Method and apparatus for associating the color of an object with an event

• US 20050162439A1
• Filed: 08/15/2002
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Creatier Interactive LLC
• Original Assignee: Creative Frontier, Inc.
• Inventors: Geaga, Jorge, Bates, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 7,773,093 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/589
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/748 Hypervideo linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object in the context of video distribution systems H04N21/858
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/24 Aligning, centring, orientation detection or correction of the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4725 using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots details of information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring
• 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 21/8583 by creating hot-spots

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for associating the color of an object with an event. In one or more embodiments, the invention takes a streaming or static media and associates an active, dynamic, or static object with an event by its given color. The event may be, for instance the retrieval of a document at a specified URL in a web browser or the retrieval of other information in non-web browser implementations. In one embodiment, the invention defines the color by its mathematical properties. For instance, one embodiment uses the RGB standard which separates the red, green, and blue properties of the color as numerical values. Another embodiment also uses the HSV characteristics of the color, which define hue, saturation, and value as components of color. Another embodiment uses both RGB and HSV characteristics.

Claims

1. A method for associating a color of an object with an event in a series of video frames comprising:

determining a location on a video screen where an action by a pointing device has occurred in a first video frame, defining a selected location;

determining a color value for said selected location;

associating an even with said color value in succeeding video frames.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said color value comprises a color range.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said color value comprises a color pattern.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said color value comprises an RGB characteristic.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said color value comprises an HSV characteristic.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said event is retrieving an object.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said event is the retrieval of a web page at a specified URL.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said event is the retrieval of a data track.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said object is an image residing in a web browser.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said object is an image residing in a streaming media.

11. A computer program product comprising:

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to determine a location where an action has occurred in a first video frame;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to determine a color value for said location; and

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to initiate an event associated with said color value in said succeeding video frames.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said color value comprises a color range.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said color value comprises a color pattern.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said color value comprises an RGB characteristic.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said color value comprises an HSV characteristic.

16. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said location is a computer screen.

17. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said event is the retrieval of a web page at a specified URL.

18. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said event in the retrieval of a data track.

19. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said object is an image residing in a web browser.

20. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said object is an image residing in a streaming media.