VIDEO CONTENT DISTRIBUTION PACKAGE

• US 20140205265A1
• Filed: 01/23/2014
• Published: 07/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steven Schoenwald
• Original Assignee: Steven Schoenwald
• Inventors: SCHOENWALD, STEVEN
• Granted Patent: US 9,380,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/241
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2323 using file mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/422 Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6334 for authorisation, e.g. by transmitting a key wireless communications network key management H04W12/04; wireless communications network access security H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8583 by creating hot-spots

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for a content distribution system, packaged as executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium. The system includes a cross-platform video player, implemented as machine executable instructions executable on a host computer having any of a plurality of different operating environments and a video comprising a plurality of video frames. The system further includes a library of content items associated with the video. The library of content items includes a plurality of content items and metadata relating each of the content items to associated spatial locations in at least one frame of the video. Each of the cross-platform video player, the video, and the library of content items are packaged as a single cross-platform executable file.

Claims

1. A content distribution system, packaged as executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the instructions comprising:

a cross-platform video player, implemented as machine executable instructions executable on a host computer having any of a plurality of different operating environments;

a video comprising a plurality of video frames; and

a library of content items associated with the video, the library of content items comprising a plurality of content items and metadata relating each of the content items to associated spatial locations in at least one frame of the video

wherein each of the cross-platform video player, the video, and the library of content items are packaged as a single cross-platform executable file.

2. The content distribution system of claim 1, wherein each content item of the library of content items comprises one of an image, a text description, a video, and a link to a resource outside of the content library.

3. The content distribution system of claim 1, the cross-platform video player comprising a mouse listener configured to detect a motion of a mouse cursor associated with the host computer and each of the content items having an associated video object relating the content item to its associated spatial locations in at least one frame of the video, such that the cross-platform video player is configured to detect when the mouse cursor is collocated with a video object.

4. The content distribution system of claim 3, wherein the cross-platform video player is configured to display the associated content item from the content library each time the mouse cursor is collocated with a video object.

5. The content distribution system of claim 3, wherein each video object is associated with an object displayed as part of the video, such that, for each frame in which the object is displayed within the video, the video object is substantially coextensive with the displayed object.

6. The content distribution system of claim 3, wherein each video object is defined as a predetermined shape and a reference coordinate pair associated with each frame in which the video object appears.

7. The content distribution system of claim 6, wherein the cross-platform video player is configured to scale each of the predetermined shape and the reference coordinate pair in each frame as a function of the initial height and width of a video window associated with the cross-platform video player, and a height and width of the video window during the frame.

8. The content distribution system of claim 7, wherein the cross-platform video player is configured to scale a given coordinate pair (x, y) to a scaled coordinate pair (x′

, y′

) such that given a video window with an initial height, H_i, an initial width, W_i, a current height H_c, and a current width W_c;

9. The content distribution system of claim 7, wherein the predetermined shape is a convex polygon.

10. The content distribution system of claim 1, wherein the cross-platform video player is configured to query a remote server via an Internet connection associated with the host computer for authorization to play the video.

11. The content distribution system of claim 10, wherein the cross-platform video player is configured to check a value of a first variable upon execution of the cross-platform executable file, the video player playing the video only if authorization is available from the remote server if the first variable has a first value.

12. The content distribution system of claim 11, wherein the cross-platform video player is configured to check a value of a second variable, such that if the first variable has a second value and the second variable has the first value, the cross-platform video player is configured to seek authorization from the remote server only if an Internet connection is available, and play the video if a condition associated with the video is met if no Internet connection is available.

13. The content distribution system of claim 12, wherein the cross-platform video player is play the video if a condition associated with the video is met if the each of the first variable and the second variable has the second value.

14. The content distribution system of claim 12, wherein the condition associated with the video is that a current time is not later than an expiration date associated with the video.

15. A content distribution system, packaged as executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the instructions comprising:

a cross-platform video player, implemented as machine executable instructions executable on a host computer having any of a plurality of different operating environments, the cross-platform video player comprising a mouse listener configured to detect a motion of a mouse cursor associated with the host computer and each of the content items having an associated video object relating the content item to its associated spatial locations in at least one frame of the video, such that the cross-platform video player is configured to detect when the mouse cursor is collocated with a video object, wherein each video object is associated with an object displayed as part of the video, such that, for each frame in which the object is displayed within the video, the video object is substantially coextensive with the displayed object;

a video comprising a plurality of video frames; and

a library of content items associated with the video, the library of content items comprising a plurality of content items and metadata relating each of the content items to associated spatial locations in at least one frame of the video;

wherein the cross-platform video player is configured to display a given content item when the mouse cursor is collated with its associated video object.

16. The content distribution system of claim 15, wherein each of the cross-platform video player, the video, and the library of content items are packaged as a single cross-platform executable file.

17. The content distribution system of claim 15, wherein the cross-platform video player is configured to check first and second variables associated with a given video and selectively query a remote server via an Internet connection associated with the host computer for authorization to play the video based upon the values of the first and second variables and the availability of an Internet connection at the host computer.

18. The content distribution system of claim 17, wherein the cross-platform video player is configured to play the video only if authorization is available from the remote server if the first variable has a first value or the first variable has a second value and the second variable has the first value and an Internet connection is available, and to play the video based on whether a current time is not later than an expiration date associated with the video if each of the first and second variables have the second value or the first variable has a second value and the second variable has the first value and an Internet connection is not available.

19. The content distribution system of claim 15, wherein each content item of the library of content items comprises one of an image, a video, a text description, and a link to a resource outside of the content library

20. A method for generating a cross-platform executable file, executable on a host computer having any of a plurality of different operating environments and stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising:

creating a directory on the non-transitory computer readable medium;

storing a video comprising a plurality of video frames and a plurality of content items associated with the video in the directory;

storing metadata relating each of the content items to associated spatial locations in at least one frame of the video in the directory; and

compiling source code for a video player to provide the cross-platform executable file, the cross-platform executable filing including each of the video player, the video, the library of content items, and the metadata.