Visual object present within live programming as an actionable event for user selection of alternate programming wherein the actionable event is selected by human operator at a head end for distributed data and programming

• US 5,931,908 A
• Filed: 12/23/1996
• Issued: 08/03/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Walt Disney Company
• Original Assignee: The Walt Disney Company
• Inventors: Lambert, Robert E., Meiseles, Howard, Nichols, Mike, Gerba, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Asta, Frank J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomson, William D.
• Application Number:
  US08/773,263
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.49, 395/200.79, 395/200.3, 395/200.48, 395/200.82, 395/200.31, 395/200.34, 395/200.47, 348/7, 348/8, 348/9, 348/10, 348/13, 348/12, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/6.2, 455/6.3, 455/5.1, 707/104
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43074 of additional data with content streams on the same device, e.g. of EPG data or interactive icon with a TV program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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 21/4622 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 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• 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 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for linking real-time data with audiovisual content to enable a user to make selections, manipulate data, and to execute functions interactively through an audiovisual display unit based upon audiovisual content being displayed at the time. Audiovisual content is synchronized with the available interactive functions so that the user has the ability to interact with and perform functions related to the audiovisual content being shown at the time. In a preferred embodiment, actionable events in audiovisual programs are synchronized with associated overlay functions and interface data. A method is provided to make overlay functions available to the user through an audiovisual display during the actionable events that occur in a program being viewed by the user. A user interface for each overlay function that may be performed, which user interface may or may not be visible to the user, is overlaid on and synchronized with the program being shown. Interaction with selections may be made using any of several known methods such as a screen menu or a cursor controlled by a remote control device.

Claims

1. A method of distributing audiovisual programming, comprising the steps of:

displaying live programming to a human operator located at the head end of a distribution system while distributing for display the live programming at substantially the same time to a plurality of remotely located users;

automatically detecting one of a plurality of pre-selected visual objects present within the live programming as an actionable event, during which a user selection may be accepted;

adding data for distribution with the live programming in response to the detection of the visual object and in response to an operator selection of another actionable event made by the human operator;

adding synchronization data for distribution with the live programming, delineating a time period within the live programming display during which a user selection may be accepted;

adding overlay function data for distribution with the live programming, controlling the distribution of alternate programming to be displayed in response to an individual user making a user selection in response to the actionable event;

adding interface data for distribution with the live programming, providing indication to each of the plurality of users of the opportunity to make a user selection;

recognizing a user selection by one of the plurality of users of the opportunity to make a user selection;

distributing the user selected alternate programming for display to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adding data further comprises the step of:

adding interface data for visually indicating to the user the opportunity to make a user selection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adding data further comprises the step of:

adding interface data for visually indicating with an animated icon the opportunity to make a user selection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adding data further comprises the step of:

adding interface data for indicating to the user with audio prompting the opportunity to make a user selection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adding data further comprises the step of:

adding interface data for visually indicating with two or more selectable screen areas the opportunity to make a user selection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adding data further comprises the step of:

adding data for visually distinguishing the automatically detected visual object in the live programming being displayed to the plurality of users.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of distributing alternate programming is performed without storing information indicating which programming said user was viewing prior to making said user selection.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

displaying said alternate programming to a second human operator;

adding second data to said alternate programming in response to a second operator selection of a second actionable event;

recognizing a second user selection made by said user in response to the second actionable event; and

distributing second alternate programming for display to said user.

9. A system for distributing audiovisual programming, comprising:

a signal source providing live programming, displayed to a human operator located at the head end of a distribution system while distributed at substantially the same time to a plurality of remotely located users;

a processing unit located at the head end, coupled to the signal source, which is programmed to;

i) detect one of a plurality of pre-selected visual objects present within the live programming as an actionable event, during which a user selection may be accepted; and

ii) add data for distribution with the live programming in response to the detection of the visual object and in response to an operator selection of another actionable event made by the human operator, the added data including

a) synchronization data delineating a time period within the live programming display during which a user selection may be accepted,

b) overlay function data controlling the distribution of alternate programming to be displayed in response to an individual user making a user selection in response to the actionable event, and

c) interface data providing indication to each of the plurality of users of the opportunity to make a user selection;

transmission equipment distributing the live programming for display to the plurality of users;

a set-top box recognizing a user selection in response to the selected actionable event; and

a transaction processor distributing the alternate programming to the user in response to the user selection.