Bandwidth effective method for communicating interactive links

• US 6,570,586 B1
• Filed: 09/03/1999
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Original Assignee: Isurftv
• Inventors: Shirman, Leon A., Kamen, Yakov
• Primary Examiner(s): dela Torre, Crescelle N.
• Application Number:
  US09/390,047
• Time in Patent Office: 1,362 Days
• Field of Search: 345/716-720, 345/764, 345/781, 345/835, 345/839, 345/854, 345/610, 345/473-475, 725/37, 725/51, 725/52, 725/112, 725/113, 707/500.1, 707/501.1
• US Class Current: 715/719
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• 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: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• 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 21/4725 using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots details of information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8583 by creating hot-spots
• 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 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A video signal transmission system transmits a video signal and data corresponding to the location and size of active areas for some of the frames of the video signal (but not other frames of the video signal). A video reception and display system determines the location and size for the active areas based on an interpolation technique. A viewer can click on the active areas to thereby link the receiving system to a web page or other information source.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a video image from a video image source, wherein said receiving is performed at a location remote from said video image source;

displaying said video image as a sequence of frames on a display device, wherein said display device is at said location remote from the location of said video image source;

receiving at said location remote from the location of said video image source information corresponding to the location of at least one active area for some of said frames but not others of said frames, wherein said location remote from the location of said video image source is also remote from the source of said information corresponding to the location of at least one active area; and

determining at said location remote from the location of said video image source the location of said active area for said others of said frames by interpolation.

2. Method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining is performed by linear interpolation.

3. Method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining is performed by spline interpolation.

4. Method of claim 1 wherein information corresponding to the size of said active area is received for said some of said frames but not said others of said frames, said method also comprising determining the size of said active area for said others of said frames by interpolation.

5. Method of claim 1 wherein said active area is associated with a link, said method further comprising the step of activating said link.

6. Method of claim 1 wherein said link is a link to an internet page.

7. Method of claim 1 further comprising the act of activating said link.

8. Method of claim 7 wherein said act displaying comprises displaying said video on a display screen and said act of activating comprises the act of clicking on an active area on said display screen.

9. Method of claim 1 wherein said receiving said video image comprises receiving a broadcast video image, said displaying is performed by an end user video system, and said determining is performed by said end user video system.

10. Method of claim 9 wherein said information corresponding to the location of at least one active area for some of said frames but not others of said frames is broadcast, and said receiving of said information corresponding to the location of at least one active area for some of said frames but not others of said frames comprises receiving said broadcast.

11. Method comprising:

communicating from a first location to a second location remote from said first location a video clip comprising a set of video frames, some of the video frames within said set of video frames being annotated such that an active area is established for said some of said video frames;

communicating from said first location to said second location the location of said active area for said some of the video frames within said set of video frames and not others of said video frames within said set of video frames;

receiving said video clip and the location of said active area for some of said video frames within said set of video frames and not said others of said video frames, said receiving being accomplished at said second location; and

establishing positions for said active area within said others of said video frames by interpolation, said establishing being accomplished at said second location.

12. Method of claim 11 wherein said video clip is communicated from said first location to said second location through a first communication medium and said location of said active area is communicated from said first location to said second location through a second communication medium that is different from said first communication medium.

13. Method of claim 11 wherein said active area is associated with an object, said object being shown in each of said video frames within said set of video frames.

14. Method of claim 11 wherein said communicating said video clip comprises broadcasting said video clip, and said communicating the location of said active area for said some of said video frames within said set of video frames but not others of said video frames within said set of video frames comprises broadcasting said location of said active area for said some of said video frames within said set of video frames but not others of said video frames within said set of video frames.

15. Method of claim 11 wherein said communicating said video clip comprises communicating said video clip to an end user, and said communicating of the location of said active area for some of said video frames within said set of video frames and not others of said video frames comprises communicating the location of said active area for some of said video frames within said set of video frames and not others of said video frames to an end user.

16. A system comprising:

a receiver for receiving a video signal from a video signal source;

a display coupled to said receiver for displaying a video image corresponding to said video signal, said video image comprising a set of frames; and

a circuit receiving information indicating the position of at least one active area for some of said frames and not others of said frames, said circuit determining the location of said active area for said others of said frames by interpolation based on the location of said active area for said some of said frames,

wherein said receiver, display and circuit are remote from said video signal source and the source of said information.

17. System of claim 16 further comprising a transmission system for transmitting from said video signal source to the location of said receiver, display and circuit said video signal and said information corresponding to the position of at least one active area for said some of said frames and not said others of said frames.

18. System of claim 16 wherein said receiver receives a video broadcast and the information received by said circuit receiving information is broadcast.

19. System of claim 16 wherein said system is an end user system.

20. Apparatus comprising:

a memory storage device storing a video signal, said video signal comprising a set of frames;

a memory storage device storing the location of an active area for some of said frames but not others of said frames;

a transmitter for transmitting said video signal and said location of said active area for said some of said frames but not said others of said frames, whereby a system remote from said transmitter receiving said video signal and said location of said active area for said some of said frames via said transmitter can establish a location for said active area for said others of said frames by interpolation.

21. Apparatus of claim 20 wherein said transmitter broadcasts said video signal and said location of said active area for said some of said frames but not others of said frames.

22. Apparatus of claim 20 wherein said system remote from said apparatus is an end user system.

23. Apparatus comprising:

a memory storing a video clip;

a structure for establishing the location of an active area for some of the frames of the video clip but not other frames of the video clip;

a transmission system for transmitting to a remote receiver the video clip and the location of the active area for said some of said frames of the video clip but not the other frames of the video clip; and

a receiving unit for receiving and displaying the video clip and establishing the location of said active area for said other frames by interpolation.

24. Apparatus of claim 23 wherein said transmission system broadcasts said video signal and said location of said active area for said some of said frames but not others of said frames.

25. System of claim 23 wherein said transmission system transmits to an end user.

26. A method comprising:

receiving a video image at a first location;

displaying said video image as a sequence of frames on a display device at said first location;

receiving information corresponding to the location of at least one active area for some of said frames but not others of said frames at said first location, wherein said first location is remote from the source of said information; and

determining at said first location the location of said active area for said others of said frames by interpolation.

27. Method comprising:

communicating to a first location a video clip comprising a set of video frames; and

communicating from a second location to said first location the location of an active area for said some of the video frames within said set of video frames and not others of said video frames within said set of video frames, said second location being remote from said first location;

wherein said communicating is accomplished such that the active area for said others of said video frames are established by interpolation at said first location.

28. A system comprising:

a receiver for receiving a video signal from a video signal source;

a display coupled to said receiver for displaying a video image corresponding to said video signal, said video image comprising a set of frames;

a circuit receiving information indicating the position of at least one active area for some of said frames and not others of said frames, said circuit determining the location of said active area for said others of said frames by interpolation based on the location of said active area for said some of said frames,

wherein said receiver, display and circuit are remote from the source of said information.

29. Apparatus comprising:

a memory storage device storing a video signal, said video signal corresponding to a set of frames;

a memory storage device storing the location of an active area for some of said frames but not others of said frames;

a transmitter for transmitting said video signal; and

a transmitter for transmitting said location of said active area for said some of said frames but not said others of said frames, whereby a system remote from said transmitter receiving said video signal and said location of said active area for said some of said frames can establish a location for said active area for said others of said frames by interpolation.

30. Apparatus of claim 29 wherein said transmitter for transmitting said location of said active area transmits said location by a radio signal, an electrical cable, an optical cable, microwave, satellite, telephone lines or the internet.

31. Apparatus of claim 29 wherein said memory device for storing a video signal comprises a first portion of a data mass storage device and the memory device for storing the location of said active area for some of said frames but not others of said frames is a second portion of said data mass storage device.