METHOD FOR VIDEO ENABLED ELECTRONIC COMMERCE

• US 20100266051A1
• Filed: 07/01/2010
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Elet Systems LLC
• Inventors: Ahmad, Subutai, France, G. Scott
• Application Number:
  US12/828,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20100266051A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240.250
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

A method is provided for conducting commerce over a network via vision-enabled content. First, content is encoded to convert it into vision-enabled content. Payment is received for vision-enabling the content. Also, a program to decode the vision-enabled content is provided. Finally, the vision-enabled content is sent to a user over a network. The program decodes the vision-enabled content and receives an image of the user. The vision-enabled content may include advertising content, entertainment content, and educational or instructional content. In one embodiment, the program combines the image of the user with the vision-enabled content. In another embodiment, the program utilizes the image of the user to control the vision-enabled content.

Claims

1. A method of providing vision-enabled content over a network, comprising:

encoding content, at a server, into vision-enabled content, the vision-enabled content including content configured to interact with an image or plurality of images of a subject; and

sending a program to decode the vision-enabled content from the server to a computing device, the program including computer instructions that, upon execution, cause a computer to;

decode vision-enabled content;

receive an image of a subject; and

combine the received image of the subject with the vision-enabled content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an upgrade for the program to the computing device, payment being received in exchange for the upgrade.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending vision-enabled content to a plurality of computing devices and receiving payment:

based on an amount of computing devices receiving the vision-enabled content;

based on a quantity of vision-enabled content sent to computing devices over the network;

for encoding the content;

or

any combination of the foregoing.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data identifying a user operating the computing device;

recognizing an identity of the user based on the received data;

selecting vision-enabled content based on the identity of the user; and

sending the selected vision-enabled content to the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data regarding a user operating the computing device;

associating the user with a group based on the received data;

selecting vision-enabled content based on the association of the user with the group; and

sending the selected vision-enabled content to the computing device.

6. A system for providing vision-enabled content, comprising:

a processor that implements an encoder configured to encode content into vision-enabled content, the vision-enabled content including content configured to interact with an image or plurality of images of a subject; and

a communication interface configured to communicate a decoder to a computing device over a network, the decoder including computer instructions that, upon execution, cause a computer to;

decode vision-enabled content;

receive an image of a subject; and

combine the received image of the subject with the vision-enabled content.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising an applet that includes the vision-enabled content encoded by the encoder, the applet configured to be sent over the network to the computing device.

8. A computer program product for providing vision-enabled content over a network, the computer program product being embodied in a computer storage medium and comprising computer instructions that, upon execution, cause a computer to:

encode content into vision-enabled content, the vision-enabled content including content configured to interact with an image or plurality of images of a subject; and

send a program to decode the vision-enabled content to a computing device, the program being configured to;

decode vision-enabled content;

receive an image of a subject; and

combine the received image of the subject with the vision-enabled content.

9. A system for providing vision-enabled content, the system comprising:

means for encoding content into vision-enabled content, the vision-enabled content including content configured to interact with an image or plurality of images of a subject; and

means for sending a program to decode the vision-enabled content to a computing device, the program being configured to;

decode vision-enabled content;

receive an image of a subject; and

combine the received image of the subject with the vision-enabled content.

10. A method for receiving vision-enabled content over a network, the method comprising:

receiving vision-enabled content at a computing device, the vision-enabled content including content configured to interact with an image or plurality of images of a subject;

decoding the vision-enabled content at the computing device;

receiving an image of a subject at the computing device; and

combining the received image of the subject with the vision-enabled content.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the vision-enabled content includes advertising content relating to an item of apparel, and wherein combining the received image of the subject with the vision-enabled content includes compositing an image of the item of apparel with the received image of the subject, the method further comprising displaying the resulting composite image on a display of the computing device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the vision-enabled content includes multi-player game content and wherein combining the received image of the subject with the multi-player game content includes compositing the received image of the subject with an animated character representing the subject in a multi-player game.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

sending data representing the composited image of the subject and animated character to computing devices associated with players of the multi-player game;

receiving data representing respective composited images of the players with corresponding animated characters; and

displaying composited images of the players and corresponding animated characters on a display of the computing device.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

performing body part recognition on a plurality of images of the subject;

interpreting movement of a body part of the subject within the plurality of images as a gesture; and

controlling the animated character within the multi-player game based on the gesture.

15. A system for receiving vision-enabled content over a network, the system comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive a decoder and vision-enabled content, the vision-enabled content including content configured to interact with an image or plurality of images of a subject;

a processor that implements the decoder, the decoder including computer instructions that, upon execution, cause a computer to;

decode the vision-enabled content;

receive an image of a subject; and

combine the received image of the subject with the vision-enabled content.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a camera configured to capture the image of the subject and provide the image of the subject to the decoder.

17. A computer program product for receiving vision-enabled content over a network, the computer program product being embodied in a computer storage medium and comprising computer instructions that, upon execution, cause a computer to:

receive vision-enabled content at a computing device, the vision-enabled content including content configured to interact with an image or plurality of images of a subject;

decode the vision-enabled content at the computing device;

receive an image of a user at the computing device; and

combine the received image of the user with the vision-enabled content.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer instructions that, upon execution, cause a computer to combine the received image of the user with the vision-enabled content comprise computer instructions that, upon execution, cause a computer to:

perform body part recognition on the received image of the user; and

composite the vision-enabled content to the received image of the user.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer instructions that, upon execution, cause a computer to combine the received image of the user with the vision-enabled content comprise computer instructions that, upon execution, cause a computer to:

remove a background from the received image of the user to obtain an extracted image of the user;

perform body part recognition on the extracted image of the user; and

composite the vision-enabled content to the extracted image of the user.

20. A system, comprising:

means for receiving vision-enabled content at a computing device, the vision-enabled content including content configured to interact with an image or plurality of images of a subject;

means for decoding the vision-enabled content at the computing device;

means for receiving an image of a subject; and

means for combining the received image of the subject with the vision-enabled content.