Method and system for integrating smart tags into a video data service

• US 20070169155A1
• Filed: 01/17/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Sullivan, Marc, Joseph, Kurt, Kortum, Philip, Pasquale, Thad
• Granted Patent: US 9,491,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/81
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2542 for selling goods, e.g. TV shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A set of application program interfaces is embodied on a computer readable medium for execution on a computer in conjunction with an application program that integrates smart tags related to a video program with a payload of video data packets. A first interface receives an input from a tag database related to video program content. A second interface receives an input integrating a smart tag with a video data payload packet. A third interface receives an input providing integrated smart tag and video data to a network. Another interface receives an input from a customer segmentation database, for example for targeting information to specific customers or customer groups.

Claims

1. A set of application program interfaces embodied on a computer readable medium for execution on a computer in conjunction with an application program that integrates smart tags related to a video program with a payload of video data packets, comprising:

(a) a first interface that receives an input from a tag database related to a video program content;

(b) a second interface that receives an input integrating a smart tag with a video data payload packet; and

(c) a third interface that provides integrated smart tag and video data to a network.

2. The set of application program interfaces of claim 1 further comprising a fourth interface that receives an input from a customer segmentation database.

3. The set of application program interfaces of claim 1 wherein the smart tags is temporally related to the video program.

4. The set of application program interfaces of claim 1 further comprising a fifth interface that receives an input for creating the smart tag that relates to the video program content.

5. The set of application program interfaces of claim 1 further comprising a sixth interface that receives an input for providing smart tag related information over the network, wherein an outside request in response to a smart tag initiated request has been received over the network.

6. The set of application program interfaces of claim 1 further comprising a seventh interface that receives an input related to an information request from an end-user device.

7. The set of application program interfaces of claim 1 further comprising an eighth interface that receives specific customer related information from the end-user device.

8. A system for vending objects related to a video program comprising:

(a) an object information database comprising information for a vendible object related to a video program;

(b) a user-to-processor interface for

i) selecting, on a user display device, a vendible object related to a smart tag associated with the video program, and

ii) for enabling the user to request vending options for the vendible object; and

(c) a processor configured to initiate a display, on the user display device, related to the presence of the smart tag.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising a communication network interface linking the processor and the object information database.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the object information database is located with the video program source.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the object information database is located with a service provider central office.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the smart tag is temporally associated with the video program.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the smart tag indicates availability of vending options.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the display device indicates that an interactive menu of options for vending objects.

15. A computer readable medium containing instructions that when executed by a computer perform a computerized method for integrating a smart tag with a video payload portion of a data packet comprising:

(a) obtaining a video program content;

(b) obtaining a smart tag indicating the presence of information related to objects in the video program content; and

(c) integrating the smart tag into a video payload portion of a video stream data packet relating to the video program.

16. The medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises linking a smart tag database with a video server.

17. The medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises integrating the smart tag into the video payload portions so that the smart tag is located temporally with objects in the video content.

18. The medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises displaying an interactive menu on a user display device with information related to a user-selected object.

19. The medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises attaching customer segmentation data to the smart tag.

20. The medium of claim 15, wherein the smart tag further comprises information that includes customer segmentation information for enabling targeted information delivery.