USER CONTROL FOR DISPLAYING TAGS ASSOCIATED WITH ITEMS IN A VIDEO PLAYBACK

• US 20080046956A1
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TP-Link USA Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gula Consulting Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Kulas, Charles J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,648,296 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/136
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/102 Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers access by moving the head G11B3/08, G11B5/54, G11B7/085, G11B21/022; by moving the record carrier G11B15/005, G11B17/005, by driving of both record carrier and head G11B15/1816
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• 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 21/812 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 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• 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 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

A user control, such as a television remote control device, allows a user to selectively display tags during a video program. The tags provide information about items that are visible in scenes in the video. The tags can identify the brand name, item name, location where the item can be purchased, additional information about the item, etc. The tags can be turned on or off by a viewer or user during playback. In a particular embodiment, a single button press on a remote control can cause switching from a play mode without tags to a tag mode that shows tags in the video; skipping back in time a short interval; and putting the video in a slow-forward play mode, or other alternate mode of play.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a display of tags in a video presentation, the method comprising:

accepting a first signal from a user input control while the video is being displayed without tags;

enabling a display of tags; and

restarting the video presentation at an earlier time in the video than when the signal was accepted.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the earlier time is approximately 2 seconds before the signal was accepted.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the earlier time is adjustable by the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting the video in an alternate play mode.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the alternate play mode includes slow forward play.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the alternate play mode includes paused play.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the alternate play mode includes a reduced frame rate of play.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing a function of one or more predetermined controls.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein changing a function includes:

accepting a second signal from the same user input control that generated the first signal; and

placing the video presentation in a normal play mode in response to the second signal.

10. A method for controlling a display of tags in a video presentation, the method comprising:

playing the video presentation in a normal mode;

determining that tags are available to be displayed;

presenting an indicator to make a viewer aware that tags are available; and

accepting a signal from a user input control to enable a display of tags.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the indicator includes an icon displayed on a display screen, wherein the display screen is also used to present the video presentation.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

not displaying the indicator when it is determined that tags are not available to be displayed.

13. An apparatus for controlling a display of tags in a video presentation, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a machine-readable storage medium including instructions executable by the processor for;

accepting a first signal from a user input control while the video is being displayed without tags;

enabling a display of tags; and

restarting the video presentation at an earlier time in the video than when the signal was accepted.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, the machine-readable storage medium further including one or more instructions for:

presenting the video in a slow forward play.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, the machine-readable storage medium further including one or more instructions for:

presenting the video in a paused play.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, the machine-readable storage medium further including one or more instructions for:

presenting the video in a reduced frame rate of play.

17. A machine-readable storage medium including instructions executable by a processor for:

accepting a first signal from a user input control while the video is being displayed without tags;

enabling a display of tags; and

restarting the video presentation at an earlier time in the video than when the signal was accepted.

18. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising one or more instructions for:

presenting the video in a slow forward play.

19. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising one or more instructions for:

presenting the video in a paused play.

20. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising one or more instructions for:

presenting the video in a reduced frame rate of play.