Interactive entertainment system for presenting supplemental interactive content together with continuous video programs
First Claim
1. A viewer computing unit for receiving and displaying continuous video content programs, comprising:
- a memory;
a processor programmed to determine whether the video content programs are interactive;
a tuner to tune to channels carrying the video content programs; and
an interactive support module stored in the memory, the interactive support module being dynamically loadable for execution on the processor when the tuner is tuned to a channel carrying a video content program that is interactive.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An interactive entertainment system enables presentation of supplemental interactive content along side traditional broadcast video programs, such as television shows and movies. The programs are broadcast in a conventional manner. The supplemental content is supplied as part of the same program signal over the broadcast network, or separately over another distribution network. A viewer computing unit is located at the viewer'"'"'s home to present the program and supplemental content to a viewer. When the viewer tunes to a particular channel, the viewer computing unit consults an electronic programming guide (EPG) to determine if the present program carried on the channel is interactive. If it is, the viewer computing unit launches a browser. The browser uses a target specification stored in the EPG to activate a target resource containing the supplemental content for enhancing the broadcast program. The target resource contains display layout instructions prescribing how the supplemental content and the video content program are to appear in relation to one another when displayed. When the data from the target resource is downloaded, the viewer computing unit is responsive to the layout instructions obtained from the target resource to display the supplemental content concurrently with the video content program. Embedding the layout instructions in the supplemental content advantageously places control of the presentation to the content developers. The developers are free to arrange the data and video in any manner they choose.
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Citations
55 Claims
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1. A viewer computing unit for receiving and displaying continuous video content programs, comprising:
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a memory;
a processor programmed to determine whether the video content programs are interactive;
a tuner to tune to channels carrying the video content programs; and
an interactive support module stored in the memory, the interactive support module being dynamically loadable for execution on the processor when the tuner is tuned to a channel carrying a video content program that is interactive. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. In an interactive entertainment device having an ability to receive and display television signals, the interactive entertainment device supporting a displayable user interface (UI), a method for operating the interactive entertainment device comprising the following step of displaying a hyperlink to a target resource in the UI to enable a viewer to activate the target resource directly from the UI by activating the hyperlink.
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9. A method for enhancing a continuous video content program with supplemental hyperlink content to provide viewer interactivity with the video content program, comprising the following steps:
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configuring digital data which defines a display layout prescribing how the supplemental hyperlink content and the video content program are to appear in relation to one another when displayed;
transmitting the digital data and the video content program to a viewer computing unit; and
displaying the supplemental hyperlink content and the video content program according to the display layout. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for presenting an interactive program, comprising the following steps:
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receiving a program as a continuous stream of video data;
receiving digital data for supporting interactive functionality in relation to the program;
displaying the program within a program boundary on a visual display screen;
presenting supplemental content from the digital data in a presentation format on the visual display screen which enables the interactive functionality; and
dynamically controlling location and shape of the program boundary and the presentation format of the supplemental content relative to the program boundary on the visual display screen. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A computer-implemented method for activating interactive supplemental content for a video content program upon tuning to a channel carrying the program, comprising the following steps:
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determining if the program is interactive compatible, where interactive compatible programs are associated with target resources containing data which support interactive functionality in conjunction with the associated programs, the target resources being located by corresponding target specifications; and
in an event that the program is interactive compatible, retrieving a target specification associated with the program and launching code to activate the target resource in support of interactive functionality for the associated program. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method for creating a data structure in a storage medium that is used to organize programming information, comprising the following steps:
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forming data fields in a storage medium to hold programming information pertaining to video, content programs, some of the data fields holding text-based data; and
adding a target specification which references a target resource containing data that supports interactive functionality with respect to various ones of the video content programs by at least one of (1) forming a separate data field to hold the target specification for an associated video content program, or (2) embedding the target specification within the text-based data held in a data field. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
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36. A method for authoring an interactive entertainment program, comprising the following steps:
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constructing digital data to support interactive functionality with a video content program, the digital data being configured to permit a viewer to interactively control display of supplemental content along with the video content program;
defining a display layout of how the supplemental content and the video content program are displayed; and
encoding the digital data with instructions to dynamically change the display layout of the supplemental content and the video content program. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A computer-implemented method comprising the following steps:
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tuning to a channel;
determining if a video content program being carried on the channel is interactive compatible as indicated by presence of a target specification provided in association with the video content program;
in an event that the program is interactive compatible, retrieving the target specification associated with the video content program on the channel;
launching a browser to activate a target resource located by the target specification, the target resource containing digital data which supports interactive functionality in conjunction with the associated video content program, the digital data defining supplemental content to enable viewer interactivity with the video content program and a display layout prescribing how the supplemental content and the video content program are to appear in relation to one another when displayed;
receiving the video content program over the channel;
receiving the digital data from the target resource; and
displaying the video content program and the supplemental content according to the display layout prescribed in the digital data received from the target resource. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A computer-readable storage medium containing a target resource, the target resource comprising:
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supplemental content for rendering to a viewer to supplement viewing of a continuous, non-interactive video stream;
one or more elements prescribing how the supplemental content is to be rendered along with, and relative to, the video stream. - View Dependent Claims (55)
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Specification