METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ENHANCING AND/OR MONITORING VISUAL CONTENT AND METHOD AND/OR SYSTEM FOR ADDING A DYNAMIC LAYER TO VISUAL CONTENT

• US 20110178854A1
• Filed: 09/03/2009
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Somertech, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Somertech, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tomer, Guy, Sofer, Tzahi
• Application Number:
  US13/061,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20110178854A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43074 of additional data with content streams on the same device, e.g. of EPG data or interactive icon with a TV program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43079 of additional data with content streams on multiple devices
• 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 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44226 on social networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8545 for generating interactive applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method for superimposing interactive components on a visual content displayed on at least one client terminal. The method comprises receiving a designation of at least one interactive component from a plurality of interactive components, associating between the designation and a visual content item, and forwarding the designation to a client terminal so as to allow a presentation of the at least one interactive component in a manner that the presentation coincides with a display of the visual content item by a plurality of client terminals connected to a network. The at least one interactive component is superimposed on the display during the presentation.

Claims

1. A computerized method for superimposing interactive components on a visual content displayed on at least one client terminal, comprising:

receiving, from a content provider of a visual content item, a designation of at least one interactive component from a plurality of interactive components;

associating, using a processor, -between said designation and said visual content item; and

forwarding said designation to a client terminal so as to allow a presentation of said at least one interactive component, said presentation being synchronized to coincide with a display of said visual content item by each of a plurality of client terminals connected to a network;

wherein said at least one interactive component is superimposed on said display during said presentation;

monitoring a plurality of interactions of a plurality of viewers with said at least one interactive component during said display; and

updating said presentation according to an analysis of said plurality of interactions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said visual content item is selected from a group consisting of a video stream, a video transmission, a video unicast, a video, a video file, an animation file, an animation steam, a video in demand (VOD) record, an animation transmission, a presentation file, a presentation steam, an online game, a presentation transmission.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of client terminals are selected from a group consisting of computers, Smartphones, laptops, netbooks, personal digital assistant (PDAs), Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) devices, cell phones, game consoles and set top boxes, televisions (TVs).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said designation define for a group of said at least one interactive component a time slot during said display, said group being displayed during said time slot.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising managing a timeline for each said visual content item and updating said presentation according to said timeline.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring at least one event held on at least one of said plurality of client terminals and updating said presentation according to said at least one event.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising embedding promotional content into at least one of said at least one interactive component and an additional component superimposed on said display.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing said visual content item and changing said presentation according to said analyzing during said display.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said analyzing is performed substantially during said display.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a report according to said plurality of interactions.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said generating is performed during said display.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording said plurality of interactions and playing said plurality of recorded interactions during a replay of said visual content item.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring at least one viewer interaction with said at least one interactive component during said presentation so as to allow at least one of changing said presentation, removing said at least one interactive component, and presenting a report according to said at least one viewer interaction.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one interactive component allows presenting content pertaining to said visual content item.

10-11. -11. (canceled)

17. A system for superimposing interactive components on a visual content displayed on at least one client terminal, comprising:

a processor;

a repository hosting a plurality of interactive components;

a distribution module, executed by said processor, for receiving a designation of at least one of said plurality of interactive components for a visual content item via a communication network and transmitting said designation to a plurality of client terminals so as to allow each said client terminal to synchronize a presentation of said at least one interactive component to coincide with a display of said visual content item.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein each said client terminal comprises a player having a client engine for performing said presentation and said display.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein each said client terminal comprises a player wrapped in a client engine so as to allow the performing of said presentation and said display.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said client engine manages at least one container for containing said at least one interactive component so as to allow the performing of said presentation;

wherein said at least one container facilitate at least one of manipulating said at least one interactive component, changing the size of said presentation, and relocating said presentation.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein said distribution module is configured for receiving a consumer profile and selecting said plurality of client terminals according to a match between said consumer profile and a plurality of client profiles associated with said plurality of client terminals.

22. The system of claim 17, further comprising an advertising module for receiving promotional content and for at least one of embedding said promotional content in said at least one interactive component during said presentation and instructing said plurality of client terminal to present said promotional content during said display.

23. The system of claim 17, further comprising a commerce module for billing a provider of said visual content item according to said designation.

24. The system of claim 17, further comprising a viewer module for receiving a designation of at least one of said plurality of interactive components and adding said at least one interactive component to said presentation.

25-29. -29. (canceled)

30. A computerized method for superimposing interactive components on a visual content displayed on at least one client terminal, comprising:

receiving a designation of at least one interactive component from a first source via a communication network;

receiving a visual content item from a second source;

providing at least one container for containing said at least one interactive component;

generating, using a processor, a presentation of data from said at least one interactive component in said at least one container;

superimposing-, using said processor, said at least one container on a display of said visual content item; and

allowing a user to manipulate said at least one container so as to adjust said presentation.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said visual content item is received from a multimedia distribution network, said communication network being the Internet.