APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING ACTIVE FUNCTIONS USING ENCODED TWO-DIMENSIONAL ARRAYS

• US 20080110991A1
• Filed: 11/15/2006
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bedingfield, James Carlton
• Application Number:
  US11/560,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20080110991A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44012 involving rendering scenes according to scene graphs, e.g. MPEG-4 scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatus and/or methods for providing interactive functionality using a two-dimensional coded array. Some embodiments can include a reader configured to receive coded data from the two-dimensional coded array and a display configured to display an active menu corresponding to data content of the coded data.

Claims

1. A method of providing interactive functionality using a two-dimensional coded visually readable array, the method comprising:

capturing the two-dimensional coded array as an image in an electronic device using a video capture component;

decoding the captured image to determine array data content; and

displaying, in the electronic device, an active menu corresponding to the array data content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the array data content comprises menu population data configured to populate a pre-defined menu structure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the array data content comprises menu format and menu fill data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the array data comprises an address corresponding to a data storage location that includes menu data.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving menu data from the data storage location to the electronic device responsive to the array data content.

6. A computer program product comprising computer-readable program code embodied on a computer-readable medium, the computer readable program code being configured to carry out the method of claim 1.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the array data content comprises executable code that can be executed within the electronic device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the executable code is configured to activate a function in an entertainment system.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a command corresponding to an action option on the menu from the electronic device to an external system.

10. An electronic device for providing interactive functionality using a two-dimensional coded array, the device comprising:

a reader configured to receive coded data from the two-dimensional coded array; and

an output device configured to display an active menu corresponding to data content of the coded data.

11. The device of claim 10, further comprising an image interpreter configured to determine the data content from the two-dimensional coded array, wherein the reader comprises a video capture device and the two dimensional coded array comprises an image.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the reader comprises a conductive reader configured to receive the coded data through electrical conduction and the two-dimensional coded array comprises a plurality of electrically conductive points.

13. The device of claim 10, further comprising a processor configured to process executable code contained in the coded data corresponding to an interactive application configured to provide as active menu for output.

14. The device of claim 10, further comprising a communication module configured to receive data corresponding to menu content from an external system, wherein the coded data comprises an address corresponding to the external system.

15. The device of claim 10, further comprising a communication module configured to transmit data corresponding to a selected menu option to an external system.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein the data content of the coded data comprises menu fill data for populating a predefined menu structure.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the data content of the coded data comprises menu structure data, menu format data, and menu fill data.

18. An electronic device for providing interactive functionality using a two-dimensional coded array, the device comprising:

a reader configured to read the two-dimensional coded array;

an array processor configured to determine data content of the two-dimensional coded array and to execute an application included in the data content; and

a communication module configured to send a command to an external device that performs an action responsive to the command.

19. The device of claim 18, further comprising a display configured to display a menu corresponding to available functions in the external device.

20. The device of claim 19, further comprising a memory configured to store a plurality of menu formats configured to be selected and populated by the data content of the two-dimensional coded array.