IDENTIFYING ANCILLARY INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH AN AUDIO/VIDEO PROGRAM

• US 20010003212A1
• Filed: 10/29/1999
• Published: 06/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: CASSEZZA, JASON T., KINDER, DAVID B., LALOMIA, MARY J., CASEY, SCOTT P., MARLER, JERILYN L.
• Application Number:
  US09/429,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20010003212A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital

Abstract

A system communicates video information including television content associated with a plurality of channels and ancillary information. Information may be transmitted with the ancillary information that is indicative of the type of content included in the ancillary information. This provides the user, in one embodiment of the present invention, with a visual indication of the type of information that accompanies television content. This helps the user to decide whether the user wishes to view the ancillary information and provides the opportunity to select that enhancement for viewing.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting video data;

transmitting ancillary information associated with said video data; and

transmitting information that may be used to identify the content included in said ancillary information.

2. The method of

claim 1

wherein transmitting information indicative of the content includes providing a universal resource locator identifying a web page.

3. The method of

claim 2

wherein transmitting information indicative of the content includes providing a uniform resource locator to a web page that includes an appropriate icon indicative of the content included in said ancillary information.

4. The method of

claim 1

wherein transmitting information indicative of the content included in the ancillary information includes transmitting a local identifier in said ancillary information that points to a location storing a content-identifying icon.

5. The method of

claim 1

further including providing information to produce an icon indicative of the content included in said ancillary information on a display screen.

6. The method of

claim 5

further including providing information that causes an icon to be displayed as an overlay.

7. The method of

claim 6

further including transmitting a duration for the display of said icon in said ancillary information.

8. The method of

claim 7

further including determining whether the icon has been displayed for the duration set with the ancillary information.

9. The method of

claim 5

further including providing information to produce a plurality of icons indicative of content in said ancillary information.

10. An article comprising a medium for storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to:

transmit video data;

transmit ancillary information associated with said video data; and

transmit information indicative of the content included in said ancillary information.

11. The article of

claim 10

further storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to provide a universal resource locator identifying a web page.

12. The article of

claim 11

further storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to provide a uniform resource locator to a web page that includes an appropriate icon indicative of the content included in said ancillary information.

13. The article of

claim 10

further storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to transmit a local identifier in said ancillary information that points to a location storing a content-identifying icon.

14. A method comprising:

receiving video data, ancillary information associated with said video data, and information that may be used to identify the content included in said ancillary information; and

displaying an icon indicative of the content included in said ancillary information.

15. The method of

claim 14

wherein receiving includes receiving a uniform resource locator identifying a web page.

16. The method of

claim 15

including receiving a uniform resource locator identifying a web page that includes an appropriate icon indicative of the content included in the ancillary information.

17. The method of

claim 14

including receiving a local identifier in the ancillary information that points to a location storing a content-identifying icon.

18. The method of

claim 17

including storing said local identifier and using said local identifier to locate a content-identifying icon.

19. The method of

claim 15

including automatically accessing said web page.

20. An article comprising a medium for storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to:

receive video data, ancillary information associated with the video data, and information that may be used to identify the content included in the ancillary information; and

cause an icon indicative of the content included in said ancillary information to be displayed.

21. The article of

claim 20

further storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to receive a uniform resource locator identifying a web page.

22. The article of

claim 21

further storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to receive a uniform resource locator identifying a web page that includes an appropriate icon indicative of the content included in the ancillary information.

23. The article of

claim 20

further storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to receive a local identifier in the ancillary information that points to a location storing a content-identifying icon.

24. The article of

claim 23

further storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to store the local identifier and use the local identifier to locate a content-identifying icon.

25. The article of

claim 21

further storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to automatically access the web page.

26. A processor-based system comprising:

a processor; and

a transmitter coupled to said processor to transmit video data along with ancillary information associated with the video data together with information that may be used to identify the content included in said ancillary information.

27. The system of

claim 26

wherein said transmitter transmits a local identifier that may be used to identify the content included in the ancillary information.

28. The system of

claim 26

wherein said transmitter transmits a uniform resource locator that may be used to identify the content included in the ancillary information.

29. A processor-based system comprising:

a processor; and

a receiver to receive video data with ancillary information associated with the data together with information that may be used to identify the content included in the ancillary information.

30. The system of

claim 29

wherein said receiver displays an icon indicative of the content included in said ancillary information.