Method for indicating the location of video hot links

• US 6,175,840 B1
• Filed: 10/31/1997
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Zhang, Liang Jie, Chen, Jeane, Feig, Ephraim
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bashore, William L.
• Application Number:
  US08/962,559
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 707/501, 707/512, 345/112, 345/332, 345/327, 345/328, 345/145, 345/146, 345/357, 345/341, 709/217, 709/218
• US Class Current: 715/210
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/748 Hypervideo linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object in the context of video distribution systems H04N21/858
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/94 Hypermedia Hyperlinking G06F40/134
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8583 by creating hot-spots

Abstract

A method for indicating the location of time dependent video hot links to a user, comprising the steps of: displaying a motion video presentation on a first portion of a display device, the video presentation including a hot link region which can be selected by a user to link to different content; displaying an indication of the presence of the hot link region in the video presentation. The method may comprise the further step of altering a visual attribute of at least a portion of the hot link region when a user manipulable cursor is within the first portion. The method may comprise the further step of displaying an indication of the presence of the hot link region in the video presentation on a second portion of the display screen.

Claims

1. A method for indicating the location of time dependent video hot links to a user, comprising the steps of:

displaying a motion video presentation on a first portion of a display device, the video presentation including a hot link region which is dynamically displayed for selection by a user to link to different content; and

,

displaying an indication of the presence of the hot link region in the video presentation in a non-intrusive manner on a second portion of the display device, said second portion including vertical and horizontal indicators adjacent said first portion of said display device for cooperatively indicating a location and size of one or more hot link regions present in said video presentation.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the mentioned step of displaying an indication of the presence of the hot link region in the video presentation comprises the further step of altering a visual attribute of a least a portion of the hot link region when a user manipulable cursor is within the first portion.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the mentioned step of altering a visual attribute of at least a portion of the hot link region can be extended to the method of direct displaying the hot link region in the video window.