METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IMPLEMENTING INTERACTIVE BROADCAST PROGRAMS AND COMMERCIALS

• US 20010052135A1
• Filed: 12/30/1996
• Published: 12/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: BALAKRISHNAN, MAHESH, VAIDYA, PRERANA
• Granted Patent: US 6,473,903 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/135
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4725 using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots details of information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8583 by creating hot-spots
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A system for implementing an interactive broadcast program which includes a transmitter for transmitting a multiplexed data stream which includes a main program and a plurality of different commercials, and a receiver (e.g., a digital television receiver) configured to receive the multiplexed data stream. The receiver includes a display device (e.g., a television monitor) and, facilities responsive to a user action for causing the display device to display a selected one of the plurality of different commercials during a commercial interruption in the main program. Also disclosed is a system for implementing an interactive broadcast program which includes a transmitter for transmitting a multiplexed data stream which includes an interactive main program comprised of a plurality of main program segments including at least a first main program segment and a plurality of different second main program segments, and a receiver. The receiver (e.g., an analog television receiver equipped with a digital set-top box) includes a display device (e.g., a CRT), and facilities responsive to a user action for causing the display device to branch to a selected one of the plurality of different second main program segments at a branching point of the first main program segment.

Claims

1. A receiver configured to receive a multiplexed data stream which includes a main program and a plurality of different commercials, comprising:

a display device; and

,

means responsive to a user action for causing said display device to display a selected one of the plurality of different commercials during a commercial interruption in the main program.

2. The receiver as set forth in

claim 1

, wherein said means responsive to a user action comprises:

a digital signal processor for processing the multiplexed data stream in such a manner as to cause the display device to simultaneously display a plurality of multimedia hotspots indicative of respective ones of the plurality of different commercials during commercial interruptions in the main program; and

,

a user-operated control device for enabling a user to choose a selected one of the displayed multimedia hotspots by means of the user action, to thereby cause the corresponding commercial to be displayed by the display device.

3. The receiver as set forth in

claim 2

, wherein the multiplexed data stream further includes a segment that includes said plurality of multimedia hotspots.

4. The receiver as set forth in

claim 3

, wherein the multiplexed data stream is comprised of a multiplexed stream of first, second, and third types of packets, said first type of packets comprising packets of compressed multimedia content corresponding to the main program, said second type of packets comprising packets of compressed multimedia content corresponding to the different commercials, and said third type of packets comprising packets of multimedia content corresponding to the segment that corresponds to said plurality of multimedia hotspots.

5. The receiver as set forth in

claim 1

, wherein the user action comprises pointing and clicking on the multimedia hotspot using a cursor-type control device.

6. The receiver as set forth in

claim 4

, wherein:

at least said second types of packets have packet identification codes associated therewith; and

,

said digital signal processor switches between different ones of said second packets by changing said packet identification code to which the receiver is tuned.

7. The receiver as set forth in

claim 1

, wherein the receiver comprises a digital television receiver.

8. The receiver as set forth in

claim 1

, wherein the receiver comprises an analog television receiver equipped with a digital set-top box.

9. The receiver as set forth in

claim 2

, wherein the multiplexed data stream includes a plurality of multiplexed main programs.

10. The receiver as set forth in

claim 9

, wherein all of the main programs have synchronized commercial interruptions during which said plurality of multimedia hotspots are simultaneously displayed.

11. The receiver as set forth in

claim 1

, wherein the multiplexed data stream comprises an MPEG-encoded multimedia data stream.

12. The receiver as set forth in

claim 1

, wherein the multiplexed data stream comprises an ATSC-encoded multimedia data stream.

13. A receiver configured to receive a multiplexed data stream which includes an interactive main program comprised of a plurality of main program segments including at least a first main program segment and a plurality of different second main program segments, the receiver comprising:

a display device; and

,

means responsive to a user action for causing said display device to display a selected one of the plurality of different second main program segments at the conclusion of the first main program segment.

14. The receiver as set forth in

claim 13

, wherein said means responsive to a user action comprises:

a digital signal processor for processing the multiplexed data stream in such a manner as to cause the display device to simultaneously display a plurality of multimedia hotspots indicative of respective ones of the plurality of different second main program segments at the conclusion of the first main program segment; and

,

a user-operated control device for enabling a user to choose a selected one of the displayed multimedia hotspots by means of the user action, to thereby cause the corresponding one of the different second main program segments to be displayed by the display device.

15. The receiver as set forth in

claim 14

, wherein the multiplexed data stream further includes a segment that includes said plurality of multimedia hotspots.

16. A receiver configured to receive a multiplexed data stream which includes an interactive main program comprised of a plurality of main program segments including at least a first main program segment and a plurality of different second main program segments, the receiver comprising:

a display device; and

,

means responsive to a user action for causing said display device to branch to a selected one of the plurality of different second main program segments at a branching point of the first main program segment.

17. A transmitter for transmitting a multiplexed data stream comprised of a multiplexed stream of first, second, and third types of packets, said first type of packets comprising packets of compressed multimedia content corresponding to a main program, said second type of packets comprising packets of compressed multimedia content corresponding to different commercials, and said third type of packets comprising packets of multimedia content correspoding to a segment that corresponds to a plurality of multimedia hotspots.

18. A transmitter for transmitting a multiplexed data stream which includes an interactive main program comprised of a plurality of main program segments including at least a first main program segment and a plurality of different second main program segments.

19. A multiplexed data stream comprised of a multiplexed stream of first, second, and third types of packets, said first type of packets comprising packets of compressed multimedia content corresponding to a main program, said second type of packets comprising packets of compressed multimedia content corresponding to different commercials, and said third type of packets comprising packets of multimedia content correspoding to a segment that corresponds to a plurality of multimedia hotspots.

20. A multiplexed data stream which includes an interactive main program comprised of a plurality of main program segments including at least a first main program segment and a plurality of different second main program segments.

21. A system, comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a multiplexed data stream which includes a main program and a plurality of different commercials; and

,

a receiver configured to receive said multiplexed data stream, said receiver including;

a display device; and

,

means responsive to a user action for causing said display device to display a selected one of the plurality of different commercials during a commercial interruption in the main program.

22. The system as set forth in

claim 21

, wherein said multiplexed data stream is transmitted over a broadcast channel.

23. The system as set forth in

claim 21

, wherein said means responsive to a user action comprises:

a digital signal processor for processing said multiplexed data stream in such a manner as to cause the display device to simultaneously display a plurality of multimedia hotspots indicative of respective ones of the plurality of different commercials during commercial interruptions in the main program; and

,

a user-operated control device for enabling a user to choose a selected one of the displayed multimedia hotspots by means of the user action, to thereby cause the corresponding commercial to be displayed by the display device.

24. The system as set forth in

claim 23

, wherein said multiplexed data stream is comprised of a multiplexed stream of first, second, and third types of packets, said first type of packets comprising packets of compressed multimedia content corresponding to the main program, said second type of packets comprising packets of compressed multimedia content corresponding to the different commercials, and said third type of packets comprising packets of multimedia content corresponding to a segment that corresponds to said plurality of multimedia hotspots.

25. The system as set forth in

claim 23

, wherein said multiplexed data stream includes a plurality of multiplexed main programs.

26. The system as set forth in

claim 25

, wherein all of the main programs have synchronized commercial interruptions during which said plurality of multimedia hotspots are simultaneously displayed.

27. A system, comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a multiplexed data stream which includes an interactive main program comprised of a plurality of main program segments including at least a first main program segment and a plurality of different second main program segments; and

,

a receiver comprising;

a display device; and

,

means responsive to a user action for causing said interactive main program to branch to a selected one of the plurality of different second main program segments at a branching point of the first main program segment.

28. The system as set forth in

claim 27

, wherein said multiplexed data stream is transmitted over a broadcast channel.

29. The system as set forth in

claim 27

, wherein said means responsive to a user action comprises:

a digital signal processor for processing said multiplexed data stream in such a manner as to cause the display device to simultaneously display a plurality of multimedia hotspots indicative of respective ones of the plurality of different second main program segments at the conclusion of the first main program segment; and

,

a user-operated control device for enabling a user to choose a selected one of the displayed multimedia hotspots by means of the user action, to thereby cause the corresponding one of the different second main program segments to be displayed by the display device.

30. A method for implementing an interactive program, comprising the steps of:

receiving a multiplexed data stream which includes a main program and a plurality of different commercials; and

,

displaying a selected one of the plurality of different commercials during a commercial interruption in the main program in response to a user action.

31. The method as set forth in

claim 30

, wherein the step of displaying is carried out by simultaneously displaying a plurality of multimedia hotspots indicative of respective ones of the plurality of different commercials during commercial interruptions in the main program, and then displaying the selected one of the plurality of different commercials in response to the user selecting a corresponding one of the plurality of multimedia hotspots.

32. The method as set forth in

claim 30

, wherein the multiplexed data stream is received over a broadcast channel.

33. A method for implementing an interactive program, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a multiplexed data stream which includes a main program and a plurality of different commercials;

receiving said multiplexed data stream; and

,

displaying a selected one of the plurality of different commercials during a commercial interruption in the main program in response to a user action.

34. The method as set forth in

claim 33

, wherein said multiplexed data stream is transmitted and received over a broadcast channel.

35. A method for implementing an interactive program, comprising the steps of:

receiving a multiplexed data stream which includes an interactive main program comprised of a plurality of main program segments including at least a first main program segment and a plurality of different second main program segments; and

,

branching to a selected one of the plurality of different second main program segments at a branching point of the first main program segment in response to a user action.

36. The method as set forth in

claim 35

, wherein the step of displaying is carried out by simultaneously displaying a plurality of multimedia hotspots indicative of respective ones of the plurality of different second main program segments at the conclusion of the first main program segment and then branching to the selected one of the plurality of different second main program segments in response to the user selecting a corresponding one of the plurality of multimedia hotspots.

37. The method as set forth in

claim 35

, wherein said multiplexed data stream is received over a broadcast channel.

38. A method for implementing an interactive program, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a multiplexed data stream which includes an interactive main program comprised of a plurality of main program segments including at least a first main program segment and a plurality of different second main program segments

receiving said multiplexed data stream; and

,

branching to a selected one of the plurality of different second main program segments at a branching point of the first main program segment in response to a user action.

39. The method as set forth in

claim 38

, wherein the step of displaying is carried out by simultaneously displaying a plurality of multimedia hotspots indicative of respective ones of the plurality of different second main program segments at the conclusion of the first main program segment and then branching to the selected one of the plurality of different second main program segments in response to the user selecting a corresponding one of the plurality of multimedia hotspots.

40. The method as set forth in

claim 38

, wherein said multiplexed data stream is transmitted and received over a broadcast channel.