Method of enhancing streaming media content

• US 20020089530A1
• Filed: 08/27/2001
• Published: 07/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: Intellocity USA, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Markel, Steven O.
• Granted Patent: US 6,791,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/719
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• 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 21/4381 Recovering the multiplex stream from a specific network, e.g. recovering MPEG packets from ATM cells transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4437 Implementing a Virtual Machine [VM] virtual machines in general G06F9/45533
• 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8146 involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8193 dedicated tools, e.g. video decoder software or IPMP tool
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8545 for generating interactive applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• 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 7/088 : the inserted signal being digital
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A graphical user interface, providing local drag and drop functions, is employed to position text and graphic elements on a video frame image. Frame number, element position, and element attributes are employed to create an enhancement file. The enhancement file is employed to embed a trigger, comprising information that identifies a video frame to be enhanced and a locator indicating where enhancement information may be accessed, into a streaming media file to create and enhanced streaming media file. An HTML/Javascript page embeds a media player and includes software to detect a trigger, access enhancement information, and to render the enhancement information in response to the trigger.

Claims

1. A method for creating an enhanced streaming media file comprising:

defining a first window in a graphical user interface;

displaying a streaming video file in a media player window contained in said first window;

pausing said media player at one frame of a plurality of frames comprising said streaming video file;

placing a displayable element at a position in said first window employing a pointing device and employing a drag and drop function responsive to an input from said pointing device, said drag and drop function implemented locally in said graphical user interface;

creating an enhancement file containing information related to said displayable element, and said one frame;

modifying a file containing a video stream to produce a modified video stream file containing a trigger comprising information that identifies a video frame to be enhanced and a locator indicating where enhancement information may be accessed; and

embedding a media player and a software routine in a web displayable page wherein said media player is operable to display a video stream, and said software routine is operable to detect a trigger in said video stream, to access enhancement information employing a locator in said video stream, and to render enhancements defined by said enhancement information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of embedding further comprises:

creating an HTML/Javascript web page containing said media player and said software routine.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

employing a resize function implemented locally in said graphical user interface to alter the size of said displayble element.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said streaming media file further comprises:

a streaming media file conforming to Microsoft ASF format.

5. The method of claim 1 where said enhancement file further comprises:

an XML compliant script file.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

employing a database to store information describing said displayable element, and said one frame.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

saving said modified video stream file and said web displayable page on a server.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein a link is associated with said displayable element.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said displayable element is an imported element.

10. An enhanced streaming media file created by the steps of:

defining a first window in a graphical user interface;

displaying a streaming video file in a media player window contained in said first window;

pausing said media player at one frame of a plurality of frames comprising said streaming video file;

placing a displayable element at a position in said first window employing a pointing device and employing a drag and drop function implemented locally in said graphic user interface;

creating an enhancement file containing information related to said displayable element, and said one frame;

modifying a file containing a video stream to produce a modified video stream file containing a trigger comprising information that identifies a video frame to be enhanced and a locator indicating where enhancement information may be accessed; and

embedding a media player and a software routine in a web displayable page wherein said media player is operable to display a video stream, and said software routine is operable to detect a trigger in said video stream, to access enhancement information employing a locator in said video stream, and to render enhancements defined by said enhancement information.

11. The enhanced streaming media file of claim 10 wherein said step of embedding further comprises:

creating an HTML/Javascript web page comprising said media player and said software routine.

12. The streaming media file of claim 10 wherein said enhancement file is a text file.

13. The streaming media file of claim 10 further comprising the step of:

saving said modified video stream file and said web displayable page on a server.

14. The streaming media file of claim 10 wherein said enhancement file further comprises:

an XML compliant script file.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

a preview function that employs said second program and said third program to display an enhanced video stream on said web browser.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein said first program further comprises:

a resize function implemented locally in said graphical user interface that allows a user to alter the size of a displayed element.

18. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

a database that stores said information associated with said element.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein said displayable element is an imported element.

20. The system of claim 15 where a link is associated with said displayable element.

21. The system of claim 15 wherein said third program further comprises:

an HTML/Javascript web page containing said media player and said software routine.

15. A system for creating an enhanced streaming media file comprising:

a computer;

a web browser;

a graphical user interface disposed in said browser;

a streaming media player disposed in said graphical user interface;

a first program associated with said graphical user interface that allows a user to select a displayable element and to position said displayable element over an image displayed by said streaming media player, said first software program further provides a function to alter the position of said displayable element in response to input from a pointing device, said function implemented locally in said graphical user interface;

a second program that embeds information associated with said displayable element into a streaming media file; and

a third program that produces a web displayable page that embeds a media player operable to display a video stream and a software routine that detects a trigger contained in said video stream and that accesses enhancement information and renders an enhancement in response to said trigger.