System and method of integrating video content with interactive elements

• US 20070011713A1
• Filed: 02/08/2006
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Abramson, Nathan, Wittenberg, William
• Application Number:
  US11/350,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20070011713A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/113
• 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 21/2542 for selling goods, e.g. TV shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• 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 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8583 by creating hot-spots

Abstract

A client system for integrating interactivity with video including a first window, a second window and an application program. The first window displays video content and the second window displays interactive elements. The application program manages the first and second window to display the interactive elements semi-transparently superimposed over the video content. Related methods and articles of manufacture are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for displaying media output integrated with display elements, the system comprising:

a first window having a media player;

a second window having at least one of a plurality of display elements; and

an application program configured to display output of the media player of the first window in a portion of the second window, and to superimpose, in the portion of the second window, the display of the least one of the plurality of display elements and the display of the output of the media player.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the media player comprises a Windows Media Player application.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the output of the media player comprises video.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the application program is further configured to semi-transparently superimpose the display of the least one of the plurality of display elements and the display of the output of the media player.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the application program is further configured to display the least one of the plurality of display elements floating over the portion of the second window.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a size and location of the second window and a size and location of the first window are synchronized to obscure the view of the first window by the second window.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second window comprises a clipping region, the clipping region configured to show the display of the output of the media player from the first window in the portion of the second window.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second window comprises a clipping region, the clipping region configured to show in the portion of the second window the display of the least one of the plurality of display elements from the second window and the display of the output of the media player from the first window.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the position of the media player in the first window is synchronized with the position of the portion of the second window.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the application program comprises a thread process.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the application program comprises one of the group consisting of an ActiveX control, a JAVA applet.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the application program further comprises an application programming interface to control the displaying of the output of the media player.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the application program further comprises an application programming interface to control the displaying of the least one of the plurality of display elements.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the application program further comprises an application programming interface to control the size and location of one of the first window and the second window.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the least one of one the plurality of display elements comprises an interactive display element.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the least one of the plurality of display elements comprises text.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the least one of the plurality of display elements comprises graphics.

18. A method for integrating displaying of display elements with displaying of media output, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying the output of a media player in a first window;

(b) displaying at least one of a plurality of display elements in a second window; and

(c) superimposing, in a portion of the second window, the displaying of the least one of the plurality of display elements and the displaying of the output of the media player.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the media player comprises a Windows Media Player application.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein step (a) comprises displaying video output of a media player in a first window.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein step (c) comprises semi-transparently superimposing, in the portion of the second window, the displaying of the least one of the plurality of display elements and the displaying of the output of the media player.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein step (c) further comprises displaying the least one of the plurality of display elements floating over the portion of second window.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of synchronizing a size and location of the second window with a size and location of the first window to obscure the view of the first window by the second window.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein step (c) further comprises configuring a clipping region to show the display of the output of the media player from the first window in the portion of the second window.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein step (c) further comprises configuring a clipping region to show in the portion of the second window the display of the least one of the plurality of display elements from the second window and the display of the output of the media player from the first window.

26. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of synchronizing the position of the media player in the first window with the position of the portion of the second window.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of providing an application programming interface to control the displaying of the output of the media player.

28. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of providing an application programming interface to control the displaying of the least one of the plurality of display elements.

29. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of providing an application programming interface to control the size and location of one of the first window and the second window.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein the least one of one the plurality of display elements comprises an interactive display element.

31. The method of claim 18, wherein the least one of the plurality of display elements comprises text.

32. The method of claim 18, wherein the least one of the plurality of display elements comprises graphics.

33. An article of manufacture having embodied thereon computer-readable program means for integrating display elements with the display of media output, the article of manufacture comprising:

(a) computer-readable program means for displaying the output of a media player in a first window;

(b) computer-readable program means for displaying at least one of a plurality of interactive elements in a second window; and

(c) computer-readable program means for superimposing, in a portion of the second window, the displaying of the least one of the plurality of display elements and the displaying of the output of the media player.

34. The article of manufacture of claim 33, wherein the media player comprises a Windows Media Player application.

35. The article of manufacture of claim 33, wherein step (a) comprises computer-readable program means for displaying video output of a media player in a first window.

36. The article of manufacture of claim 33, wherein step (c) comprises computer-readable means for semi-transparently superimposing, in the portion of the second window, the displaying of the least one of the plurality of display elements and the displaying of the output of the media player.

37. The article of manufacture of claim 33, wherein step (c) further comprises computer-readable program means for displaying the least one of the plurality of display elements floating over the portion of second window.

38. The article of manufacture of claim 33, further comprising computer-readable program means for synchronizing a size and location of the second window with a size and location of the first window to obscure the view of the first window by the second window.

39. The article of manufacture of claim 33, wherein step (c) further comprises computer-readable program means for configuring a clipping region to show the display of the output of the media player from the first window in the portion of the second window.

40. The article of manufacture of claim 33, wherein step (c) further comprises computer-readable program means for configuring a clipping region to show in the portion of the second window the display of the least one of the plurality of display elements from the second window and the display of the output of the media player from the first window.

41. The article of manufacture of claim 33, further comprising computer-readable program means for synchronizing the position of the media player in the first window with the position of the portion of the second window.

42. The article of manufacture of claim 33, further comprising computer-readable program means for providing an application programming interface to control the displaying of the output of the media player.

43. The article of manufacture of claim 33, further comprising computer-readable program means for providing an application programming interface to control the displaying of the least one of the plurality of display elements.

44. The article of manufacture of claim 33, further comprising computer-readable program means for providing an application programming interface to control the size and location of one of the first window and the second window.

45. The article of manufacture of claim 33, wherein the least one of one the plurality of display elements comprises an interactive display element.

46. The article of manufacture of claim 33, wherein the least one of the plurality of display elements comprises text.

47. The article of manufacture of claim 33, wherein the least one of the plurality of display elements comprises graphics.