Method and system for supplementing television programming with e-mailed magazines

• US 20020095677A1
• Filed: 12/20/2001
• Published: 07/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: David Gilman, Davis T. Ron, John Woods
• Original Assignee: David Gilman, Davis T. Ron, John Woods
• Inventors: Gilman, David, Davis, T. Ron, Woods, John
• Application Number:
  US10/027,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20020095677A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An interactive television system and method for generating video programming combined with triggers and then, in turn, for viewing that video programming as the triggers present information associated with the triggers. When triggered by the viewer, the remote control will generate a request using a user interface coupled to at least one of the set top box or the television, the request being based on a user selection of the presented information associated with the triggers; that request will retrieve information at the request processing system based on the generated request; and present the retrieved information that is based on the request at a user computer system coupled to the request processing system.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface for generating a mask to be combined with video programming, the graphical user interface comprising:

a billboard group comprising billboard triggers;

an article group comprising article triggers;

a mask template; and

an insertion component configured to allow a user to insert one or more of the triggers from the billboard group and the article group into the mask template.

2. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the article triggers are associated with articles stored within a database.

3. The graphical user interface of claim 1, further comprising an article associating component configured to associate articles with system users based on one or more previously defined parameters.

4. The graphical user interface of claim 3, wherein the parameters comprise at least one of an income range, a user location, a user gender, and a user age.

5. The graphical user interface of claim 1, further comprising a combining component configured to combine the result of the insertion component with associated video programming and store the combination on non-volatile memory.

7. A method for generating a mask to be combined with video programming, the method comprising:

presenting a billboard group comprising billboard triggers;

presenting an article group comprising article triggers; and

inserting one or more of the presented triggers from the billboard group and the article group into a mask template.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the article triggers are associated with articles stored within a database.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising associating articles with system users based on one or more previously defined parameters.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the parameters comprise at least one of an income range, a user location, a user gender, and a user age.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising combining the result of inserting and storing the combination on non-volatile memory.

13. The interface of claim 12, wherein associating comprises associating a plurality of triggers with the one or plurality of frames.

14. The interface of claim 12 wherein associating comprises the selection of a plurality of triggers to fill a plurality of positions on a video viewing screen.

15. The interface of claim 14, wherein associating comprises:

storing a mask of associated triggers at an addressable site on the internet; and

storing an address for the addressable site in association with the one or plurality of frames.

12. A graphic user interface for associating triggers for enhancing programming with video programming comprising:

a database of triggers;

means for associating one or a plurality of frames within the video programming with a specific trigger; and

video programming recording means for recording the one or plurality of frames within the video programming along with the associated triggers.