System for integrating personalized data with visual content

• US 20020171670A1
• Filed: 04/04/2001
• Published: 11/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xueshan Technologies Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Shaffa, Frank A., Clernock, Richard S., Dettori, Paolo, Seidman, David I.
• Granted Patent: US 6,806,887 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/629
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306

Abstract

A personalized data delivery system for dynamically integrating viewer-specified data with visual content includes an input port for receiving a visual content signal, an output port for displaying enhanced visual content on a display screen, and an interface operatively coupled to the input port and the output port. The personalized data delivery system may also include an input/output port for receiving data from a data content source other than the visual content signal and/or for sending requests for viewer specified data to the data content source. Parameters for the selection and display of data can be customized by the viewer. The interface includes at least one processor being responsive to one or more viewer personalization parameters and operative to integrate at least a portion of the received data with the visual content signal in accordance with the personalization parameters. Memory included in the interface and coupled to the processor at least temporarily stores the personalization parameters.

Claims

1. A personalized data delivery system for dynamically integrating viewer-specified data with visual content, the personalized data delivery system comprising:

an input port for receiving a visual content signal, the visual content signal including visual content and data embedded in the visual content signal;

an output port for displaying enhanced visual content on a display screen, the enhanced visual content including the received visual content and at least a portion of the received data; and

an interface operatively coupled to the input port and the output port, the interface including;

a processor responsive to one or more viewer personalization parameters and being operative to;

(i) extract at least a portion of the data received from the visual content signal; and

(ii) generate the enhanced visual content by selectively integrating at least a portion of the received data with a video frame in accordance with the viewer personalization parameters; and

memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing at least one of the viewer personalization parameters and the received data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the viewer personalization parameters correspond to a manner in which the received data is to be displayed with the visual content on the display screen, at least a portion of the viewer personalization parameters being specified by a viewer.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

another input port for receiving at least one of visual content from a visual content source and data; and

a multiplexer operatively coupled to the input ports and the interface, the multiplexer being responsive to the processor for selectively displaying visual content from at least one of the input port and the other input port on the display screen.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a remote control, the remote control operatively communicating with the processor for accessing the viewer personalization parameters.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the remote control communicates with the processor via a wireless communication link.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the remote control includes a mechanism for performing at least one of:

(i) positioning a viewer-manipulated operator on the display screen; and

(ii) selecting a desired object on the display screen.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a viewer configuration file, the viewer configuration file including viewer-specific information corresponding to a manner in which the received data is displayed with the visual content on the display screen for a selected viewer.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to:

(iii) present an information selection menu to a viewer for display on the display screen, the information selection menu comprising a plurality of options which at least partially affect an operation of the personalized data delivery system.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein information relating to a selected data item in the information selection menu is presented hierarchically, whereby more detailed information associated with the selected data item is displayed in a successive hierarchical level.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the viewer-specified data integrated with the video frame is at least one of:

(i) periodically updated in accordance with the viewer personalization parameters; and

(ii) manually updated by the viewer.

11. A personalized data delivery system for dynamically integrating viewer-specified data with visual content, the personalized data delivery system comprising:

an input port for receiving visual content from a visual content source;

a data port for performing at least one of;

(i) receiving data from a data content source; and

(ii) sending requests for viewer-specified data from the data content source;

an output port for displaying enhanced visual content on a display screen, the enhanced visual content including the received visual content and at least a portion of the received data; and

an interface operatively coupled to the input port, the data port and the output port, the interface including;

a processor being responsive to one or more viewer personalization parameters and operative to generate the enhanced visual content by integrating at least a portion of the received data with a video frame in accordance with the personalization parameters; and

memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing at least one of the viewer personalization parameters and the received data.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the data port is operatively connected to the Internet.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the data content source is a Web page and the data is selectively retrieved from the Web page in accordance with the viewer personalization parameters.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the data port is operatively connected to the memory.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the data port is operatively connected to a dedicated information server.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the viewer personalization parameters correspond to a manner in which the received data is to be displayed with the visual content on the display screen.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a remote control, the remote control operatively communicating with the processor for accessing the viewer personalization parameters.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the remote control communicates with the processor via a wireless communication link.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the remote control includes a mechanism for performing at least one of:

(i) positioning a viewer-manipulated operator on the display screen; and

(ii) selecting a desired object on the display screen.

20. The system of claim 11, further comprising a viewer configuration file, the viewer configuration file including viewer-specific information corresponding to a manner in which the received data is displayed with the visual content on the display screen for a selected viewer.

21. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operative to present an information selection menu to a viewer for display on the display screen, the information selection menu comprising a plurality of options which at least partially affect an operation of the personalized data delivery system.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein information relating to a selected data item in the information selection menu is presented hierarchically, whereby more detailed information associated with the selected data item is displayed in a successive hierarchical level.

23. The system of claim 11, wherein the viewer-specified data integrated with the video frame is at least one of:

(i) periodically updated in accordance with the viewer personalization parameters; and

(ii) manually updated by the viewer.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of:

presenting an information selection menu to a viewer for display on the display screen, the information selection menu comprising a plurality of options, each option at least partially affecting an integration of personalized data with the video frame.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of presenting the information selection menu further comprises the step of displaying information relating to a selected data item in the information selection menu in a hierarchical manner, whereby more detailed information pertaining to the selected data item is displayed in a successive hierarchical level.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of:

storing the viewer personalization parameters in memory; and

retrieving viewer personalization parameters corresponding to a selected viewer from memory.

24. A method of dynamically integrating viewer-specified data with visual content, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a visual content signal;

retrieving data from at least one of a data content source and the received visual content signal;

specifying one or more viewer personalization parameters, the viewer personalization parameters operatively controlling a manner in which at least a portion of the retrieved data is displayed on a display screen;

generating an enhanced visual content signal by integrating at least a portion of the retrieved data with a video frame in accordance with the viewer personalization parameters; and

displaying the enhanced visual content on the display screen.