US20110067062A1 - System and method for providing information of selectable objects in a television program - Google Patents
System and method for providing information of selectable objects in a television program Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20110067062A1 US20110067062A1 US12/880,965 US88096510A US2011067062A1 US 20110067062 A1 US20110067062 A1 US 20110067062A1 US 88096510 A US88096510 A US 88096510A US 2011067062 A1 US2011067062 A1 US 2011067062A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- user
- information
- moving picture
- television
- selectable object
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/47—End-user applications
- H04N21/482—End-user interface for program selection
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
- G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
- G06F3/03—Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
- G06F3/0304—Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
- G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
- G06F3/03—Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
- G06F3/0304—Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means
- G06F3/0308—Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means comprising a plurality of distinctive and separately oriented light emitters or reflectors associated to the pointing device, e.g. remote cursor controller with distinct and separately oriented LEDs at the tip whose radiations are captured by a photo-detector associated to the screen
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
- G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
- G06F3/03—Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
- G06F3/0304—Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means
- G06F3/0325—Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
- G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
- G06F3/03—Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
- G06F3/033—Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user, e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor
- G06F3/0346—Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user, e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
- G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
- G06F3/03—Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
- G06F3/033—Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user, e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor
- G06F3/038—Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
- G06F3/0386—Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry for light pen
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
- G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
- G06F3/03—Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
- G06F3/041—Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
- G06F3/0412—Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
- G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
- G06F3/03—Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
- G06F3/041—Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
- G06F3/042—Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means by opto-electronic means
- G06F3/0428—Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means by opto-electronic means by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
- H04N21/23—Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
- H04N21/234—Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams, manipulating MPEG-4 scene graphs
- H04N21/2343—Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams, manipulating MPEG-4 scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements
- H04N21/234318—Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams, manipulating MPEG-4 scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
- H04N21/23—Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
- H04N21/238—Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. adapting the transmission rate of a video stream to network bandwidth; Processing of multiplex streams
- H04N21/2389—Multiplex stream processing, e.g. multiplex stream encrypting
- H04N21/23892—Multiplex stream processing, e.g. multiplex stream encrypting involving embedding information at multiplex stream level, e.g. embedding a watermark at packet level
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
- H04N21/23—Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
- H04N21/24—Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. monitoring of server load, available bandwidth, upstream requests
- H04N21/2408—Monitoring of the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. client requests
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
- H04N21/25—Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client devices, e.g. end-user or client device authentication, learning user preferences for recommending movies
- H04N21/258—Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
- H04N21/25808—Management of client data
- H04N21/25841—Management of client data involving the geographical location of the client
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
- H04N21/25—Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client devices, e.g. end-user or client device authentication, learning user preferences for recommending movies
- H04N21/266—Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
- H04N21/2668—Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/41—Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
- H04N21/4104—Peripherals receiving signals from specially adapted client devices
- H04N21/4126—The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
- H04N21/41265—The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/41—Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
- H04N21/422—Input-only peripherals, i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
- H04N21/42204—User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/41—Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
- H04N21/422—Input-only peripherals, i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
- H04N21/42204—User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor
- H04N21/42206—User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor characterized by hardware details
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/41—Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
- H04N21/422—Input-only peripherals, i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
- H04N21/42204—User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor
- H04N21/42206—User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor characterized by hardware details
- H04N21/42208—Display device provided on the remote control
- H04N21/42209—Display device provided on the remote control for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
- H04N21/432—Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium, e.g. hard-disk
- H04N21/4325—Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium, e.g. hard-disk by playing back content from the storage medium
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
- H04N21/433—Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
- H04N21/4334—Recording operations
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
- H04N21/436—Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
- H04N21/438—Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. retrieving MPEG packets from an IP network
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
- H04N21/44—Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream, rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs
- H04N21/44008—Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream, rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/45—Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies, resolving scheduling conflicts
- H04N21/4508—Management of client data or end-user data
- H04N21/4524—Management of client data or end-user data involving the geographical location of the client
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/45—Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies, resolving scheduling conflicts
- H04N21/462—Content or additional data management, e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end, controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabilities
- H04N21/4622—Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/47—End-user applications
- H04N21/472—End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/47—End-user applications
- H04N21/472—End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content
- H04N21/4722—End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content for requesting additional data associated with the content
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/47—End-user applications
- H04N21/472—End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content
- H04N21/4722—End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content for requesting additional data associated with the content
- H04N21/4725—End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content for requesting additional data associated with the content using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/47—End-user applications
- H04N21/472—End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content
- H04N21/4728—End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content for selecting a Region Of Interest [ROI], e.g. for requesting a higher resolution version of a selected region
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/47—End-user applications
- H04N21/478—Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
- H04N21/47805—Electronic banking
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/47—End-user applications
- H04N21/478—Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
- H04N21/47815—Electronic shopping
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/47—End-user applications
- H04N21/478—Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
- H04N21/4782—Web browsing, e.g. WebTV
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/47—End-user applications
- H04N21/482—End-user interface for program selection
- H04N21/4826—End-user interface for program selection using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/47—End-user applications
- H04N21/482—End-user interface for program selection
- H04N21/4828—End-user interface for program selection for searching program descriptors
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/80—Generation or processing of content or additional data by content creator independently of the distribution process; Content per se
- H04N21/81—Monomedia components thereof
- H04N21/812—Monomedia components thereof involving advertisement data
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/80—Generation or processing of content or additional data by content creator independently of the distribution process; Content per se
- H04N21/81—Monomedia components thereof
- H04N21/8126—Monomedia components thereof involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/80—Generation or processing of content or additional data by content creator independently of the distribution process; Content per se
- H04N21/81—Monomedia components thereof
- H04N21/8126—Monomedia components thereof involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
- H04N21/8133—Monomedia components thereof involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/80—Generation or processing of content or additional data by content creator independently of the distribution process; Content per se
- H04N21/81—Monomedia components thereof
- H04N21/8166—Monomedia components thereof involving executable data, e.g. software
- H04N21/8173—End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/80—Generation or processing of content or additional data by content creator independently of the distribution process; Content per se
- H04N21/83—Generation or processing of protective or descriptive data associated with content; Content structuring
- H04N21/845—Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/80—Generation or processing of content or additional data by content creator independently of the distribution process; Content per se
- H04N21/85—Assembly of content; Generation of multimedia applications
- H04N21/854—Content authoring
- H04N21/8545—Content authoring for generating interactive applications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/80—Generation or processing of content or additional data by content creator independently of the distribution process; Content per se
- H04N21/85—Assembly of content; Generation of multimedia applications
- H04N21/858—Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N5/00—Details of television systems
- H04N5/44—Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards
- H04N5/445—Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards for displaying additional information
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N5/00—Details of television systems
- H04N5/76—Television signal recording
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N9/00—Details of colour television systems
- H04N9/79—Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording
- H04N9/80—Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback
- H04N9/82—Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback the individual colour picture signal components being recorded simultaneously only
- H04N9/8205—Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback the individual colour picture signal components being recorded simultaneously only involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/41—Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
- H04N21/422—Input-only peripherals, i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
- H04N21/42204—User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor
- H04N21/42206—User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor characterized by hardware details
- H04N21/42222—Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
Definitions
- FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary television system, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention.
- FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method for providing embedded information of selectable objects in a television program, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention.
- FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method for providing embedded information of selectable objects in a television program, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention.
- FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary television system, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention.
- FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating exemplary modules and/or sub-modules for a television system, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention.
- modules, components or circuits may generally comprise hardware and/or a combination of hardware and software (e.g., including firmware).
- modules may also, for example, comprise a computer readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory medium) comprising instructions (e.g., software instructions) that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform various functional aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of various aspects of the present invention should not be limited by characteristics of particular hardware and/or software implementations of a module, component or circuit unless explicitly claimed as such.
- various aspects of the present invention may be implemented by one or more processors (e.g., a microprocessor, digital signal processor, baseband processor, microcontroller, etc.) executing software instructions (e.g., stored in volatile and/or non-volatile memory).
- processors e.g., a microprocessor, digital signal processor, baseband processor, microcontroller, etc.
- software instructions e.g., stored in volatile and/or non-volatile memory
- aspects of the present invention may be implemented by an application-specific integrated circuit (“ASIC”) and/or other hardware components.
- ASIC application-specific integrated circuit
- any or all of the functional modules discussed herein may share various hardware and/or software components.
- any or all of the functional modules discussed herein may be implemented wholly or in-part by a shared processor executing software instructions.
- various software sub-modules that may be executed by one or more processors may be shared between various software modules. Accordingly, the scope of various aspects of the present invention should not be limited by arbitrary boundaries between various hardware and/or software components, unless explicitly claimed.
- a communication network is generally the communication infrastructure through which a communication device (e.g., a portable communication device, television, television control device, television provider, television programming provider, television receiver, video recording device, etc.) may communicate with other systems.
- a communication network may comprise a cable and/or satellite television communication network, a cellular communication network, a wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless personal area network (WPAN), a general data communication network (e.g., the Internet), any home or premises communication network, etc.
- WMAN wireless metropolitan area network
- WLAN wireless local area network
- WPAN wireless personal area network
- a particular communication network may, for example, generally have a corresponding communication protocol according to which a communication device may communicate with the communication network. Unless so claimed, the scope of various aspects of the present invention should not be limited by characteristics of a particular type of communication network.
- Such a pointing location refers to a location on the television screen (e.g., a primary television screen, a secondary television screen, etc.) to which a user (either directly or with a pointing device) is pointing.
- Such a pointing location is to be distinguished from other types of on-screen location identification, such as, for example, using arrow keys and/or a mouse to move a cursor or to traverse blocks (e.g., on an on-screen program guide) without pointing.
- Various aspects of the present invention while referring to on-screen pointing location, are also readily extensible to such other forms of on-screen location identification.
- Such television programming generally includes various types of television programming (e.g., television programs, news programs, sports programs, music television, movies, television series programs and/or associated advertisements, educational programs, live or recorded television programming, broadcast/multicast/unicast television programming, etc.).
- television programming may, for example, comprise real-time television broadcast programming (or multicast or unicast television programming) and/or user-stored television programming that is stored in a user device (e.g., a VCR, PVR, etc.).
- Such television programming video content is to be distinguished from other non-programming video content that may be displayed on a television screen (e.g., an electronic program guide, user interface menu, a television set-up menu, a typical web page, a document, a graphical video game, etc.).
- Various aspects of the present invention may, for example in a television program source system and/or television program distribution system, comprise embedding information in a television program, where such information describes various aspects of user-selectable objects in the television program.
- Various aspects of the present invention may also, for example in a television, comprise receiving television programming, presenting such received television programming to a user, determining an on-screen pointing location pointed to by the user and processing information of user-selectable objects embedded in the received television programming to identify a user-selected object in the television programming and/or associated actions.
- Such user-selectable objects includes both animate (i.e., living) and inanimate (i.e., non-living) objects, both still and moving.
- Such objects may, for example, comprise characteristics of any of a variety of objects present in television programming.
- Such objects may, for example and without limitation, comprise inanimate objects, such as consumer good objects (e.g., clothing, automobiles, shoes, jewelry, furniture, food, beverages, appliances, electronics, toys, artwork, cosmetics, recreational vehicles, sports equipment, safety equipment, computer equipment, communication devices, books, etc.), premises objects (e.g., business locations, stores, hotels, signs, doors, buildings, landmarks, historical sites, entertainment venues, hospitals, government buildings, etc.), objects related to services (e.g., objects related to transportation, objects related to emergency services, objects related to general government services, objects related to entertainment services, objects related to food and/or drink services, etc.), objects related to location (e.g., parks, landmarks, streets, signs, road signs, etc.), etc.
- consumer good objects e.g., clothing, automobiles, shoes, jewelry, furniture, food, beverages, appliances, electronics, toys, artwork, cosmetics, recreational vehicles, sports equipment, safety equipment, computer equipment, communication devices, books, etc.
- premises objects e.g., business locations, stores
- Such objects may, for example, comprise animate objects, such as people (e.g., actors/actresses, athletes, musicians, salespeople, commentators, reports, analysts, hosts/hostesses, entertainers, etc.), animals (e.g., pets, zoo animals, wild animals, etc.) and plants (e.g., flowers, trees, shrubs, fruits, vegetables, cacti, etc.).
- people e.g., actors/actresses, athletes, musicians, salespeople, commentators, reports, analysts, hosts/hostesses, entertainers, etc.
- animals e.g., pets, zoo animals, wild animals, etc.
- plants e.g., flowers, trees, shrubs, fruits, vegetables, cacti, etc.
- the exemplary system 100 includes a television provider 110 .
- the television provider 110 may, for example, comprise a television network company, a cable company, a movie-providing company, a news company, an educational institution, etc.
- the television provider 110 may, for example, be an original source of television programming (or related information).
- the television provider 110 may be a communication company that provides television programming distribution services (e.g., a cable television company, a satellite television company, a telecommunication company, a data network provider, etc.).
- the television provider 110 may, for example, provide television programming and non-programming information and/or video content.
- the television provider 110 may, for example, provide information related to a television program (e.g., information describing or otherwise related to selectable objects in programming, etc.). As will be discussed below in more detail, the television provider 110 may operate to create a television program (or television program data set, television program data stream, etc.) that includes embedded information of user-selectable objects in the television program. For example and without limitation, such a television provider 110 may operate to receive a completed television program (e.g., a data file, a data stream, etc.), for example via a communication network and/or on a physical media, and embed information of user-selectable objects in the completed television program. Also for example, such a television provider 110 may operate to form the original television program and embed information of user-selectable objects in the original television program during such formation (e.g., in the studio).
- a completed television program e.g., a data file, a data stream, etc.
- such a television provider 110 may operate to form the original television program and
- the exemplary television system 100 may also include a third party program information provider 120 .
- a third party program information provider may, for example, provide information related to a television program. Such information may, for example, comprise information describing user-selectable objects in programming, program guide information, etc.
- a third party program information provider e.g., a party independent of a television program source, television program network operator, etc.
- such a third party program information provider 120 may operate to receive a completed television program (e.g., a data file, a data stream, etc.), for example via a communication network and/or on a physical media, and embed information of user-selectable objects in the completed television program.
- a completed television program e.g., a data file, a data stream, etc.
- the exemplary television system 100 may include one or more communication networks (e.g., the communication network(s) 130 ).
- the exemplary communication network 130 may comprise characteristics of any of a variety of types of communication networks over which television programming and/or information related to television programming may be communicated.
- the communication network 130 may comprise characteristics of any one or more of: a cable television network, a satellite television network, a telecommunication network, the Internet, a local area network (LAN), a personal area network (PAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), any of a variety of different types of home networks, etc.
- the exemplary television system 100 may include a first television 140 .
- a first television 140 may, for example, comprise networking capability enabling such television 140 to communicate directly with the communication network 130 .
- the first television 140 may comprise one or more embedded television receivers or transceivers (e.g., a cable television receiver, satellite television transceiver, Internet modem, etc.).
- the first television 140 may comprise one or more recording devices (e.g., for recording and/or playing back video content, television programming, etc.).
- the first television 140 may, for example, operate to (which includes “operate when enabled to”) perform any or all of the functionality discussed herein.
- the first television 140 may, for example, operate to receive and process television program information (e.g., via a communication network, stored on a physical medium or computer readable medium, etc.), where such television program information comprises embedded information of user-selectable objects.
- the exemplary television system 100 may include a first television controller 160 .
- a first television controller 160 may, for example, operate to (e.g., which may include “operate when enabled to”) control operation of the first television 140 .
- the first television controller 160 may comprise characteristics of any of a variety of television controlling devices.
- the first television controller 160 may comprise characteristics of a dedicated television control device, a universal remote control, a cellular telephone or personal computing device with television control capability, etc.
- the first television controller 160 may, for example, transmit signals directly to the first television 140 to control operation of the first television 140 .
- the first television controller 160 may also, for example, operate to transmit signals (e.g., via the communication network 130 ) to the television provider 110 to control television programming (or related information) being provided to the first television 140 , or to conduct other transactions (e.g., business transactions, etc.).
- the first television controller 160 may operate to communicate screen pointing information with the first television 140 and/or other devices.
- various aspects of the present invention include a user pointing to a location on a television screen (e.g., pointing to an animate or inanimate object presented in television programming).
- the user may perform such pointing in any of a variety of manners.
- One of such exemplary manners includes pointing with a television control device.
- the first television controller 160 provides a non-limiting example of a device that a user may utilize to point to an on-screen location.
- the first television controller 160 may operate to receive and process television program information (e.g., via a communication network, stored on a physical medium or computer readable medium, etc.), where such television program information comprises embedded information of user-selectable objects.
- television program information e.g., via a communication network, stored on a physical medium or computer readable medium, etc.
- the first television 140 and first television controller 160 provide a non-limiting example of a user's local television system.
- a user's local television system generally refers to the television-related devices that are local to the television system currently being utilized by the user.
- the user's local television system generally refers to the television-related devices that make up the user's home television system.
- the user's local television system generally refers to the television-related devices that make up the premises television system
- Such a user's local television system does not, for example, comprise television network infrastructure devices that are generally outside of the user's current premises (e.g., cable and/or satellite head-end apparatus, cable and/or satellite communication intermediate communication network nodes) and/or programming source devices that are generally managed by television enterprises and generally exist outside of the user's home.
- Such entities which may be communicatively coupled to the user's local television system, may be considered to be entities remote from the user's local television system (or “remote entities”).
- the exemplary television system 100 may also include a television receiver 151 .
- the television receiver 151 may, for example, operate to (e.g., which may include “operate when enabled to”) provide a communication link between a television and/or television controller and a communication network and/or information provider.
- the television receiver 151 may operate to provide a communication link between the second television 141 and the communication network 130 , or between the second television 141 and the television provider 110 (and/or third party program information provider 120 ) via the communication network 130 .
- the television receiver 151 may comprise characteristics of any of a variety of types of television receivers.
- the television receiver 151 may comprise characteristics of a cable television receiver, a satellite television receiver, etc.
- the television receiver 151 may comprise a data communication network modem for data network communications (e.g., with the Internet, a LAN, PAN, MAN, telecommunication network, etc.).
- the television receiver 151 may also, for example, comprise recording capability (e.g., programming recording and playback, etc.).
- the television receiver 151 may operate to receive and process television program information (e.g., via a communication network, stored on a physical medium or computer readable medium, etc.), where such television program information comprises embedded information of user-selectable objects.
- television program information e.g., via a communication network, stored on a physical medium or computer readable medium, etc.
- the exemplary television system 100 may include a second television controller 161 .
- a second television controller 161 may, for example, operate to (e.g., which may include “operate when enabled to”) control operation of the second television 141 and the television receiver 151 .
- the second television controller 161 may comprise characteristics of any of a variety of television controlling devices.
- the second television controller 161 may comprise characteristics of a dedicated television control device, a dedicated television receiver control device, a universal remote control, a cellular telephone or personal computing device with television control capability, etc.
- the second television controller 161 may, for example, operate to transmit signals directly to the second television 141 to control operation of the second television 141 .
- the second television controller 161 may, for example, operate to transmit signals directly to the television receiver 151 to control operation of the television receiver 151 .
- the second television controller 161 may additionally, for example, operate to transmit signals (e.g., via the television receiver 151 and the communication network 130 ) to the television provider 110 to control television programming (or related information) being provided to the television receiver 151 , or to conduct other transactions (e.g., business transactions, etc.).
- various aspects of the present invention include a user selecting a user-selectable object in programming.
- selection may, for example, comprise the user pointing to a location on a television screen (e.g., pointing to an animate or inanimate object presented in television programming).
- the user may perform such pointing in any of a variety of manners.
- One of such exemplary manners includes pointing with a television control device.
- the second television controller 161 provides one non-limiting example of a device that a user may utilize to point to an on-screen location.
- the second television controller 161 comprises a touch screen
- a user may touch a location of such touch screen to point to an on-screen location (e.g., to select a user-selectable object).
- the second television 141 , television receiver 151 and second television controller 161 provide another non-limiting example of a user's local television system.
- the second television controller 161 may operate to receive and process television program information (e.g., via a communication network, stored on a physical medium or computer readable medium, etc.), where such television program information comprises embedded information of user-selectable objects.
- television program information e.g., via a communication network, stored on a physical medium or computer readable medium, etc.
- the exemplary television system 100 was provided to provide a non-limiting illustrative foundation for discussion of various aspects of the present invention. Thus, the scope of various aspects of the present invention should not be limited by any characteristics of the exemplary television system 100 unless explicitly claimed.
- FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method 200 for providing embedded information of selectable objects in a television program, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention.
- Any or all aspects of the exemplary method 200 may, for example, be implemented in a television system component (e.g., the television provider 110 , third party program information provider 120 , a component of a communication network 130 , first television 140 , first television controller 160 , second television 141 , television receiver 151 , second television controller 161 , shown in FIG. 1 and discussed previously) and/or a plurality of such television system components operating in conjunction.
- a television system component e.g., the television provider 110 , third party program information provider 120 , a component of a communication network 130 , first television 140 , first television controller 160 , second television 141 , television receiver 151 , second television controller 161 , shown in FIG. 1 and discussed previously
- any or all aspects of the exemplary method 200 may be implemented in one or more television system components remote from the user'
- the exemplary method 200 may, for example, begin executing at step 205 .
- the exemplary method 200 may begin executing in response to any of a variety of causes and/or conditions, non-limiting examples of which will now be provided.
- the exemplary method 200 may begin executing in response to a user command to begin (e.g., a user at a television program source, a user at a television production studio, a user at a television distribution enterprise, etc.), in response to television program information and/or information of user-selectable objects in a television program arriving at a system entity implementing the method 200 , in response to an electronic request communicated from the external entity to a system entity implementing the method 200 , in response to a timer, in response to a request from an end user and/or a component of a user's local television system for a television program including information of user-selectable objects, in response to a request from a user for a television program where such user is associated in a database with television programming comprising user
- the exemplary method 200 may, for example at step 210 , comprise receiving moving picture information for a television program.
- moving picture information for a television program.
- Many non-limiting examples of such television programs were provided above.
- moving picture information may also, for example, be received with corresponding audio information.
- Step 210 may comprise receiving the moving picture information from any of a variety of sources, non-limiting examples of which will now be provided.
- step 210 may comprise receiving the moving picture information from a television broadcasting company, from a movie streaming company, from a television studio, from a television program database or server, from a video camera or other video recording device, an Internet television programming provider, etc.
- Step 210 may comprise receiving the moving picture information via any of a variety of types of communication networks.
- Such networks may, for example, comprise a wireless television network (e.g., terrestrial and/or satellite) and/or cable television network.
- Such networks may, for example, comprise any of variety of general data communication networks (e.g., the Internet, a local area network, a personal area network, a metropolitan area network, etc.).
- Step 210 may comprise receiving the moving picture information from any of a variety of types of hard media (e.g., optical storage media, magnetic storage media, etc.).
- hard media may, for example, comprise characteristics of optical storage media (e.g., compact disc, digital versatile disc, Blueray®, laser disc, etc.), magnetic storage media (e.g., hard disc, diskette, magnetic tape, etc.), computer memory device (e.g., flash memory, one-time-programmable memory, read-only memory, random access memory, thumb drive, etc.).
- Such memory may, for example, be a temporary and/or permanent component of the system entity implementing the method 200 .
- step 210 may comprise receiving the moving picture information from such a device and/or from a reader of such a device (e.g., directly via an end-to-end conductor or via a communication network).
- step 210 may comprise receiving a completed moving picture data set for the television program, the completed moving picture data set formatted for communicating the television program without information describing user-selectable objects in the television program.
- the received completed moving picture data set may be in conformance with a moving picture standard (e.g., MPEG, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, MPEG-4 AVC, DVD, way, etc.).
- a data set may be a data file (or set of logically linked data files) formatted in an MPEG or DVD format for normal presentation on a user's local television system.
- Such a data set of a television program when received at step 210 , might not have information of user-selectable objects in the television program. Such information of user-selectable objects may then, for example, be added, as will be explained below.
- step 210 may comprise receiving moving picture information for the television program prior to the moving picture information being formatted into a completed moving picture data set for communicating the television program.
- step 210 may comprise receiving moving picture information (e.g., frame-by-frame bitmaps, partially encoded moving picture information, etc.) that will be formatted in accordance with a moving picture standard, but which has not yet been so formatted.
- moving picture information e.g., frame-by-frame bitmaps, partially encoded moving picture information, etc.
- Such a data set of a television program when received at step 210 , might not have information of user-selectable objects in the television program. Such information of user-selectable objects may then, for example, be added, as will be explained below.
- step 210 may comprise receiving a completed moving picture data set for the television program, the completed moving picture data set formatted for communicating the television program with information describing user-selectable objects in the television program.
- the received completed moving picture data set may be in conformance with a moving picture standard (e.g., MPEG, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, MPEG-4 AVC, DVD, way, etc.), or a variant thereof, that specifically accommodates information of user-selectable objects in the television program.
- a moving picture standard e.g., MPEG, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, MPEG-4 AVC, DVD, way, etc.
- the received completed moving picture data set may be in conformance with a moving picture standard (e.g., MPEG, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, MPEG-4 AVC, DVD, way, etc.), or a variant thereof, that while not specifically accommodating information of user-selectable objects in the television program, allows for the incorporation of such information in unassigned data fields.
- a data set may be a data file (or set of logically linked data files) formatted in an MPEG or DVD format for normal presentation on a user's local television system.
- Such a data set of a television program when received at step 210 , might comprise information of user-selectable objects in the television program. Such information of user-selectable objects may then, for example, be deleted, modified and/or appended, as will be explained below.
- Step 210 may, for example, comprise receiving the moving picture information in digital and/or analog signals.
- the examples provided above generally concerned the receipt of digital data, such examples are readily extendible to the receipt of analog moving picture information (e.g., the receipt of composite and/or component video signals, etc.).
- step 210 may comprise receiving moving picture information for a television program. Accordingly, the scope of various aspects of the present invention should not be limited by characteristics of any particular type of moving picture information or by any particular manner of receiving moving picture information unless explicitly claimed.
- the exemplary method 200 may, at step 220 , comprise receiving object information corresponding to a user-selectable object in the television program. Many non-limiting examples of receiving such object information will now be provided.
- Step 220 may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information from any of a variety of sources, non-limiting examples of which will now be provided.
- step 220 may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information from a television broadcasting company, from a movie streaming company, from a television studio, from a television program database or server, from an advertising company, from a commercial enterprise associated with a user-selectable object in a television program, from a person or organization associated with a user-selectable object in a television program, from an Internet television programming provider, from a third party television program information source, etc.
- Step 210 may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information from a plurality of independent sources.
- step 210 may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information from each of such respective interested parties.
- step 210 may comprise receiving user-selectable object information corresponding to a user-selectable consumer good in a television program from a provider of such consumer good, receiving user-selectable object information corresponding to an entertainer in the television program from the entertainer's management company, receiving user-selectable object information corresponding to a user-selectable historical landmark in the television program from a society associated with the historical landmark, receiving user-selectable object information corresponding to a user-selectable object in the television program associated with a service from a provider of such service, etc.
- step 210 may comprise aggregating the user-selectable object information received from the plurality of sources (e.g., into a single user-selectable object data set) for ultimate combination of such user-selectable object information with received moving picture information.
- Step 220 may, for example, comprise receiving the user-selectable object information from a same source as that from which the moving picture information was received at step 210 or may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information from a different source.
- step 220 may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information from an advertising company, while step 210 comprises receiving the moving picture information from a television studio.
- step 220 may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information from a commercial enterprise associated with a consumer good object presented in the television program, while step 210 comprises receiving the moving picture information from a head-end server of a sports network.
- step 220 may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information directly from a computer process that generates such information.
- a computer process that generates such information.
- an operator may play a moving picture (e.g., at a normal rate, a slower-than-normal rate, frame-by-frame, etc.) and utilize graphical tools (e.g., boxes or other polygons, edge detection routines, etc.) to define and track movement of a user-selectable object in the moving picture.
- Such a computer process may then output information describing the object and/or movement thereof in the moving picture.
- Step 220 may comprise receiving the information output from such process.
- Step 220 may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information via any of a variety of types of communication networks.
- Such networks may, for example, comprise a wireless television network (e.g., terrestrial and/or satellite) and/or cable television network.
- Such networks may, for example, comprise any of variety of general data communication networks (e.g., the Internet, a local area network, a personal area network, a metropolitan area network, etc.).
- Step 220 may, for example, comprise receiving the user-selectable object information via a same communication network as that via which the moving picture information was received at step 210 or may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information from a different communication network.
- step 220 may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information via a general data communication network (e.g., the Internet), while step 210 comprises receiving the moving picture information via a television network.
- step 220 may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information via a general data network, while step 210 comprises receiving the moving picture information from a computer readable medium.
- Step 220 may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information from any of a variety of types of hard media (e.g., optical storage media, magnetic storage media, etc.).
- hard media may, for example, comprise characteristics of optical storage media (e.g., compact disc, digital versatile disc, Blueray®, laser disc, etc.), magnetic storage media (e.g., hard disc, diskette, magnetic tape, etc.), computer memory device (e.g., flash memory, one-time-programmable memory, read-only memory, random access memory, thumb drive, etc.).
- Such memory may, for example, be a temporary and/or permanent component of the system entity implementing the method 200 .
- step 220 may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information from such a device and/or from a reader of such a device (e.g., directly via an end-to-end conductor or via a communication network).
- the object information corresponding to one or more user-selectable objects that is received at step 220 may comprise any of a variety of characteristics, non-limiting examples of which will now be provided.
- such user-selectable object information may comprise information describing and/or defining the user-selectable object that is shown in the television program. Such information may, for example, be processed by a recipient of such information to identify an object that is being selected by a user.
- Such information may, for example, comprise information describing boundaries associated with a user-selectable object in the television program (e.g., actual object boundaries (e.g., an object outline), areas generally coinciding with a user-selectable object (e.g., a description of one or more geometric shapes that generally correspond to a user-selectable object), selection areas that when selected indicate user-selection of a user-selectable object (e.g., a superset and/or subset of a user-selectable object in the television program), etc.
- Such information may, for example, describe and/or define the user-selectable in a television program frame coordinate system.
- Such information describing and/or defining the user-selectable object that is shown in the television program may comprise information describing movement of a user-selectable object in the television program.
- information may comprise information describing the location of the object on a frame-by-frame basis, information describing movement of a user-selectable object in television screen coordinates as a function of time and/or frame, information describing location of a user-selectable object in a video frame relative to a previous object location in a previous video frame, etc.
- such user-selectable object information may comprise information describing the object, where such information may be presented to the user upon user-selection of a user selectable object.
- object information may comprise information describing physical characteristics of a user-selectable object, background information, historical information, general information of interest, location information, financial information, travel information, commerce information, personal information, etc.
- such user-selectable object information may comprise information describing and/or defining actions that may be taken upon user-selection of a user-selectable object, non-limiting examples of such actions and/or related information corresponding to a respective user-selectable object will now be presented.
- such user-selectable object information may comprise information describing a one or more manners of determining information to present to the user (e.g., retrieving such information from a known location, conducting a search for such information, etc.), establishing a communication session by which a user may interact with networked entities associated with a user-selected object, interacting with a user regarding display of a user-selected object and/or associated information, etc.
- such user-selectable object information may comprise information describing one or more manners of obtaining one or more sets of information, where such information may then, for example, be presented to the user.
- information may comprise a memory address (or data storage address) and/or a communication network address (e.g., an address of a networked data server, a URL, etc.), where such address may correspond to a location at which information corresponding to the identified object may be obtained.
- Such information may, for example, comprise a network address of a component with which a communication session may be initiated and/or conducted (e.g., to obtain information regarding the user-selected object, to interact with the user regarding the selected object, etc.).
- the user-selectable object information comprises information to present to a user upon user-selection of a selectable object in a television program
- information may comprise any of a variety of different types of information related to the user-selected object.
- information may comprise information describing the user-selectable object (e.g., information describing aspects of the object, history of the object, design of the object, source of the object, price of the object, critiques of the object, information provided by commercial enterprises producing and/or providing such object, etc.), information indicating to the user how the user may obtain the selected object, information indicating how the user may utilize the selected object, etc.
- the information may, for example, comprise information of one or more non-commercial organizations associated with, and/or having information pertaining to, the identified user-selected object (e.g., non-profit and/or government organization contact information, web site address information, etc.).
- the information corresponding to a user-selectable object in the television program may comprise information related to conducting a search for information corresponding to the user-selectable object.
- information may, for example, comprise network search terms that may be utilized in a search engine to search for information corresponding to the user-selected object.
- Such information may also comprise information describing the network boundaries of such a search, for example, identifying particular search networks, particular servers, particular addresses, particular databases, etc.
- the information corresponding to a user-selectable object may describe a manner in which a system is to intact with a user to more clearly identify information desired by the user.
- information may comprise information specifying user interaction that should take place when an amount of information available and corresponding to a user-selectable object exceeds a particular threshold.
- Such user interaction may, for example, help to reduce the amount of information that may ultimately be presented to the user.
- information may comprise information describing a user interface comprising providing a list (or menu) of types of information available to the user and soliciting information from the user regarding the selection of one or more of the listed types of information.
- the user-selectable object information may comprise information describing the manner in which a communication session may be established and/or management.
- an action associated with a user-selectable object comprises providing a user interface by which a user may initiate and perform a commercial transaction regarding a user-selectable object
- the user-selectable object information may comprise information describing the manner in which the commercial transaction is to be performed (e.g., order forms, financial information exchange, order tracking, etc.).
- various user-selectable objects may, for example, be associated with any of a variety of respective actions that may be taken upon selection of a respective user-selectable object by a user.
- Such actions e.g., information retrieval, information searching, communication session management, commercial transaction management, etc.
- Such actions may, for example, be included in a table or other data structure indexed by the identity of a respective user-selectable object.
- object information corresponding to user-selectable objects in a television program may comprise: athlete information (e.g., statistics, personal information, professional information, history, etc.), entertainer information (e.g., personal information, discography and/or filmography information, information of related organizations, fan club information, photograph and/or video information, etc.), landmark information (e.g., historical information, visitation information, location information, mapping information, photo album information, visitation diary, charitable donation information, etc.), political figure information (e.g., party affiliation, stances on particular issues, history, financial information, voting record, attendance record, etc.), information regarding general types of objects (e.g., information describing actions to take upon user-selection of a person object, of a consumer good object, of a landmark object, etc.) and/or specific objects (e.g., information describing actions to take when a particular person object is selected, when a particular consumer good object is selected, when a particular landmark object is selected, etc.).
- athlete information e.g.,
- the above-mentioned types of information corresponding to user-selectable objects in television programming may be general to all eventual viewers of the television program, but may also be customized to a particular target user and/or end user.
- information may be customized to a particular user (e.g., based on income level, demographics, age, employment status and/or type, education level and/or type, family characteristics, religion, purchasing history, neighborhood characteristics, home characteristics, health characteristics, etc.
- such information may also be customized to a particular geographical location or region.
- step 220 may comprise receiving object information corresponding to a user-selectable object in the television program. Accordingly, the scope of various aspects of the present invention should not be limited by characteristics of any particular type of such user-selectable object information or by any particular manner of receiving such user-selectable object information unless explicitly claimed.
- the exemplary method 200 may, at step 230 , comprise combining the received moving picture information (e.g., as received at step 210 ) and the received user-selectable object information (e.g., as received at step 220 ) in a combined data set.
- combining will now be provided.
- step 210 may comprise receiving moving picture information for a television program by, at least in part, receiving a completed moving picture data set for the television program, where the completed moving picture data set is formatted for communicating the television program without information describing user-selectable objects in the television program.
- step 230 may comprise combining the received moving picture information and the received user-selectable object information by, at least in part, inserting the received user-selectable object information in the completed moving picture data set to create a combined data set comprising the received moving picture data set and the received user-selectable object information.
- step 230 may comprise inserting the received user-selectable object information in data fields of the completed moving picture data set that are not assigned by the moving picture standard for any specific type of information (e.g., inserting such information into unassigned data fields provided by the moving picture standard, adding new data fields to the moving picture standard, etc.).
- a moving picture standard e.g., an MPEG standard
- Such inserting may, for example, comprise inserting the received user-selectable object information in data fields of the completed moving picture data set that are interleaved with data fields carrying moving picture data.
- inserting may be performed in accordance with a format alternating moving picture data and user-selectable object information on a frame-by-frame basis (e.g., sequencing frame 1 moving picture data, frame 1 user-selectable object information, sequencing frame 2 moving picture data, frame 2 user-selectable object information, etc.), by groups of frames (e.g., frame 1 -A moving picture data, frame 1 -A user-selectable object information, frame A-N moving picture data, frame A-N user-selectable object information, etc.), by sub-frames, etc.
- a format alternating moving picture data and user-selectable object information on a frame-by-frame basis
- groups of frames e.g., frame 1 -A moving picture data, frame 1 -A user-selectable object information
- user-selectable object information need not be strictly placed with the moving picture data for the frame(s) in which the user-selectable object appears.
- information of user-selectable objects in frame N+1 may be communicated with frame N moving picture information.
- step 230 may comprise inserting the received user-selectable object information in the data fields of the completed moving picture data set that are specifically assigned by the moving picture standard to contain information of user-selectable objects.
- step 210 may comprise receiving moving picture information for a television program by, at least in part, receiving moving picture information for the television program prior to the moving picture information being formatted into a completed moving picture data set for communicating the television program.
- receiving information describing the television program moving picture that has yet to be formatted into a data set that conforms to a particular moving picture standard (e.g., bitmap information, still frame information, movement vector information, etc., which has yet to be placed into a self-contained MPEG data set for communicating the television program).
- a particular moving picture standard e.g., bitmap information, still frame information, movement vector information, etc.
- step 230 may comprise combining the received moving picture information and the received user-selectable object information into a completed moving picture data set that is formatted for communicating the television program with information describing user-selectable objects in the television program (e.g., into a single cohesive data set, for example, a single data file or other data structure, into a plurality of logically linked data files or other data structures, etc.).
- a single cohesive data set for example, a single data file or other data structure, into a plurality of logically linked data files or other data structures, etc.
- such a completed moving picture data set may be formatted in accordance with a moving picture standard that specifically assigns respective data fields (or elements) to moving picture information and user-selectable object information.
- such a completed moving picture data set may be formatted in accordance with a moving picture standard that specifically assigns data fields to moving picture information, but does not specifically assign data fields to user-selectable object information (e.g., utilizing general-purpose unassigned data fields, adding new data fields to the standard, etc.).
- step 210 may comprise receiving moving picture information for a television program by, at least in part, receiving an initial combined television program data set that comprises initial moving picture information and initial user-selectable object information corresponding to user-selectable objects in the television program.
- the received initial combined television program data set may have already been formed into a single cohesive data set that comprises the moving picture information for the television program and information of user-selectable objects in the television program.
- step 230 may comprise modifying the initial user-selectable object information of the initial combined television program data set in accordance with the received user-selectable object information (e.g., as received at step 220 ).
- modifying may, for example and without limitation, comprise adding the received object information to the initial object information in the initial combined television program data set (e.g., in unused unassigned data fields and/or in unused data fields that have been specifically assigned to contain user-selectable object information, etc.).
- Such modifying may comprise changing at least a portion of the initial object information of the initial combined television program data set in accordance with the received user-selectable object information (e.g., changing information defining a user-selectable object in a presented television program, changing information about a user-selectable object to be presented to a user, changing information regarding any action that may be performed upon user-selection of a user-selectable object, etc.).
- changing information defining a user-selectable object in a presented television program changing information about a user-selectable object to be presented to a user, changing information regarding any action that may be performed upon user-selection of a user-selectable object, etc.
- such modifying may comprise deleting at least a portion of the initial object information in accordance with the received user-selectable object information (e.g., in a scenario in which the received user-selectable object information includes a command or directive to remove a portion or all information corresponding to a particular user-selectable object).
- step 230 may comprise performing such operations automatically (i.e., without real-time interaction with a user while such operations are being performed) and may also be performed with user interaction.
- the received moving picture information and the received user-selectable object information may each be time-stamped to assist in merging such information.
- step 230 may comprise analyzing such respective time-stamps to determine the location in a serial stream of moving picture information at which the user-selectable object information is to be inserted.
- the user-selectable object information for a particular user-selectable object may comprise information of the time and/or frame numbers at which the user-selectable object appears in the television program. Such information may be utilized at step 230 to determine the appropriate location in the moving picture data set at which to place the user-selectable object information.
- step 230 may comprise presenting an operator with a view of the moving picture of a television program and a view of a user-selectable object in such moving picture for which information is being added to a combined dataset.
- Step 230 may then comprise interacting with the operator to obtain permission and/or directions for combining the moving picture and user-selectable object information.
- step 230 may comprise encrypting the user-selectable object information or otherwise restricting access to such information. For example, in a scenario in which access to such information is provided on a subscription basis, in a scenario in which providers of such information desire to protect such information from undesirable access and/or manipulation, etc., such information protection may be beneficial.
- step 230 may comprise combining the received moving picture information (e.g., as received at step 210 ) and the received user-selectable object information (e.g., as received at step 220 ) in a combined data set. Accordingly, the scope of various aspects of the present invention should not be limited by any particular manner of performing such combining and/or any particular format in which such a combined data set may be placed unless specifically claimed.
- the exemplary method 200 may, at step 240 , comprise communicating the combined data set(s) (e.g., as formed at step 230 ) to one or more recipient systems or devices.
- Such communication may comprise characteristics of any of a variety of types of communication, non-limiting examples of which will now be presented.
- Step 240 may, for example, comprise communicating the combined data set(s) via a communication network (e.g., a television communication network, a telecommunication network, a general data communication network (e.g., the Internet, a LAN, etc.), etc.). Many non-limiting examples of such communication network were provided previously.
- Step 240 may, for example, comprise broadcasting, multi-casting and/or uni-casting the combined data set over one or more communication networks.
- Step 240 may also, for example, comprise communicating the combined data set(s) to another system and/or device via a direct conductive path (e.g., via a wire, circuit board trace, conductive trace on a die, etc.).
- a direct conductive path e.g., via a wire, circuit board trace, conductive trace on a die, etc.
- step 240 may comprise storing the combined data set(s) on a computer readable medium (e.g., a DVD, a CD, a Blueray® disc, a laser disc, a magnetic tape, a hard drive, a diskette, etc.). Such a computer readable medium may then, for example, be shipped to a distributor and/or ultimate recipient of the computer readable medium. Further for example, step 240 may comprise storing the combined data set(s) in a volatile and/or non-volatile memory device (e.g., a flash memory device, a one-time-programmable memory device, an EEPROM, a RAM, etc.).
- a volatile and/or non-volatile memory device e.g., a flash memory device, a one-time-programmable memory device, an EEPROM, a RAM, etc.
- step 240 may comprise storing (or causing or otherwise participating in the storage of) the combined data set(s) in a television system component (e.g., a component or device of the user's local television system and/or a component or device of a television program provider and/or a component or device of any television program source.
- a television system component e.g., a component or device of the user's local television system and/or a component or device of a television program provider and/or a component or device of any television program source.
- step 240 may comprise storing the combined dataset(s), or otherwise participating in the storage of the combined dataset(s), in a component of the user's local television system (e.g., in a digital video recorder, a television receiver, a television, a television controller, personal communication device, a local networked database, a local networked personal computer, etc.).
- Step 240 may, for example, comprise communicating the combined data set in serial fashion.
- step 240 may comprise communicating the combined data set (comprising interleaved moving picture information and user-selectable object information) in a single data stream (e.g., via a television network, via a general data network, stored on a hard medium in such serial fashion, etc.).
- step 240 may comprise communicating the combined data set in parallel data streams, each of which comprises interleaved moving picture information and user-selectable object information (e.g., as opposed to separate distinct respective data streams for each of moving picture information and user-selectable object information).
- step 240 may comprise communicating the combined data set(s) (e.g., as formed at step 230 ) to one or more recipient systems or devices (e.g., an end user or associated system, television programming provider or associated system, an advertiser or associated system, a television program producer or associated system, a television program database, a television program server, etc.).
- recipient systems or devices e.g., an end user or associated system, television programming provider or associated system, an advertiser or associated system, a television program producer or associated system, a television program database, a television program server, etc.
- the exemplary method 200 may, for example at step 295 , comprise performing continued operations.
- Step 295 may comprise performing any of a variety of continued operations, non-limiting examples of such continued operation(s) will be presented below.
- step 295 may comprise returning execution flow to any of the previously discussed method steps.
- step 295 may comprise returning execution flow of the exemplary method 200 to step 220 for receiving additional user-selectable object information to combine with television program information.
- step 295 may comprise returning execution flow of the exemplary method 200 to step 210 for receiving additional television program moving picture information and user-selectable object information to combine with such received television program information.
- step 295 may comprise returning execution flow of the exemplary method 200 to step 240 for additional communication of the combined information to additional recipients.
- step 295 may comprise performing continued operations (e.g., performing additional operations corresponding to combining television program information and information of user-selectable objects in such programming, etc.). Accordingly, the scope of various aspects of the present invention should not be limited by characteristics of any particular type of continued processing unless explicitly claimed.
- FIG. 3 such figure is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method 300 for providing embedded information of selectable objects in a television program, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention.
- the exemplary method 300 may, for example, share any or all characteristics with the exemplary method 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 and discussed previously. Any or all aspects of the exemplary method 300 may, for example, be implemented in a television system component (e.g., the television provider 110 , third party program information provider 120 , a component of a communication network 130 , first television 140 , first television controller 160 , second television 141 , television receiver 151 , second television controller 161 , shown in FIG. 1 and discussed previously) and/or a plurality of such television system components operating in conjunction.
- a television system component e.g., the television provider 110 , third party program information provider 120 , a component of a communication network 130 , first television 140 , first television controller 160 , second television 141 , television receiver 151 , second television controller 161 , shown in FIG
- any or all aspects of the exemplary method 300 may be implemented in one or more television system components remote from the user's local television system.
- any or all aspects of the exemplary method 200 may be implemented in one or more components of the user's local television system.
- the exemplary method 300 may, for example, begin executing at step 305 .
- the exemplary method 300 may begin executing in response to any of a variety of causes or conditions.
- Step 305 may, for example, share any or all characteristics with step 205 of the exemplary method 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 and discussed previously.
- the exemplary method 300 may, for example at step 310 , comprise receiving moving picture information for a television program.
- Step 310 may, for example, share any or all characteristics with step 210 of the exemplary method 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 and discussed previously.
- step 310 may comprise receiving any of the various types of moving picture information from any of the various sources of moving picture information via any of the various communication media discussed previously with regard to the method 200 of FIG. 2 and the system 100 of FIG. 1 and elsewhere herein.
- step 310 may comprise, for example at sub-step 312 , receiving a completed moving picture data set for the television program, the completed moving picture data set formatted for communicating the television program without information describing user-selectable objects in the television program.
- step 310 may comprise, for example at sub-step 314 , receiving moving picture information for the television program prior to the moving picture information being formatted into a completed moving picture data set for communicating the television program.
- step 310 may comprise, for example at sub-step 316 , receiving a completed moving picture data set for the television program, the completed moving picture data set formatted for communicating the television program with information describing user-selectable objects in the television program.
- the exemplary method 300 may, for example at step 320 , comprise receiving object information corresponding to a user-selectable object in the television program.
- Step 320 may, for example, share any or all characteristics with step 220 of the exemplary method 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 and discussed previously.
- step 320 may comprise receiving any of the various types of user-selectable object information from any of the various sources of user-selectable object information via any of the various types of media discussed previously with regard to the method 200 of FIG. 2 and the system 100 of FIG. 1 and elsewhere herein.
- step 320 may comprise, for example at sub-step 322 , receiving user-selectable object information comprising information describing and/or defining the user-selectable object that is shown in the television program (e.g., object dimension information, object movement information, etc.). Also for example, step 320 may comprise, for example at sub-step 324 , receiving user-selectable object information comprising information regarding the user-selectable object that may be presented to the user upon user-selection of such object in a television program.
- user-selectable object information comprising information describing and/or defining the user-selectable object that is shown in the television program (e.g., object dimension information, object movement information, etc.).
- step 320 may comprise, for example at sub-step 324 , receiving user-selectable object information comprising information regarding the user-selectable object that may be presented to the user upon user-selection of such object in a television program.
- step 320 may comprise, for example at sub-step 326 , receiving user-selectable object information comprising information describing and/or defining actions that may be taken upon user-selection of a user-selectable object (e.g., retrieving and/or obtaining and/or searching for information about a user-selectable object, information specifying a manner in which a system is to interact with a user regarding a user-selected object, searching for information, establishing and/or maintaining communication sessions, information describing the manner in which the commercial transaction is to be performed, etc.).
- user-selectable object information comprising information describing and/or defining actions that may be taken upon user-selection of a user-selectable object (e.g., retrieving and/or obtaining and/or searching for information about a user-selectable object, information specifying a manner in which a system is to interact with a user regarding a user-selected object, searching for information, establishing and/or maintaining communication sessions
- the exemplary method 300 may, for example at step 330 , comprise combining the received moving picture information (e.g., as received at step 310 ) and the received user-selectable object information (e.g., as received at step 320 ) in a combined data set.
- Step 330 may, for example, share any or all characteristics with step 230 of the exemplary method 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 and discussed previously.
- step 330 may comprise, for example at sub-step 332 , inserting the received user-selectable object information in a completed moving picture data set that was received at step 320 (e.g., inserting such user-selectable object information in fields of the moving picture data set that are specified by a standard for carrying such user-selectable object information, inserting such user-selectable object information in fields of the moving picture data set that are not specifically allocated for a particular type of data, etc.).
- step 330 may comprise, for example at sub-step 334 , combining received moving picture data and received user-selectable object information into a completed moving picture data set that is formatted for communicating the television program with information describing user-selectable objects in the television program. Additionally for example, step 330 may comprise, for example at sub-step 336 , modifying initial user-selectable object information of an initial combined television program data set in accordance with received user-selectable object information.
- the exemplary method 300 may, for example at step 340 , comprise communicating the combined data set(s) (e.g., as formed at step 230 ) to one or more recipient systems or devices.
- Step 340 may, for example, share any or all characteristics with step 240 of the exemplary method 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 and discussed previously.
- step 340 may comprise, for example at sub-step 342 , communicating the combined data set(s) via a communication network (e.g., any of a variety of communication networks discussed herein, etc.). Also for example, step 340 may comprise, for example, at sub-step 344 , communicating the combined data set(s) by storing the combined data set(s) on a computer readable medium and/or by transmitting the combined data set(s) to another device or system to perform such storage. Additionally for example, step 340 may comprise, for example, at sub-step 346 , communicating the combined data set in a single serial stream (e.g., comprising interleaved moving picture data and user-selectable object information).
- a communication network e.g., any of a variety of communication networks discussed herein, etc.
- step 340 may comprise, for example, at sub-step 344 , communicating the combined data set(s) by storing the combined data set(s) on a computer readable medium and/or by transmitting the
- step 340 may comprise, for example, at sub-step 348 , communicating the combined data set in a plurality of parallel serial streams (e.g., each of such streams comprising interleaved moving picture data and user-selectable object information).
- a plurality of parallel serial streams e.g., each of such streams comprising interleaved moving picture data and user-selectable object information.
- the exemplary method 300 may, for example at step 395 , comprise performing continued operations.
- Step 395 may, for example, share any or all characteristics with step 295 of the exemplary method 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 and discussed previously.
- FIG. 4 such figure is a diagram illustrating an exemplary television system (e.g., single television system component and/or plurality of television system components) 400 , in accordance with various aspects of the present invention.
- the exemplary television system 400 may, for example, share any or all characteristics with one or more of the television system components illustrated in FIG. 1 and discussed previously.
- the exemplary television system 400 may correspond to any of the television system components illustrated in FIG. 1 (or the like) or any group of the television system components illustrated in FIG. 1 (or the like).
- the exemplary television system 400 may comprise characteristics of a computing system (e.g., a personal computer, a mainframe computer, a digital signal processor, etc.).
- the exemplary television system 400 (e.g., various modules thereof) may operate to perform any or all of the functionality discussed previously with regard to the exemplary methods 200 and 300 illustrated in FIGS. 2-3 and discussed previously.
- the exemplary television system 400 includes a first communication interface module 410 .
- the first communication interface module 410 may, for example, operate to communicate over any of a variety of communication media and utilizing any of a variety of communication protocols.
- the first communication interface module 410 is illustrated coupled to a wireless RF antenna via a wireless port 412 , the wireless medium is merely illustrative and non-limiting.
- the first communication interface module 410 may, for example, operate to communicate with one or more communication networks (e.g., cable television networks, satellite television networks, telecommunication networks, general data communication networks, the Internet, local area networks, personal area networks, metropolitan area networks, etc.) via which television-related information (e.g., moving picture information, information of user-selectable objects, television programming with and without embedded information of user-selectable objects) and/or other data is communicated.
- television-related information e.g., moving picture information, information of user-selectable objects, television programming with and without embedded information of user-selectable objects
- the first communication interface module 410 may operate to communicate with local sources of television-related content or other data (e.g., disc drives, computer-readable medium readers, video recorders, video cameras, computers, receivers, etc.).
- the first communication interface module 410 may operate to communicate with a remote controller (e.g., directly or via one or more intermediate communication networks).
- the exemplary television system 400 includes a second communication interface module 420 .
- the second communication interface module 420 may, for example, operate to communicate over any of a variety of communication media and utilizing any of a variety of communication protocols.
- the second communication interface module 420 may communicate via a wireless RF communication port 422 and antenna, or may communicate via a non-tethered optical communication port 424 (e.g., utilizing laser diodes, photodiodes, etc.).
- the second communication interface module 420 may communicate via a tethered optical communication port 426 (e.g., utilizing a fiber optic cable), or may communicate via a wired communication port 428 (e.g., utilizing coaxial cable, twisted pair, HDMI cable, Ethernet cable, any of a variety of wired component and/or composite video connections, etc.).
- a tethered optical communication port 426 e.g., utilizing a fiber optic cable
- a wired communication port 428 e.g., utilizing coaxial cable, twisted pair, HDMI cable, Ethernet cable, any of a variety of wired component and/or composite video connections, etc.
- the second communication interface module 420 may, for example, operate to communicate with one or more communication networks (e.g., cable television networks, satellite television networks, telecommunication networks, general data communication networks, the Internet, local area networks, personal area networks, metropolitan area networks, etc.) via which television-related information (e.g., moving picture information, information of user-selectable objects, television programming with and without embedded information of user-selectable objects) and/or other data is communicated.
- television-related information e.g., moving picture information, information of user-selectable objects, television programming with and without embedded information of user-selectable objects
- the second communication module 420 may operate to communicate with local sources of television-related information (e.g., disc drives, computer-readable medium readers, video recorders, video cameras, computers, receivers, etc.).
- the second communication module 420 may operate to communicate with a remote controller (e.g., directly or via one or more intervening communication networks).
- the exemplary television system 400 may also comprise additional communication interface modules, which are not illustrated (some of which may also be shown in FIG. 5 ). Such additional communication interface modules may, for example, share any or all aspects with the first 410 and second 420 communication interface modules discussed above.
- the exemplary television system 400 may also comprise a communication module 430 .
- the communication module 430 may, for example, operate to control and/or coordinate operation of the first communication interface module 410 and the second communication interface module 420 (and/or additional communication interface modules as needed).
- the communication module 430 may, for example, provide a convenient communication interface by which other components of the television system 400 may utilize the first 410 and second 420 communication interface modules. Additionally, for example, in an exemplary scenario where a plurality of communication interface modules are sharing a medium and/or network, the communication module 430 may coordinate communications to reduce collisions and/or other interference between the communication interface modules.
- the exemplary television system 400 may additionally comprise one or more user interface modules 440 .
- the user interface module 440 may generally operate to provide user interface functionality to a user of the television system 400 .
- the user interface module 440 may operate to provide for user control of any or all standard television system commands (e.g., channel control, volume control, on/off, screen settings, input selection, etc.).
- the user interface module 440 may, for example, operate and/or respond to user commands utilizing user interface features disposed on the television system (e.g., buttons, etc.) and may also utilize the communication module 430 (and/or first 410 and second 420 communication interface modules) to communicate with other systems and/or components thereof, regarding television-related information, regarding user interaction that occurs during the formation of combined dataset(s), etc. (e.g., a television system controller (e.g., a dedicated television system remote control, a universal remote control, a cellular telephone, personal computing device, gaming controller, etc.)).
- the user interface module(s) 440 may operate to utilize the optional display 470 to communicate with a user regarding user-selectable object information and/or to present television programming to a user.
- the user interface module 440 may also comprise one or more sensor modules that operate to interface with and/or control operation of any of a variety of sensors that may be utilized during the performance of the combined data set(s).
- the one or more sensor modules may be utilized to ascertain an on-screen pointing location, which may for example be utilized to input and/or received user-selectable object information (e.g., to indicate and/or define user-selectable objects in a moving picture).
- the user interface module 440 (or sensor module(s) thereof) may operate to receive signals associated with respective sensors (e.g., raw or processed signals directly from the sensors, through intermediate devices, via the communication interface modules 410 , 420 , etc.).
- the user interface module 440 may operate to control the transmission of signals (e.g., RF signals, optical signals, acoustic signals, etc.) from such sensors.
- the user interface module 440 may perform any of a variety of video output functions (e.g., presenting moving picture information to a user, presenting user-selectable object information to a user, presenting television programming to a user, providing visual feedback to a user regarding an identified user-selected object in a presented moving picture, etc.).
- the exemplary television system 400 may comprise one or more processors 450 .
- the processor 450 may, for example, comprise a general purpose processor, digital signal processor, application-specific processor, microcontroller, microprocessor, etc.
- the processor 450 may operate in accordance with software (or firmware) instructions.
- software or firmware instructions.
- any or all functionality discussed herein may be performed by a processor executing instructions.
- various modules are illustrated as separate blocks or modules in FIG. 4 , such illustrative modules, or a portion thereof, may be implemented by the processor 450 .
- the exemplary television system 400 may comprise one or more memories 460 . As discussed above, various aspects may be performed by one or more processors executing instructions. Such instructions may, for example, be stored in the one or more memories 460 . Such memory 460 may, for example, comprise characteristics of any of a variety of types of memory. For example and without limitation, such memory 460 may comprise one or more memory chips (e.g., ROM, RAM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, one-time-programmable OTP memory, etc.), hard drive memory, CD memory, DVD memory, etc.
- memory chips e.g., ROM, RAM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, one-time-programmable OTP memory, etc.
- the exemplary television system 400 may comprise one or more modules 452 (e.g., moving picture information receiving module(s)) that operate to receive moving picture information for a television program.
- Such one or more modules 452 may, for example, operate to utilize the communication module 430 (e.g., and at least one of the communication interface modules 410 , 420 ) to receive such television program moving picture information.
- the communication module 430 e.g., and at least one of the communication interface modules 410 , 420
- such one or more modules 452 may operate to perform step 210 of the exemplary method 200 discussed previously and/or step 310 of the exemplary method 300 discussed previously.
- the exemplary television system 400 may comprise one or more module(s) 454 (e.g., user-selectable object information receiving module(s)) that operate to receive object information corresponding to one or more user-selectable objects in a television program.
- Such one or more modules 454 may, for example, operate to utilize the communication module 430 (e.g., and at least one of the communication interface modules 410 , 420 ) to receive such television program user-selectable object information.
- the communication module 430 e.g., and at least one of the communication interface modules 410 , 420
- such one or more modules 454 may operate to perform step 220 of the exemplary method 200 discussed previously and/or step 320 of the exemplary method 300 discussed previously.
- the exemplary television system 400 may comprise one or more modules 456 (e.g., moving picture and user-selectable object combining module(s)) that operate to combine received moving picture information (e.g., as received by the module(s) 452 ) and received user-selectable object information (e.g., as received by the module(s) 454 ) into a combined data set.
- modules 456 may, for example, operate to receive moving picture information from the module(s) 452 , receive user-selectable object information from the module(s) 454 , combine such received moving picture information and user-selectable object information into a combined data set, and output such combined data set.
- Such one or more modules 456 may operate to perform step 230 of the exemplary method 200 discussed previously and/or step 330 of the exemplary method 300 discussed previously.
- the exemplary television system 400 may comprise one or more modules 458 (e.g., combined data set communication module(s)) that operate to communicate the combined data set to at least one recipient system and/or device.
- modules 458 e.g., combined data set communication module(s)
- such module(s) 458 may operate to utilize the communication module(s) 430 (and, for example, one or both of the first communication interface module(s) 410 and second communication interface module(s) 420 )) to communicate the combined data set.
- such module(s) 458 may operate to communicate the combined data set to one or more system devices that store the combined data set on a physical medium (e.g., a computer-readable medium).
- Such one or more modules 458 may operate to perform step 240 of the exemplary method 200 discussed previously and/or step 340 of the exemplary method 300 discussed previously.
- the exemplary television system 400 may, for example, comprise one or more modules that operate to perform any or all of the continued processing discussed previously with regard to step 295 of the exemplary method 200 and step 395 of the exemplary method 300 , discussed previously.
- modules e.g., as with the one or more modules 452 , 454 , 456 and 458 ) may be performed by the processor(s) 450 executing instructions stored in the memory 460 .
- FIG. 5 such figure is a diagram illustrating exemplary modules and/or sub-modules for a television system 500 , in accordance with various aspects of the present invention.
- the exemplary television system 500 may share any or all aspects with the television system 400 illustrated in FIG. 4 and discussed previously.
- the exemplary television system 500 may, for example, share any or all characteristics with one or more of the television system components illustrated in FIG. 1 and discussed previously.
- the exemplary television system 500 may correspond to any of the television system components illustrated in FIG. 1 (or the like) or any group of the television system components illustrated in FIG. 1 (or the like).
- the exemplary television system 500 (or various modules thereof) may operate to perform any or all functionality discussed herein with regard to the exemplary method 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 and the exemplary method 300 illustrated in FIG. 3 .
- the television system 500 comprises a processor 530 .
- a processor 530 may, for example, share any or all characteristics with the processor 450 discussed with regard to FIG. 4 .
- the television system 500 comprises a memory 540 .
- Such memory 540 may, for example, share any or all characteristics with the memory 460 discussed with regard to FIG. 4 .
- the television system 500 may comprise any of a variety of user interface module(s) 550 .
- Such user interface module(s) 550 may, for example, share any or all characteristics with the user interface module(s) 440 discussed previously with regard to FIG. 4 .
- the user interface module(s) 550 may comprise: a display device, a camera (for still or moving picture acquisition), a speaker, an earphone (e.g., wired or wireless), a microphone, a video screen (e.g., a touch screen), a vibrating mechanism, a keypad, and/or any of a variety of other user interface devices (e.g., a mouse, a trackball, a touch pad, touch screen, light pen, game controlling device, etc.).
- the exemplary television system 500 may also, for example, comprise any of a variety of communication modules ( 505 , 506 , and 510 ). Such communication module(s) may, for example, share any or all characteristics with the communication interface module(s) 410 , 420 discussed previously with regard to FIG. 4 .
- the communication interface module(s) 510 may comprise: a Bluetooth interface module; an IEEE 802.11, 802.15, 802.16 and/or 802.20 module; any of a variety of cellular telecommunication interface modules (e.g., GSM/GPRS/EDGE, CDMA/CDMA2000/1x-EV-DO, WCDMA/HSDPA/HSUPA, TDMA/PDC, WiMAX, etc.); any of a variety of position-related communication interface modules (e.g., GPS, A-GPS, etc.); any of a variety of wired/tethered communication interface modules (e.g., USB, Fire Wire, RS-232, HDMI, Ethernet, wireline and/or cable modem, etc.); any of a variety of communication interface modules related to communicating with external memory devices; etc.
- the exemplary television system 500 is also illustrated as comprising various wired 506 and/or wireless 505 front-end modules that may, for example, be included in the communication interface modules and/or utilized thereby.
- the exemplary television system 500 may also comprise any of a variety of signal processing module(s) 590 .
- Such signal processing module(s) 590 may share any or all characteristics with modules of the exemplary television system 400 that perform signal processing.
- Such signal processing module(s) 590 may, for example, be utilized to assist in processing various types of information discussed previously (e.g., with regard to sensor processing, position determination, video processing, image processing, audio processing, general user interface information data processing, etc.).
- the signal processing module(s) 590 may comprise: video/graphics processing modules (e.g.
- audio processing modules e.g., MP3, AAC, MIDI, QCELP, AMR, CMX, etc.
- tactile processing modules e.g., Keypad I/O, touch screen processing, motor control, etc.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Multimedia (AREA)
- Signal Processing (AREA)
- Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
- Databases & Information Systems (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Software Systems (AREA)
- Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
- Marketing (AREA)
- Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
- Computer Graphics (AREA)
- Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
- Finance (AREA)
- User Interface Of Digital Computer (AREA)
- Two-Way Televisions, Distribution Of Moving Picture Or The Like (AREA)
- Position Input By Displaying (AREA)
- Selective Calling Equipment (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- This patent application is related to and claims priority from provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/242,234 filed Sep. 14, 2009, and titled “TELEVISION SYSTEM,” the contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. This patent application is also related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, filed concurrently herewith, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING INFORMATION OF SELECTABLE OBJECTS IN A TELEVISION PROGRAM IN AN INFORMATION STREAM INDEPENDENT OF THE TELEVISION PROGRAM”, Attorney Docket No. 21043US02; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, filed concurrently herewith, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING INFORMATION OF SELECTABLE OBJECTS IN A STILL IMAGE FILE AND/OR DATA STRAM”, Attorney Docket No. 21044US02. This patent application is further related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/774,380, filed May 5, 2010, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD IN A TELEVISION FOR PROVIDING USER-SELECTION OF OBJECTS IN A TELEVISION PROGRAM”, Attorney Docket No. 21037US02; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/850,832, filed Aug. 5, 2010, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD IN A DISTRIBUTED SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING USER-SELECTION OF OBJECTS IN A TELEVISION PROGRAM”, Attorney Docket No. 21038US02; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/850,866, filed Aug. 5, 2010, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD IN A TELEVISION RECEIVER FOR PROVIDING USER-SELECTION OF OBJECTS IN A TELEVISION PROGRAM”, Attorney Docket No. 21039US02; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/850,911, filed Aug. 5, 2010, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD IN A TELEVISION CONTROLLER FOR PROVIDING USER-SELECTION OF OBJECTS IN A TELEVISION PROGRAM”, Attorney Docket No. 21040US02; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/850,945, filed Aug. 5, 2010, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD IN A TELEVISION CONTROLLER FOR PROVIDING USER-SELECTION OF OBJECTS IN A TELEVISION PROGRAM”, Attorney Docket No. 21041US02; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/851,036, filed Aug. 5, 2010, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD IN A TELEVISION SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING USER-SELECTION OF OBJECTS IN A TELEVISION PROGRAM”, Attorney Docket No. 21051US02; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/851,075, filed Aug. 5, 2010, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD IN A PARALLEL TELEVISION SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING USER-SELECTION OF OBJECTS IN A TELEVISION PROGRAM”, Attorney Docket No. 21052US02. The contents of each of the above-mentioned applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
- [Not Applicable]
- [Not Applicable]
- [Not Applicable]
- Present television systems are incapable of providing for and/or conveniently providing for user-selection of objects in a television program. Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.
- Various aspects of the present invention provide a system and method for providing information of selectable objects in a television program, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims. These and other advantages, aspects and novel features of the present invention, as well as details of illustrative aspects thereof, will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings.
-
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary television system, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. -
FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method for providing embedded information of selectable objects in a television program, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. -
FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method for providing embedded information of selectable objects in a television program, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. -
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary television system, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. -
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating exemplary modules and/or sub-modules for a television system, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. - The following discussion will refer to various communication modules, components or circuits. Such modules, components or circuits may generally comprise hardware and/or a combination of hardware and software (e.g., including firmware). Such modules may also, for example, comprise a computer readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory medium) comprising instructions (e.g., software instructions) that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform various functional aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of various aspects of the present invention should not be limited by characteristics of particular hardware and/or software implementations of a module, component or circuit unless explicitly claimed as such. For example and without limitation, various aspects of the present invention may be implemented by one or more processors (e.g., a microprocessor, digital signal processor, baseband processor, microcontroller, etc.) executing software instructions (e.g., stored in volatile and/or non-volatile memory). Also for example, various aspects of the present invention may be implemented by an application-specific integrated circuit (“ASIC”) and/or other hardware components.
- Additionally, the following discussion will refer to various television system modules (e.g., television modules, television receiver modules, television controller modules, modules of a user's local television system, modules of a geographically distributed television system, etc.). It should be noted that the following discussion of such various modules is segmented into such modules for the sake of illustrative clarity. However, in actual implementation, the boundaries between various modules may be blurred. For example, any or all of the functional modules discussed herein may share various hardware and/or software components. For example, any or all of the functional modules discussed herein may be implemented wholly or in-part by a shared processor executing software instructions. Additionally, various software sub-modules that may be executed by one or more processors may be shared between various software modules. Accordingly, the scope of various aspects of the present invention should not be limited by arbitrary boundaries between various hardware and/or software components, unless explicitly claimed.
- The following discussion may also refer to communication networks and various aspects thereof. For the following discussion, a communication network is generally the communication infrastructure through which a communication device (e.g., a portable communication device, television, television control device, television provider, television programming provider, television receiver, video recording device, etc.) may communicate with other systems. For example and without limitation, a communication network may comprise a cable and/or satellite television communication network, a cellular communication network, a wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless personal area network (WPAN), a general data communication network (e.g., the Internet), any home or premises communication network, etc. A particular communication network may, for example, generally have a corresponding communication protocol according to which a communication device may communicate with the communication network. Unless so claimed, the scope of various aspects of the present invention should not be limited by characteristics of a particular type of communication network.
- The following discussion may at times refer to an on-screen pointing location. Such a pointing location refers to a location on the television screen (e.g., a primary television screen, a secondary television screen, etc.) to which a user (either directly or with a pointing device) is pointing. Such a pointing location is to be distinguished from other types of on-screen location identification, such as, for example, using arrow keys and/or a mouse to move a cursor or to traverse blocks (e.g., on an on-screen program guide) without pointing. Various aspects of the present invention, while referring to on-screen pointing location, are also readily extensible to such other forms of on-screen location identification.
- Additionally, the following discussion will at times refer to television programming. Such television programming generally includes various types of television programming (e.g., television programs, news programs, sports programs, music television, movies, television series programs and/or associated advertisements, educational programs, live or recorded television programming, broadcast/multicast/unicast television programming, etc.). Such television programming may, for example, comprise real-time television broadcast programming (or multicast or unicast television programming) and/or user-stored television programming that is stored in a user device (e.g., a VCR, PVR, etc.). Such television programming video content is to be distinguished from other non-programming video content that may be displayed on a television screen (e.g., an electronic program guide, user interface menu, a television set-up menu, a typical web page, a document, a graphical video game, etc.). Various aspects of the present invention may, for example in a television program source system and/or television program distribution system, comprise embedding information in a television program, where such information describes various aspects of user-selectable objects in the television program. Various aspects of the present invention may also, for example in a television, comprise receiving television programming, presenting such received television programming to a user, determining an on-screen pointing location pointed to by the user and processing information of user-selectable objects embedded in the received television programming to identify a user-selected object in the television programming and/or associated actions.
- Also, the following discussion will at times refer to user-selectable objects in television programming. Such user-selectable objects includes both animate (i.e., living) and inanimate (i.e., non-living) objects, both still and moving. Such objects may, for example, comprise characteristics of any of a variety of objects present in television programming. Such objects may, for example and without limitation, comprise inanimate objects, such as consumer good objects (e.g., clothing, automobiles, shoes, jewelry, furniture, food, beverages, appliances, electronics, toys, artwork, cosmetics, recreational vehicles, sports equipment, safety equipment, computer equipment, communication devices, books, etc.), premises objects (e.g., business locations, stores, hotels, signs, doors, buildings, landmarks, historical sites, entertainment venues, hospitals, government buildings, etc.), objects related to services (e.g., objects related to transportation, objects related to emergency services, objects related to general government services, objects related to entertainment services, objects related to food and/or drink services, etc.), objects related to location (e.g., parks, landmarks, streets, signs, road signs, etc.), etc. Such objects may, for example, comprise animate objects, such as people (e.g., actors/actresses, athletes, musicians, salespeople, commentators, reports, analysts, hosts/hostesses, entertainers, etc.), animals (e.g., pets, zoo animals, wild animals, etc.) and plants (e.g., flowers, trees, shrubs, fruits, vegetables, cacti, etc.).
- Turning first to
FIG. 1 , such figure is a diagram illustrating a non-limitingexemplary television system 100 in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. Theexemplary system 100 includes atelevision provider 110. Thetelevision provider 110 may, for example, comprise a television network company, a cable company, a movie-providing company, a news company, an educational institution, etc. Thetelevision provider 110 may, for example, be an original source of television programming (or related information). Also for example, thetelevision provider 110 may be a communication company that provides television programming distribution services (e.g., a cable television company, a satellite television company, a telecommunication company, a data network provider, etc.). Thetelevision provider 110 may, for example, provide television programming and non-programming information and/or video content. Thetelevision provider 110 may, for example, provide information related to a television program (e.g., information describing or otherwise related to selectable objects in programming, etc.). As will be discussed below in more detail, thetelevision provider 110 may operate to create a television program (or television program data set, television program data stream, etc.) that includes embedded information of user-selectable objects in the television program. For example and without limitation, such atelevision provider 110 may operate to receive a completed television program (e.g., a data file, a data stream, etc.), for example via a communication network and/or on a physical media, and embed information of user-selectable objects in the completed television program. Also for example, such atelevision provider 110 may operate to form the original television program and embed information of user-selectable objects in the original television program during such formation (e.g., in the studio). - The
exemplary television system 100 may also include a third partyprogram information provider 120. Such a provider may, for example, provide information related to a television program. Such information may, for example, comprise information describing user-selectable objects in programming, program guide information, etc. As will be discussed below in more detail, such a third party program information provider (e.g., a party independent of a television program source, television program network operator, etc.) may operate to create a television program (or television program data set, television program data stream, etc.) that includes embedded information of user-selectable objects in the television program. For example and without limitation, such a third partyprogram information provider 120 may operate to receive a completed television program (e.g., a data file, a data stream, etc.), for example via a communication network and/or on a physical media, and embed information of user-selectable objects in the completed television program. - The
exemplary television system 100 may include one or more communication networks (e.g., the communication network(s) 130). Theexemplary communication network 130 may comprise characteristics of any of a variety of types of communication networks over which television programming and/or information related to television programming may be communicated. For example and without limitation, thecommunication network 130 may comprise characteristics of any one or more of: a cable television network, a satellite television network, a telecommunication network, the Internet, a local area network (LAN), a personal area network (PAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), any of a variety of different types of home networks, etc. - The
exemplary television system 100 may include afirst television 140. Such afirst television 140 may, for example, comprise networking capability enablingsuch television 140 to communicate directly with thecommunication network 130. For example, thefirst television 140 may comprise one or more embedded television receivers or transceivers (e.g., a cable television receiver, satellite television transceiver, Internet modem, etc.). Also for example, thefirst television 140 may comprise one or more recording devices (e.g., for recording and/or playing back video content, television programming, etc.). Thefirst television 140 may, for example, operate to (which includes “operate when enabled to”) perform any or all of the functionality discussed herein. Thefirst television 140 may, for example, operate to receive and process television program information (e.g., via a communication network, stored on a physical medium or computer readable medium, etc.), where such television program information comprises embedded information of user-selectable objects. - The
exemplary television system 100 may include afirst television controller 160. Such afirst television controller 160 may, for example, operate to (e.g., which may include “operate when enabled to”) control operation of thefirst television 140. Thefirst television controller 160 may comprise characteristics of any of a variety of television controlling devices. For example and without limitation, thefirst television controller 160 may comprise characteristics of a dedicated television control device, a universal remote control, a cellular telephone or personal computing device with television control capability, etc. - The first television controller 160 (or television control device) may, for example, transmit signals directly to the
first television 140 to control operation of thefirst television 140. Thefirst television controller 160 may also, for example, operate to transmit signals (e.g., via the communication network 130) to thetelevision provider 110 to control television programming (or related information) being provided to thefirst television 140, or to conduct other transactions (e.g., business transactions, etc.). - As will be discussed in more detail later, the
first television controller 160 may operate to communicate screen pointing information with thefirst television 140 and/or other devices. Also, as will be discussed in more detail later, various aspects of the present invention include a user pointing to a location on a television screen (e.g., pointing to an animate or inanimate object presented in television programming). In such a scenario, the user may perform such pointing in any of a variety of manners. One of such exemplary manners includes pointing with a television control device. Thefirst television controller 160 provides a non-limiting example of a device that a user may utilize to point to an on-screen location. - Additionally, for example in a scenario in which the
first television controller 160 comprises an on-board display, thefirst television controller 160 may operate to receive and process television program information (e.g., via a communication network, stored on a physical medium or computer readable medium, etc.), where such television program information comprises embedded information of user-selectable objects. - As will be mentioned throughout the following discussion, various aspects of the invention will be performed by one or more devices, components and/or modules of a user's local television system. The
first television 140 andfirst television controller 160 provide a non-limiting example of a user's local television system. Such a user's local television system, for example, generally refers to the television-related devices that are local to the television system currently being utilized by the user. For example, when a user is utilizing a television system located at the user's home, the user's local television system generally refers to the television-related devices that make up the user's home television system. Also for example, when a user is utilizing a television system at a premises away from the user's home (e.g., at another home, at a hotel, at an office, etc.), the user's local television system generally refers to the television-related devices that make up the premises television system Such a user's local television system does not, for example, comprise television network infrastructure devices that are generally outside of the user's current premises (e.g., cable and/or satellite head-end apparatus, cable and/or satellite communication intermediate communication network nodes) and/or programming source devices that are generally managed by television enterprises and generally exist outside of the user's home. Such entities, which may be communicatively coupled to the user's local television system, may be considered to be entities remote from the user's local television system (or “remote entities”). - The
exemplary television system 100 may also include atelevision receiver 151. Thetelevision receiver 151 may, for example, operate to (e.g., which may include “operate when enabled to”) provide a communication link between a television and/or television controller and a communication network and/or information provider. For example, thetelevision receiver 151 may operate to provide a communication link between thesecond television 141 and thecommunication network 130, or between thesecond television 141 and the television provider 110 (and/or third party program information provider 120) via thecommunication network 130. - The
television receiver 151 may comprise characteristics of any of a variety of types of television receivers. For example and without limitation, thetelevision receiver 151 may comprise characteristics of a cable television receiver, a satellite television receiver, etc. Also for example, thetelevision receiver 151 may comprise a data communication network modem for data network communications (e.g., with the Internet, a LAN, PAN, MAN, telecommunication network, etc.). Thetelevision receiver 151 may also, for example, comprise recording capability (e.g., programming recording and playback, etc.). - Additionally, for example in a scenario in which the
television receiver 151 comprises an on-board display and/or provides audio/video information to a television communicatively coupled thereto, thetelevision receiver 151 may operate to receive and process television program information (e.g., via a communication network, stored on a physical medium or computer readable medium, etc.), where such television program information comprises embedded information of user-selectable objects. - The
exemplary television system 100 may include asecond television controller 161. Such asecond television controller 161 may, for example, operate to (e.g., which may include “operate when enabled to”) control operation of thesecond television 141 and thetelevision receiver 151. Thesecond television controller 161 may comprise characteristics of any of a variety of television controlling devices. For example and without limitation, thesecond television controller 161 may comprise characteristics of a dedicated television control device, a dedicated television receiver control device, a universal remote control, a cellular telephone or personal computing device with television control capability, etc. - The
second television controller 161 may, for example, operate to transmit signals directly to thesecond television 141 to control operation of thesecond television 141. Thesecond television controller 161 may, for example, operate to transmit signals directly to thetelevision receiver 151 to control operation of thetelevision receiver 151. Thesecond television controller 161 may additionally, for example, operate to transmit signals (e.g., via thetelevision receiver 151 and the communication network 130) to thetelevision provider 110 to control television programming (or related information) being provided to thetelevision receiver 151, or to conduct other transactions (e.g., business transactions, etc.). - As will be discussed in more detail later, various aspects of the present invention include a user selecting a user-selectable object in programming. Such selection may, for example, comprise the user pointing to a location on a television screen (e.g., pointing to an animate or inanimate object presented in television programming). In such a scenario, the user may perform such pointing in any of a variety of manners. One of such exemplary manners includes pointing with a television control device. The
second television controller 161 provides one non-limiting example of a device that a user may utilize to point to an on-screen location. Also, in a scenario in which thesecond television controller 161 comprises a touch screen, a user may touch a location of such touch screen to point to an on-screen location (e.g., to select a user-selectable object). - As will be mentioned throughout the following discussion, and as mentioned previously in the discussion of the
first television 140 andtelevision controller 160, various aspects of the invention will be performed by one or more devices, components and/or modules of a user's local television system. Thesecond television 141,television receiver 151 andsecond television controller 161 provide another non-limiting example of a user's local television system. - Additionally, for example in a scenario in which the
second television controller 161 comprises an on-board display, thesecond television controller 161 may operate to receive and process television program information (e.g., via a communication network, stored on a physical medium or computer readable medium, etc.), where such television program information comprises embedded information of user-selectable objects. - The
exemplary television system 100 was provided to provide a non-limiting illustrative foundation for discussion of various aspects of the present invention. Thus, the scope of various aspects of the present invention should not be limited by any characteristics of theexemplary television system 100 unless explicitly claimed. -
FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating anexemplary method 200 for providing embedded information of selectable objects in a television program, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. Any or all aspects of theexemplary method 200 may, for example, be implemented in a television system component (e.g., thetelevision provider 110, third partyprogram information provider 120, a component of acommunication network 130,first television 140,first television controller 160,second television 141,television receiver 151,second television controller 161, shown inFIG. 1 and discussed previously) and/or a plurality of such television system components operating in conjunction. For example, any or all aspects of theexemplary method 200 may be implemented in one or more television system components remote from the user's local television system. Also for example, any or all aspects of theexemplary method 200 may be implemented in one or more components of the user's local television system. - The
exemplary method 200 may, for example, begin executing atstep 205. Theexemplary method 200 may begin executing in response to any of a variety of causes and/or conditions, non-limiting examples of which will now be provided. For example, theexemplary method 200 may begin executing in response to a user command to begin (e.g., a user at a television program source, a user at a television production studio, a user at a television distribution enterprise, etc.), in response to television program information and/or information of user-selectable objects in a television program arriving at a system entity implementing themethod 200, in response to an electronic request communicated from the external entity to a system entity implementing themethod 200, in response to a timer, in response to a request from an end user and/or a component of a user's local television system for a television program including information of user-selectable objects, in response to a request from a user for a television program where such user is associated in a database with television programming comprising user-selectable objects, upon reset and/or power-up of a system component implementing theexemplary method 200, in response to identification of a user and/or user equipment for which object selection capability is to be provided, in response to user payment of a fee, etc. - The
exemplary method 200 may, for example atstep 210, comprise receiving moving picture information for a television program. Many non-limiting examples of such television programs were provided above. Note that, depending on the particular implementation, such moving picture information may also, for example, be received with corresponding audio information. - Step 210 may comprise receiving the moving picture information from any of a variety of sources, non-limiting examples of which will now be provided. For example and without limitation, step 210 may comprise receiving the moving picture information from a television broadcasting company, from a movie streaming company, from a television studio, from a television program database or server, from a video camera or other video recording device, an Internet television programming provider, etc.
- Step 210 may comprise receiving the moving picture information via any of a variety of types of communication networks. Such networks may, for example, comprise a wireless television network (e.g., terrestrial and/or satellite) and/or cable television network. Such networks may, for example, comprise any of variety of general data communication networks (e.g., the Internet, a local area network, a personal area network, a metropolitan area network, etc.).
- Step 210 may comprise receiving the moving picture information from any of a variety of types of hard media (e.g., optical storage media, magnetic storage media, etc.). Such hard media may, for example, comprise characteristics of optical storage media (e.g., compact disc, digital versatile disc, Blueray®, laser disc, etc.), magnetic storage media (e.g., hard disc, diskette, magnetic tape, etc.), computer memory device (e.g., flash memory, one-time-programmable memory, read-only memory, random access memory, thumb drive, etc.). Such memory may, for example, be a temporary and/or permanent component of the system entity implementing the
method 200. For example, in a scenario including the utilization of such hard media,step 210 may comprise receiving the moving picture information from such a device and/or from a reader of such a device (e.g., directly via an end-to-end conductor or via a communication network). - In an exemplary scenario, step 210 may comprise receiving a completed moving picture data set for the television program, the completed moving picture data set formatted for communicating the television program without information describing user-selectable objects in the television program. For example, the received completed moving picture data set may be in conformance with a moving picture standard (e.g., MPEG, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, MPEG-4 AVC, DVD, way, etc.). For example, such a data set may be a data file (or set of logically linked data files) formatted in an MPEG or DVD format for normal presentation on a user's local television system. Such a data set of a television program, when received at
step 210, might not have information of user-selectable objects in the television program. Such information of user-selectable objects may then, for example, be added, as will be explained below. - In another exemplary scenario, step 210 may comprise receiving moving picture information for the television program prior to the moving picture information being formatted into a completed moving picture data set for communicating the television program. In an exemplary implementation,
step 210 may comprise receiving moving picture information (e.g., frame-by-frame bitmaps, partially encoded moving picture information, etc.) that will be formatted in accordance with a moving picture standard, but which has not yet been so formatted. Such a data set of a television program, when received atstep 210, might not have information of user-selectable objects in the television program. Such information of user-selectable objects may then, for example, be added, as will be explained below. - In yet another exemplary scenario, step 210 may comprise receiving a completed moving picture data set for the television program, the completed moving picture data set formatted for communicating the television program with information describing user-selectable objects in the television program. For example, the received completed moving picture data set may be in conformance with a moving picture standard (e.g., MPEG, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, MPEG-4 AVC, DVD, way, etc.), or a variant thereof, that specifically accommodates information of user-selectable objects in the television program. Also for example, the received completed moving picture data set may be in conformance with a moving picture standard (e.g., MPEG, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, MPEG-4 AVC, DVD, way, etc.), or a variant thereof, that while not specifically accommodating information of user-selectable objects in the television program, allows for the incorporation of such information in unassigned data fields. For example, such a data set may be a data file (or set of logically linked data files) formatted in an MPEG or DVD format for normal presentation on a user's local television system. Such a data set of a television program, when received at
step 210, might comprise information of user-selectable objects in the television program. Such information of user-selectable objects may then, for example, be deleted, modified and/or appended, as will be explained below. - Step 210 may, for example, comprise receiving the moving picture information in digital and/or analog signals. Though the examples provided above generally concerned the receipt of digital data, such examples are readily extendible to the receipt of analog moving picture information (e.g., the receipt of composite and/or component video signals, etc.).
- In general,
step 210 may comprise receiving moving picture information for a television program. Accordingly, the scope of various aspects of the present invention should not be limited by characteristics of any particular type of moving picture information or by any particular manner of receiving moving picture information unless explicitly claimed. - The
exemplary method 200 may, atstep 220, comprise receiving object information corresponding to a user-selectable object in the television program. Many non-limiting examples of receiving such object information will now be provided. - Step 220 may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information from any of a variety of sources, non-limiting examples of which will now be provided. For example and without limitation, step 220 may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information from a television broadcasting company, from a movie streaming company, from a television studio, from a television program database or server, from an advertising company, from a commercial enterprise associated with a user-selectable object in a television program, from a person or organization associated with a user-selectable object in a television program, from an Internet television programming provider, from a third party television program information source, etc.
- Step 210 may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information from a plurality of independent sources. For example, in an exemplary scenario in which a television program includes user-selectable objects corresponding to a plurality of respective interested parties (e.g., respective product sponsors, respective leagues or other associations, respective people, etc.),
step 210 may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information from each of such respective interested parties. For example, step 210 may comprise receiving user-selectable object information corresponding to a user-selectable consumer good in a television program from a provider of such consumer good, receiving user-selectable object information corresponding to an entertainer in the television program from the entertainer's management company, receiving user-selectable object information corresponding to a user-selectable historical landmark in the television program from a society associated with the historical landmark, receiving user-selectable object information corresponding to a user-selectable object in the television program associated with a service from a provider of such service, etc. In such a multiple-source scenario, step 210 may comprise aggregating the user-selectable object information received from the plurality of sources (e.g., into a single user-selectable object data set) for ultimate combination of such user-selectable object information with received moving picture information. - Step 220 may, for example, comprise receiving the user-selectable object information from a same source as that from which the moving picture information was received at
step 210 or may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information from a different source. For example and without limitation, step 220 may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information from an advertising company, whilestep 210 comprises receiving the moving picture information from a television studio. In another example, step 220 may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information from a commercial enterprise associated with a consumer good object presented in the television program, whilestep 210 comprises receiving the moving picture information from a head-end server of a sports network. - In yet another example, step 220 may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information directly from a computer process that generates such information. For example, an operator may play a moving picture (e.g., at a normal rate, a slower-than-normal rate, frame-by-frame, etc.) and utilize graphical tools (e.g., boxes or other polygons, edge detection routines, etc.) to define and track movement of a user-selectable object in the moving picture. Such a computer process may then output information describing the object and/or movement thereof in the moving picture. Step 220 may comprise receiving the information output from such process.
- Step 220 may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information via any of a variety of types of communication networks. Such networks may, for example, comprise a wireless television network (e.g., terrestrial and/or satellite) and/or cable television network. Such networks may, for example, comprise any of variety of general data communication networks (e.g., the Internet, a local area network, a personal area network, a metropolitan area network, etc.).
- Step 220 may, for example, comprise receiving the user-selectable object information via a same communication network as that via which the moving picture information was received at
step 210 or may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information from a different communication network. For example and without limitation, step 220 may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information via a general data communication network (e.g., the Internet), whilestep 210 comprises receiving the moving picture information via a television network. In another example, step 220 may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information via a general data network, whilestep 210 comprises receiving the moving picture information from a computer readable medium. - Step 220 may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information from any of a variety of types of hard media (e.g., optical storage media, magnetic storage media, etc.). Such hard media may, for example, comprise characteristics of optical storage media (e.g., compact disc, digital versatile disc, Blueray®, laser disc, etc.), magnetic storage media (e.g., hard disc, diskette, magnetic tape, etc.), computer memory device (e.g., flash memory, one-time-programmable memory, read-only memory, random access memory, thumb drive, etc.). Such memory may, for example, be a temporary and/or permanent component of the system entity implementing the
method 200. For example, in a scenario including the utilization of such hard media,step 220 may comprise receiving the user-selectable object information from such a device and/or from a reader of such a device (e.g., directly via an end-to-end conductor or via a communication network). - The object information corresponding to one or more user-selectable objects that is received at
step 220 may comprise any of a variety of characteristics, non-limiting examples of which will now be provided. - For example, such user-selectable object information may comprise information describing and/or defining the user-selectable object that is shown in the television program. Such information may, for example, be processed by a recipient of such information to identify an object that is being selected by a user. Such information may, for example, comprise information describing boundaries associated with a user-selectable object in the television program (e.g., actual object boundaries (e.g., an object outline), areas generally coinciding with a user-selectable object (e.g., a description of one or more geometric shapes that generally correspond to a user-selectable object), selection areas that when selected indicate user-selection of a user-selectable object (e.g., a superset and/or subset of a user-selectable object in the television program), etc. Such information may, for example, describe and/or define the user-selectable in a television program frame coordinate system.
- Such information describing and/or defining the user-selectable object that is shown in the television program may comprise information describing movement of a user-selectable object in the television program. For example, such information may comprise information describing the location of the object on a frame-by-frame basis, information describing movement of a user-selectable object in television screen coordinates as a function of time and/or frame, information describing location of a user-selectable object in a video frame relative to a previous object location in a previous video frame, etc.
- Many examples of such object description information are provided in a variety of related U.S. patent applications. For example, as mentioned previously, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/774,380, filed May 5, 2010, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD IN A TELEVISION FOR PROVIDING USER-SELECTION OF OBJECTS IN A TELEVISION PROGRAM”, Attorney Docket No. 21037US02; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/850,832, filed Aug. 5, 2010, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD IN A DISTRIBUTED SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING USER-SELECTION OF OBJECTS IN A TELEVISION PROGRAM”, Attorney Docket No. 21038US02; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/850,866, filed Aug. 5, 2010, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD IN A TELEVISION RECEIVER FOR PROVIDING USER-SELECTION OF OBJECTS IN A TELEVISION PROGRAM”, Attorney Docket No. 21039US02; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/850,911, filed Aug. 5, 2010, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD IN A TELEVISION CONTROLLER FOR PROVIDING USER-SELECTION OF OBJECTS IN A TELEVISION PROGRAM”, Attorney Docket No. 21040US02; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/850,945, filed Aug. 5, 2010, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD IN A TELEVISION CONTROLLER FOR PROVIDING USER-SELECTION OF OBJECTS IN A TELEVISION PROGRAM”, Attorney Docket No. 21041US02; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/851,036, filed Aug. 5, 2010, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD IN A TELEVISION SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING USER-SELECTION OF OBJECTS IN A TELEVISION PROGRAM”, Attorney Docket No. 21051US02; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/851,075, filed Aug. 5, 2010, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD IN A PARALLEL TELEVISION SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING USER-SELECTION OF OBJECTS IN A TELEVISION PROGRAM”, Attorney Docket No. 21052US02, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, provide many examples of information describing (or otherwise related to) user-selectable objects in television programming.
- Also for example, such user-selectable object information may comprise information describing the object, where such information may be presented to the user upon user-selection of a user selectable object. For example, such object information may comprise information describing physical characteristics of a user-selectable object, background information, historical information, general information of interest, location information, financial information, travel information, commerce information, personal information, etc.
- Additionally for example, such user-selectable object information may comprise information describing and/or defining actions that may be taken upon user-selection of a user-selectable object, non-limiting examples of such actions and/or related information corresponding to a respective user-selectable object will now be presented.
- For example, such user-selectable object information may comprise information describing a one or more manners of determining information to present to the user (e.g., retrieving such information from a known location, conducting a search for such information, etc.), establishing a communication session by which a user may interact with networked entities associated with a user-selected object, interacting with a user regarding display of a user-selected object and/or associated information, etc.
- For example, such user-selectable object information may comprise information describing one or more manners of obtaining one or more sets of information, where such information may then, for example, be presented to the user. For example, such information may comprise a memory address (or data storage address) and/or a communication network address (e.g., an address of a networked data server, a URL, etc.), where such address may correspond to a location at which information corresponding to the identified object may be obtained. Such information may, for example, comprise a network address of a component with which a communication session may be initiated and/or conducted (e.g., to obtain information regarding the user-selected object, to interact with the user regarding the selected object, etc.).
- In an exemplary scenario in which the user-selectable object information comprises information to present to a user upon user-selection of a selectable object in a television program, such information may comprise any of a variety of different types of information related to the user-selected object. For example and without limitation, such information may comprise information describing the user-selectable object (e.g., information describing aspects of the object, history of the object, design of the object, source of the object, price of the object, critiques of the object, information provided by commercial enterprises producing and/or providing such object, etc.), information indicating to the user how the user may obtain the selected object, information indicating how the user may utilize the selected object, etc. The information may, for example, comprise information of one or more non-commercial organizations associated with, and/or having information pertaining to, the identified user-selected object (e.g., non-profit and/or government organization contact information, web site address information, etc.).
- In another exemplary scenario, the information corresponding to a user-selectable object in the television program may comprise information related to conducting a search for information corresponding to the user-selectable object. Such information may, for example, comprise network search terms that may be utilized in a search engine to search for information corresponding to the user-selected object. Such information may also comprise information describing the network boundaries of such a search, for example, identifying particular search networks, particular servers, particular addresses, particular databases, etc.
- In an exemplary scenario the information corresponding to a user-selectable object may describe a manner in which a system is to intact with a user to more clearly identify information desired by the user. For example, such information may comprise information specifying user interaction that should take place when an amount of information available and corresponding to a user-selectable object exceeds a particular threshold. Such user interaction may, for example, help to reduce the amount of information that may ultimately be presented to the user. For example, such information may comprise information describing a user interface comprising providing a list (or menu) of types of information available to the user and soliciting information from the user regarding the selection of one or more of the listed types of information.
- In yet another exemplary scenario, in which an action associated with a user-selectable object comprises the establishment and/or management of a communication session between the user and one or more networked entities, the user-selectable object information may comprise information describing the manner in which a communication session may be established and/or management.
- In still another exemplary scenario, in which an action associated with a user-selectable object comprises providing a user interface by which a user may initiate and perform a commercial transaction regarding a user-selectable object, the user-selectable object information may comprise information describing the manner in which the commercial transaction is to be performed (e.g., order forms, financial information exchange, order tracking, etc.).
- As shown above, various user-selectable objects (or types of objects) may, for example, be associated with any of a variety of respective actions that may be taken upon selection of a respective user-selectable object by a user. Such actions (e.g., information retrieval, information searching, communication session management, commercial transaction management, etc.) may, for example, be included in a table or other data structure indexed by the identity of a respective user-selectable object.
- Other non-limiting examples of object information corresponding to user-selectable objects in a television program may comprise: athlete information (e.g., statistics, personal information, professional information, history, etc.), entertainer information (e.g., personal information, discography and/or filmography information, information of related organizations, fan club information, photograph and/or video information, etc.), landmark information (e.g., historical information, visitation information, location information, mapping information, photo album information, visitation diary, charitable donation information, etc.), political figure information (e.g., party affiliation, stances on particular issues, history, financial information, voting record, attendance record, etc.), information regarding general types of objects (e.g., information describing actions to take upon user-selection of a person object, of a consumer good object, of a landmark object, etc.) and/or specific objects (e.g., information describing actions to take when a particular person object is selected, when a particular consumer good object is selected, when a particular landmark object is selected, etc.).
- For additional non-limiting examples of actions that may be performed related to user-selectable objects in television programming, and related user-selectable object information that may be combined with television program moving picture information, the reader is directed to U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, filed concurrently herewith, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD IN A DISTRIBUTED SYSTEM FOR RESPONDING TO USER-SELECTION OF AN OBJECT IN A TELEVISION PROGRAM”, Attorney Docket No. 21045US02; U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, filed concurrently herewith, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD IN A LOCAL TELEVISION SYSTEM FOR RESPONDING TO USER-SELECTION OF AN OBJECT IN A TELEVISION PROGRAM”, Attorney Docket No. 21046US02; U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, filed concurrently herewith, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD IN A TELEVISION SYSTEM FOR RESPONDING TO USER-SELECTION OF AN OBJECT IN A TELEVISION PROGRAM BASED ON USER LOCATION”, Attorney Docket No. 21047US02; U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, filed concurrently herewith, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD IN A TELEVISION SYSTEM FOR PRESENTING INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH A USER-SELECTED OBJECT IN A TELEVISION PROGRAM”, Attorney Docket No. 21048US02; U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, filed concurrently herewith, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD IN A TELEVISION SYSTEM FOR PRESENTING INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH A USER-SELECTED OBJECT IN A TELEVISION PROGRAM”, Attorney Docket No. 21049US02; U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, filed concurrently herewith, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD IN A TELEVISION SYSTEM FOR RESPONDING TO USER-SELECTION OF AN OBJECT IN A TELEVISION PROGRAM UTILIZING AN ALTERNATIVE COMMUNICATION NETWORK”, Attorney Docket No. 21050US02; U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, filed concurrently herewith, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD IN A TELEVISION FOR PROVIDING ADVERTISING INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH A USER-SELECTED OBJECT IN A TELEVISION PROGRAM”, Attorney Docket No. 21053US02; U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, filed concurrently herewith, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD IN A TELEVISION FOR PROVIDING INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH A USER-SELECTED PERSON IN A TELEVISION PROGRAM”, Attorney Docket No. 21054US02; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, filed concurrently herewith, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD IN A TELEVISION FOR PROVIDING INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH A USER-SELECTED INFORMATION ELEMENT IN A TELEVISION PROGRAM”, Attorney Docket No. 21055US02. The entire contents of each of such applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
- In general, the above-mentioned types of information corresponding to user-selectable objects in television programming may be general to all eventual viewers of the television program, but may also be customized to a particular target user and/or end user. For example, such information may be customized to a particular user (e.g., based on income level, demographics, age, employment status and/or type, education level and/or type, family characteristics, religion, purchasing history, neighborhood characteristics, home characteristics, health characteristics, etc. For example, such information may also be customized to a particular geographical location or region.
- In general,
step 220 may comprise receiving object information corresponding to a user-selectable object in the television program. Accordingly, the scope of various aspects of the present invention should not be limited by characteristics of any particular type of such user-selectable object information or by any particular manner of receiving such user-selectable object information unless explicitly claimed. - The
exemplary method 200 may, atstep 230, comprise combining the received moving picture information (e.g., as received at step 210) and the received user-selectable object information (e.g., as received at step 220) in a combined data set. Many non-limiting examples of such combining will now be provided. - As mentioned previously,
step 210 may comprise receiving moving picture information for a television program by, at least in part, receiving a completed moving picture data set for the television program, where the completed moving picture data set is formatted for communicating the television program without information describing user-selectable objects in the television program. In such an exemplary scenario, step 230 may comprise combining the received moving picture information and the received user-selectable object information by, at least in part, inserting the received user-selectable object information in the completed moving picture data set to create a combined data set comprising the received moving picture data set and the received user-selectable object information. - For example, in an exemplary scenario in which the received completed moving picture data set, as received, is formatted in accordance with a moving picture standard (e.g., an MPEG standard),
step 230 may comprise inserting the received user-selectable object information in data fields of the completed moving picture data set that are not assigned by the moving picture standard for any specific type of information (e.g., inserting such information into unassigned data fields provided by the moving picture standard, adding new data fields to the moving picture standard, etc.). - Such inserting may, for example, comprise inserting the received user-selectable object information in data fields of the completed moving picture data set that are interleaved with data fields carrying moving picture data. For example, such inserting may be performed in accordance with a format alternating moving picture data and user-selectable object information on a frame-by-frame basis (e.g.,
sequencing frame 1 moving picture data,frame 1 user-selectable object information,sequencing frame 2 moving picture data,frame 2 user-selectable object information, etc.), by groups of frames (e.g., frame 1-A moving picture data, frame 1-A user-selectable object information, frame A-N moving picture data, frame A-N user-selectable object information, etc.), by sub-frames, etc. Also for example, utilizing time information user-selectable object information need not be strictly placed with the moving picture data for the frame(s) in which the user-selectable object appears. For example, information of user-selectable objects in frame N+1 may be communicated with frame N moving picture information. - Also for example, in another exemplary scenario in which the received completed moving picture data set, as received, is formatted in accordance with a moving picture data standard that specifically assigns data fields to information of user-selectable objects,
step 230 may comprise inserting the received user-selectable object information in the data fields of the completed moving picture data set that are specifically assigned by the moving picture standard to contain information of user-selectable objects. - Also as mentioned previously,
step 210 may comprise receiving moving picture information for a television program by, at least in part, receiving moving picture information for the television program prior to the moving picture information being formatted into a completed moving picture data set for communicating the television program. For example, such a scenario may comprise receiving information describing the television program moving picture that has yet to be formatted into a data set that conforms to a particular moving picture standard (e.g., bitmap information, still frame information, movement vector information, etc., which has yet to be placed into a self-contained MPEG data set for communicating the television program). In such an exemplary scenario, step 230 may comprise combining the received moving picture information and the received user-selectable object information into a completed moving picture data set that is formatted for communicating the television program with information describing user-selectable objects in the television program (e.g., into a single cohesive data set, for example, a single data file or other data structure, into a plurality of logically linked data files or other data structures, etc.). - In an exemplary scenario, such a completed moving picture data set may be formatted in accordance with a moving picture standard that specifically assigns respective data fields (or elements) to moving picture information and user-selectable object information. In another exemplary scenario, such a completed moving picture data set may be formatted in accordance with a moving picture standard that specifically assigns data fields to moving picture information, but does not specifically assign data fields to user-selectable object information (e.g., utilizing general-purpose unassigned data fields, adding new data fields to the standard, etc.).
- Also as mentioned previously,
step 210 may comprise receiving moving picture information for a television program by, at least in part, receiving an initial combined television program data set that comprises initial moving picture information and initial user-selectable object information corresponding to user-selectable objects in the television program. For example, prior to being received, the received initial combined television program data set may have already been formed into a single cohesive data set that comprises the moving picture information for the television program and information of user-selectable objects in the television program. - In such an exemplary scenario, step 230 may comprise modifying the initial user-selectable object information of the initial combined television program data set in accordance with the received user-selectable object information (e.g., as received at step 220). Such modifying may, for example and without limitation, comprise adding the received object information to the initial object information in the initial combined television program data set (e.g., in unused unassigned data fields and/or in unused data fields that have been specifically assigned to contain user-selectable object information, etc.).
- Also such modifying may comprise changing at least a portion of the initial object information of the initial combined television program data set in accordance with the received user-selectable object information (e.g., changing information defining a user-selectable object in a presented television program, changing information about a user-selectable object to be presented to a user, changing information regarding any action that may be performed upon user-selection of a user-selectable object, etc.). Additionally, such modifying may comprise deleting at least a portion of the initial object information in accordance with the received user-selectable object information (e.g., in a scenario in which the received user-selectable object information includes a command or directive to remove a portion or all information corresponding to a particular user-selectable object).
- In the previously provided examples of combining the received moving picture information and the received user-selectable object information, step 230 may comprise performing such operations automatically (i.e., without real-time interaction with a user while such operations are being performed) and may also be performed with user interaction. For example, the received moving picture information and the received user-selectable object information may each be time-stamped to assist in merging such information. For example, step 230 may comprise analyzing such respective time-stamps to determine the location in a serial stream of moving picture information at which the user-selectable object information is to be inserted. For example, the user-selectable object information for a particular user-selectable object may comprise information of the time and/or frame numbers at which the user-selectable object appears in the television program. Such information may be utilized at
step 230 to determine the appropriate location in the moving picture data set at which to place the user-selectable object information. - In another example, step 230 may comprise presenting an operator with a view of the moving picture of a television program and a view of a user-selectable object in such moving picture for which information is being added to a combined dataset. Step 230 may then comprise interacting with the operator to obtain permission and/or directions for combining the moving picture and user-selectable object information.
- Note that
step 230 may comprise encrypting the user-selectable object information or otherwise restricting access to such information. For example, in a scenario in which access to such information is provided on a subscription basis, in a scenario in which providers of such information desire to protect such information from undesirable access and/or manipulation, etc., such information protection may be beneficial. - In general,
step 230 may comprise combining the received moving picture information (e.g., as received at step 210) and the received user-selectable object information (e.g., as received at step 220) in a combined data set. Accordingly, the scope of various aspects of the present invention should not be limited by any particular manner of performing such combining and/or any particular format in which such a combined data set may be placed unless specifically claimed. - The
exemplary method 200 may, atstep 240, comprise communicating the combined data set(s) (e.g., as formed at step 230) to one or more recipient systems or devices. Such communication may comprise characteristics of any of a variety of types of communication, non-limiting examples of which will now be presented. - Step 240 may, for example, comprise communicating the combined data set(s) via a communication network (e.g., a television communication network, a telecommunication network, a general data communication network (e.g., the Internet, a LAN, etc.), etc.). Many non-limiting examples of such communication network were provided previously. Step 240 may, for example, comprise broadcasting, multi-casting and/or uni-casting the combined data set over one or more communication networks. Step 240 may also, for example, comprise communicating the combined data set(s) to another system and/or device via a direct conductive path (e.g., via a wire, circuit board trace, conductive trace on a die, etc.).
- Additionally for example, step 240 may comprise storing the combined data set(s) on a computer readable medium (e.g., a DVD, a CD, a Blueray® disc, a laser disc, a magnetic tape, a hard drive, a diskette, etc.). Such a computer readable medium may then, for example, be shipped to a distributor and/or ultimate recipient of the computer readable medium. Further for example, step 240 may comprise storing the combined data set(s) in a volatile and/or non-volatile memory device (e.g., a flash memory device, a one-time-programmable memory device, an EEPROM, a RAM, etc.).
- Further for example, step 240 may comprise storing (or causing or otherwise participating in the storage of) the combined data set(s) in a television system component (e.g., a component or device of the user's local television system and/or a component or device of a television program provider and/or a component or device of any television program source. For example and without limitation, step 240 may comprise storing the combined dataset(s), or otherwise participating in the storage of the combined dataset(s), in a component of the user's local television system (e.g., in a digital video recorder, a television receiver, a television, a television controller, personal communication device, a local networked database, a local networked personal computer, etc.).
- Step 240 may, for example, comprise communicating the combined data set in serial fashion. For example, step 240 may comprise communicating the combined data set (comprising interleaved moving picture information and user-selectable object information) in a single data stream (e.g., via a television network, via a general data network, stored on a hard medium in such serial fashion, etc.). Also for example, step 240 may comprise communicating the combined data set in parallel data streams, each of which comprises interleaved moving picture information and user-selectable object information (e.g., as opposed to separate distinct respective data streams for each of moving picture information and user-selectable object information).
- In general,
step 240 may comprise communicating the combined data set(s) (e.g., as formed at step 230) to one or more recipient systems or devices (e.g., an end user or associated system, television programming provider or associated system, an advertiser or associated system, a television program producer or associated system, a television program database, a television program server, etc.). Accordingly, the scope of various aspects of the present invention should not be limited by characteristics of any particular manner of performing such communicating or by any particular recipient of such communication unless explicitly claimed. - The
exemplary method 200 may, for example atstep 295, comprise performing continued operations. Step 295 may comprise performing any of a variety of continued operations, non-limiting examples of such continued operation(s) will be presented below. For example, step 295 may comprise returning execution flow to any of the previously discussed method steps. For example, step 295 may comprise returning execution flow of theexemplary method 200 to step 220 for receiving additional user-selectable object information to combine with television program information. Also for example, step 295 may comprise returning execution flow of theexemplary method 200 to step 210 for receiving additional television program moving picture information and user-selectable object information to combine with such received television program information. Additionally for example, step 295 may comprise returning execution flow of theexemplary method 200 to step 240 for additional communication of the combined information to additional recipients. - In general,
step 295 may comprise performing continued operations (e.g., performing additional operations corresponding to combining television program information and information of user-selectable objects in such programming, etc.). Accordingly, the scope of various aspects of the present invention should not be limited by characteristics of any particular type of continued processing unless explicitly claimed. - Turning next to
FIG. 3 , such figure is a flow diagram illustrating anexemplary method 300 for providing embedded information of selectable objects in a television program, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. Theexemplary method 300 may, for example, share any or all characteristics with theexemplary method 200 illustrated inFIG. 2 and discussed previously. Any or all aspects of theexemplary method 300 may, for example, be implemented in a television system component (e.g., thetelevision provider 110, third partyprogram information provider 120, a component of acommunication network 130,first television 140,first television controller 160,second television 141,television receiver 151,second television controller 161, shown inFIG. 1 and discussed previously) and/or a plurality of such television system components operating in conjunction. For example, any or all aspects of theexemplary method 300 may be implemented in one or more television system components remote from the user's local television system. Also for example, any or all aspects of theexemplary method 200 may be implemented in one or more components of the user's local television system. - The
exemplary method 300 may, for example, begin executing atstep 305. Theexemplary method 300 may begin executing in response to any of a variety of causes or conditions. Step 305 may, for example, share any or all characteristics withstep 205 of theexemplary method 200 illustrated inFIG. 2 and discussed previously. - The
exemplary method 300 may, for example atstep 310, comprise receiving moving picture information for a television program. Step 310 may, for example, share any or all characteristics withstep 210 of theexemplary method 200 illustrated inFIG. 2 and discussed previously. For example, step 310 may comprise receiving any of the various types of moving picture information from any of the various sources of moving picture information via any of the various communication media discussed previously with regard to themethod 200 ofFIG. 2 and thesystem 100 ofFIG. 1 and elsewhere herein. - For example, step 310 may comprise, for example at
sub-step 312, receiving a completed moving picture data set for the television program, the completed moving picture data set formatted for communicating the television program without information describing user-selectable objects in the television program. Alternatively for example, step 310 may comprise, for example atsub-step 314, receiving moving picture information for the television program prior to the moving picture information being formatted into a completed moving picture data set for communicating the television program. Alternatively for example, step 310 may comprise, for example atsub-step 316, receiving a completed moving picture data set for the television program, the completed moving picture data set formatted for communicating the television program with information describing user-selectable objects in the television program. - The
exemplary method 300 may, for example atstep 320, comprise receiving object information corresponding to a user-selectable object in the television program. Step 320 may, for example, share any or all characteristics withstep 220 of theexemplary method 200 illustrated inFIG. 2 and discussed previously. For example, step 320 may comprise receiving any of the various types of user-selectable object information from any of the various sources of user-selectable object information via any of the various types of media discussed previously with regard to themethod 200 ofFIG. 2 and thesystem 100 ofFIG. 1 and elsewhere herein. - For example, step 320 may comprise, for example at
sub-step 322, receiving user-selectable object information comprising information describing and/or defining the user-selectable object that is shown in the television program (e.g., object dimension information, object movement information, etc.). Also for example, step 320 may comprise, for example atsub-step 324, receiving user-selectable object information comprising information regarding the user-selectable object that may be presented to the user upon user-selection of such object in a television program. - Additionally for example, step 320 may comprise, for example at
sub-step 326, receiving user-selectable object information comprising information describing and/or defining actions that may be taken upon user-selection of a user-selectable object (e.g., retrieving and/or obtaining and/or searching for information about a user-selectable object, information specifying a manner in which a system is to interact with a user regarding a user-selected object, searching for information, establishing and/or maintaining communication sessions, information describing the manner in which the commercial transaction is to be performed, etc.). - The
exemplary method 300 may, for example atstep 330, comprise combining the received moving picture information (e.g., as received at step 310) and the received user-selectable object information (e.g., as received at step 320) in a combined data set. Step 330 may, for example, share any or all characteristics withstep 230 of theexemplary method 200 illustrated inFIG. 2 and discussed previously. - For example, step 330 may comprise, for example at
sub-step 332, inserting the received user-selectable object information in a completed moving picture data set that was received at step 320 (e.g., inserting such user-selectable object information in fields of the moving picture data set that are specified by a standard for carrying such user-selectable object information, inserting such user-selectable object information in fields of the moving picture data set that are not specifically allocated for a particular type of data, etc.). - Also for example, step 330 may comprise, for example at
sub-step 334, combining received moving picture data and received user-selectable object information into a completed moving picture data set that is formatted for communicating the television program with information describing user-selectable objects in the television program. Additionally for example, step 330 may comprise, for example atsub-step 336, modifying initial user-selectable object information of an initial combined television program data set in accordance with received user-selectable object information. - The
exemplary method 300 may, for example atstep 340, comprise communicating the combined data set(s) (e.g., as formed at step 230) to one or more recipient systems or devices. Step 340 may, for example, share any or all characteristics withstep 240 of theexemplary method 200 illustrated inFIG. 2 and discussed previously. - For example, step 340 may comprise, for example at sub-step 342, communicating the combined data set(s) via a communication network (e.g., any of a variety of communication networks discussed herein, etc.). Also for example, step 340 may comprise, for example, at sub-step 344, communicating the combined data set(s) by storing the combined data set(s) on a computer readable medium and/or by transmitting the combined data set(s) to another device or system to perform such storage. Additionally for example, step 340 may comprise, for example, at sub-step 346, communicating the combined data set in a single serial stream (e.g., comprising interleaved moving picture data and user-selectable object information). Further for example, step 340 may comprise, for example, at sub-step 348, communicating the combined data set in a plurality of parallel serial streams (e.g., each of such streams comprising interleaved moving picture data and user-selectable object information).
- The
exemplary method 300 may, for example atstep 395, comprise performing continued operations. Step 395 may, for example, share any or all characteristics withstep 295 of theexemplary method 200 illustrated inFIG. 2 and discussed previously. - Turning next to
FIG. 4 , such figure is a diagram illustrating an exemplary television system (e.g., single television system component and/or plurality of television system components) 400, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. Theexemplary television system 400 may, for example, share any or all characteristics with one or more of the television system components illustrated inFIG. 1 and discussed previously. For example, theexemplary television system 400 may correspond to any of the television system components illustrated inFIG. 1 (or the like) or any group of the television system components illustrated inFIG. 1 (or the like). Also, theexemplary television system 400 may comprise characteristics of a computing system (e.g., a personal computer, a mainframe computer, a digital signal processor, etc.). The exemplary television system 400 (e.g., various modules thereof) may operate to perform any or all of the functionality discussed previously with regard to theexemplary methods FIGS. 2-3 and discussed previously. - The
exemplary television system 400 includes a firstcommunication interface module 410. The firstcommunication interface module 410 may, for example, operate to communicate over any of a variety of communication media and utilizing any of a variety of communication protocols. For example, though the firstcommunication interface module 410 is illustrated coupled to a wireless RF antenna via awireless port 412, the wireless medium is merely illustrative and non-limiting. The firstcommunication interface module 410 may, for example, operate to communicate with one or more communication networks (e.g., cable television networks, satellite television networks, telecommunication networks, general data communication networks, the Internet, local area networks, personal area networks, metropolitan area networks, etc.) via which television-related information (e.g., moving picture information, information of user-selectable objects, television programming with and without embedded information of user-selectable objects) and/or other data is communicated. Also for example, the firstcommunication interface module 410 may operate to communicate with local sources of television-related content or other data (e.g., disc drives, computer-readable medium readers, video recorders, video cameras, computers, receivers, etc.). Additionally, for example, the firstcommunication interface module 410 may operate to communicate with a remote controller (e.g., directly or via one or more intermediate communication networks). - The
exemplary television system 400 includes a secondcommunication interface module 420. The secondcommunication interface module 420 may, for example, operate to communicate over any of a variety of communication media and utilizing any of a variety of communication protocols. For example, the secondcommunication interface module 420 may communicate via a wirelessRF communication port 422 and antenna, or may communicate via a non-tethered optical communication port 424 (e.g., utilizing laser diodes, photodiodes, etc.). Also for example, the secondcommunication interface module 420 may communicate via a tethered optical communication port 426 (e.g., utilizing a fiber optic cable), or may communicate via a wired communication port 428 (e.g., utilizing coaxial cable, twisted pair, HDMI cable, Ethernet cable, any of a variety of wired component and/or composite video connections, etc.). The secondcommunication interface module 420 may, for example, operate to communicate with one or more communication networks (e.g., cable television networks, satellite television networks, telecommunication networks, general data communication networks, the Internet, local area networks, personal area networks, metropolitan area networks, etc.) via which television-related information (e.g., moving picture information, information of user-selectable objects, television programming with and without embedded information of user-selectable objects) and/or other data is communicated. Also for example, thesecond communication module 420 may operate to communicate with local sources of television-related information (e.g., disc drives, computer-readable medium readers, video recorders, video cameras, computers, receivers, etc.). Additionally, for example, thesecond communication module 420 may operate to communicate with a remote controller (e.g., directly or via one or more intervening communication networks). - The
exemplary television system 400 may also comprise additional communication interface modules, which are not illustrated (some of which may also be shown inFIG. 5 ). Such additional communication interface modules may, for example, share any or all aspects with the first 410 and second 420 communication interface modules discussed above. - The
exemplary television system 400 may also comprise acommunication module 430. Thecommunication module 430 may, for example, operate to control and/or coordinate operation of the firstcommunication interface module 410 and the second communication interface module 420 (and/or additional communication interface modules as needed). Thecommunication module 430 may, for example, provide a convenient communication interface by which other components of thetelevision system 400 may utilize the first 410 and second 420 communication interface modules. Additionally, for example, in an exemplary scenario where a plurality of communication interface modules are sharing a medium and/or network, thecommunication module 430 may coordinate communications to reduce collisions and/or other interference between the communication interface modules. - The
exemplary television system 400 may additionally comprise one or moreuser interface modules 440. Theuser interface module 440 may generally operate to provide user interface functionality to a user of thetelevision system 400. For example, and without limitation, theuser interface module 440 may operate to provide for user control of any or all standard television system commands (e.g., channel control, volume control, on/off, screen settings, input selection, etc.). Theuser interface module 440 may, for example, operate and/or respond to user commands utilizing user interface features disposed on the television system (e.g., buttons, etc.) and may also utilize the communication module 430 (and/or first 410 and second 420 communication interface modules) to communicate with other systems and/or components thereof, regarding television-related information, regarding user interaction that occurs during the formation of combined dataset(s), etc. (e.g., a television system controller (e.g., a dedicated television system remote control, a universal remote control, a cellular telephone, personal computing device, gaming controller, etc.)). In various exemplary scenario, the user interface module(s) 440 may operate to utilize theoptional display 470 to communicate with a user regarding user-selectable object information and/or to present television programming to a user. - The
user interface module 440 may also comprise one or more sensor modules that operate to interface with and/or control operation of any of a variety of sensors that may be utilized during the performance of the combined data set(s). For example, the one or more sensor modules may be utilized to ascertain an on-screen pointing location, which may for example be utilized to input and/or received user-selectable object information (e.g., to indicate and/or define user-selectable objects in a moving picture). For example and without limitation, the user interface module 440 (or sensor module(s) thereof) may operate to receive signals associated with respective sensors (e.g., raw or processed signals directly from the sensors, through intermediate devices, via thecommunication interface modules user interface module 440 may perform any of a variety of video output functions (e.g., presenting moving picture information to a user, presenting user-selectable object information to a user, presenting television programming to a user, providing visual feedback to a user regarding an identified user-selected object in a presented moving picture, etc.). - The
exemplary television system 400 may comprise one ormore processors 450. Theprocessor 450 may, for example, comprise a general purpose processor, digital signal processor, application-specific processor, microcontroller, microprocessor, etc. For example, theprocessor 450 may operate in accordance with software (or firmware) instructions. As mentioned previously, any or all functionality discussed herein may be performed by a processor executing instructions. For example, though various modules are illustrated as separate blocks or modules inFIG. 4 , such illustrative modules, or a portion thereof, may be implemented by theprocessor 450. - The
exemplary television system 400 may comprise one ormore memories 460. As discussed above, various aspects may be performed by one or more processors executing instructions. Such instructions may, for example, be stored in the one ormore memories 460.Such memory 460 may, for example, comprise characteristics of any of a variety of types of memory. For example and without limitation,such memory 460 may comprise one or more memory chips (e.g., ROM, RAM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, one-time-programmable OTP memory, etc.), hard drive memory, CD memory, DVD memory, etc. - The
exemplary television system 400 may comprise one or more modules 452 (e.g., moving picture information receiving module(s)) that operate to receive moving picture information for a television program. Such one ormore modules 452 may, for example, operate to utilize the communication module 430 (e.g., and at least one of thecommunication interface modules 410, 420) to receive such television program moving picture information. For example, such one ormore modules 452 may operate to performstep 210 of theexemplary method 200 discussed previously and/or step 310 of theexemplary method 300 discussed previously. - The
exemplary television system 400 may comprise one or more module(s) 454 (e.g., user-selectable object information receiving module(s)) that operate to receive object information corresponding to one or more user-selectable objects in a television program. Such one ormore modules 454 may, for example, operate to utilize the communication module 430 (e.g., and at least one of thecommunication interface modules 410, 420) to receive such television program user-selectable object information. For example, such one ormore modules 454 may operate to performstep 220 of theexemplary method 200 discussed previously and/or step 320 of theexemplary method 300 discussed previously. - The
exemplary television system 400 may comprise one or more modules 456 (e.g., moving picture and user-selectable object combining module(s)) that operate to combine received moving picture information (e.g., as received by the module(s) 452) and received user-selectable object information (e.g., as received by the module(s) 454) into a combined data set. Such one ormore modules 456 may, for example, operate to receive moving picture information from the module(s) 452, receive user-selectable object information from the module(s) 454, combine such received moving picture information and user-selectable object information into a combined data set, and output such combined data set. Such one ormore modules 456 may operate to performstep 230 of theexemplary method 200 discussed previously and/or step 330 of theexemplary method 300 discussed previously. - The
exemplary television system 400 may comprise one or more modules 458 (e.g., combined data set communication module(s)) that operate to communicate the combined data set to at least one recipient system and/or device. For example, such module(s) 458 may operate to utilize the communication module(s) 430 (and, for example, one or both of the first communication interface module(s) 410 and second communication interface module(s) 420)) to communicate the combined data set. Also for example, such module(s) 458 may operate to communicate the combined data set to one or more system devices that store the combined data set on a physical medium (e.g., a computer-readable medium). Such one ormore modules 458 may operate to performstep 240 of theexemplary method 200 discussed previously and/or step 340 of theexemplary method 300 discussed previously. - Though not illustrated, the
exemplary television system 400 may, for example, comprise one or more modules that operate to perform any or all of the continued processing discussed previously with regard to step 295 of theexemplary method 200 and step 395 of theexemplary method 300, discussed previously. Such modules (e.g., as with the one ormore modules memory 460. - Turning next to
FIG. 5 , such figure is a diagram illustrating exemplary modules and/or sub-modules for atelevision system 500, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. Theexemplary television system 500 may share any or all aspects with thetelevision system 400 illustrated inFIG. 4 and discussed previously. For example, theexemplary television system 500 may, for example, share any or all characteristics with one or more of the television system components illustrated inFIG. 1 and discussed previously. For example, theexemplary television system 500 may correspond to any of the television system components illustrated inFIG. 1 (or the like) or any group of the television system components illustrated inFIG. 1 (or the like). For example, the exemplary television system 500 (or various modules thereof) may operate to perform any or all functionality discussed herein with regard to theexemplary method 200 illustrated inFIG. 2 and theexemplary method 300 illustrated inFIG. 3 . - For example, the
television system 500 comprises aprocessor 530. Such aprocessor 530 may, for example, share any or all characteristics with theprocessor 450 discussed with regard toFIG. 4 . Also for example, thetelevision system 500 comprises amemory 540.Such memory 540 may, for example, share any or all characteristics with thememory 460 discussed with regard toFIG. 4 . - Also for example, the
television system 500 may comprise any of a variety of user interface module(s) 550. Such user interface module(s) 550 may, for example, share any or all characteristics with the user interface module(s) 440 discussed previously with regard toFIG. 4 . For example and without limitation, the user interface module(s) 550 may comprise: a display device, a camera (for still or moving picture acquisition), a speaker, an earphone (e.g., wired or wireless), a microphone, a video screen (e.g., a touch screen), a vibrating mechanism, a keypad, and/or any of a variety of other user interface devices (e.g., a mouse, a trackball, a touch pad, touch screen, light pen, game controlling device, etc.). - The
exemplary television system 500 may also, for example, comprise any of a variety of communication modules (505, 506, and 510). Such communication module(s) may, for example, share any or all characteristics with the communication interface module(s) 410, 420 discussed previously with regard toFIG. 4 . For example and without limitation, the communication interface module(s) 510 may comprise: a Bluetooth interface module; an IEEE 802.11, 802.15, 802.16 and/or 802.20 module; any of a variety of cellular telecommunication interface modules (e.g., GSM/GPRS/EDGE, CDMA/CDMA2000/1x-EV-DO, WCDMA/HSDPA/HSUPA, TDMA/PDC, WiMAX, etc.); any of a variety of position-related communication interface modules (e.g., GPS, A-GPS, etc.); any of a variety of wired/tethered communication interface modules (e.g., USB, Fire Wire, RS-232, HDMI, Ethernet, wireline and/or cable modem, etc.); any of a variety of communication interface modules related to communicating with external memory devices; etc. Theexemplary television system 500 is also illustrated as comprising various wired 506 and/orwireless 505 front-end modules that may, for example, be included in the communication interface modules and/or utilized thereby. - The
exemplary television system 500 may also comprise any of a variety of signal processing module(s) 590. Such signal processing module(s) 590 may share any or all characteristics with modules of theexemplary television system 400 that perform signal processing. Such signal processing module(s) 590 may, for example, be utilized to assist in processing various types of information discussed previously (e.g., with regard to sensor processing, position determination, video processing, image processing, audio processing, general user interface information data processing, etc.). For example and without limitation, the signal processing module(s) 590 may comprise: video/graphics processing modules (e.g. MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.263, H.264, JPEG, TIFF, 3-D, 2-D, MDDI, etc.); audio processing modules (e.g., MP3, AAC, MIDI, QCELP, AMR, CMX, etc.); and/or tactile processing modules (e.g., Keypad I/O, touch screen processing, motor control, etc.). - In summary, various aspects of the present invention provide a system and method for providing information of selectable objects in a television program. While the invention has been described with reference to certain aspects and embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
Claims (28)
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US12/880,965 US9271044B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-09-13 | System and method for providing information of selectable objects in a television program |
US14/488,778 US20150007222A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2014-09-17 | System And Method For Providing Information Of Selectable Objects In A Television Program In An Information Stream Independent Of The Television Program |
Applications Claiming Priority (9)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US24223409P | 2009-09-14 | 2009-09-14 | |
US12/774,380 US8990854B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-05-05 | System and method in a television for providing user-selection of objects in a television program |
US12/850,866 US9098128B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-08-05 | System and method in a television receiver for providing user-selection of objects in a television program |
US12/850,832 US20110067047A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-08-05 | System and method in a distributed system for providing user-selection of objects in a television program |
US12/850,911 US9197941B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-08-05 | System and method in a television controller for providing user-selection of objects in a television program |
US12/850,945 US9081422B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-08-05 | System and method in a television controller for providing user-selection of objects in a television program |
US12/851,075 US20110067069A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-08-05 | System and method in a parallel television system for providing for user-selection of an object in a television program |
US12/851,036 US9462345B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-08-05 | System and method in a television system for providing for user-selection of an object in a television program |
US12/880,965 US9271044B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-09-13 | System and method for providing information of selectable objects in a television program |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20110067062A1 true US20110067062A1 (en) | 2011-03-17 |
US9271044B2 US9271044B2 (en) | 2016-02-23 |
Family
ID=43730008
Family Applications (34)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/774,154 Active 2031-11-12 US9110517B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-05-05 | System and method for generating screen pointing information in a television |
US12/774,321 Active 2031-09-04 US8947350B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-05-05 | System and method for generating screen pointing information in a television control device |
US12/774,221 Abandoned US20110063522A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-05-05 | System and method for generating television screen pointing information using an external receiver |
US12/774,380 Active 2031-05-27 US8990854B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-05-05 | System and method in a television for providing user-selection of objects in a television program |
US12/850,832 Abandoned US20110067047A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-08-05 | System and method in a distributed system for providing user-selection of objects in a television program |
US12/850,945 Active 2031-08-28 US9081422B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-08-05 | System and method in a television controller for providing user-selection of objects in a television program |
US12/850,866 Active 2031-02-23 US9098128B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-08-05 | System and method in a television receiver for providing user-selection of objects in a television program |
US12/850,911 Active 2030-12-04 US9197941B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-08-05 | System and method in a television controller for providing user-selection of objects in a television program |
US12/851,075 Abandoned US20110067069A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-08-05 | System and method in a parallel television system for providing for user-selection of an object in a television program |
US12/851,036 Expired - Fee Related US9462345B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-08-05 | System and method in a television system for providing for user-selection of an object in a television program |
US12/880,530 Abandoned US20110067054A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-09-13 | System and method in a distributed system for responding to user-selection of an object in a television program |
US12/881,110 Active US9137577B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-09-13 | System and method of a television for providing information associated with a user-selected information element in a television program |
US12/881,096 Active US9258617B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-09-13 | System and method in a television system for presenting information associated with a user-selected object in a television program |
US12/880,965 Active US9271044B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-09-13 | System and method for providing information of selectable objects in a television program |
US12/880,594 Active 2030-11-25 US8839307B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-09-13 | System and method in a local television system for responding to user-selection of an object in a television program |
US12/880,888 Active 2030-10-07 US8819732B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-09-13 | System and method in a television system for providing information associated with a user-selected person in a television program |
US12/881,067 Active 2030-10-03 US9043833B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-09-13 | System and method in a television system for presenting information associated with a user-selected object in a television program |
US12/880,851 Abandoned US20110067051A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-09-13 | System and method in a television system for providing advertising information associated with a user-selected object in a television program |
US12/881,031 Abandoned US20110066929A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-09-13 | System and method for providing information of selectable objects in a still image file and/or data stream |
US12/881,004 Active 2031-08-19 US8931015B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-09-13 | System and method for providing information of selectable objects in a television program in an information stream independent of the television program |
US12/880,749 Active 2030-09-26 US9110518B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-09-13 | System and method in a television system for responding to user-selection of an object in a television program utilizing an alternative communication network |
US12/880,668 Active 2031-09-11 US8832747B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-09-13 | System and method in a television system for responding to user-selection of an object in a television program based on user location |
US14/457,451 Abandoned US20150012939A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2014-08-12 | System And Method In A Television System For Providing Advertising Information Associated With A User-Selected Object In A Television Program |
US14/467,408 Abandoned US20140366062A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2014-08-25 | System And Method In A Television System For Providing Information Associated With A User-Selected Person In A Television Program |
US14/479,670 Abandoned US20140380381A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2014-09-08 | System And Method In A Television System For Responding To User-Selection Of An Object In A Television Program Based On User Location |
US14/480,020 Abandoned US20140380401A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2014-09-08 | System And Method In A Local Television System For Responding To User-Selection Of An Object In A Television Program |
US14/488,778 Abandoned US20150007222A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2014-09-17 | System And Method For Providing Information Of Selectable Objects In A Television Program In An Information Stream Independent Of The Television Program |
US14/572,916 Abandoned US20150106857A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2014-12-17 | System And Method For Generating Screen Pointing Information In A Television Control Device |
US14/603,457 Abandoned US20150135217A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2015-01-23 | System And Method In A Television For Providing User-Selection Of Objects In A Television Program |
US14/625,810 Abandoned US20150172769A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2015-02-19 | System And Method In A Television System For Presenting Information Associated With A User-Selected Object In A Television Program |
US14/731,983 Abandoned US20150296263A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2015-06-05 | System And Method In A Television Controller For Providing User-Selection Of Objects In A Television Program |
US14/753,183 Abandoned US20150304721A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2015-06-29 | System And Method In A Television Receiver For Providing User-Selection Of Objects In A Television Program |
US14/805,961 Abandoned US20150326931A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2015-07-22 | System And Method In A Television System For Responding To User-Selection Of An Object In A Television Program Utilizing An Alternative Communication Network |
US14/851,225 Abandoned US20160007090A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2015-09-11 | System And Method Of A Television For Providing Information Associated With A User-Selected Information Element In A Television Program |
Family Applications Before (13)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/774,154 Active 2031-11-12 US9110517B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-05-05 | System and method for generating screen pointing information in a television |
US12/774,321 Active 2031-09-04 US8947350B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-05-05 | System and method for generating screen pointing information in a television control device |
US12/774,221 Abandoned US20110063522A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-05-05 | System and method for generating television screen pointing information using an external receiver |
US12/774,380 Active 2031-05-27 US8990854B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-05-05 | System and method in a television for providing user-selection of objects in a television program |
US12/850,832 Abandoned US20110067047A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-08-05 | System and method in a distributed system for providing user-selection of objects in a television program |
US12/850,945 Active 2031-08-28 US9081422B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-08-05 | System and method in a television controller for providing user-selection of objects in a television program |
US12/850,866 Active 2031-02-23 US9098128B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-08-05 | System and method in a television receiver for providing user-selection of objects in a television program |
US12/850,911 Active 2030-12-04 US9197941B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-08-05 | System and method in a television controller for providing user-selection of objects in a television program |
US12/851,075 Abandoned US20110067069A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-08-05 | System and method in a parallel television system for providing for user-selection of an object in a television program |
US12/851,036 Expired - Fee Related US9462345B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-08-05 | System and method in a television system for providing for user-selection of an object in a television program |
US12/880,530 Abandoned US20110067054A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-09-13 | System and method in a distributed system for responding to user-selection of an object in a television program |
US12/881,110 Active US9137577B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-09-13 | System and method of a television for providing information associated with a user-selected information element in a television program |
US12/881,096 Active US9258617B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-09-13 | System and method in a television system for presenting information associated with a user-selected object in a television program |
Family Applications After (20)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/880,594 Active 2030-11-25 US8839307B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-09-13 | System and method in a local television system for responding to user-selection of an object in a television program |
US12/880,888 Active 2030-10-07 US8819732B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-09-13 | System and method in a television system for providing information associated with a user-selected person in a television program |
US12/881,067 Active 2030-10-03 US9043833B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-09-13 | System and method in a television system for presenting information associated with a user-selected object in a television program |
US12/880,851 Abandoned US20110067051A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-09-13 | System and method in a television system for providing advertising information associated with a user-selected object in a television program |
US12/881,031 Abandoned US20110066929A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-09-13 | System and method for providing information of selectable objects in a still image file and/or data stream |
US12/881,004 Active 2031-08-19 US8931015B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-09-13 | System and method for providing information of selectable objects in a television program in an information stream independent of the television program |
US12/880,749 Active 2030-09-26 US9110518B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-09-13 | System and method in a television system for responding to user-selection of an object in a television program utilizing an alternative communication network |
US12/880,668 Active 2031-09-11 US8832747B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-09-13 | System and method in a television system for responding to user-selection of an object in a television program based on user location |
US14/457,451 Abandoned US20150012939A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2014-08-12 | System And Method In A Television System For Providing Advertising Information Associated With A User-Selected Object In A Television Program |
US14/467,408 Abandoned US20140366062A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2014-08-25 | System And Method In A Television System For Providing Information Associated With A User-Selected Person In A Television Program |
US14/479,670 Abandoned US20140380381A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2014-09-08 | System And Method In A Television System For Responding To User-Selection Of An Object In A Television Program Based On User Location |
US14/480,020 Abandoned US20140380401A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2014-09-08 | System And Method In A Local Television System For Responding To User-Selection Of An Object In A Television Program |
US14/488,778 Abandoned US20150007222A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2014-09-17 | System And Method For Providing Information Of Selectable Objects In A Television Program In An Information Stream Independent Of The Television Program |
US14/572,916 Abandoned US20150106857A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2014-12-17 | System And Method For Generating Screen Pointing Information In A Television Control Device |
US14/603,457 Abandoned US20150135217A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2015-01-23 | System And Method In A Television For Providing User-Selection Of Objects In A Television Program |
US14/625,810 Abandoned US20150172769A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2015-02-19 | System And Method In A Television System For Presenting Information Associated With A User-Selected Object In A Television Program |
US14/731,983 Abandoned US20150296263A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2015-06-05 | System And Method In A Television Controller For Providing User-Selection Of Objects In A Television Program |
US14/753,183 Abandoned US20150304721A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2015-06-29 | System And Method In A Television Receiver For Providing User-Selection Of Objects In A Television Program |
US14/805,961 Abandoned US20150326931A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2015-07-22 | System And Method In A Television System For Responding To User-Selection Of An Object In A Television Program Utilizing An Alternative Communication Network |
US14/851,225 Abandoned US20160007090A1 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2015-09-11 | System And Method Of A Television For Providing Information Associated With A User-Selected Information Element In A Television Program |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (34) | US9110517B2 (en) |
EP (1) | EP2328347A3 (en) |
CN (1) | CN102025933A (en) |
TW (1) | TW201132122A (en) |
Cited By (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20110067063A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method in a television system for presenting information associated with a user-selected object in a televison program |
US20130150118A1 (en) * | 2011-12-09 | 2013-06-13 | Fujitsu Mobile Communications Limited | User terminal and communication method |
US20180246497A1 (en) * | 2017-02-28 | 2018-08-30 | Sap Se | Manufacturing process data collection and analytics |
US10558197B2 (en) | 2017-02-28 | 2020-02-11 | Sap Se | Manufacturing process data collection and analytics |
US11375290B2 (en) * | 2017-09-13 | 2022-06-28 | Source Digital, Inc. | Rules-based ancillary data |
US20230010078A1 (en) * | 2021-07-12 | 2023-01-12 | Avago Technologies International Sales Pte. Limited | Object or region of interest video processing system and method |
Families Citing this family (144)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2596967A (en) * | 1948-11-19 | 1952-05-20 | Westinghouse Electric Corp | Fluorine-containing organosilicon compounds |
US8074248B2 (en) | 2005-07-26 | 2011-12-06 | Activevideo Networks, Inc. | System and method for providing video content associated with a source image to a television in a communication network |
JP5200204B2 (en) | 2006-03-14 | 2013-06-05 | ディブエックス リミテッド ライアビリティー カンパニー | A federated digital rights management mechanism including a trusted system |
US9826197B2 (en) | 2007-01-12 | 2017-11-21 | Activevideo Networks, Inc. | Providing television broadcasts over a managed network and interactive content over an unmanaged network to a client device |
US8155202B2 (en) | 2007-01-12 | 2012-04-10 | Activevideo Networks, Inc. | System and method for encoding scrolling raster images |
US20090003832A1 (en) | 2007-05-24 | 2009-01-01 | Federal Law Enforcement Development Services, Inc. | Led light broad band over power line communication system |
US11265082B2 (en) | 2007-05-24 | 2022-03-01 | Federal Law Enforcement Development Services, Inc. | LED light control assembly and system |
US9100124B2 (en) | 2007-05-24 | 2015-08-04 | Federal Law Enforcement Development Services, Inc. | LED Light Fixture |
US9455783B2 (en) | 2013-05-06 | 2016-09-27 | Federal Law Enforcement Development Services, Inc. | Network security and variable pulse wave form with continuous communication |
CA2721073A1 (en) * | 2008-04-10 | 2009-10-15 | Karl Christopher Hansen | Simple-to-use optical wireless remote control |
US8775454B2 (en) | 2008-07-29 | 2014-07-08 | James L. Geer | Phone assisted ‘photographic memory’ |
US9128981B1 (en) | 2008-07-29 | 2015-09-08 | James L. Geer | Phone assisted ‘photographic memory’ |
CA2749170C (en) | 2009-01-07 | 2016-06-21 | Divx, Inc. | Singular, collective and automated creation of a media guide for online content |
US8890773B1 (en) | 2009-04-01 | 2014-11-18 | Federal Law Enforcement Development Services, Inc. | Visible light transceiver glasses |
US8629938B2 (en) * | 2009-10-05 | 2014-01-14 | Sony Corporation | Multi-point television motion sensor system and method |
KR101689019B1 (en) * | 2009-11-02 | 2016-12-23 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Display apparatus for supporting a search service, User terminal for performing a search of object, and methods thereof |
EP2507995A4 (en) | 2009-12-04 | 2014-07-09 | Sonic Ip Inc | Elementary bitstream cryptographic material transport systems and methods |
NL2004780C2 (en) * | 2010-05-28 | 2012-01-23 | Activevideo Networks B V | VISUAL ELEMENT METHOD AND SYSTEM. |
US8717289B2 (en) * | 2010-06-22 | 2014-05-06 | Hsni Llc | System and method for integrating an electronic pointing device into digital image data |
US8683514B2 (en) * | 2010-06-22 | 2014-03-25 | Verizon Patent And Licensing Inc. | Enhanced media content transport stream for media content delivery systems and methods |
US8910218B2 (en) * | 2010-07-15 | 2014-12-09 | Verizon Patent And Licensing Inc. | Method and apparatus for providing control of set-top boxes |
US8330033B2 (en) * | 2010-09-13 | 2012-12-11 | Apple Inc. | Graphical user interface for music sequence programming |
US9274667B2 (en) * | 2010-09-21 | 2016-03-01 | Echostar Ukraine L.L.C. | Synchronizing user interfaces of content receivers and entertainment system components |
JP5866125B2 (en) | 2010-10-14 | 2016-02-17 | アクティブビデオ ネットワークス, インコーポレイテッド | Digital video streaming between video devices using a cable TV system |
US20120106972A1 (en) * | 2010-10-29 | 2012-05-03 | Sunrex Technology Corp. | Universal remote control |
KR20120091496A (en) * | 2010-12-23 | 2012-08-20 | 한국전자통신연구원 | A system of providing a broadcast service and a method of providing thereof |
US9247312B2 (en) | 2011-01-05 | 2016-01-26 | Sonic Ip, Inc. | Systems and methods for encoding source media in matroska container files for adaptive bitrate streaming using hypertext transfer protocol |
CN102693061B (en) * | 2011-03-22 | 2016-06-15 | 中兴通讯股份有限公司 | Method for information display in terminal TV business, terminal and system |
US9204203B2 (en) | 2011-04-07 | 2015-12-01 | Activevideo Networks, Inc. | Reduction of latency in video distribution networks using adaptive bit rates |
EP2518992A1 (en) * | 2011-04-28 | 2012-10-31 | Axel Springer Digital TV Guide GmbH | Apparatus and method for managing a personal channel |
US9087048B2 (en) | 2011-06-10 | 2015-07-21 | Linkedin Corporation | Method of and system for validating a fact checking system |
US9176957B2 (en) | 2011-06-10 | 2015-11-03 | Linkedin Corporation | Selective fact checking method and system |
US9015037B2 (en) | 2011-06-10 | 2015-04-21 | Linkedin Corporation | Interactive fact checking system |
US8185448B1 (en) | 2011-06-10 | 2012-05-22 | Myslinski Lucas J | Fact checking method and system |
US8599311B2 (en) * | 2011-07-14 | 2013-12-03 | Amimon Ltd. | Methods circuits devices and systems for transmission and display of video |
US20130036442A1 (en) * | 2011-08-05 | 2013-02-07 | Qualcomm Incorporated | System and method for visual selection of elements in video content |
US11039109B2 (en) | 2011-08-05 | 2021-06-15 | Fox Sports Productions, Llc | System and method for adjusting an image for a vehicle mounted camera |
JP2014529930A (en) | 2011-08-05 | 2014-11-13 | フォックス スポーツ プロダクションズ,インコーポレイティッド | Selective capture and display of a portion of a native image |
US9467708B2 (en) | 2011-08-30 | 2016-10-11 | Sonic Ip, Inc. | Selection of resolutions for seamless resolution switching of multimedia content |
US8909922B2 (en) | 2011-09-01 | 2014-12-09 | Sonic Ip, Inc. | Systems and methods for playing back alternative streams of protected content protected using common cryptographic information |
US8964977B2 (en) | 2011-09-01 | 2015-02-24 | Sonic Ip, Inc. | Systems and methods for saving encoded media streamed using adaptive bitrate streaming |
US20130061268A1 (en) * | 2011-09-03 | 2013-03-07 | Ariel Inventions Llc | Systems, devices, and methods for integrated searching and retrieving internet or digital content across a communication network for a multimedia platform |
US8689255B1 (en) * | 2011-09-07 | 2014-04-01 | Imdb.Com, Inc. | Synchronizing video content with extrinsic data |
US20130117698A1 (en) * | 2011-10-31 | 2013-05-09 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Display apparatus and method thereof |
AT512350B1 (en) * | 2011-12-20 | 2017-06-15 | Isiqiri Interface Tech Gmbh | COMPUTER PLANT AND CONTROL PROCESS THEREFOR |
US9596515B2 (en) | 2012-01-04 | 2017-03-14 | Google Inc. | Systems and methods of image searching |
EP2815582B1 (en) | 2012-01-09 | 2019-09-04 | ActiveVideo Networks, Inc. | Rendering of an interactive lean-backward user interface on a television |
KR20130088662A (en) * | 2012-01-31 | 2013-08-08 | 한국전자통신연구원 | Apparatus, method and system for providing additional information through a digital media content |
US9800945B2 (en) | 2012-04-03 | 2017-10-24 | Activevideo Networks, Inc. | Class-based intelligent multiplexing over unmanaged networks |
US9123084B2 (en) | 2012-04-12 | 2015-09-01 | Activevideo Networks, Inc. | Graphical application integration with MPEG objects |
US10440432B2 (en) | 2012-06-12 | 2019-10-08 | Realnetworks, Inc. | Socially annotated presentation systems and methods |
WO2013188590A2 (en) * | 2012-06-12 | 2013-12-19 | Realnetworks, Inc. | Context-aware video api systems and methods |
US9800951B1 (en) | 2012-06-21 | 2017-10-24 | Amazon Technologies, Inc. | Unobtrusively enhancing video content with extrinsic data |
US8736773B1 (en) * | 2012-08-13 | 2014-05-27 | Nongqiang Fan | Interacting with television screen with remote control having viewing screen |
US8955021B1 (en) | 2012-08-31 | 2015-02-10 | Amazon Technologies, Inc. | Providing extrinsic data for video content |
US9113128B1 (en) | 2012-08-31 | 2015-08-18 | Amazon Technologies, Inc. | Timeline interface for video content |
KR20140029049A (en) * | 2012-08-31 | 2014-03-10 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Display apparat and input signal processing method using the same |
CN104620203A (en) | 2012-09-06 | 2015-05-13 | 英特飞斯公司 | Absolute and relative positioning sensor fusion in an interactive display system |
WO2014042607A1 (en) * | 2012-09-17 | 2014-03-20 | Echostar Technologies, Llc | Notification controls for television viewing |
CN103313091A (en) * | 2012-09-27 | 2013-09-18 | 中兴通讯股份有限公司 | Speed-multiplying playing method, device and system |
WO2014071307A1 (en) * | 2012-11-05 | 2014-05-08 | Velvet Ape, Inc. | Methods for targeted advertising |
US9389745B1 (en) | 2012-12-10 | 2016-07-12 | Amazon Technologies, Inc. | Providing content via multiple display devices |
US9483159B2 (en) | 2012-12-12 | 2016-11-01 | Linkedin Corporation | Fact checking graphical user interface including fact checking icons |
TW201427401A (en) * | 2012-12-18 | 2014-07-01 | Hon Hai Prec Ind Co Ltd | Television, remote controller and menu displaying method |
US9313510B2 (en) | 2012-12-31 | 2016-04-12 | Sonic Ip, Inc. | Use of objective quality measures of streamed content to reduce streaming bandwidth |
US9191457B2 (en) | 2012-12-31 | 2015-11-17 | Sonic Ip, Inc. | Systems, methods, and media for controlling delivery of content |
US10424009B1 (en) | 2013-02-27 | 2019-09-24 | Amazon Technologies, Inc. | Shopping experience using multiple computing devices |
US20140279867A1 (en) * | 2013-03-14 | 2014-09-18 | Ami Entertainment Network, Llc | Method and apparatus for providing real time television listings for venues |
US10397292B2 (en) | 2013-03-15 | 2019-08-27 | Divx, Llc | Systems, methods, and media for delivery of content |
WO2014145921A1 (en) | 2013-03-15 | 2014-09-18 | Activevideo Networks, Inc. | A multiple-mode system and method for providing user selectable video content |
US9906785B2 (en) | 2013-03-15 | 2018-02-27 | Sonic Ip, Inc. | Systems, methods, and media for transcoding video data according to encoding parameters indicated by received metadata |
US9374411B1 (en) | 2013-03-21 | 2016-06-21 | Amazon Technologies, Inc. | Content recommendations using deep data |
US20140317660A1 (en) * | 2013-04-22 | 2014-10-23 | LiveRelay Inc. | Enabling interaction between social network users during synchronous display of video channel |
US9094737B2 (en) | 2013-05-30 | 2015-07-28 | Sonic Ip, Inc. | Network video streaming with trick play based on separate trick play files |
WO2014197879A1 (en) | 2013-06-06 | 2014-12-11 | Activevideo Networks, Inc. | Overlay rendering of user interface onto source video |
US9294785B2 (en) | 2013-06-06 | 2016-03-22 | Activevideo Networks, Inc. | System and method for exploiting scene graph information in construction of an encoded video sequence |
US9219922B2 (en) | 2013-06-06 | 2015-12-22 | Activevideo Networks, Inc. | System and method for exploiting scene graph information in construction of an encoded video sequence |
US11019300B1 (en) | 2013-06-26 | 2021-05-25 | Amazon Technologies, Inc. | Providing soundtrack information during playback of video content |
US9967305B2 (en) | 2013-06-28 | 2018-05-08 | Divx, Llc | Systems, methods, and media for streaming media content |
US20150012840A1 (en) * | 2013-07-02 | 2015-01-08 | International Business Machines Corporation | Identification and Sharing of Selections within Streaming Content |
US10024971B2 (en) * | 2013-07-16 | 2018-07-17 | Walter Fields | Apparatus, system and method for locating a lost instrument or object |
KR102123062B1 (en) | 2013-08-06 | 2020-06-15 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Method of aquiring information about contents, image display apparatus using thereof and server system of providing information about contents |
US10194189B1 (en) | 2013-09-23 | 2019-01-29 | Amazon Technologies, Inc. | Playback of content using multiple devices |
US20150095320A1 (en) | 2013-09-27 | 2015-04-02 | Trooclick France | Apparatus, systems and methods for scoring the reliability of online information |
US10169424B2 (en) | 2013-09-27 | 2019-01-01 | Lucas J. Myslinski | Apparatus, systems and methods for scoring and distributing the reliability of online information |
CN103500042B (en) * | 2013-09-30 | 2017-04-05 | 合肥京东方光电科技有限公司 | A kind of optical-touched screen and display device |
US20150117837A1 (en) * | 2013-10-31 | 2015-04-30 | Sonic Ip, Inc. | Systems and methods for supplementing content at a user device |
US9343112B2 (en) * | 2013-10-31 | 2016-05-17 | Sonic Ip, Inc. | Systems and methods for supplementing content from a server |
US20150128194A1 (en) * | 2013-11-05 | 2015-05-07 | Huawei Device Co., Ltd. | Method and mobile terminal for switching playback device |
CN103686413A (en) * | 2013-12-19 | 2014-03-26 | 宇龙计算机通信科技(深圳)有限公司 | Auxiliary display method and device |
US20150198941A1 (en) | 2014-01-15 | 2015-07-16 | John C. Pederson | Cyber Life Electronic Networking and Commerce Operating Exchange |
US20160011675A1 (en) * | 2014-02-20 | 2016-01-14 | Amchael Visual Technology Corporation | Absolute Position 3D Pointing using Light Tracking and Relative Position Detection |
US8990234B1 (en) | 2014-02-28 | 2015-03-24 | Lucas J. Myslinski | Efficient fact checking method and system |
US9972055B2 (en) | 2014-02-28 | 2018-05-15 | Lucas J. Myslinski | Fact checking method and system utilizing social networking information |
US9643722B1 (en) | 2014-02-28 | 2017-05-09 | Lucas J. Myslinski | Drone device security system |
US9838740B1 (en) | 2014-03-18 | 2017-12-05 | Amazon Technologies, Inc. | Enhancing video content with personalized extrinsic data |
US10482658B2 (en) * | 2014-03-31 | 2019-11-19 | Gary Stephen Shuster | Visualization and control of remote objects |
WO2015153890A1 (en) | 2014-04-02 | 2015-10-08 | Hillcrest Laboratories, Inc. | Systems and methods for touch screens associated with a display |
US9866878B2 (en) | 2014-04-05 | 2018-01-09 | Sonic Ip, Inc. | Systems and methods for encoding and playing back video at different frame rates using enhancement layers |
US9788029B2 (en) | 2014-04-25 | 2017-10-10 | Activevideo Networks, Inc. | Intelligent multiplexing using class-based, multi-dimensioned decision logic for managed networks |
US9661254B2 (en) * | 2014-05-16 | 2017-05-23 | Shadowbox Media, Inc. | Video viewing system with video fragment location |
JP6476601B2 (en) * | 2014-06-10 | 2019-03-06 | 富士ゼロックス株式会社 | Object image information management server, object related information management server and program |
US9928352B2 (en) * | 2014-08-07 | 2018-03-27 | Tautachrome, Inc. | System and method for creating, processing, and distributing images that serve as portals enabling communication with persons who have interacted with the images |
US9189514B1 (en) | 2014-09-04 | 2015-11-17 | Lucas J. Myslinski | Optimized fact checking method and system |
US10264329B2 (en) * | 2014-10-28 | 2019-04-16 | Disney Enterprises, Inc. | Descriptive metadata extraction and linkage with editorial content |
US10299012B2 (en) * | 2014-10-28 | 2019-05-21 | Disney Enterprises, Inc. | Descriptive metadata extraction and linkage with editorial content |
JP5735696B1 (en) * | 2014-11-05 | 2015-06-17 | 株式会社 ディー・エヌ・エー | GAME PROGRAM AND INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE |
US11758238B2 (en) | 2014-12-13 | 2023-09-12 | Fox Sports Productions, Llc | Systems and methods for displaying wind characteristics and effects within a broadcast |
US11159854B2 (en) | 2014-12-13 | 2021-10-26 | Fox Sports Productions, Llc | Systems and methods for tracking and tagging objects within a broadcast |
US10248982B2 (en) * | 2014-12-23 | 2019-04-02 | Ebay Inc. | Automated extraction of product data from production data of visual media content |
KR20160144817A (en) * | 2015-06-09 | 2016-12-19 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Display apparatus, pointing apparatus, pointing system and control methods thereof |
US20170048953A1 (en) | 2015-08-11 | 2017-02-16 | Federal Law Enforcement Development Services, Inc. | Programmable switch and system |
US10271109B1 (en) | 2015-09-16 | 2019-04-23 | Amazon Technologies, LLC | Verbal queries relative to video content |
CN105607785B (en) * | 2016-01-04 | 2019-11-12 | 京东方科技集团股份有限公司 | Touch control display system and touch control operation device |
US10021461B2 (en) * | 2016-02-29 | 2018-07-10 | Rovi Guides, Inc. | Systems and methods for performing an action based on context of a feature in a media asset |
US10110968B2 (en) | 2016-04-19 | 2018-10-23 | Google Llc | Methods, systems and media for interacting with content using a second screen device |
US20180052227A1 (en) * | 2016-08-16 | 2018-02-22 | GM Global Technology Operations LLC | Beam pattern diversity-based target location estimation |
CN109791346B (en) | 2016-09-27 | 2021-04-20 | 斯纳普公司 | Eyewear device mode indication |
CN106991108A (en) * | 2016-09-27 | 2017-07-28 | 阿里巴巴集团控股有限公司 | The method for pushing and device of a kind of information |
US10762148B1 (en) * | 2016-12-19 | 2020-09-01 | Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. | Dissemination of information updates across devices |
US11134316B1 (en) | 2016-12-28 | 2021-09-28 | Shopsee, Inc. | Integrated shopping within long-form entertainment |
US10171862B2 (en) * | 2017-02-16 | 2019-01-01 | International Business Machines Corporation | Interactive video search and presentation |
US10498795B2 (en) | 2017-02-17 | 2019-12-03 | Divx, Llc | Systems and methods for adaptive switching between multiple content delivery networks during adaptive bitrate streaming |
US10440439B2 (en) | 2017-02-28 | 2019-10-08 | The Directv Group, Inc. | Method and apparatus for media content streaming and reminder notifications |
US10649666B1 (en) * | 2017-05-10 | 2020-05-12 | Ambarella International Lp | Link-list shortening logic |
US20190208236A1 (en) * | 2018-01-02 | 2019-07-04 | Source Digital, Inc. | Coordinates as ancillary data |
CN108123858A (en) * | 2018-01-03 | 2018-06-05 | 深圳市数视通科技股份有限公司 | A kind of Domestic News system based on the integration of three networks |
US11206462B2 (en) | 2018-03-30 | 2021-12-21 | Scener Inc. | Socially annotated audiovisual content |
CN108882003A (en) * | 2018-07-25 | 2018-11-23 | 安徽新华学院 | A kind of electronic software control system that can detect excellent race automatically |
CN110858914B (en) * | 2018-08-23 | 2021-11-26 | 阿里巴巴(中国)有限公司 | Video material recommendation method and device |
US11269944B2 (en) | 2018-12-14 | 2022-03-08 | Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC | Targeted gaming news and content feeds |
US11896909B2 (en) | 2018-12-14 | 2024-02-13 | Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC | Experience-based peer recommendations |
US11080748B2 (en) | 2018-12-14 | 2021-08-03 | Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC | Targeted gaming news and content feeds |
US10881962B2 (en) | 2018-12-14 | 2021-01-05 | Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC | Media-activity binding and content blocking |
US11247130B2 (en) | 2018-12-14 | 2022-02-15 | Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC | Interactive objects in streaming media and marketplace ledgers |
US11531701B2 (en) * | 2019-04-03 | 2022-12-20 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Electronic device and control method thereof |
US20210065719A1 (en) * | 2019-08-29 | 2021-03-04 | Comcast Cable Communications, Llc | Methods and systems for intelligent content controls |
US11213748B2 (en) | 2019-11-01 | 2022-01-04 | Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. | Content streaming with gameplay launch |
CN111552429B (en) * | 2020-04-29 | 2021-07-23 | 杭州海康威视数字技术股份有限公司 | Graph selection method and device and electronic equipment |
US11420130B2 (en) | 2020-05-28 | 2022-08-23 | Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. | Media-object binding for dynamic generation and displaying of play data associated with media |
US11442987B2 (en) | 2020-05-28 | 2022-09-13 | Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. | Media-object binding for displaying real-time play data for live-streaming media |
US11602687B2 (en) | 2020-05-28 | 2023-03-14 | Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. | Media-object binding for predicting performance in a media |
US11671657B2 (en) * | 2021-06-30 | 2023-06-06 | Rovi Guides, Inc. | Method and apparatus for shared viewing of media content |
EP4290266A1 (en) * | 2021-08-23 | 2023-12-13 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Electronic device for controlling external electronic device and operation method thereof |
Citations (94)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5111511A (en) * | 1988-06-24 | 1992-05-05 | Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. | Image motion vector detecting apparatus |
US5408258A (en) * | 1993-04-21 | 1995-04-18 | The Arbitron Company | Method of automatically qualifying a signal reproduction device for installation of monitoring equipment |
US5543851A (en) * | 1995-03-13 | 1996-08-06 | Chang; Wen F. | Method and apparatus for translating closed caption data |
US5602568A (en) * | 1994-12-22 | 1997-02-11 | Goldstar Co., Ltd. | Point type remote control apparatus and the method thereof |
US5708845A (en) * | 1995-09-29 | 1998-01-13 | Wistendahl; Douglass A. | System for mapping hot spots in media content for interactive digital media program |
US5718845A (en) * | 1990-12-12 | 1998-02-17 | Enichem S.P.A. | Tricyanovinyl substitution process for NLO polymers |
US5721584A (en) * | 1994-07-22 | 1998-02-24 | Sony Corporation | Two-way broadcast system and receiving system |
US5727141A (en) * | 1995-05-05 | 1998-03-10 | Apple Computer, Inc. | Method and apparatus for identifying user-selectable regions within multiple display frames |
US5793361A (en) * | 1994-06-09 | 1998-08-11 | Corporation For National Research Initiatives | Unconstrained pointing interface for natural human interaction with a display-based computer system |
US5929849A (en) * | 1996-05-02 | 1999-07-27 | Phoenix Technologies, Ltd. | Integration of dynamic universal resource locators with television presentations |
US6097441A (en) * | 1997-12-31 | 2000-08-01 | Eremote, Inc. | System for dual-display interaction with integrated television and internet content |
US6122660A (en) * | 1999-02-22 | 2000-09-19 | International Business Machines Corporation | Method for distributing digital TV signal and selection of content |
US6255961B1 (en) * | 1998-05-08 | 2001-07-03 | Sony Corporation | Two-way communications between a remote control unit and one or more devices in an audio/visual environment |
US20010019368A1 (en) * | 2000-03-01 | 2001-09-06 | Pace Micro Technology | Broadcast data receiving |
US20010023436A1 (en) * | 1998-09-16 | 2001-09-20 | Anand Srinivasan | Method and apparatus for multiplexing seperately-authored metadata for insertion into a video data stream |
US6349410B1 (en) * | 1999-08-04 | 2002-02-19 | Intel Corporation | Integrating broadcast television pause and web browsing |
US20020040482A1 (en) * | 2000-04-08 | 2002-04-04 | Sextro Gary L. | Features for interactive television |
US20020042925A1 (en) * | 2000-07-24 | 2002-04-11 | Koji Ebisu | Television receiver, receiver and program execution method |
US20020056136A1 (en) * | 1995-09-29 | 2002-05-09 | Wistendahl Douglass A. | System for converting existing TV content to interactive TV programs operated with a standard remote control and TV set-top box |
US6407779B1 (en) * | 1999-03-29 | 2002-06-18 | Zilog, Inc. | Method and apparatus for an intuitive universal remote control system |
US20020078446A1 (en) * | 2000-08-30 | 2002-06-20 | Jon Dakss | Method and apparatus for hyperlinking in a television broadcast |
US20020090114A1 (en) * | 1995-07-27 | 2002-07-11 | Rhoads Geoffrey B. | Watermark enabled video objects |
US20020120934A1 (en) * | 2001-02-28 | 2002-08-29 | Marc Abrahams | Interactive television browsing and buying method |
US20020136432A1 (en) * | 2000-11-10 | 2002-09-26 | Hiroyuki Koike | Method and apparatus for processing information of an object |
US20030005445A1 (en) * | 1995-10-02 | 2003-01-02 | Schein Steven M. | Systems and methods for linking television viewers with advertisers and broadcasters |
US20030023981A1 (en) * | 2001-07-25 | 2003-01-30 | Thomas Lemmons | Method and apparatus for transmission of interactive and enhanced television data |
US20030035075A1 (en) * | 2001-08-20 | 2003-02-20 | Butler Michelle A. | Method and system for providing improved user input capability for interactive television |
US20030054878A1 (en) * | 2001-09-20 | 2003-03-20 | International Game Technology | Point of play registration on a gaming machine |
US6538672B1 (en) * | 1999-02-08 | 2003-03-25 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Method and apparatus for displaying an electronic program guide |
US20030115602A1 (en) * | 1995-06-07 | 2003-06-19 | Knee Robert Alan | Electronic television program guide schedule system and method with data feed access |
US20030217360A1 (en) * | 1998-07-23 | 2003-11-20 | Gordon Donald F. | System for generating, distributing and receiving an interactive user interface |
US20040078814A1 (en) * | 2002-03-29 | 2004-04-22 | Digeo, Inc. | Module-based interactive television ticker |
US20040119701A1 (en) * | 2002-12-19 | 2004-06-24 | Mulligan Roger C. | Lattice touch-sensing system |
US20040167855A1 (en) * | 2001-04-26 | 2004-08-26 | Cambridge Vivien Johan | Automatic billing system for remote internet services |
US20050028208A1 (en) * | 1998-07-17 | 2005-02-03 | United Video Properties, Inc. | Interactive television program guide with remote access |
US20050086690A1 (en) * | 2003-10-16 | 2005-04-21 | International Business Machines Corporation | Interactive, non-intrusive television advertising |
US20050132420A1 (en) * | 2003-12-11 | 2005-06-16 | Quadrock Communications, Inc | System and method for interaction with television content |
US20050137958A1 (en) * | 2003-12-23 | 2005-06-23 | Thomas Huber | Advertising methods for advertising time slots and embedded objects |
US6931660B1 (en) * | 2000-01-28 | 2005-08-16 | Opentv, Inc. | Interactive television system and method for simultaneous transmission and rendering of multiple MPEG-encoded video streams |
US20050193425A1 (en) * | 2000-07-24 | 2005-09-01 | Sanghoon Sull | Delivery and presentation of content-relevant information associated with frames of audio-visual programs |
US20060037044A1 (en) * | 1993-03-29 | 2006-02-16 | Microsoft Corporation | Pausing television programming in response to selection of hypertext link |
US20060099964A1 (en) * | 2004-11-05 | 2006-05-11 | Ebay Inc. | System and method for location based content correlation |
US7053965B1 (en) * | 2003-06-10 | 2006-05-30 | Fan Nong-Qiang | Remote control for controlling a computer using a screen of a television |
US7057670B2 (en) * | 2000-04-27 | 2006-06-06 | Dan Kikinis | Cursor control system |
US20060152489A1 (en) * | 2005-01-12 | 2006-07-13 | John Sweetser | Handheld vision based absolute pointing system |
US20060174273A1 (en) * | 2004-11-20 | 2006-08-03 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Method of displaying service in DMB, and method and apparatus for managing preferred service |
US20060195878A1 (en) * | 2000-04-12 | 2006-08-31 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Apparatus and method for providing and obtaining product information through a broadcast signal |
US7102616B1 (en) * | 1999-03-05 | 2006-09-05 | Microsoft Corporation | Remote control device with pointing capacity |
US7158676B1 (en) * | 1999-02-01 | 2007-01-02 | Emuse Media Limited | Interactive system |
US20070097275A1 (en) * | 2001-09-27 | 2007-05-03 | Universal Electronics Inc. | Two way communication using light links |
US20070130581A1 (en) * | 2000-02-02 | 2007-06-07 | Del Sesto Eric E | Interactive content delivery methods and apparatus |
US20070137611A1 (en) * | 2005-12-21 | 2007-06-21 | Yu Robert C | Active radical initiator for internal combustion engines |
US20070157260A1 (en) * | 2005-12-29 | 2007-07-05 | United Video Properties, Inc. | Interactive media guidance system having multiple devices |
US20070156521A1 (en) * | 2005-12-29 | 2007-07-05 | United Video Properties, Inc. | Systems and methods for commerce in media program related merchandise |
US20070199014A1 (en) * | 2006-02-22 | 2007-08-23 | E-Cast, Inc. | Consumer portal |
US20080052750A1 (en) * | 2006-08-28 | 2008-02-28 | Anders Grunnet-Jepsen | Direct-point on-demand information exchanges |
US20080066129A1 (en) * | 2000-02-29 | 2008-03-13 | Goldpocket Interactive, Inc. | Method and Apparatus for Interaction with Hyperlinks in a Television Broadcast |
US7344084B2 (en) * | 2005-09-19 | 2008-03-18 | Sony Corporation | Portable video programs |
US7360232B2 (en) * | 2001-04-25 | 2008-04-15 | Diego, Inc. | System and method to subscribe to channel URL addresses and to provide non-programming-related URL addresses in an interactive video casting system |
US20080109851A1 (en) * | 2006-10-23 | 2008-05-08 | Ashley Heather | Method and system for providing interactive video |
US20080134342A1 (en) * | 1998-03-16 | 2008-06-05 | Shamoon Talal G | Methods and Apparatus for Persistent Control and Protection of Content |
US20080136754A1 (en) * | 2006-12-06 | 2008-06-12 | Sony Corporation | Display apparatus, display-apparatus control method and program |
US20080172693A1 (en) * | 2007-01-16 | 2008-07-17 | Microsoft Corporation | Representing Television Programs Using Video Objects |
US20080204605A1 (en) * | 2007-02-28 | 2008-08-28 | Leonard Tsai | Systems and methods for using a remote control unit to sense television characteristics |
US20080209480A1 (en) * | 2006-12-20 | 2008-08-28 | Eide Kurt S | Method for enhanced video programming system for integrating internet data for on-demand interactive retrieval |
US20080204603A1 (en) * | 2007-02-27 | 2008-08-28 | Hideharu Hattori | Video displaying apparatus and video displaying method |
US20090037947A1 (en) * | 2007-07-30 | 2009-02-05 | Yahoo! Inc. | Textual and visual interactive advertisements in videos |
US20090077394A1 (en) * | 2007-09-17 | 2009-03-19 | Jr-Shian Tsai | Techniques for communications based power management |
US20090083815A1 (en) * | 2007-09-19 | 2009-03-26 | Mcmaster Orlando | Generating synchronized interactive link maps linking tracked video objects to other multimedia content in real-time |
US20090113475A1 (en) * | 2007-08-21 | 2009-04-30 | Yi Li | Systems and methods for integrating search capability in interactive video |
US7535456B2 (en) * | 2004-04-30 | 2009-05-19 | Hillcrest Laboratories, Inc. | Methods and devices for removing unintentional movement in 3D pointing devices |
US7536706B1 (en) * | 1998-08-24 | 2009-05-19 | Sharp Laboratories Of America, Inc. | Information enhanced audio video encoding system |
US20090165048A1 (en) * | 2007-12-19 | 2009-06-25 | United Video Properties, Inc. | Methods and devices for presenting guide listings and guidance data in three dimensions in an interactive media guidance application |
US20090165041A1 (en) * | 2007-12-21 | 2009-06-25 | Penberthy John S | System and Method for Providing Interactive Content with Video Content |
US20090187862A1 (en) * | 2008-01-22 | 2009-07-23 | Sony Corporation | Method and apparatus for the intuitive browsing of content |
US20090199259A1 (en) * | 2001-02-02 | 2009-08-06 | Rachad Alao | Service gateway for interactive television |
US20090217317A1 (en) * | 2008-02-26 | 2009-08-27 | At&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. | System and method for promoting marketable items |
US20090235312A1 (en) * | 2008-03-11 | 2009-09-17 | Amir Morad | Targeted content with broadcast material |
US20090237572A1 (en) * | 2006-11-16 | 2009-09-24 | Kazuyuki Kishimoto | Image display device and image display method |
US20100064320A1 (en) * | 2006-03-13 | 2010-03-11 | Verizon Services Corp. | Integrating data on program popularity into an on-screen program guide |
US20100098074A1 (en) * | 2008-10-22 | 2010-04-22 | Backchannelmedia Inc. | Systems and methods for providing a network link between broadcast content and content located on a computer network |
US20100162303A1 (en) * | 2008-12-23 | 2010-06-24 | Cassanova Jeffrey P | System and method for selecting an object in a video data stream |
US20100218228A1 (en) * | 2009-02-20 | 2010-08-26 | Walter Edward A | System and method for processing image objects in video data |
US7889175B2 (en) * | 2007-06-28 | 2011-02-15 | Panasonic Corporation | Touchpad-enabled remote controller and user interaction methods |
US7890380B2 (en) * | 2007-05-07 | 2011-02-15 | At&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. | Method, system, and computer readable medium for implementing sales of products using a trace of an object |
US20110063523A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method in a television controller for providing user-selection of objects in a television program |
US20110141013A1 (en) * | 2009-12-14 | 2011-06-16 | Alcatel-Lucent Usa, Incorporated | User-interface apparatus and method for user control |
US20110179435A1 (en) * | 2005-12-29 | 2011-07-21 | Charles Cordray | Systems and methods for managing content |
US7987478B2 (en) * | 2007-08-28 | 2011-07-26 | Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Ab | Methods, devices, and computer program products for providing unobtrusive video advertising content |
US20120154268A1 (en) * | 2007-05-14 | 2012-06-21 | Apple Inc. | Remote control systems that can distinguish stray light sources |
US20120163766A1 (en) * | 2009-12-21 | 2012-06-28 | Panasonic Corporation | Reproduction device |
US8223136B2 (en) * | 2005-06-07 | 2012-07-17 | Intel Corporation | Error detection and prevention inacoustic data |
US8359628B2 (en) * | 2007-10-05 | 2013-01-22 | Sony Corporation | Display device and transmitting device |
US8421746B2 (en) * | 2006-09-07 | 2013-04-16 | Porto Vinci Ltd. Limited Liability Company | Device control using multi-dimensional motion sensing and a wireless home entertainment hub |
Family Cites Families (124)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US7207053B1 (en) | 1992-12-09 | 2007-04-17 | Sedna Patent Services, Llc | Method and apparatus for locally targeting virtual objects within a terminal |
US5784056A (en) * | 1995-12-29 | 1998-07-21 | Sun Microsystems, Inc. | System and method for temporally varying pointer icons |
US20030212996A1 (en) | 1996-02-08 | 2003-11-13 | Wolzien Thomas R. | System for interconnection of audio program data transmitted by radio to remote vehicle or individual with GPS location |
US5661502A (en) * | 1996-02-16 | 1997-08-26 | Ast Research, Inc. | Self-adjusting digital filter for smoothing computer mouse movement |
US5894843A (en) * | 1996-02-20 | 1999-04-20 | Cardiothoracic Systems, Inc. | Surgical method for stabilizing the beating heart during coronary artery bypass graft surgery |
US20020049832A1 (en) | 1996-03-08 | 2002-04-25 | Craig Ullman | Enhanced video programming system and method for incorporating and displaying retrieved integrated internet information segments |
US6006256A (en) * | 1996-03-11 | 1999-12-21 | Opentv, Inc. | System and method for inserting interactive program content within a television signal originating at a remote network |
US6057831A (en) | 1996-08-14 | 2000-05-02 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | TV graphical user interface having cursor position indicator |
GB2320405B (en) * | 1996-12-13 | 2001-06-27 | Ibm | System, method, and pointing device for remote operation of data processing apparatus |
US6256785B1 (en) * | 1996-12-23 | 2001-07-03 | Corporate Media Patners | Method and system for providing interactive look-and-feel in a digital broadcast via an X-Y protocol |
US7617508B2 (en) * | 2003-12-12 | 2009-11-10 | At&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. | Methods and systems for collaborative capture of television viewer generated clickstreams |
KR100288976B1 (en) | 1997-01-08 | 2001-05-02 | 윤종용 | Method for constructing and recognizing menu commands of television receiver |
US6317714B1 (en) * | 1997-02-04 | 2001-11-13 | Microsoft Corporation | Controller and associated mechanical characters operable for continuously performing received control data while engaging in bidirectional communications over a single communications channel |
US6045588A (en) * | 1997-04-29 | 2000-04-04 | Whirlpool Corporation | Non-aqueous washing apparatus and method |
TW463503B (en) | 1998-08-26 | 2001-11-11 | United Video Properties Inc | Television chat system |
US6626570B2 (en) * | 1998-10-16 | 2003-09-30 | Kenneth Fox Supply Company | Produce bag with draw top |
US7694319B1 (en) | 1998-11-02 | 2010-04-06 | United Video Properties, Inc. | Interactive program guide with continuous data stream and client-server data supplementation |
US6532592B1 (en) | 1998-11-09 | 2003-03-11 | Sony Corporation | Bi-directional remote control unit and method of using the same |
US6314569B1 (en) | 1998-11-25 | 2001-11-06 | International Business Machines Corporation | System for video, audio, and graphic presentation in tandem with video/audio play |
US6282713B1 (en) | 1998-12-21 | 2001-08-28 | Sony Corporation | Method and apparatus for providing on-demand electronic advertising |
US8479251B2 (en) | 1999-03-31 | 2013-07-02 | Microsoft Corporation | System and method for synchronizing streaming content with enhancing content using pre-announced triggers |
JP4497577B2 (en) | 1999-04-05 | 2010-07-07 | キヤノン株式会社 | Multi-beam optical scanning device |
US7325245B1 (en) * | 1999-09-30 | 2008-01-29 | Intel Corporation | Linking to video information |
JP2003518284A (en) * | 1999-12-22 | 2003-06-03 | コーニンクレッカ フィリップス エレクトロニクス エヌ ヴィ | Pointer coordinate assignment |
US7293279B1 (en) | 2000-03-09 | 2007-11-06 | Sedna Patent Services, Llc | Advanced set top terminal having a program pause feature with voice-to-text conversion |
US7979881B1 (en) | 2000-03-30 | 2011-07-12 | Microsoft Corporation | System and method for identifying audio/visual programs to be recorded |
WO2001075649A2 (en) * | 2000-03-31 | 2001-10-11 | United Video Properties, Inc. | System and method for metadata-linked advertisements |
US8205223B2 (en) | 2000-04-12 | 2012-06-19 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Method and video device for accessing information |
EP1285503A2 (en) | 2000-05-31 | 2003-02-26 | Optinetix, Inc. | Systems and methods for distributing information through broadcast media |
US7103908B2 (en) | 2000-07-25 | 2006-09-05 | Diego, Inc. | Method and system to save context for deferred transaction via interactive television |
US20020056109A1 (en) * | 2000-07-25 | 2002-05-09 | Tomsen Mai-Lan | Method and system to provide a personalized shopping channel VIA an interactive video casting system |
JP2002057645A (en) * | 2000-08-10 | 2002-02-22 | Ntt Docomo Inc | Method for data transfer and mobile unit server |
US20020069405A1 (en) | 2000-09-20 | 2002-06-06 | Chapin Paul W. | System and method for spokesperson interactive television advertisements |
WO2002025556A1 (en) | 2000-09-21 | 2002-03-28 | Digital Network Shopping, Llc | Method and apparatus for digital shopping |
US6920244B2 (en) * | 2000-10-06 | 2005-07-19 | Rochester Institute Of Technology | Data-efficient and self adapting imaging spectrometry method and an apparatus thereof |
US8224078B2 (en) | 2000-11-06 | 2012-07-17 | Nant Holdings Ip, Llc | Image capture and identification system and process |
US20020069404A1 (en) * | 2000-11-28 | 2002-06-06 | Navic Systems, Incorporated | Targeted promotion deployment |
US20050039214A1 (en) * | 2001-02-21 | 2005-02-17 | Lorenz Kim E. | System and method for providing direct, context-sensitive customer support in an interactive television system |
DE60239067D1 (en) | 2001-08-02 | 2011-03-10 | Intellocity Usa Inc | PREPARATION OF DISPLAY CHANGES |
WO2003017129A1 (en) | 2001-08-16 | 2003-02-27 | Goldpocket Interactive | Interactive television tracking system |
KR100846761B1 (en) * | 2001-09-11 | 2008-07-16 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Pointer control method, pointing apparatus and host apparatus therefor |
US20030079224A1 (en) * | 2001-10-22 | 2003-04-24 | Anton Komar | System and method to provide additional information associated with selectable display areas |
US20030145326A1 (en) * | 2002-01-31 | 2003-07-31 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Subscription to TV channels/shows based on recommendation generated by a TV recommender |
US20030182393A1 (en) * | 2002-03-25 | 2003-09-25 | Sony Corporation | System and method for retrieving uniform resource locators from television content |
US20050177861A1 (en) | 2002-04-05 | 2005-08-11 | Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd | Asynchronous integration of portable handheld device |
US6967566B2 (en) * | 2002-04-05 | 2005-11-22 | Creative Kingdoms, Llc | Live-action interactive adventure game |
US7725398B2 (en) | 2002-06-19 | 2010-05-25 | Eastman Kodak Company | Method and system for selling goods and/or services over a communication network between multiple users |
US7266835B2 (en) | 2002-06-27 | 2007-09-04 | Digeo, Inc. | Method and apparatus for secure transactions in an interactive television ticker |
US20040095317A1 (en) * | 2002-11-20 | 2004-05-20 | Jingxi Zhang | Method and apparatus of universal remote pointing control for home entertainment system and computer |
AU2003293240A1 (en) | 2002-12-02 | 2004-06-23 | Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. | Portable device for viewing real-time synchronized information from broadcasting sources |
US8803795B2 (en) * | 2002-12-08 | 2014-08-12 | Immersion Corporation | Haptic communication devices |
EP1463052A1 (en) * | 2003-03-25 | 2004-09-29 | Deutsche Thomson-Brandt Gmbh | Method for representing animated menu buttons |
US20040221025A1 (en) * | 2003-04-29 | 2004-11-04 | Johnson Ted C. | Apparatus and method for monitoring computer networks |
JP2004347320A (en) * | 2003-05-15 | 2004-12-09 | Advantest Corp | Display and method for measuring and displaying signal |
US8635643B2 (en) | 2003-06-30 | 2014-01-21 | At&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. | System and method for providing interactive media content over a network |
JP4017009B2 (en) * | 2003-09-12 | 2007-12-05 | 松下電器産業株式会社 | Image display apparatus and method |
US8286203B2 (en) | 2003-12-19 | 2012-10-09 | At&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. | System and method for enhanced hot key delivery |
FI20040037A0 (en) * | 2004-01-13 | 2004-01-13 | Nokia Corp | Providing position information |
JP4192819B2 (en) | 2004-03-19 | 2008-12-10 | ソニー株式会社 | Information processing apparatus and method, recording medium, and program |
US20050229227A1 (en) | 2004-04-13 | 2005-10-13 | Evenhere, Inc. | Aggregation of retailers for televised media programming product placement |
US20050234782A1 (en) * | 2004-04-14 | 2005-10-20 | Schackne Raney J | Clothing and model image generation, combination, display, and selection |
US20050251835A1 (en) | 2004-05-07 | 2005-11-10 | Microsoft Corporation | Strategies for pausing and resuming the presentation of programs |
WO2005120055A2 (en) * | 2004-05-26 | 2005-12-15 | Skipjam Corp. | Method and system for displaying and selecting content of an electronic program guide |
US7335456B2 (en) * | 2004-05-27 | 2008-02-26 | International Business Machines Corporation | Top coat material and use thereof in lithography processes |
US7542072B2 (en) * | 2004-07-28 | 2009-06-02 | The University Of Maryland | Device using a camera and light polarization for the remote displacement of a cursor on a display |
TWI236289B (en) * | 2004-08-11 | 2005-07-11 | Pixart Imaging Inc | Interactive device capable of improving image processing |
WO2006018775A2 (en) * | 2004-08-12 | 2006-02-23 | Philips Intellectual Property & Standards Gmbh | Method and system for controlling a display |
KR100644095B1 (en) * | 2004-10-13 | 2006-11-10 | 박우현 | Method of realizing interactive advertisement under digital broadcasting environment by extending program associated data-broadcasting to internet area |
US20070266406A1 (en) | 2004-11-09 | 2007-11-15 | Murali Aravamudan | Method and system for performing actions using a non-intrusive television with reduced text input |
US7576757B2 (en) * | 2004-11-24 | 2009-08-18 | General Electric Company | System and method for generating most read images in a PACS workstation |
JP2006260028A (en) * | 2005-03-16 | 2006-09-28 | Sony Corp | Remote control system, remote controller, remote control method, information processor, information processing method and program |
US20060241864A1 (en) | 2005-04-22 | 2006-10-26 | Outland Research, Llc | Method and apparatus for point-and-send data transfer within an ubiquitous computing environment |
US20060259930A1 (en) | 2005-05-10 | 2006-11-16 | Rothschild Leigh M | System and method for obtaining information on digital media content |
US20060268895A1 (en) * | 2005-05-17 | 2006-11-30 | Kotzin Michael D | Linking a mobile wireless communication device to a proximal consumer broadcast device |
US7814022B2 (en) | 2005-06-10 | 2010-10-12 | Aniruddha Gupte | Enhanced media method and apparatus for use in digital distribution system |
US20070150368A1 (en) * | 2005-09-06 | 2007-06-28 | Samir Arora | On-line personalized content and merchandising environment |
US20070078732A1 (en) * | 2005-09-14 | 2007-04-05 | Crolley C W | Interactive information access system |
JP4453647B2 (en) * | 2005-10-28 | 2010-04-21 | セイコーエプソン株式会社 | Moving image display device and moving image display method |
US7710504B2 (en) * | 2006-02-21 | 2010-05-04 | Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc. | Remote control system and method for controlling a television |
JP2007251446A (en) * | 2006-03-15 | 2007-09-27 | Sharp Corp | Receiving apparatus, and receiving system |
US8095423B2 (en) | 2006-03-17 | 2012-01-10 | Grant Allen Lee Nichols | Interactive international bulk trade television |
WO2007115224A2 (en) | 2006-03-30 | 2007-10-11 | Sri International | Method and apparatus for annotating media streams |
US8789100B2 (en) * | 2006-05-31 | 2014-07-22 | Telecom Italia S.P.A. | Method and TV receiver for storing contents associated to TV programs |
US8261300B2 (en) | 2006-06-23 | 2012-09-04 | Tivo Inc. | Method and apparatus for advertisement placement in a user dialog on a set-top box |
US8775452B2 (en) | 2006-09-17 | 2014-07-08 | Nokia Corporation | Method, apparatus and computer program product for providing standard real world to virtual world links |
US8813118B2 (en) * | 2006-10-03 | 2014-08-19 | Verizon Patent And Licensing Inc. | Interactive content for media content access systems and methods |
US20080089551A1 (en) | 2006-10-16 | 2008-04-17 | Ashley Heather | Interactive TV data track synchronization system and method |
US8180690B2 (en) * | 2006-10-31 | 2012-05-15 | Dotted Pair, Inc. | System and method for interacting with item catalogs |
US9218213B2 (en) * | 2006-10-31 | 2015-12-22 | International Business Machines Corporation | Dynamic placement of heterogeneous workloads |
US8269746B2 (en) * | 2006-11-27 | 2012-09-18 | Microsoft Corporation | Communication with a touch screen |
EP2097862A4 (en) * | 2006-12-01 | 2011-11-09 | Hsni Llc | Method and system for improved interactive television processing |
CA2571617A1 (en) * | 2006-12-15 | 2008-06-15 | Desktopbox Inc. | Simulcast internet media distribution system and method |
KR100818990B1 (en) | 2006-12-28 | 2008-04-04 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Apparatus and method for transferring moving signal |
US8239215B2 (en) * | 2007-01-17 | 2012-08-07 | Mitochon Systems, Inc. | Apparatus and method for revenue distribution generated from delivering healthcare advertisements via EMR systems, RHIN, and electronic advertising servers |
US8265957B2 (en) | 2007-01-18 | 2012-09-11 | At&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. | Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for disease management |
US20080184132A1 (en) | 2007-01-31 | 2008-07-31 | Zato Thomas J | Media content tagging |
US8181206B2 (en) * | 2007-02-28 | 2012-05-15 | Time Warner Cable Inc. | Personal content server apparatus and methods |
KR20080099592A (en) * | 2007-05-10 | 2008-11-13 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | Remote controlling unit and method for operating remotely |
US8290513B2 (en) * | 2007-06-28 | 2012-10-16 | Apple Inc. | Location-based services |
US20090006211A1 (en) | 2007-07-01 | 2009-01-01 | Decisionmark Corp. | Network Content And Advertisement Distribution System and Method |
CN102752653A (en) * | 2007-07-26 | 2012-10-24 | 夏普株式会社 | Remote control device and television receiver |
US8744118B2 (en) | 2007-08-03 | 2014-06-03 | At&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. | Methods, systems, and products for indexing scenes in digital media |
KR101348346B1 (en) | 2007-09-06 | 2014-01-08 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Pointing apparatus, pointer controlling apparatus, pointing method and pointer controlling method |
WO2009033500A1 (en) | 2007-09-14 | 2009-03-19 | Nec Europe Ltd. | Method and system for optimizing network performances |
US8140012B1 (en) * | 2007-10-25 | 2012-03-20 | At&T Mobility Ii Llc | Bluetooth security profile |
US8875212B2 (en) | 2008-04-15 | 2014-10-28 | Shlomo Selim Rakib | Systems and methods for remote control of interactive video |
US8271357B2 (en) * | 2007-12-11 | 2012-09-18 | Ebay Inc. | Presenting items based on activity rates |
JP5228498B2 (en) * | 2008-01-22 | 2013-07-03 | 富士通株式会社 | retrieval method |
WO2009120616A1 (en) * | 2008-03-25 | 2009-10-01 | Wms Gaming, Inc. | Generating casino floor maps |
US8676030B2 (en) | 2008-04-15 | 2014-03-18 | Shlomo Selim Rakib | Methods and systems for interacting with viewers of video content |
US20090256811A1 (en) * | 2008-04-15 | 2009-10-15 | Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Ab | Optical touch screen |
US8760401B2 (en) | 2008-04-21 | 2014-06-24 | Ron Kimmel | System and method for user object selection in geographic relation to a video display |
US9256882B2 (en) | 2008-05-27 | 2016-02-09 | At&T Intellectual Property I, Lp. | Methods, communications devices, and computer program products for selecting an advertisement to initiate device-to-device communications |
JP5100842B2 (en) * | 2008-09-08 | 2012-12-19 | シャープ株式会社 | Video display system and remote control device |
US8239359B2 (en) * | 2008-09-23 | 2012-08-07 | Disney Enterprises, Inc. | System and method for visual search in a video media player |
KR100972932B1 (en) * | 2008-10-16 | 2010-07-28 | 인하대학교 산학협력단 | Touch Screen Panel |
US8181212B2 (en) | 2008-10-30 | 2012-05-15 | Frederic Sigal | Method of providing a frame-based object redirection overlay for a video stream |
US7756758B2 (en) * | 2008-12-08 | 2010-07-13 | Hsn Lp | Method and system for improved E-commerce shopping |
EP2200334A1 (en) * | 2008-12-18 | 2010-06-23 | Thomson Licensing | Display device with feedback elements and method for monitoring |
US20100257448A1 (en) | 2009-04-06 | 2010-10-07 | Interactical Llc | Object-Based Interactive Programming Device and Method |
EP2264580A2 (en) * | 2009-06-10 | 2010-12-22 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Method and apparatus for processing motion data |
US9118468B2 (en) * | 2009-07-23 | 2015-08-25 | Qualcomm Incorporated | Asynchronous time division duplex operation in a wireless network |
US8272012B2 (en) * | 2009-07-29 | 2012-09-18 | Echostar Technologies L.L.C. | User-controlled data/video integration by a video control system |
US9232167B2 (en) | 2009-08-04 | 2016-01-05 | Echostar Technologies L.L.C. | Video system and remote control with touch interface for supplemental content display |
-
2010
- 2010-05-05 US US12/774,154 patent/US9110517B2/en active Active
- 2010-05-05 US US12/774,321 patent/US8947350B2/en active Active
- 2010-05-05 US US12/774,221 patent/US20110063522A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2010-05-05 US US12/774,380 patent/US8990854B2/en active Active
- 2010-08-05 US US12/850,832 patent/US20110067047A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2010-08-05 US US12/850,945 patent/US9081422B2/en active Active
- 2010-08-05 US US12/850,866 patent/US9098128B2/en active Active
- 2010-08-05 US US12/850,911 patent/US9197941B2/en active Active
- 2010-08-05 US US12/851,075 patent/US20110067069A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2010-08-05 US US12/851,036 patent/US9462345B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2010-08-30 EP EP10009014.1A patent/EP2328347A3/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2010-09-13 US US12/880,530 patent/US20110067054A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2010-09-13 US US12/881,110 patent/US9137577B2/en active Active
- 2010-09-13 US US12/881,096 patent/US9258617B2/en active Active
- 2010-09-13 US US12/880,965 patent/US9271044B2/en active Active
- 2010-09-13 US US12/880,594 patent/US8839307B2/en active Active
- 2010-09-13 US US12/880,888 patent/US8819732B2/en active Active
- 2010-09-13 US US12/881,067 patent/US9043833B2/en active Active
- 2010-09-13 US US12/880,851 patent/US20110067051A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2010-09-13 US US12/881,031 patent/US20110066929A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2010-09-13 US US12/881,004 patent/US8931015B2/en active Active
- 2010-09-13 US US12/880,749 patent/US9110518B2/en active Active
- 2010-09-13 US US12/880,668 patent/US8832747B2/en active Active
- 2010-09-14 CN CN2010102811775A patent/CN102025933A/en active Pending
- 2010-09-14 TW TW99131055A patent/TW201132122A/en unknown
-
2014
- 2014-08-12 US US14/457,451 patent/US20150012939A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2014-08-25 US US14/467,408 patent/US20140366062A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2014-09-08 US US14/479,670 patent/US20140380381A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2014-09-08 US US14/480,020 patent/US20140380401A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2014-09-17 US US14/488,778 patent/US20150007222A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2014-12-17 US US14/572,916 patent/US20150106857A1/en not_active Abandoned
-
2015
- 2015-01-23 US US14/603,457 patent/US20150135217A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2015-02-19 US US14/625,810 patent/US20150172769A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2015-06-05 US US14/731,983 patent/US20150296263A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2015-06-29 US US14/753,183 patent/US20150304721A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2015-07-22 US US14/805,961 patent/US20150326931A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2015-09-11 US US14/851,225 patent/US20160007090A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (100)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5111511A (en) * | 1988-06-24 | 1992-05-05 | Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. | Image motion vector detecting apparatus |
US5718845A (en) * | 1990-12-12 | 1998-02-17 | Enichem S.P.A. | Tricyanovinyl substitution process for NLO polymers |
US20060037044A1 (en) * | 1993-03-29 | 2006-02-16 | Microsoft Corporation | Pausing television programming in response to selection of hypertext link |
US5408258A (en) * | 1993-04-21 | 1995-04-18 | The Arbitron Company | Method of automatically qualifying a signal reproduction device for installation of monitoring equipment |
US5793361A (en) * | 1994-06-09 | 1998-08-11 | Corporation For National Research Initiatives | Unconstrained pointing interface for natural human interaction with a display-based computer system |
US5721584A (en) * | 1994-07-22 | 1998-02-24 | Sony Corporation | Two-way broadcast system and receiving system |
US5602568A (en) * | 1994-12-22 | 1997-02-11 | Goldstar Co., Ltd. | Point type remote control apparatus and the method thereof |
US5543851A (en) * | 1995-03-13 | 1996-08-06 | Chang; Wen F. | Method and apparatus for translating closed caption data |
US5727141A (en) * | 1995-05-05 | 1998-03-10 | Apple Computer, Inc. | Method and apparatus for identifying user-selectable regions within multiple display frames |
US20030115602A1 (en) * | 1995-06-07 | 2003-06-19 | Knee Robert Alan | Electronic television program guide schedule system and method with data feed access |
US20020090114A1 (en) * | 1995-07-27 | 2002-07-11 | Rhoads Geoffrey B. | Watermark enabled video objects |
US5708845A (en) * | 1995-09-29 | 1998-01-13 | Wistendahl; Douglass A. | System for mapping hot spots in media content for interactive digital media program |
US20020056136A1 (en) * | 1995-09-29 | 2002-05-09 | Wistendahl Douglass A. | System for converting existing TV content to interactive TV programs operated with a standard remote control and TV set-top box |
US20030005445A1 (en) * | 1995-10-02 | 2003-01-02 | Schein Steven M. | Systems and methods for linking television viewers with advertisers and broadcasters |
US5929849A (en) * | 1996-05-02 | 1999-07-27 | Phoenix Technologies, Ltd. | Integration of dynamic universal resource locators with television presentations |
US6097441A (en) * | 1997-12-31 | 2000-08-01 | Eremote, Inc. | System for dual-display interaction with integrated television and internet content |
US20080134342A1 (en) * | 1998-03-16 | 2008-06-05 | Shamoon Talal G | Methods and Apparatus for Persistent Control and Protection of Content |
US6255961B1 (en) * | 1998-05-08 | 2001-07-03 | Sony Corporation | Two-way communications between a remote control unit and one or more devices in an audio/visual environment |
US20120079525A1 (en) * | 1998-07-17 | 2012-03-29 | United Video Properties, Inc. | Interactive television program guide with remote access |
US20050028208A1 (en) * | 1998-07-17 | 2005-02-03 | United Video Properties, Inc. | Interactive television program guide with remote access |
US20030217360A1 (en) * | 1998-07-23 | 2003-11-20 | Gordon Donald F. | System for generating, distributing and receiving an interactive user interface |
US7536706B1 (en) * | 1998-08-24 | 2009-05-19 | Sharp Laboratories Of America, Inc. | Information enhanced audio video encoding system |
US20010023436A1 (en) * | 1998-09-16 | 2001-09-20 | Anand Srinivasan | Method and apparatus for multiplexing seperately-authored metadata for insertion into a video data stream |
US7158676B1 (en) * | 1999-02-01 | 2007-01-02 | Emuse Media Limited | Interactive system |
US6538672B1 (en) * | 1999-02-08 | 2003-03-25 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Method and apparatus for displaying an electronic program guide |
US6122660A (en) * | 1999-02-22 | 2000-09-19 | International Business Machines Corporation | Method for distributing digital TV signal and selection of content |
US7102616B1 (en) * | 1999-03-05 | 2006-09-05 | Microsoft Corporation | Remote control device with pointing capacity |
US6407779B1 (en) * | 1999-03-29 | 2002-06-18 | Zilog, Inc. | Method and apparatus for an intuitive universal remote control system |
US6349410B1 (en) * | 1999-08-04 | 2002-02-19 | Intel Corporation | Integrating broadcast television pause and web browsing |
US6931660B1 (en) * | 2000-01-28 | 2005-08-16 | Opentv, Inc. | Interactive television system and method for simultaneous transmission and rendering of multiple MPEG-encoded video streams |
US20070130581A1 (en) * | 2000-02-02 | 2007-06-07 | Del Sesto Eric E | Interactive content delivery methods and apparatus |
US20080066129A1 (en) * | 2000-02-29 | 2008-03-13 | Goldpocket Interactive, Inc. | Method and Apparatus for Interaction with Hyperlinks in a Television Broadcast |
US20010019368A1 (en) * | 2000-03-01 | 2001-09-06 | Pace Micro Technology | Broadcast data receiving |
US20020040482A1 (en) * | 2000-04-08 | 2002-04-04 | Sextro Gary L. | Features for interactive television |
US20060195878A1 (en) * | 2000-04-12 | 2006-08-31 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Apparatus and method for providing and obtaining product information through a broadcast signal |
US7057670B2 (en) * | 2000-04-27 | 2006-06-06 | Dan Kikinis | Cursor control system |
US20020042925A1 (en) * | 2000-07-24 | 2002-04-11 | Koji Ebisu | Television receiver, receiver and program execution method |
US20050193425A1 (en) * | 2000-07-24 | 2005-09-01 | Sanghoon Sull | Delivery and presentation of content-relevant information associated with frames of audio-visual programs |
US20020078446A1 (en) * | 2000-08-30 | 2002-06-20 | Jon Dakss | Method and apparatus for hyperlinking in a television broadcast |
US20020136432A1 (en) * | 2000-11-10 | 2002-09-26 | Hiroyuki Koike | Method and apparatus for processing information of an object |
US20090199259A1 (en) * | 2001-02-02 | 2009-08-06 | Rachad Alao | Service gateway for interactive television |
US20020120934A1 (en) * | 2001-02-28 | 2002-08-29 | Marc Abrahams | Interactive television browsing and buying method |
US7360232B2 (en) * | 2001-04-25 | 2008-04-15 | Diego, Inc. | System and method to subscribe to channel URL addresses and to provide non-programming-related URL addresses in an interactive video casting system |
US20040167855A1 (en) * | 2001-04-26 | 2004-08-26 | Cambridge Vivien Johan | Automatic billing system for remote internet services |
US20030023981A1 (en) * | 2001-07-25 | 2003-01-30 | Thomas Lemmons | Method and apparatus for transmission of interactive and enhanced television data |
US20030035075A1 (en) * | 2001-08-20 | 2003-02-20 | Butler Michelle A. | Method and system for providing improved user input capability for interactive television |
US20030054878A1 (en) * | 2001-09-20 | 2003-03-20 | International Game Technology | Point of play registration on a gaming machine |
US20070097275A1 (en) * | 2001-09-27 | 2007-05-03 | Universal Electronics Inc. | Two way communication using light links |
US20040078814A1 (en) * | 2002-03-29 | 2004-04-22 | Digeo, Inc. | Module-based interactive television ticker |
US20040119701A1 (en) * | 2002-12-19 | 2004-06-24 | Mulligan Roger C. | Lattice touch-sensing system |
US7053965B1 (en) * | 2003-06-10 | 2006-05-30 | Fan Nong-Qiang | Remote control for controlling a computer using a screen of a television |
US20050086690A1 (en) * | 2003-10-16 | 2005-04-21 | International Business Machines Corporation | Interactive, non-intrusive television advertising |
US20050132420A1 (en) * | 2003-12-11 | 2005-06-16 | Quadrock Communications, Inc | System and method for interaction with television content |
US20050137958A1 (en) * | 2003-12-23 | 2005-06-23 | Thomas Huber | Advertising methods for advertising time slots and embedded objects |
US7535456B2 (en) * | 2004-04-30 | 2009-05-19 | Hillcrest Laboratories, Inc. | Methods and devices for removing unintentional movement in 3D pointing devices |
US20060099964A1 (en) * | 2004-11-05 | 2006-05-11 | Ebay Inc. | System and method for location based content correlation |
US20060174273A1 (en) * | 2004-11-20 | 2006-08-03 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Method of displaying service in DMB, and method and apparatus for managing preferred service |
US20060152489A1 (en) * | 2005-01-12 | 2006-07-13 | John Sweetser | Handheld vision based absolute pointing system |
US7864159B2 (en) * | 2005-01-12 | 2011-01-04 | Thinkoptics, Inc. | Handheld vision based absolute pointing system |
US8223136B2 (en) * | 2005-06-07 | 2012-07-17 | Intel Corporation | Error detection and prevention inacoustic data |
US7344084B2 (en) * | 2005-09-19 | 2008-03-18 | Sony Corporation | Portable video programs |
US20070137611A1 (en) * | 2005-12-21 | 2007-06-21 | Yu Robert C | Active radical initiator for internal combustion engines |
US20110179435A1 (en) * | 2005-12-29 | 2011-07-21 | Charles Cordray | Systems and methods for managing content |
US20070157260A1 (en) * | 2005-12-29 | 2007-07-05 | United Video Properties, Inc. | Interactive media guidance system having multiple devices |
US20070156521A1 (en) * | 2005-12-29 | 2007-07-05 | United Video Properties, Inc. | Systems and methods for commerce in media program related merchandise |
US20070199014A1 (en) * | 2006-02-22 | 2007-08-23 | E-Cast, Inc. | Consumer portal |
US20100064320A1 (en) * | 2006-03-13 | 2010-03-11 | Verizon Services Corp. | Integrating data on program popularity into an on-screen program guide |
US20080052750A1 (en) * | 2006-08-28 | 2008-02-28 | Anders Grunnet-Jepsen | Direct-point on-demand information exchanges |
US8421746B2 (en) * | 2006-09-07 | 2013-04-16 | Porto Vinci Ltd. Limited Liability Company | Device control using multi-dimensional motion sensing and a wireless home entertainment hub |
US20080109851A1 (en) * | 2006-10-23 | 2008-05-08 | Ashley Heather | Method and system for providing interactive video |
US20090237572A1 (en) * | 2006-11-16 | 2009-09-24 | Kazuyuki Kishimoto | Image display device and image display method |
US20080136754A1 (en) * | 2006-12-06 | 2008-06-12 | Sony Corporation | Display apparatus, display-apparatus control method and program |
US20080209480A1 (en) * | 2006-12-20 | 2008-08-28 | Eide Kurt S | Method for enhanced video programming system for integrating internet data for on-demand interactive retrieval |
US20080172693A1 (en) * | 2007-01-16 | 2008-07-17 | Microsoft Corporation | Representing Television Programs Using Video Objects |
US20080204603A1 (en) * | 2007-02-27 | 2008-08-28 | Hideharu Hattori | Video displaying apparatus and video displaying method |
US20080204605A1 (en) * | 2007-02-28 | 2008-08-28 | Leonard Tsai | Systems and methods for using a remote control unit to sense television characteristics |
US7890380B2 (en) * | 2007-05-07 | 2011-02-15 | At&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. | Method, system, and computer readable medium for implementing sales of products using a trace of an object |
US20120154268A1 (en) * | 2007-05-14 | 2012-06-21 | Apple Inc. | Remote control systems that can distinguish stray light sources |
US7889175B2 (en) * | 2007-06-28 | 2011-02-15 | Panasonic Corporation | Touchpad-enabled remote controller and user interaction methods |
US20090037947A1 (en) * | 2007-07-30 | 2009-02-05 | Yahoo! Inc. | Textual and visual interactive advertisements in videos |
US20090113475A1 (en) * | 2007-08-21 | 2009-04-30 | Yi Li | Systems and methods for integrating search capability in interactive video |
US7987478B2 (en) * | 2007-08-28 | 2011-07-26 | Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Ab | Methods, devices, and computer program products for providing unobtrusive video advertising content |
US20090077394A1 (en) * | 2007-09-17 | 2009-03-19 | Jr-Shian Tsai | Techniques for communications based power management |
US20090083815A1 (en) * | 2007-09-19 | 2009-03-26 | Mcmaster Orlando | Generating synchronized interactive link maps linking tracked video objects to other multimedia content in real-time |
US8359628B2 (en) * | 2007-10-05 | 2013-01-22 | Sony Corporation | Display device and transmitting device |
US20090165048A1 (en) * | 2007-12-19 | 2009-06-25 | United Video Properties, Inc. | Methods and devices for presenting guide listings and guidance data in three dimensions in an interactive media guidance application |
US20090165041A1 (en) * | 2007-12-21 | 2009-06-25 | Penberthy John S | System and Method for Providing Interactive Content with Video Content |
US20090187862A1 (en) * | 2008-01-22 | 2009-07-23 | Sony Corporation | Method and apparatus for the intuitive browsing of content |
US20090217317A1 (en) * | 2008-02-26 | 2009-08-27 | At&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. | System and method for promoting marketable items |
US20090235312A1 (en) * | 2008-03-11 | 2009-09-17 | Amir Morad | Targeted content with broadcast material |
US20100098074A1 (en) * | 2008-10-22 | 2010-04-22 | Backchannelmedia Inc. | Systems and methods for providing a network link between broadcast content and content located on a computer network |
US20100162303A1 (en) * | 2008-12-23 | 2010-06-24 | Cassanova Jeffrey P | System and method for selecting an object in a video data stream |
US20100218228A1 (en) * | 2009-02-20 | 2010-08-26 | Walter Edward A | System and method for processing image objects in video data |
US20110066929A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method for providing information of selectable objects in a still image file and/or data stream |
US20110063523A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method in a television controller for providing user-selection of objects in a television program |
US20110067063A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method in a television system for presenting information associated with a user-selected object in a televison program |
US20110067069A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method in a parallel television system for providing for user-selection of an object in a television program |
US20110067064A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method in a television system for presenting information associated with a user-selected object in a television program |
US20110141013A1 (en) * | 2009-12-14 | 2011-06-16 | Alcatel-Lucent Usa, Incorporated | User-interface apparatus and method for user control |
US20120163766A1 (en) * | 2009-12-21 | 2012-06-28 | Panasonic Corporation | Reproduction device |
Cited By (43)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US8819732B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2014-08-26 | Broadcom Corporation | System and method in a television system for providing information associated with a user-selected person in a television program |
US20110067047A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method in a distributed system for providing user-selection of objects in a television program |
US20110067054A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method in a distributed system for responding to user-selection of an object in a television program |
US8832747B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2014-09-09 | Broadcom Corporation | System and method in a television system for responding to user-selection of an object in a television program based on user location |
US20110067071A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method in a television system for responding to user-selection of an object in a television program based on user location |
US20110067057A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method in a television system for responding to user-selection of an object in a television program utilizing an alternative communication network |
US20110067055A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method in a television system for providing information associated with a user-selected person in a television program |
US20110066929A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method for providing information of selectable objects in a still image file and/or data stream |
US20110067051A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method in a television system for providing advertising information associated with a user-selected object in a television program |
US20110067065A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method in a television system for providing information associated with a user-selected information elelment in a television program |
US20110063509A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method in a television receiver for providing user-selection of objects in a television program |
US20110067056A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method in a local television system for responding to user-selection of an object in a television program |
US20110063511A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method in a television controller for providing user-selection of objects in a television program |
US20110063521A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method for generating screen pointing information in a television |
US20110067060A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method in a television for providing user-selection of objects in a television program |
US8839307B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2014-09-16 | Broadcom Corporation | System and method in a local television system for responding to user-selection of an object in a television program |
US20110067052A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method for providing information of selectable objects in a television program in an information stream independent of the television program |
US20110067064A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method in a television system for presenting information associated with a user-selected object in a television program |
US20110063522A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method for generating television screen pointing information using an external receiver |
US20110067063A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method in a television system for presenting information associated with a user-selected object in a televison program |
US9462345B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2016-10-04 | Broadcom Corporation | System and method in a television system for providing for user-selection of an object in a television program |
US20110067069A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method in a parallel television system for providing for user-selection of an object in a television program |
US20110063206A1 (en) * | 2009-09-14 | 2011-03-17 | Jeyhan Karaoguz | System and method for generating screen pointing information in a television control device |
US8931015B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2015-01-06 | Broadcom Corporation | System and method for providing information of selectable objects in a television program in an information stream independent of the television program |
US8947350B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2015-02-03 | Broadcom Corporation | System and method for generating screen pointing information in a television control device |
US9043833B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2015-05-26 | Broadcom Corporation | System and method in a television system for presenting information associated with a user-selected object in a television program |
US9081422B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2015-07-14 | Broadcom Corporation | System and method in a television controller for providing user-selection of objects in a television program |
US9098128B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2015-08-04 | Broadcom Corporation | System and method in a television receiver for providing user-selection of objects in a television program |
US9110518B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2015-08-18 | Broadcom Corporation | System and method in a television system for responding to user-selection of an object in a television program utilizing an alternative communication network |
US9110517B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2015-08-18 | Broadcom Corporation | System and method for generating screen pointing information in a television |
US9137577B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2015-09-15 | Broadcom Coporation | System and method of a television for providing information associated with a user-selected information element in a television program |
US9197941B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2015-11-24 | Broadcom Corporation | System and method in a television controller for providing user-selection of objects in a television program |
US9258617B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2016-02-09 | Broadcom Corporation | System and method in a television system for presenting information associated with a user-selected object in a television program |
US9271044B2 (en) | 2009-09-14 | 2016-02-23 | Broadcom Corporation | System and method for providing information of selectable objects in a television program |
US20130150118A1 (en) * | 2011-12-09 | 2013-06-13 | Fujitsu Mobile Communications Limited | User terminal and communication method |
US20180246497A1 (en) * | 2017-02-28 | 2018-08-30 | Sap Se | Manufacturing process data collection and analytics |
US10558197B2 (en) | 2017-02-28 | 2020-02-11 | Sap Se | Manufacturing process data collection and analytics |
US10678216B2 (en) * | 2017-02-28 | 2020-06-09 | Sap Se | Manufacturing process data collection and analytics |
US10901394B2 (en) | 2017-02-28 | 2021-01-26 | Sap Se | Manufacturing process data collection and analytics |
US11307561B2 (en) | 2017-02-28 | 2022-04-19 | Sap Se | Manufacturing process data collection and analytics |
US20220360866A1 (en) * | 2017-09-13 | 2022-11-10 | Source Digital, Inc. | Product suggestion and rules engine driven off of ancillary data |
US11375290B2 (en) * | 2017-09-13 | 2022-06-28 | Source Digital, Inc. | Rules-based ancillary data |
US20230010078A1 (en) * | 2021-07-12 | 2023-01-12 | Avago Technologies International Sales Pte. Limited | Object or region of interest video processing system and method |
Also Published As
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US9271044B2 (en) | System and method for providing information of selectable objects in a television program | |
US10642465B2 (en) | Method and system for media selection and sharing | |
US20110162007A1 (en) | Television system providing user-interaction related to an in-progress television program | |
US20110178880A1 (en) | System and method for monitoring and reporting presentation of recorded advertising content | |
KR101356028B1 (en) | Television system providing user-interaction related to an in-progress television program |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: BROADCOM CORPORATION, CALIFORNIA Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:KARAOGUZ, JEYHAN;SESHADRI, NAMBIRAJAN;SIGNING DATES FROM 20100910 TO 20100913;REEL/FRAME:025233/0186 |
|
STCF | Information on status: patent grant |
Free format text: PATENTED CASE |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT, NORTH CAROLINA Free format text: PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:BROADCOM CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:037806/0001 Effective date: 20160201 Owner name: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT, NORTH Free format text: PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:BROADCOM CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:037806/0001 Effective date: 20160201 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: BROADCOM CORPORATION, CALIFORNIA Free format text: TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS;ASSIGNOR:BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT;REEL/FRAME:041712/0001 Effective date: 20170119 |
|
MAFP | Maintenance fee payment |
Free format text: PAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEE, 4TH YEAR, LARGE ENTITY (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: M1551); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: LARGE ENTITY Year of fee payment: 4 |
|
MAFP | Maintenance fee payment |
Free format text: PAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEE, 8TH YEAR, LARGE ENTITY (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: M1552); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: LARGE ENTITY Year of fee payment: 8 |