MOVING VIDEO TAGS OUTSIDE OF A VIDEO AREA TO CREATE A MENU SYSTEM

• US 20090019491A1
• Filed: 07/11/2008
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gula Consulting Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Gula Consulting Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Kulas, Charles J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,451,195 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/44
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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 21/440272 for performing aspect ratio conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0122 the input and the output signals having different aspect ratios

Abstract

Tags in a video area are established by displaying the tags with a visual association to an item in the video. Thereafter, the tags move to a tag menu area that is outside of the video area. Tags are selectable, such as by clicking on the tag, to cause additional actions such as displaying a web page related to the tag. Tags move and disappear/appear in conjunction with the video as the video action progresses. In one embodiment, the tag menu area is obtained when a video with a first aspect ratio is displayed in a display area that has a different aspect ratio. The difference in aspect ratios leaves a portion in the display area that is not used for the video that can be used for the tag menu area.

Claims

1. A method for creating a menu of items associated with playback of a video, the method comprising:

displaying a video in a video area, wherein the video includes at least one blank area adjacent to the video area;

displaying first and second tags in the video area in association with an item in the video;

moving the tags from the video area to the blank area;

accepting a signal from a user input device to select one of the tags; and

performing a predetermined action in response to the selection of the tag.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the video area is a standard definition aspect ratio and wherein the blank area includes at least a portion of a high definition aspect ratio space.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the video area is a high definition aspect ration and wherein the blank area includes at least a portion of a standard definition aspect ratio space.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a tag is associated with a particular item in the video by displaying the tag in proximity to the particular item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a tag is associated with a particular item in the video by displaying a pointer from the tag to the particular item.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined action includes:

displaying a web page.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined action includes:

expanding a tag to provide additional information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined action includes:

opening an adjacent window next to the video area, wherein the adjacent window includes additional information.

9. An apparatus for creating a menu of items associated with playback of a video, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable storage device including instructions executable by the processor for;

displaying a video in a video area, wherein the video includes at least one blank area adjacent to the video area;

displaying first and second tags in the video area in association with an item in the video;

moving the tags from the video area to the blank area;

accepting a signal from a user input device to select one of the tags; and

performing a predetermined action in response to the selection of the tag.

10. A computer-readable storage device including instructions executable by a processor, the computer-readable storage device including one or more instructions for:

displaying a video in a video area, wherein the video includes at least one blank area adjacent to the video area;

displaying first and second tags in the video area in association with an item in the video;

moving the tags from the video area to the blank area;

accepting a signal from a user input device to select one of the tags; and

performing a predetermined action in response to the selection of the tag.