SIGNAL-DRIVEN INTERACTIVE TELEVISION

• US 20110247044A1
• Filed: 12/23/2010
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jacoby, Ronald
• Granted Patent: US 9,185,458 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/115
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4351 involving reassembling additional data, e.g. rebuilding an executable program from recovered modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• 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 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method for displaying supplemental content with a content stream on a display is provided. A content stream for a program is received, and a portion of the received content stream is sampled. The sampled portion is analyzed to determine a media identifier for the content stream, the media identifier being transmitted to a content server. Supplemental content is retrieved from the content server using the media identifier. And the content stream is rendered on the display with the supplemental content. The supplemental content provides access to an interactive feature, the interactive feature providing internet communication during the receipt of the content stream.

Claims

1. A method for displaying supplemental content on a display, comprising:

receiving a content stream for a program;

sampling a portion of the received content stream;

analyzing the sampled portion to determine a media identifier for the content stream, the media identifier being transmitted to a content server;

retrieving supplemental content from the content server using the media identifier;

rendering the content stream on the display with the supplemental content, the supplemental content providing access to an interactive feature, the interactive feature providing internet communication during the receipt of the content stream.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the media identifier defines a unit of content in which the sampled portion is found.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the media identifier defines a location within the unit of content at which the sampled portion is found.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental content defines a trigger for accessing the interactive feature.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the interactive feature is provided by an application, the application being activated by the trigger.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the sampled portion includes generating a fingerprint of the sampled portion and determining, based on the fingerprint, the media identifier for the content stream.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the content stream is received via a first channel, and wherein the supplemental content is retrieved via a second channel.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first channel is defined by a communication selected from the group consisting of an analog audio/video, digital audio/video, cable, satellite, or internet;

and

wherein the second channel is defined by internet communication.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the media identifier defines a unit of content in which the sampled portion is found.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the media identifier defines a location within the unit of content at which the sampled portion is found.

9. A method for a content server to provide supplemental content to a display, comprising:

determining supplemental content using a media identifier for a content stream, the media identifier being determined based on analysis of a sampled portion of the content stream;

transmitting the supplemental content to a rendering module, the rendering module rendering the content stream on the display with the supplemental content, the supplemental content providing access to an interactive feature, the interactive feature providing internet communication during the receipt of the content stream.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the supplemental content defines a trigger for accessing the interactive feature.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the interactive feature is provided by an application, the application being activated by the trigger.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the analysis of the sampled portion includes generating a fingerprint of the sampled portion and determining, based on the fingerprint, the media identifier for the content stream.

15. A system for displaying a content stream with supplemental content on a display, comprising:

a content server for providing supplemental content;

an interface device, the interface device including a connected interface module;

wherein the connected interface module includes;

(a) a sensor module for receiving a content stream for a program, sampling a portion of the received content stream, and analyzing the sampled portion to determine a media identifier for the content stream;

(b) a supplemental content module for retrieving supplemental content from the content server using the media identifier;

(c) a rendering module for rendering the content stream on the display with the supplemental content, the supplemental content providing access to an interactive feature, the interactive feature providing internet communication during the receipt of the content stream.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the media identifier defines a unit of content in which the sampled portion is found.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the media identifier defines a location within the unit of content at which the sampled portion is found.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the supplemental content defines a trigger for accessing the interactive feature.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the interactive feature is provided by an application, the application being activated by the trigger.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein analyzing the sampled portion includes generating a fingerprint of the sampled portion and determining, based on the fingerprint, the media identifier for the content stream.

21. A system for displaying a content stream with supplemental content on a display, comprising:

a content server for providing supplemental content;

a display, the display including a connected interface module;

wherein the connected interface module includes;

(a) a sensor module for receiving a content stream for a program, sampling a portion of the received content stream, and analyzing the sampled portion to determine a media identifier for the content stream;

(b) a supplemental content module for retrieving supplemental content from the content server using the media identifier;

(c) a rendering module for rendering the content stream on the display with the supplemental content, the supplemental content providing access to an interactive feature, the interactive feature providing internet communication during the receipt of the content stream.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the media identifier defines a unit of content in which the sampled portion is found.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the media identifier defines a location within the unit of content at which the sampled portion is found.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the supplemental content defines a trigger for accessing the interactive feature.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the interactive feature is provided by an application, the application being activated by the trigger.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein analyzing the sampled portion includes generating a fingerprint of the sampled portion and determining, based on the fingerprint, the media identifier for the content stream.