SIMULTANEOUSLY PRESENTING AN ENHANCED AND PRIMARY STREAM ASSOCIATED WITH A DIGITAL TELEVISION BROADCAST

• US 20120307145A1
• Filed: 05/31/2011
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian K. Buchheit
• Original Assignee: Brian K. Buchheit
• Inventors: BUCHHEIT, BRIAN K.
• Granted Patent: US 9,041,860 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/500
• 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 21/41265 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 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43079 of additional data with content streams on multiple devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content

Abstract

An enhanced stream associated with a primary stream can be selected. The enhanced stream can be time-synchronized to the primary stream. The enhanced stream can be associated with a secondary viewpoint linked to a primary viewpoint of the primary stream. The primary stream can be a broadcast signal of a digital television broadcast. The enhanced stream can be simultaneously presented on a secondary device and the primary stream on a primary device. The primary device can be a computing device and the secondary device can be a computing device.

Claims

1. A method for interacting with an enhanced media stream comprising:

selecting an enhanced stream associated with a primary stream, wherein the enhanced stream is time-synchronized to the primary stream, wherein the enhanced stream is associated with a secondary viewpoint linked to a primary viewpoint of the primary stream, wherein the primary stream is a broadcast signal of a digital television broadcast; and

simultaneously presenting the enhanced stream on a secondary device and the primary stream on a primary device, wherein the primary device is a computing device and the secondary device is a computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhanced stream is associated with a broadcast television source.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhanced stream is associated with an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) source.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the secondary device presents an enhanced stream responsive to at least one of an accelerometer input and a camera input.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary stream is presented concurrently within a picture-in-picture (PIP) window of the secondary device during the enhanced stream presentation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhanced stream is desynchronized for a duration and resynchronized, responsive to a user interaction.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhanced stream and the primary stream are persisted within a data store.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary and enhanced stream are persisted during playback.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary device and the secondary device are proximately located.

10. A system for interacting with an enhanced media stream comprising:

a media engine able to manage a primary stream and an enhanced stream, wherein the enhanced stream is synchronized with the primary stream, wherein the primary stream is associated with a broadcast signal of a digital television broadcast; and

a data store able to persist synchronization data associated with the primary and enhanced stream.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the primary stream and the enhanced stream originate from different broadcast sources.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the primary stream and enhanced stream conform to different formats.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the synchronization data is utilized to simultaneously present playback of the primary and enhanced stream.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the enhanced stream is associated with a computer generated graphic.

15. An interface for interacting with an enhanced media stream comprising:

an interface for synchronously presenting a primary stream and an enhanced stream upon a plurality of computing devices, wherein the primary stream is associated with a digital television broadcast; and

an interface element associated with the interface for selecting an enhanced stream associated with a primary stream.

16. The interface of claim 15, wherein the element is an on-screen element.

17. The interface of claim 15, wherein the element is a physical component of a computing device.

18. The interface of claim 15, wherein the primary stream is a digital television broadcast stream and the enhanced stream is an Internet Protocol Television stream (IPTV).

19. The interface of claim 15, wherein the plurality of devices is communicatively linked to a home network, wherein the home network comprises of a television, a home media server, and a portable computing device.

20. The interface of claim 15, wherein interface is a portion of a pay-per-view on-screen interface.