APPARATUS, SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ACCESSING AND SYNCHRONIZING PRESENTATION OF MEDIA CONTENT AND SUPPLEMENTAL MEDIA RICH CONTENT IN RESPONSE TO SELECTION OF A PRESENTED OBJECT

• US 20110321096A1
• Filed: 12/14/2010
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Landow, Kate, Card, John Anthony, Overbaugh, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,424,037 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/41
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43079 of additional data with content streams on multiple devices
• 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 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program

Abstract

Media rich content systems and methods are operable to provide access to supplemental media rich content in response to user selection of a presented object of interest. An exemplary embodiment receives at a media device a video stream comprising at least a plurality of video frames, wherein at least one of the video frames is configured to present an object of interest; processes a supplemental media rich content trigger associated with the at least one video frame, wherein the supplemental media rich content trigger comprises information that identifies a region where the object of interest is presented in the video frame, and comprises information configured to access supplemental media rich content associated with the object of interest; receives a user selection of the object of interest presented in the at least one video frame; and presents the supplemental media rich content on a presentation device.

Claims

1. A method for presentation of supplemental media rich content, the method comprising:

receiving at a media device a video stream comprising at least a plurality of video frames, wherein at least one of the video frames is configured to present an object of interest;

processing a supplemental media rich content trigger associated with the at least one video frame, wherein the supplemental media rich content trigger comprises information that identifies a region where the object of interest is presented in the video frame, and comprises information configured to access supplemental media rich content associated with the object of interest;

receiving a user selection of the object of interest presented in the at least one video frame; and

presenting the supplemental media rich content on a presentation device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the video stream comprises the supplemental media rich content trigger associated with the at least one video frame.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental media rich content trigger resides in the data of the at least one video frame.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a communication link to a media rich content server in response to the received user selection of the object of interest; and

receiving the supplemental media rich content from the media rich content server.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the object of interest is a first object of interest, the media rich content server is a first media rich content server, wherein the supplemental media rich content trigger is a first supplemental media rich content trigger comprising information that identifies a first region where the first object of interest is presented in the video frame, wherein the presented supplemental media rich content is first supplemental media rich content, wherein the at least one video frame is configured to concurrently present the first object of interest and a second object of interest, and further comprising:

processing a second supplemental media rich content trigger associated with the at least one video frame, wherein the second supplemental media rich content trigger comprises information that identifies a second region of the second object of interest in the video frame, and comprises information configured to access a second media rich content server having second supplemental media rich content associated with the second object of interest;

receiving a user selection of the second object of interest presented in the at least one video frame;

establishing a communication link to the second media rich content server in response to the received user selection of the second object of interest;

receiving the second supplemental media rich content from the second media rich content server; and

presenting the second supplemental media rich content.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the communication link to the first media rich content server and the communication link to the second media rich content server are concurrently open.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

concurrently presenting the first supplemental media rich content and the second supplemental media rich content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a communication link is established between a portable media device and the media device, and further comprising:

processing the received video stream into a processed video stream configured for communication to the portable media device, wherein the processed video stream comprises the supplemental media rich content trigger;

communicating the processed video stream from the media device to the portable media device;

processing at the portable media device the supplemental media rich content trigger associated with the at least one video frame;

receiving at the portable media device the user selection of the object of interest presented in the at least one video frame; and

presenting the supplemental media rich content on the portable media device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

establishing a communication link to between the portable media device and a media rich content server in response to the received user selection of the object of interest; and

receiving at the portable media device the supplemental media rich content from the media rich content server.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental media rich content is an interactive supplemental media rich content configured to receive a user response.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sensing location of a pointer on the presented video frame corresponding to a geometric region in the video frame where the object of interest is presented; and

sensing actuation of the pointer, wherein the actuation of the pointer corresponds to receiving the user selection.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental media rich content trigger resides in a media content stream.

13. A method for presentation of supplemental media rich content, the method comprising:

identifying an object of interest in a video frame;

determining a geometric region in the video frame corresponding to a location in the video frame where the object of interest is presented;

generating a supplemental media rich content trigger, wherein the supplemental media rich content trigger comprises information corresponding to the geometric region, and comprises information configured to cause a media device to access a media rich content server having supplemental media rich content associated with the object of interest; and

incorporating the generated supplemental media rich content trigger into a media content stream wherein the video frame resides.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein incorporating the generated supplemental media rich content trigger into the media content stream comprises:

incorporating the generated supplemental media rich content trigger into a portion of the video frame.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein incorporating the generated supplemental media rich content trigger into the media content stream comprises:

interleaving the generated supplemental media rich content trigger between the video frame and an adjacent video frame.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the video frame is a first video frame, wherein the geometric region in the first video frame is a first geometric region, and further comprising:

identifying the object of interest in a second video frame;

determining a second geometric region in the second video frame corresponding to a second location where the object of interest is presented in the second video frame;

generating a second supplemental media rich content trigger, wherein the supplemental media rich content trigger comprises information corresponding to the second geometric region, and comprises the information configured to cause the media device to access the media rich content server having the supplemental media rich content associated with the object of interest; and

incorporating the generated second supplemental media rich content trigger into the media content stream wherein the second video frame resides.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first geometric region in the first video frame substantially corresponds to the second geometric region in the second video frame, and further comprising:

substituting the information corresponding to the first geometric region for the information corresponding to the second geometric region when the second supplemental media rich content trigger is generated.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the first video frame and the second video frame are separated by a predefined duration, and wherein supplemental media rich content triggers are omitted for a plurality of video frames located between the first video frame and the second video frame.

19. A system, comprising:

an object identification module configured to identify an object of interest in a video frame, and configured to determine a geometric region in the video frame corresponding to a location in the video frame where the object of interest is presented;

a trigger generator module configured to generate a supplemental media rich content trigger, wherein the supplemental media rich content trigger comprises information corresponding to the geometric region, and comprises information configured to cause a media device to access a media rich content server having supplemental media rich content associated with the object of interest; and

a processor system configured to incorporate the generated supplemental media rich content trigger into a media content stream wherein the video frame resides.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein incorporating the processor system is configured to incorporate the generated supplemental media rich content trigger into a portion of the video frame.