Method and system for identifying addressing data within a television presentation

• US 20020093594A1
• Filed: 12/04/2001
• Published: 07/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Original Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Inventors: Kikinis, Dan
• Granted Patent: US 7,456,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/564
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/635 Overlay text, e.g. embedded captions in a TV program
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1444 Selective acquisition, locating or processing of specific regions, e.g. highlighted text, fiducial marks or predetermined fields
• 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

Abstract

Characters represented within a frame of a television presentation are identified. A pattern formed by a subset of the characters is identified if the pattern is indicative of an addressing datum. A provision is made for a selection of characters that form the pattern indicative of the addressing datum. In one embodiment, a web page is displayed upon a selection of characters that form a pattern indicative of an uniform resource locator for the web page.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying characters represented within a frame of a television presentation;

identifying a pattern formed by a subset of the characters, the pattern indicative of an addressing datum; and

providing for a selection of characters that form the pattern indicative of the addressing datum.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

visually distinguishing the characters that form the pattern indicative of the addressing datum from other characters represented within the frame of the television presentation.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

visually distinguishing characters that form the pattern indicative of the addressing datum in an area of the frame of the television presentation in which a pointer is positioned from other characters represented within the frame of the television presentation that form a pattern indicative of an addressing datum.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon a selection of characters that form a pattern indicative of a telephone number, dialing the telephone number.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon a selection of characters that form a pattern indicative of an email address, sending email to the email address.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon a selection of characters that form a pattern indicative of an uniform resource locator for a web page, displaying the web page.

7. A machine-readable medium that provides instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

identifying characters represented within a frame of a television presentation;

identifying a pattern formed by a subset of the characters, the pattern indicative of an addressing datum; and

providing for a selection of characters that form the pattern indicative of the addressing datum.

8. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein operations further comprise:

visually distinguishing the characters that form the pattern indicative of the addressing datum from other characters represented within the frame of the television presentation.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein operations further comprise:

visually distinguishing characters that form the pattern indicative of the addressing datum in an area of the frame of the television presentation in which a pointer is positioned from other characters represented within the frame of the television presentation that form a pattern indicative of an addressing datum.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein operations further comprise:

upon a selection of characters that form a pattern indicative of a telephone number, dialing the telephone number.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein operations further comprise:

upon a selection of characters that form a pattern indicative of an email address, sending email to the email address.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein operations further comprise:

upon a selection of characters that form a pattern indicative of an uniform resource locator for a web page, displaying the web page.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first unit is also to visually distinguish the characters that form the pattern indicative of the addressing datum from other characters represented within the frame of the television presentation.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the second unit is also to visually distinguishing characters that form the pattern indicative of the addressing datum in an area of the frame of the television presentation in which a pointer is positioned from other characters represented within the frame of the television presentation that form a pattern indicative of an addressing datum.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the second unit is also to dial a telephone number upon a selection of characters that form a pattern indicative of the telephone number.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the second unit is also to s end email to an email address upon a selection of characters that form a pattern indicative of the email address.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the second unit is also to display a web page upon a selection of characters that form a pattern indicative of an uniform resource locator for the web page.

13. A system comprising:

a first unit to identify characters represented within a frame of a television presentation, and to identify a pattern formed by a subset of the characters, the pattern indicative of an addressing datum; and

a second unit coupled with the first unit to provide for a selection of characters that form the pattern indicative of the addressing datum.