Method of inserting/overlaying markers, data packets and objects relative to viewable content and enabling live social networking, N-dimensional virtual environments and/or other value derivable from the content

• US 20080163379A1
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neonekt, LLC
• Original Assignee: ADDnCLICK, Inc.
• Inventors: Fullerton, Larry, Muller, Peter, Lim, Teng Lew, Robinson, Jack D., Glausi, Wallace, Noke, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 8,234,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions

Abstract

A method by which a User can associate selectable Markers, Data Packets and/or Objects with Content. The Content may generally be distributed electronically, and the Markers allow for insertion and/or overlay of Objects when the Content is selected for viewing by a Viewer. Objects and Data Packets are generally provided by a User, Promoter, Host, Service, or other entity to convey information to a Viewer. A Service provides tools and capabilities to both the User and the Promoter to facilitate their respective actions according to embodiments of the invention, including enabling the creation of live social networks (such as those linked to a specific Service provider, a specific User group, activities by a specific Promoter, and/or to specific Data Packets) and the creation of n-dimensional Virtual Environments.

Claims

1. A method for increasing the derivable value of device-accessible viewer-perceivable content, comprising:

providing to an internet-linked device user an option to associate one or more of software-encoded markers, data packets, and visible depictions of code (icons), with device-executable viewer-perceivable content;

assigning a unique identifier to the content;

providing to the user access to one or more of a marker, a data packet, an icon, or any combination thereof;

providing to the user access to internet-linked device-executable tools configured to enable the user to associate the one or more markers, data packets, and/or icons with the content;

receiving from the user one or more of marker data, data packet data, and/or icon data, wherein the marker data, data packet data, and/or icon data includes one or more characteristics relating to the user'"'"'s association of one or more of the markers, data packets, and icons with the content;

assigning one or more content descriptive values to the content; and

storing a data record at a data storage means of a server, the data record including the unique content identifier, the one or more descriptive values, and the marker data, data packet data, and/or data corresponding to icons.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising one or both of:

(a) reviewing the content for objectionable material, and if objectionable material is identified in the content, acting to prevent association of one or more of markers, data packets, and icons with the content including one or more selected from the group consisting of denying to the user access to one or more of markers, data packets, and icons for use with respect to the content including the objectionable material, removing the objectionable material from the content, and interfering with a viewer'"'"'s ability to perceive the objectionable material in the content, and

(b) receiving from a viewer of marked content an indication that the content contains one or both of objectionable material and inappropriate marking, reviewing the content, and determining the necessity for corrective action.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying Digital Rights Management (DRM) to content that includes one or more of markers, data packets, and icons, the DRM configured so that an unauthorized alteration of the content will either diminish the functionality of the one or more markers, data packets, and icons associated with the altered content, or remove one or more of the markers, data packets, and icons from the altered content, or both.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein associating one or more markers, data packets, and/or icons with content comprises selecting a viewer-perceivable element of the content, selecting a marker, data packet, or icon from among one or more available marker types, data packet types, and icon types, and creating data indicating an association between the marker, data packet, or icon, and the selected viewer-perceivable element of the content such that execution of the content on a device configured to render the viewer-perceivable element perceivable to a viewer also renders operative the marker, data packet, or icon when the associated viewer-perceivable element is rendered perceivable.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristics included in one or more of the marker data, data packet data, and icon data include one or more selected from the group consisting of user identification data, the unique content identifier, user recommendations of objects to be inserted and/or overlaid at the marker, marker visual attributes, a unique marker, data packet, or icon identifier, an authorization code, and data corresponding to a temporal or spatial positioning of the marker, data packet, or icon within a viewer perceivable portion of the content.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

placing one or more of a promoter-designated object and data packet at one or more markers associated with content, the placing comprising one or more actions selected from the group consisting of providing a promoter with access to one or more tools configured to associate one or more of objects and data packets with markers in marked content, providing the promoter with access to the markers, receiving from the promoter data identifying one or more of selected objects and/or data packets designated by the promoter for placing at a marker, and receiving from the promoter data indicating object-relevant values linked with an object and/or data packet-relevant values linked with a data packet; and

receiving from the promoter access to objects and/or data packets designated by the promoter for placement at a marker in content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the content is either accessed via the internet or saved at a device used by a viewer, and further comprising one or both of:

(a) detecting selection by a viewer of content including a marker, wherein the marker has previously been assigned a unique marker identifier,

identifying the unique marker identifier, and

placing at the marker an object, wherein the object comprises one selected from the group consisting of an object specified for placement at that marker or a marker of that type, an object specified for placement at a marker in that content or in content of that type, and object of a type suggested for placement at that marker or at a marker of that type, or an object of a type suggested for placement at marker in that content or in content of that type, wherein a specification or suggestion for object placement is provided by one or more selected from the group consisting of a content creator, a user, a promoter, a host, or a provider of markers, and wherein an object type is substantial determined based upon object-relevant values, a marker type is substantially determined based upon marker data, and a content type is substantially determined based upon content descriptive values; and

(b) detecting selection by a viewer of content including a data packet,

accessing one or more previously set data packet parameters, and

executing or disabling executable data of the data packet as specified by the one or more data packet parameters.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a viewer selection of marked content accessed via a host,

recognizing relevant attributes including one or more of viewer location attributes, viewer attributes, viewer time attributes, promoter time attributes, and content attributes; and

placing at least one corresponding object or data packet at one or more markers associated with the content, wherein one or more of geographically-relevant objects and/or data packets, viewer-relevant objects and/or data packets, viewer time-relevant objects and/or data packets, promoter time-relevant objects and/or data packets, and content-relevant objects and/or data packets correspond with the relevant attributes, respectively.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein an icon, either when selected by a viewer or when automatically executed on a user device, cause the device, a connected device, or both, to activate a viewer-perceivable n-dimensional virtual environment wherein n is greater than 1, and wherein the virtual environment is perceived as existing within, surrounding, or superimposed upon the viewer-perceivable content.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the viewer-perceivable virtual environment comprises one or more characteristics selected from the group consisting of,

an ability to display active content, static content, or both, within the virtual environment,

an ability for a viewer to interact with other viewers in the same virtual environment via one or more methods selected from the group consisting of vocal, textual, symbolic, and visual communication,

an ability to depict within the virtual environment an avatar representing the viewer,

an ability for a viewer to navigate throughout the virtual environment,

an ability for a viewer to select one or more of an object, an icon, and a data packet within the virtual environment,

an ability for a viewer to invite a third-party viewer into the virtual environment and if such invitation is accepted, for the virtual environment to be simultaneously perceivable to the third-party viewer, and

an ability for a viewer to invite and/or accompany other viewers in a virtual environment to another virtual environment.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting selection by a viewer of an object or data packet placed at a marker in content;

recognizing the unique identifier of the object or data packet; and

providing to the viewer an option to view data associated with the object or data packet substantially immediately, to store data associated with the selected object or data packet for later access and viewing, or both.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the content is altered between the time the marker and/or data packet was associated with the content and the time the viewer selection is detected, and wherein a data packet parameter either continues to function or ceases to function as determined by a previously set data packet parameter.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

specifying or suggesting a first object or data packet for placement at a marker;

enabling a capability to place the first object or data packet at the marker;

subsequently disabling the capability to place the first object or data packet at the marker;

specifying or suggesting a second object or data packet for placement at the marker;

enabling a capability to place a second object or data packet at the marker; and

placing the second object or data packet rather than the first object or data packet at the marker.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing to a user the ability to encode either or both of a data packet and a marker with a specific code, wherein the specific code is configured to control one or more capability selected from the group consisting of preventing execution of data in a data packet except upon correct entry of the specific code by a viewer, associating the content with other content correspondingly encoded, associating a content provider with providers of content correspondingly encoded.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein access to one or more of tools, markers, data packets, and icons is provided via the internet, and wherein such access is generally available via any internet-connected device.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

detecting and maintaining a record of activity related to one or more of markers, data packets, icons, objects, and content, the activity comprising one or more selected from the group consisting of;

instances of placement of an object at one or more markers,

instances of associating markers with content,

instances of viewer selection of one or more marker, object, data packet, and icon,

instances of commercial transactions relating to viewer selection of a marker, object, data packet, or icon,

generation of proceeds arising from a commercial transaction relating to viewer selection of a marker, object, data packet, or icon, and

a referral by a user, promoter, viewer, host, or third party, of another, to become a user, promoter, viewer, or host of one or more of content, markers, objects, and data packets.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retaining content at a data storage means of a server, the content including one or more selected from the group consisting of a marker, an object, a data packet, and an icon; and

providing access to the content via an internet connection.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a marker with content, wherein the marker is associated with a specific visual element of the content;

placing an object at the marker; and

altering one or more viewer-perceivable attribute of the object corresponding to one or more changes in the associated visual element, wherein the alteration comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of size, shape, color, rotation, degree of transparency, lighting, and position within a viewer-perceivable range of the content relative to other visual elements.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein one or both of selection of an object or execution of a data packet, whether by viewer selection or automatically, produces one or more effect selected from the group consisting of pausing a concurrent execution of content, opening a new content window on a device display, displaying full-motion video images, displaying still images, playing an audible audio clip, providing a result of executed software code, displaying a textual message, navigating an internet browser program to an internet destination, dispatching an electronic mail message, and opening a telephonic connection, and wherein a viewer is provided with either no capability to control the execution of a data packet, or is provided with control comprising a capability to control one or more aspects of the execution of a data packet selected from the group consisting of start, stop, pause, resume, volume, speed, repeat, skip, next, previous, undo, edit, send, navigate, recall, save, forward, addressing, block, filter, and bookmark.

20. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

continuing to place one or more of objects and data packets at markers in marked content, including one or more instances of removing a previously placed object or data packet and placing another object or data packet at the same marker, during a period of continued viewing of the content by a viewer.

21. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

a pattern recognition means configured for marker association operations comprising one or more selected from the group consisting of associating one or more markers with specified viewer-perceivable elements in content, and altering one or more characteristics of a marker to correspond with a changing characteristic of an associated viewer-perceivable element wherein the altered characteristic of the marker comprises one or more selected from the group including size, shape, color, transparency, position within a viewer-perceivable field of view, viewer-perceivable position relative to the viewer-perceivable element, and progressive transition out of a viewer-perceivable field of view.

22. The method of claim 6, wherein selection of content by a viewer makes available to the viewer a directory, the directory listing all or a subset of all data packets and objects associated with the content, and wherein the listed data packets and objects can be selected by the viewer, either individually or collectively, for taking one or more actions selected from the group consisting of viewing, storing, responding to, navigating to, and forwarding.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein selection by a viewer of content previously saved by the viewer on a data storage means of a device initiates an internet connection, and further causes one or more actions selected from the group consisting of notifying a provider of markers of the selection, checking for updates to one or more objects and/or data packets to be placed at markers, checking for updated marker associations relative to the content, and placing one or more objects and/or data packets at markers in the content.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing either marker-associated metadata in content selected by a viewer or codes placed at a marker by a viewer, or both, and enabling interaction between two or more viewers of content by linking the two or more viewers with each other via an interaction-enabling means accessible to each of the two or more viewers via an internet-linked device.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting selection by a viewer of either an object placed at a marker in content or a data packet placed at a marker in content, or both;

providing a separate viewer-perceivable section at a portion of a device display used by the viewer to make the selection; and

displaying to the viewer in the separate viewer-perceivable section one or more promoter-relevant items linked by metadata with the selected object and/or data packet, wherein the promoter-relevant items comprise one or more selected from the group consisting of a product for sale, textual information, a static image, a full-motion video image, an avatar of another viewer, a representation of an identify of a commercial entity, and a virtual environment, and wherein one or more of the promoter-relevant items is selectable by the viewer to cause a response comprising one or more selected from the group consisting of initiating a commercial transaction relative to the item, initiating a communication means, activating a virtual environment, and linking the viewer with other viewers.