Method and system for providing interactive look-and-feel in a digital broadcast via an X-Y protocol

• US 20020049984A1
• Filed: 05/25/2001
• Published: 04/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Musicqubed Innovations LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Corporate Media Partners
• Inventors: Klappert, Walter R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,805,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/136
• 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 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• 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 21/4725 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 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8583 by creating hot-spots
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A system for providing an interactive look-and-feel in a digital video broadcast via an X-Y protocol is provided. At a head-end, video information is digitized and associated with private data, such as event identifications, X-Y coordinates, link event identification and synchronization data. This information is then transmitted to a receiving end and is input into a set-top box. The set-top box receives the broadcast digital signal and includes a member for receiving the broadcast digital signal and generating a playable signal including indicia of the link data. The playable signal is then played on a playing device. The user is provided with a remote control or similar input device for selecting from the indicia. Upon selection of a desired indicia, the user may exercise the predetermined link associated with the selected indicia in order to obtain the desired playable signal.

Claims

1. A system for providing an interactive look-and-feel in a playing device receiving a digital broadcast, comprising:

a signal generator which generates a digital signal comprising interleaved bits of at least one of audio, video and binary data for play on a playing device, and private data;

the private data includes an event identification for said at least one of audio, video and binary data and an indication of a number of hot-spots for linking to additional at least one of audio, video and binary data, each hot-spot being linked to said additional at least one of audio, video and binary data by link data, said link data including a set of coordinates defining a location on the playing device, link event identification indicating the additional at least one of audio, video and binary data coupled to the set of coordinates, and synchronization time indicating the temporal position of the additional at least one of audio, video and binary data;

means for broadcasting said digital signals; and

a receiver which receives said digital signal at user locations and plays at least one of said audio, video and binary data on said playing device, and is adapted to selectively exercise upon a hot-spot by reading said link data and playing said additional at least one of audio, video and binary data on said playing device.