Post production visual alterations

• US 20030028873A1
• Filed: 08/02/2002
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: Intellocity USA, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Lemmons, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,444,659 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23412 for generating or manipulating the scene composition of objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• 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 21/25883 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 21/4312 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44012 involving rendering scenes according to scene graphs, e.g. MPEG-4 scene graphs
• 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 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• 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 21/8543 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 21/858 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and system in which “labels,” comprising supplemental information such as advertising, promotional, or informational elements including interactive elements, may be superimposed post-production into a video stream. This can be done by using overlay screens including interactive overlay screens or by combining video segments. As such, the labels do not have to physically be part of the actual scene during filming. Once a video stream is created, a space for available advertising is designated either manually or automatically by pattern recognition techniques. A list of available advertising space is generated. During viewing of television broadcasts, advertisements are placed in the video signal. Labels are displayed by superimposing an HTML page that is blank except for the advertisement onto the video signal. Advertisements can be superimposed post-production, and can be personalized and localized. The advertisements can be customized on a per-household basis.

Claims

1. A method of superimposing a label that contains informational material onto preexisting video content to supplement said pre-existing video content comprising:

detecting a suitable location on said pre-existing video content for placement of said labels;

selecting said label for placement on said pre-existing video content;

superimposing said label onto said pre-existing video content so that said label appears as an integral part of a unified video signal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of superimposing said labels onto said pre-existing video content further comprises:

combining an additional video signal with said pre-existing video content wherein said additional video signal is transparent except for said label.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said step of combining further comprises:

combining information from said additional video signal that has a specific color that does not replace content of said pre-existing video content.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of superimposing said label onto said pre-existing video content further comprises:

overlaying a computer generated bitmap on said pre-existing video content.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of superimposing said label onto said pre-existing video content further comprises:

combining a computer generated bitmap with said pre-existing video content.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said step of combining comprises:

an arithmetic combination of a bitmap of said pre-existing video content and said computer generated bitmap.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said step of combining comprises:

a logical combination of a bitmap of said pre-existing video content and said computer generated bitmap.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of selecting said label comprises:

accessing said label over a network connection.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of selecting said label comprises:

generating a bitmap image in a set-top box from a set of instructions.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of generating a bitmap image further comprises:

generating a bitmap image from a set of instructions accessed over a network.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of generating a bitmap image further comprises:

generating a bitmap image from a set of instructions contained in a broadcast signal.

12. A method of claim 1 wherein said step of detecting a suitable location in said preexisting video content for placement of said labels further comprises:

recognizing objects and blank spaces within said pre-existing video content.

13. A method of claim 12 wherein said step of recognizing objects and blank spaces within said pre-existing video content is performed manually.

14. A method of claim 12 wherein said step of recognizing objects and blank spaces within said pre-existing video content is performed automatically.

15. A method of claim 14 wherein said step of recognizing objects and blank spaces within said pre-existing video content is performed automatically by using video pattern recognition techniques.

16. A method of claim 1 wherein said step of detecting a suitable location on said preexisting video content further comprises:

identifying locations and attributes of said available label spaces.

17. A method of claim 1 wherein said step of selecting said labels comprises:

selecting said labels from a list of labels in a database by searching said database for labels with attributes that match said content and placement of said available label space within said pre-existing video content.

18. A method of claim 17 wherein said step of selecting said labels from a list of labels within said database further comprises:

assigning a priority to said list of labels based upon predetermined criteria, and basing said selection on said priority.

19. A method of claim 17 wherein said list of labels within said database include a list of advertisers and attributes associated with said advertisers.

20. A method of claim 1 wherein said step of detecting suitable placement of said labels further comprises:

reading tags and markers information defining attributes of said preexisting video content to determine suitability.

21. A method of claim 1 wherein said step of selecting said labels from a list of labels within said database further comprises:

selecting said labels based on attributes associated with said labels.

22. A method of claim 1 wherein said step of superimposing said labels onto said preexisting video content further comprises:

overlaying a Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML) page that is blank, except for the label, onto said content

23. A method of claim 1 wherein said step of superimposing said labels onto said preexisting video content occurs at the video signal transmission site.

24. A method of claim 1 wherein said step of superimposing said labels onto said preexisting video content occurs locally at the video signal display site.

25. A method of claim 1 wherein said labels are interactive links to additional content enhancements.

26. A method of claim 25 wherein said interactive links are to the Internet.

27. A method of claim 1 wherein said step of superimposing said labels onto said preexisting video content further comprises:

placing of said labels so as to visually match and contour said label to said object to become a seamless part of the viewing depiction.

36. The system of claim 1 wherein said label signal comprises:

a bitmap image generated in a set-top box from a set of instructions.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein said bitmap image further comprises:

a bitmap image generated from a set of instructions accessed over a network.

38. The system of claim 36 wherein said bitmap image further comprises:

a bitmap image generated from a set of instructions contained in a broadcast signal.

28. A system for superimposing labels onto pre-existing video content to provide a video signal that includes information to supplement said pre-existing video content comprising:

a video signal that contains said pre-existing video content;

a label signal that contains said information to supplement said preexisting video content;

a logical system that superimposes said label signal on said pre-existing video content.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein said superimposed label signal further comprises:

additional video content wherein said additional video content is transparent except for said label.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein said additional video content further comprises:

a video signal that has a specific color that does not replace content of said pre-existing video content.

31. The system of claim 28 wherein said logical system that superimposes said label signal further comprises:

overlaying a computer generated bitmap on said pre-existing video content.

32. The system of claim 28 wherein said logical system that superimposes said label signal further comprises:

combining a computer generated bitmap with said pre-existing video content.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein said combination is:

an arithmetic combination of a bitmap of said pre-existing video content and said computer-generated bitmap.

34. The system of claim 32 wherein said combination is:

a logical combination of a bitmap of said pre-existing video content and said computer-generated bitmap.

35. The system of claim 28 wherein said label signal is accessed over a network connection.

39. The system of claim 28 wherein said logical system that superimposes said label signal further comprises:

the recognition of objects and blank spaces within said pre-existing video content.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein said recognition of objects and blank spaces within said pre-existing video content is performed manually.

41. The system of claim 39 wherein said recognition of objects and blank spaces within said pre-existing video content is performed automatically.

42. The system of claim 41 wherein said recognition of objects and blank spaces within said pre-existing video content is performed automatically by using video pattern recognition techniques.

43. The system of claim 28 wherein said logical system that superimposes said label signal further comprises:

the identification of locations and attributes of said available label spaces.

44. The system of claim 28 wherein said label signal is selected from a list of labels in a database by searching said database for labels with attributes that match said content and placement of said available label space within said pre-existing video content.

45. A method of claim 44 wherein said selection from a list of labels in a database further comprises:

assigning a priority to said list of labels based upon predetermined criteria, and basing said selection on said priority.

46. A method of claim 44 wherein said list of labels in a database include a list of advertisers and attributes associated with said advertisers.

47. A method of claim 44 wherein said selection from a list of labels in a database further comprises:

selecting said labels based on attributes associated with said labels.

48. The system of claim 28 wherein said logical system that superimposes said label signal further comprises:

a reader for reading tags and markers information defining attributes of said pre-existing video content to determine suitability.

49. The system of claim 28 wherein said logical system that superimposes said label signal on said pre-existing video content further comprises:

a Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML) page that is blank, except for the label, overlaid a onto said content

50. The system of claim 28 wherein said logical system that superimposes said label signal on said pre-existing video content occurs at the video signal transmission site.

51. The system of claim 28 wherein said logical system that superimposes said label signal on said pre-existing video content occurs locally at the video signal display site.

52. The system of claim 28 wherein said superimposed label signal further comprises:

an interactive link to additional content enhancements.

53. A method of claim 52 wherein said interactive link is to the Internet.

54. The system of claim 28 wherein said logical system that superimposes said label signal on said pre-existing video content further comprises:

a placement of said labels so as to visually match and contour said label to said object to become a seamless part of the viewing depiction.