Interactive television system and method for displaying web-like stills with hyperlinks

• US 6,275,989 B1
• Filed: 12/07/1998
• Issued: 08/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Broadwin, Elliott, Haass, Jon C
• Primary Examiner(s): GRANT, CHRISTOPHER C
• Application Number:
  US09/206,514
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 348/7, 348/12, 348/13, 348/14, 348/473, 348/714, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 345/327, 725/135, 725/138, 725/139, 725/141, 725/142, 725/134, 725/131, 725/114, 725/115, 725/116, 725/117, 725/87, 725/91, 725/100
• US Class Current: 725/37
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/4351 involving reassembling additional data, e.g. rebuilding an executable program from recovered modules
• 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• 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 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method for displaying still video images related to video content in an interactive broadcast television system. The system and method of the present invention may also be used for simulating an Internet home page on an interactive television system. The present invention thus supports hyperlinked web-like navigational capabilities in an interactive television system. According to the method of the present invention, the video delivery system provides or broadcasts one or more audio/video channels each comprising video content and also provides or broadcasts at least one still image channel comprising a plurality of still video images, preferably MPEG-2 compressed still images. The user or viewer can select options displayed on the television screen to view desired information. When the set top box receives user input selecting an option to view one of the linked still images, the set top box captures the requested image from the still image broadcast channel, stores the image in memory, and displays the captured still video image corresponding to the selection. The still image being displayed may have associated interactive program content for displaying further selections, wherein these selections may be for viewing other images or content, for ordering information, or purchasing products. The user can thus selectively navigate between the video content and stills in a web-like hyperlinked fashion. In one embodiment, when a user is navigating through still images, the television program or video content which was being viewed is displayed in a small window overlaid on the still image being displayed. Also, when the set top box captures a requested image from the still image broadcast channel, the set top box preferably also pre-caches or pre-loads other related still images based on the probabilty that these related images will be subsequently requested by the user. The invention also includes an embodiment which provides user requested still images “on demand” on a dedicated “search” channel.

Claims

1. A method for displaying still video images related to video content in an interactive television system, wherein the interactive television system comprises a video delivery system for providing video content, and at least one subscriber television including a display screen, wherein the subscriber television is coupled to the video delivery system, the method comprising:

the video delivery system providing one or more channels comprising video content;

the subscriber television receiving said one or more channels comprising video content;

the video delivery system providing at least one channel comprising a plurality of still video images;

the subscriber television receiving said at least one channel comprising said plurality of still video images;

displaying on the screen video content from one of said one or more channels comprising video content;

displaying on the screen one or more selection options, wherein each of said one or more selection options corresponds to one of said still video images;

receiving user input selecting a first selection of said one or more selection options; and

wherein in response to said receiving said user input selecting said first selection of said one or more selection options the method further comprises capturing from said still video image channel and displaying on the screen a first one of said still video images corresponding to said first selection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said displaying on the screen video content comprises displaying on the screen said video content of a first television channel;

and

wherein the video delivery system provides said at least one channel comprising said plurality of still video images on a second television channel different than said first television channel.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said displaying on the screen said first one of said still video images corresponding to said first selection comprises displaying said first one of said still video images on said second television channel in addition to said video content on said first television channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said displaying on the screen said one or more selection options is performed during said displaying on the screen said video content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said displaying on the screen said first still video image corresponding to said first selection includes displaying on the screen a second set of selection options, wherein each of said second set of selection options corresponds to one of said still video images.

6. The method of claim 1, firer comprising:

the video delivery system providing a first channel comprising first video content;

the subscriber television receiving said first channel comprising said first video content;

displaying on the screen said first video content during a first period of time on said first channel;

the video delivery system providing one or more first still video images on said at least one channel during at least a portion of said first period of time, wherein said one or more first still video images correspond to said first video content.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the video delivery system provides said one or more first still video images on said at least one channel at a greater rate during said at least a portion of said first period of time than at other than said first period of time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said still video images are compressed still video images;

wherein the video delivery system providing at least one channel comprising a plurality of still video images comprises the video delivery system providing at least one channel comprising a plurality of compressed still video images;

wherein the subscriber television receiving said at least one channel comprising said plurality of still video images comprises the subscriber television receiving said at least one channel comprising said plurality of compressed still video images.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said displaying on the screen one or more selection options comprises displaying an electronic program guide.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a media server which stores a plurality of still images, the method further comprising:

receiving user input indicating a request to receive additional still video images related to a video content;

the subscriber television providing said request to the media server;

the media server receiving said request;

the media server providing one or more additional still video images related to said video content on a third channel in response to receiving said request; and

the subscriber television displaying on the screen said one or more additional still video images related to said video content.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said media server is an Internet server for providing video content on the Internet.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying on the screen said video content in an inset window during said displaying on the screen said first still video image.

13. An interactive television system which displays still video images related to video content, the system comprising:

a video delivery system for providing a plurality of channels including at least one video channel and at least one still image channel, said at least one video channel comprising video content and said at least one still image channel comprising a plurality of still video images;

at least one subscriber television including a display screen, wherein the subscriber television is coupled to the video delivery system, wherein the subscriber television receives said plurality of channels and displays video content from said at least one video channel;

wherein said subscriber television is adapted to display one or more selection options during display of video content, wherein each of said one or more selection options corresponds to one of said still video images;

wherein said subscriber television is adapted to receive user input selecting one of said one or more selection options;

wherein in response to receiving said user input, said subscriber television is adapted to capture one of said still video images corresponding to said one of said one or more selection options and to display said one of said still video images.

14. The interactive television system of claim 13, wherein said subscriber television is adapted to display first video content during a first period of time;

wherein the video delivery system is adapted to provide one or more first still video images on said still image channel during at least a portion of said first period of time, wherein said one or more first still video images correspond to said first video content.

15. The interactive television system of claim 14, wherein the video delivery system provides said one or more first still video images on said still image channel at a greater rate during said at least a portion of said first period of time than at other than said first period of time.

16. The interactive television system of claim 13, further comprising:

a media server which stores a plurality of still images and which is adapted to provide still images in response to a request;

wherein the subscriber television is adapted to receive user input indicating a request to receive additional still video images related to a video content and to provide said request to the media server;

wherein the media server provides one or more additional still video images related to said video content on a channel in response to receiving said request; and

wherein the subscriber television is adapted to display said one or more additional still video images related to said video content.

17. The interactive television system of claim 16, wherein said media server is an Internet server for providing video content on the Internet.

18. The interactive television system of claim 13, wherein said subscriber television further comprises a cache storage and wherein in response to receiving said user input, said subscriber television is adapted to capture one or more additional ones of said still video images which are related to said one of said still video images and to store said one or more additional ones of said still video images in said cache storage.

19. An interactive television system which displays still video images related to video content, the system comprising:

a subscriber television including a display screen, wherein the subscriber television receives a plurality of channels each comprising video content and displays video content from one of said plurality of channels, wherein said subscriber television also receives at least one channel comprising a plurality of still video images;

wherein said subscriber television is adapted to display one or more selection options during display of video content, wherein each of said one or more selection options corresponds to one of said still video images;

wherein said subscriber television is adapted to receive user input selecting one of said one or more selection options;

wherein said subscriber television is adapted to display a still video image corresponding to a user selection in response to receiving user input selecting one of said one or more selection options.

20. The interactive television system of claim 19, wherein the subscriber television is adapted for coupling to a video delivery system.