system via a network;
• (b) computing a probability distribution for the cue points determined in step (a);
• (c) determining which of said possible matches have a greatest probability of matching said cue points received from said television system;
• (d) retrieving from said database a program identifier and a playing time associated with the cue points determined in step (c) to have a greatest probability of matching said cue points received from said television system;
• (e) retrieving from said database content associated with said program identifier and said playing time retrieved in step (d);
• and
• (f) sending said content to said television system via said network.

A system comprising a network, a server connected to said network, and a television system connected to said network, wherein said television system comprises a multi-pixel screen and a first processor system, said first processor system comprising a widget engine and a client programmed to generate a request addressed to said server and comprising cue points, and wherein said server comprises a database storing cue points and content for a multiplicity of video segments, and a second processor system programmed to perform the following steps:

• (a) determining which cue points stored in said database are possible matches to cue points received from a television system via a network;
• (b) computing a probability distribution for the cue points determined in step (a);
• (c) determining which of said possible matches have a greatest probability of matching said cue points received from said television system;
• (d) retrieving from said database a program identifier and a playing time associated with the cue points determined in step (c) to have a greatest probability of matching said cue points received from said television system;
• (e) retrieving from said database content associated with said program identifier and said playing time retrieved in step (d);
• and
• (f) sending said content to said television system via said network.

A method for automatically identifying a video segment being displayed on a multi-pixel screen of a television system, comprising the following steps:

• (a) storing a respective data set for each of a multiplicity of video segments, each data set comprising data identifying a respective video segment and data points derived from television signals for respective portions of said respective video segment;
• (b) receiving data points from said television system during display of a video segment on said screen;
• and
• (c) retrieving from said database identifying data associated with the data points that best match said received data points, wherein said identifying data indicates which video segment is being displayed on said screen.

A method for automatically identifying a video segment being displayed on a screen of a television system, comprising the following steps:

• (a) storing a respective data set for each of a multiplicity of video segments, each data set comprising data identifying a respective video segment and cue points derived from television signals representing said respective video segment;
• (b) receiving cue points from said television system via a network during display of a video segment on said screen;
• (c) determining which cue points stored in said database are possible matches to cue points received from said television system;
• (d) computing a probability distribution for the cue points determined in step (c);
• (e) determining which of said possible matches have a greatest probability of matching said cue points received from said television system;
• (f) retrieving from said database identifying data associated with the data points that best match said received data points, wherein said identifying data indicates which video segment is being displayed on said screen;
• and
• (g) generating a report including said identifying data for said video segment displayed on said screen.

A system for automatically identifying a video segment being displayed on a screen of a television system, comprising:

• a database storing a respective data set for each of a multiplicity of video segments, each data set comprising data identifying a respective video segment and cue points derived from television signals representing said respective video segment;
• and
• a first processor system programmed to perform the following steps:
• (a) receiving cue points from said television system via a network during display of a video segment on said screen;
• (b) determining which cue points stored in said database are possible matches to cue points received from said television system;
• (c) computing a probability distribution for the cue points determined in step (b);
• (d) determining which of said possible matches have a greatest probability of matching said cue points received from said television system;
• (e) retrieving from said database identifying data associated with the data points that best match said received data points, wherein said identifying data indicates which video segment is being displayed on said screen;
• and
• (f) generating a report including said identifying data for said video segment displayed on said screen.