INTEGRATION OF CONTROL DATA INTO DIGITAL BROADCAST CONTENT FOR ACCESS TO ANCILLARY INFORMATION

• US 20120291065A1
• Filed: 07/27/2012
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Zalewski, Gary M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,313,740 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/18 Arrangements characterised by circuits or components specially adapted for receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

Ancillary information associated with one or more images embedded in a digital broadcast data stream may be accessed by a digital broadcast receiving device. The device may include a receiver unit, a processor, and a memory. The processor may execute program instructions to access the ancillary information. Control data may be associated with one or more visual components of one or more video images. The control data and images may be combined into a digital broadcast data stream. The device may receive the images and control data. The images may be presented on a display device. The receiving device may use the control data to present or store a perceptible indication that ancillary information is associated with the visual components in conjunction with presenting the images. The device may use the control data to present or store the ancillary information in response to an input signal.

Claims

1. In a digital broadcast receiving device configured to receive programming and data over a plurality of digital broadcast channels, a method for accessing ancillary information associated with one or more images embedded in a digital broadcast data stream, the method comprising:

a) receiving a digital television broadcast signal, wherein the digital broadcast signal includes data representing one or more video images and control data associated with one or more visual components of the one or more video images;

b) presenting the one or more video images on a video display device associated with the digital broadcast receiving device;

c) using the control data to present or store a perceptible indication that ancillary information is associated with the one or more visual components in conjunction with presenting the one or more video images with the display device; and

d) using the control data to present or store the ancillary information with the display device in response to an input signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the control data is associated with one or more objects depicted in one or more of the video images;

or wherein the control data is associated with a context associated with the one or more video images;

or wherein the input signal is a signal from a remote control associated with the digital broadcast receiving device;

or wherein the ancillary information includes one or more advertisements.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein c) includes displaying the perceptible indication with the display device while presenting the one or more video images;

or wherein c) includes presenting information guiding a percipient to the ancillary information associated with the control data using the display device or wherein c) includes superposing the information guiding the percipient to the ancillary information over one or more of the video images, or wherein

c) includes pausing presentation of a program containing the one or more video images at a particular image of the one or more video images in response to a pause signal, highlighting the one or more visual components in a manner perceptible to a percipient, and associating one or more links to the ancillary information associated with the one or more visual components.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the information guiding the percipient to the ancillary information includes one or more links to one or more resources accessible via an electronic communications network.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein d) includes accessing the one or more resources via the one or more links in response to the input signal.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the information guiding the percipient to the ancillary information includes a video image identifying the one or more visual components, wherein the image includes one or more links, each link being associated with one or more of the visual components, wherein each link is configured to provide access to the ancillary information associated with the corresponding visual component.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein d) includes storing the ancillary information in a memory associated with the digital broadcast receiving device and/or display device;

or wherein d) includes using the control data as an input to a search engine coupled to the digital broadcast receiving device and/or display device and conducting a search with the search engine;

or wherein d) includes presenting ancillary information associated with a particular visual component of the one or more visual components in response to a selection input.

8. A digital broadcast receiving device, comprising:

a receiver unit configured to receive programming and data over one or more digital broadcast channels,

a processor coupled to the receiver unit;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a set of processor readable instructions embodied in the memory for execution on the processor, the instructions being configured to implement a method for accessing control data associated with one or more images embedded in a digital broadcast data stream, the method comprising;

a) receiving a digital television broadcast signal, wherein the digital broadcast signal includes data representing one or more video images and control data associated with one or more visual components of the one or more video images;

b) presenting the one or more video images on a video display device associated with the digital broadcast receiving device;

c) using the control data to present or store a perceptible indication that ancillary information is associated with the one or more visual components in conjunction with presenting the one or more video images with the display device; and

d) using the control data to present or store the ancillary information with the display device in response to an input signal.

9. The device of claim 8, further comprising the video display device, wherein the video display device is operably coupled to the processor;

or further comprising a backchannel coupled to the processor;

or further comprising a search engine coupled to the digital broadcast receiving device and/or a display device that is interoperable with the digital broadcast receiving device, wherein d) includes using the control data as an input to the search engine coupled and conducting a search with the search engine;

or

further comprising a remote control configured to interoperate with the processor, wherein the input signal is a signal from the remote control.

10. The device of claim 8, further comprising a backchannel coupled to the processor wherein the backchannel comprises a network interface coupled to an electronic communications network.

11. The device of claim 8 wherein c) includes displaying the perceptible indication with the display device while presenting the one or more video images.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the information guiding the percipient to the ancillary information is in the form of one or more links to one or more resources accessible via an electronic communications network.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the one or more links are configured to access the one or more resources in response to the input signal.

14. The device of claim 11 wherein the information guiding the percipient to the ancillary information includes a video image identifying the one or more visual components, wherein the image includes one or more links, each hot link being associated with one or more of the visual components, wherein each hot link is configured to provide access to the ancillary information associated with the corresponding visual component.

15. The device of claim 11 wherein d) includes presenting the ancillary information associated with a particular visual component of the one or more visual components in response to a selection input.

16. The device of claim 8 wherein d) includes storing the ancillary information in the memory.

17. A method for providing a digital broadcast data stream having control data associated with one or more images in a digital broadcast data stream, the method comprising:

a) associating control data with one or more visual components of one or more video images, wherein the control data facilitates access to ancillary data associated with the one or more visual components by a receiving device and/or display device usable with a digital broadcast signal generated from the digital broadcast data stream;

b) combining the control data and the video images into a digital broadcast data stream.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the control data is associated with one or more objects depicted in one or more of the video images;

or wherein the control data is associated with a context of the one or more video images;

or wherein the control data identifies one or more hotspots associated with one or more video images, wherein each hotspot provides a link to ancillary information associated with the one or more visual components;

or wherein the control data is configured to cause the display device to present information guiding a percipient to the ancillary information associated with the control data;

or wherein the control data is configured to pause presentation of a program containing the one or more video images at a particular image of the one or more video images in response to a pause signal, highlight the one or more visual components in a manner perceptible to a percipient, and associate one or more links to the ancillary information associated with the one or more visual components;

or wherein the ancillary information includes one or more advertisements;

or wherein the control data is configured to cause the display to present a perceptible indication that ancillary information is associated with the one or more visual components in conjunction with presenting the one or more video images with the display device.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising c) broadcasting the digital broadcast data stream as a digital broadcast signal.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the control data is configured to cause the display device to present information guiding a percipient to the ancillary information associated with the control data, wherein the control data is configured to superpose the information guiding the percipient to the ancillary information over one or more of the video images;

or wherein the information guiding the percipient to the ancillary information includes a video image identifying the one or more visual components, wherein the image includes one or more links, each hot link being associated with one or more of the visual components, wherein each hot link is configured to provide access to the ancillary information associated with the corresponding visual component;

or wherein the control data includes input for a search engine.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the control data is configured to pause presentation of a program containing the one or more video images at a particular image of the one or more video images in response to a pause signal, highlight the one or more visual components in a manner perceptible to a percipient, and associate one or more links to the ancillary information associated with the one or more visual components, and wherein the control data is configured to present the ancillary information associated with a particular visual component of the one or more visual components in response to a selection input.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the control data is configured to cause the display to present a perceptible indication that ancillary information is associated with the one or more visual components in conjunction with presenting the one or more video images with the display device, wherein the control data is configured to cause the display to present the perceptible indication while presenting the one or more video images.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein the control data is configured to cause the display device to present information guiding a percipient to the ancillary information associated with the control data, wherein the control data is configured to cause the display device to superpose the information guiding the percipient to the ancillary information over one or more of the video images.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein the control data is configured to cause the display device to present information guiding a percipient to the ancillary information associated with the control data, wherein the information guiding the percipient to the ancillary information includes one or more links to one or more resources accessible via an electronic communications network.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the one or more links are configured to be activated in response to the input signal.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein the control data is configured to cause the display device to present information guiding a percipient to the ancillary information associated with the control data, wherein the information guiding the percipient to the ancillary information includes a video image identifying the one or more visual components, wherein the image includes one or more links, each hot link being associated with one or more of the visual components, wherein each hot link is configured to provide access to the ancillary information associated with the corresponding visual component.