Association of media interaction with complementary data

• US 20080140523A1
• Filed: 12/06/2006
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sherpa Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Sherpa Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Vanyo, Brian, Mahoney, Scott
• Application Number:
  US11/635,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20080140523A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• 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 21/4725 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8583 by creating hot-spots
• 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 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, related to association of media with complementary information (e.g., resources). A message characterizing selections of areas of video may be generated and be caused to be sent to a recipient, where the selections were generated by a media player that captures user interaction with the video and displays resources related to the selections in response to the user interaction. Input characterizing an area of a video to be offered for sale may be received and an association of the area of the video with a resource selected by the buyer may be caused to be offered for sale. The area may be designed to be associated with a resource to be displayed in response to user interaction with the area of the video in a media player.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a message characterizing a plurality of selections of areas of video, the selections of the areas of video received at a media player capturing user interaction with the video and displaying resources related to the selections in response to the user interaction; and

causing the message to be sent to a recipient to enable an action related to the selections to be performed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating comprises arranging the selections in a plurality of groups of selections.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising hierarchically arranging the groups of the selections.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the action related to the selections is execution of a program separate from a tool to receive the message, and the method further comprises:

receiving the message at the tool of the recipient, and

causing the program to be executed.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the message at an electronic mailing address associated with the recipient; and

causing a media player associated with the recipient to display a resource associated with a selection of an area, the display of the resource being the action related to the selections.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the resources associated with the selections of areas comprises summaries of information about products and links to one or more merchants offering the products for sale.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the message by a recipient; and

causing a media player associated with the recipient to generate bookmarks associated with the selections of the areas.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating comprises generating a message comprising a reference to the video.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the media player displays the video in a visual display and the media player includes a user interface to receive user interaction above the visual display of the video, the user interaction characterizing the selections of the areas of the video and the user interaction resulting in the selections being sent to a server to find the resources associated with the selections, and the server responding with the resources associated with the selections, the resources associated with the video and to be displayed by the media player.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the media player separates the visual display and the user interface into two layers with the visual display beneath the user interface such that a video format need not be modified for the media player to:

generate the selections of the video based on the user interaction,

request the resources related to the selections of the video, and

to display the resources related to the selections.

11. A method comprising:

receiving input characterizing an identification of an area of a video to be offered for sale, the area to be associated with a resource to be presented in response to user interaction with the area of the video in a media player, the media player capturing the user interaction with the video and presenting resources related to the video in response to the user interaction to provide an interactive experience with the video and the resource being selected from a range of resources associated with the video based on the user interaction; and

causing to be offered for sale an association of the area of the video with a resource selected by the buyer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the receiving comprises:

receiving the input characterizing the identification via a request from a web browser.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the causing comprises:

listing the area of video as for sale as part of an auction on a web site.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

identifying the area of video to be offered for sale based on user-clicks on the area of the video and a lack of an association of the area of the video with a resource to be presented in response to interaction with the area of the video.

15. A method comprising:

receiving input characterizing a selection of an area of a video at a media player, the media player to capture user interaction with the video and to cause a resource related to the selection to be presented in response to the user interaction;

identifying one or more key words associated with the area of the video;

performing a search by an advertising engine for resources matching search criteria derived from the key words, the search being performed in response the identifying the key words; and

providing results of the search to a user.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving input characterizing;

a second selection of a second area of the video, and

the key words; and

associating the second area of the video with the key words;

wherein the area of the video is within the second area of the video.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving second input characterizing the selection of the area of the video;

identifying the key words associated with the area of the video at a second time;

performing a second search in response the identifying the key words at a second time, criteria of the second search comprising the key words; and

providing results of the second search to a user, the results of the second search differing from the results of the search.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

identifying second key words associated with the key words;

performing a second search in response to the identifying the second key words, criteria of the second search comprising the second key words; and

providing results of the second search as recommendations to the user.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

the advertising engine prioritizing results of the search based on a predetermined order of priority for advertisements, if the results include advertisements being prioritized.