Method and system for improving interactive media response systems using visual cues

• US 20060282774A1
• Filed: 06/10/2005
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Roy, Sumit, Covell, Michele, Ankcorn, John, Huve, Frederic
• Granted Patent: US 9,955,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention recite a method and system for providing visual cues in an interactive media response system. In one embodiment, at least one visual prompt for display on a thin device is generated. The visual prompt is then sent to the thin device where it is displayed.

Claims

1. A method for providing visual cues in an interactive media response system, said method comprising:

generating at least one visual prompt for display on a thin device;

sending said visual prompt to said thin device; and

displaying said visual prompt on said thin device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

generating at least one audio prompt for presentation by said thin device;

sending said audio prompt to said thin device; and

presenting said audio prompt concurrent and said visual prompt concurrently on said thin device.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein the information conveyed in said visual prompt corresponds to the information conveyed in said audio prompt.

4. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein the information conveyed in said visual prompt is correlated to the information conveyed in said audio prompt.

5. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein the information conveyed in said visual prompt is un-related to the information conveyed in said audio prompt.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said generating further comprises

receiving a description of said visual prompt from a text string generator;

and

generating said visual prompt based upon said description.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein said visual prompt conveys options for controlling a streaming media application accessed by said thin device.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the information conveyed in said visual prompt corresponds to the information conveyed in said audio prompt.

9. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the information conveyed in said visual prompt is correlated to the information conveyed in said audio prompt.

10. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein the information conveyed in said visual prompt is un-related to the information conveyed in said audio prompt.

11. An interactive media response system comprising:

a thin device; and

a media stream generating system, said media stream generating system comprising;

a visual prompt generator for generating a visual prompt to be displayed upon said thin device; and

a communication coupling with said thin device for conveying said visual prompt to said thin device.

12. The interactive media response system of claim 11 wherein said media stream generating system further comprises:

an audio prompt generator for generating an audio prompt that is to be presented via said thin device concurrent with the display of said visual prompt.

13. The interactive media response system of claim 12 wherein the information conveyed in said visual prompt corresponds to the information conveyed in said audio prompt.

14. The interactive media response system of claim 12 wherein the information conveyed in said visual prompt is correlated with the information conveyed in said audio prompt.

15. The interactive media response system of claim 12 wherein the information conveyed in said visual prompt is un-related to the information conveyed in said audio prompt.

16. The interactive media response system of claim 11 wherein said media stream generating system further comprises:

a visual prompt description generator for generating a description of said visual prompt.

17. The interactive media response system of claim 16 wherein said visual prompt description generator comprises a text string generator.

18. The interactive media response system of claim 16 wherein said visual prompt conveys options for controlling a streaming media application accessed by said thin device via said streaming media generating system.

19. The interactive media response system of claim 18 wherein the information conveyed in said visual prompt corresponds to the information conveyed in said audio prompt.

20. The interactive media response system of claim 18 wherein the information conveyed in said visual prompt is correlated with the information conveyed in said audio prompt.

21. The interactive media response system of claim 17 wherein the information conveyed in said visual prompt is un-related to the information conveyed in said audio prompt.

22. A media stream generating system comprising:

a component for generating a visual prompt that is to be displayed on a thin device; and

a component communicatively coupled with said thin device for sending said visual prompt to said thin device.

23. The media stream generating system of claim 22 further comprising:

a component for generating an audio prompt for said thin device that is to be presented by said thin device concurrent with the display of said visual prompt.

24. The media stream generating system of claim 23 wherein the information conveyed in said visual prompt corresponds to the information conveyed in said audio prompt.

25. The media stream generating system of claim 23 wherein the information conveyed in said visual prompt is correlated to the information conveyed in said audio prompt.

26. The media stream generating system of claim 23 wherein the information conveyed in said visual prompt is un-related to the information conveyed in said audio prompt.

27. The media stream generating system of claim 22 further comprising:

a component for generating a description of said visual prompt.

28. The media stream generating system of claim 27 wherein said component for generating a description of said visual prompt comprises a text string generator.

29. The media stream generating system of claim 28 wherein said visual prompt conveys options for controlling a streaming media application accessed by said thin device via said streaming media generating system.

30. The interactive media response system of claim 29 wherein the information conveyed in said visual prompt corresponds to the information conveyed in said audio prompt.

31. The interactive media response system of claim 29 wherein the information conveyed in said visual prompt is correlated with the information conveyed in said audio prompt.

32. The interactive media response system of claim 28 wherein the information conveyed in said visual prompt is un-related to the information conveyed in said audio prompt.

33. A computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer system to perform a method for providing visual cues in an interactive media response system, said method comprising:

generating at least one visual prompt for display on a thin device;

sending said visual prompt to said thin device; and

displaying said visual prompt on said thin device.

34. The computer usable medium of claim 33 further comprising:

generating at least one audio prompt for presentation by said thin device;

sending said audio prompt to said thin device; and

presenting said audio prompt concurrent and said visual prompt concurrently on said thin device.

35. The computer usable medium of claim 34 wherein the information conveyed in said visual prompt corresponds to the information conveyed in said audio prompt.

36. The computer usable medium of claim 34 wherein the information conveyed in said visual prompt is correlated to the information conveyed in said audio prompt.

37. The computer usable medium of claim 34 wherein the information conveyed in said visual prompt is un-related to the information conveyed in said audio prompt.

38. The computer usable medium of claim 33 wherein said generating further comprises

receiving a description of said visual prompt from a text string generator;

and

generating said visual prompt based upon said description.

39. A computer system comprising:

a bus;

a memory unit coupled to said bus; and

a processor coupled to said bus, said processor for executing a method for providing visual cues in an interactive media response system, said method comprising;

generating at least one visual prompt for display on a thin device;

sending said visual prompt to said thin device; and

displaying said visual prompt on said thin device.

40. The computer system of claim 39 further comprising:

generating at least one audio prompt for presentation by said thin device;

sending said audio prompt to said thin device; and

presenting said audio prompt concurrent and said visual prompt concurrently on said thin device.

41. The computer system of claim 40 wherein the information conveyed in said visual prompt corresponds to the information conveyed in said audio prompt.

42. The computer system of claim 40 wherein the information conveyed in said visual prompt is correlated to the information conveyed in said audio prompt.

43. The computer system of claim 40 wherein the information conveyed in said visual prompt is un-related to the information conveyed in said audio prompt.

44. The computer system of claim 39 wherein said generating further comprises

receiving a description of said visual prompt from a text string generator;

and

generating said visual prompt based upon said description.