Method and system for displaying related components of a media stream that has been transmitted over a computer network

• US 6,903,779 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2001
• Issued: 06/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yahoo Assets LLC
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dyer, Thomas Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Yenke, Brian P.
• Application Number:
  US09/859,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20020171760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,483 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N00.7/00, H04/N01.1/00, 348/461, 348/465, 348/468, 348/478, 348/552, 348/563, 348/564, 725/137
• US Class Current: 348/465
• 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0885 for the transmission of subtitles

Abstract

A system and method for displaying related components of a media stream that has been transmitted over a computer network includes at least one storage device that communicates with a television decoder and with the video display. Information from one or more components of the media stream is extracted from the media stream and delivered to one or more storage devices. This stored component is subsequently transmitted to the video display in response to an information release signal that is embedded in the information. The invention can be used to display closed caption and other information with associated audio and video signals using an audio-visual media player.

Claims

1. An apparatus for simultaneously displaying text information with corresponding video information in a streaming media format, comprising:

a buffer configured to communicate with a decoder and with an encoder and an information display system, said buffer receiving at least a portion of the text information from said decoder, and said buffer, in response to detection of an information release signal contained in said text information, transmitting a block of said received text information portion to said encoder for subsequent tranmittal to said information display system in streaming media format, wherein said information release signal delimits an end of said block, and wherein said buffer stores said block for an interval of time, said interval ending with said transmitting of said block of said text information portion; and

wherein said transmitting of said block of said text information portion occurs prior to encoding of said text information into a streaming media format.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a display configured to simultaneously present said block of said text information portion and said corresponding video information, said text information thus being displayed in a block-sized segment.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said display is a video monitor.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said buffer is further configured to transmit said text information portion to said information display system as a text script command.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said information display system comprises an audio-visual media player.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said video information comprises at least a portion of a video broadcast.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said text information comprises closed caption information.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said information release signal comprises a line feed character.

9. An apparatus for simultaneously displaying multiple components of a composite information stream, comprising:

a storage device configured to communicate with an information extractor and with an information display system, said storage device receiving at least one component of the composite information stream from said information extractor, said storage device, in response to detection of an information release signal contained in said at least one composite information stream component transmitting a block of said at least one composite information stream component to an encoder for subsequent transmittal to said information display system in streaming media format, said information release signal delimiting an end of said block, wherein said storage device stores said block for an interval of time, said interval ending with said transmitting of said block of said at least one composite information stream; and

wherein said transmitting of said block of said at least one composite information stream occurs prior to encoding of said at least one composite information stream component into a streaming media format.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 further comprising a display configured to receive a plurality of said composite information stream components, wherein at least one of said plurality of composite information stream components corresponds to one other of said plurality of composite information stream components, and wherein said display is configured to simultaneously present two or more of said corresponding composite information stream components.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said information display comprises a video monitor.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein at least one of said composite information stream components comprises video information.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein at least one of said composite information stream components comprises text information.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said storage device is further configured to transmit at least one of said received single information type components to said information display system as a text script command.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said information display system comprises an audio-visual media player.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein said audio-visual media player comprises an audio-visual media player.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said information release signal comprises a line feed character.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said information stream comprises at least a portion of a television broadcast.

19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein said at least one of said composite information stream components comprises closed caption information.

20. A system for simultaneously displaying multiple types of information on a video display in a streaming format, comprising:

a buffer configured to communicate with an information source that is capable of providing multiple types of information and with an information delivery system, said information delivery system comprising an encoder configured to communicate with an information display system, said buffer receiving at least one of said multiple types of information, said buffer also, in response to detection of an information release signal contained in said at least one of said multiple types of information, transmitting a block of said at least one of said multiple types of information to an encoder for subsequent transmittal to said information display system in streaming media format, said information release signal delimiting an end of said block; and

said information delivery system being connected to said information source, to said buffer and to said information display device to receive at least two of said plurality of multiple types of information and to deliver at least two of said multiple types of information for simultaneous display on said information display device, said at least one of said multiple types of information thus being displayed as a block-sized segment, wherein said buffer stores said block for an interval of time, said interval ending with said transmitting of said block of said at least one of said multiple types of information; and

wherein said transmitting of said block of said at least one of said multiple types of information occurs prior to encoding of said at least one of said multiple types of information into a streaming media format.

21. A system as claimed in claim 20 wherein said information display system comprises an encoder, and said buffer is further configured to transmit at least one of said multiple information type components to said encoder as a text script command.

22. A system as claimed in claim 20 wherein said information display system comprises an audio-visual media player.

23. A system as claimed in claim 20 wherein said information source delivers a television broadcast.

24. A system as claimed in claim 20 wherein said information source delivers closed caption information.

25. A system as claimed in claim 24 wherein said information release signal comprises a line feed character.

26. A system as claimed in claim 20 wherein said information display device is a video monitor.

27. A method of simultaneously displaying multiple types of information in a streaming media format, comprising:

receiving multiple types of corresponding information;

extracting at least one component of said received information;

collecting said extracted component in an information storage device, wherein said extracted component comprises an information release signal;

in response to detection of said information release signal, transferring a block of said extracted component from said information storage device to an encoder for subsequent transmittal to an information display system in streaming media format, said information release signal delimiting an end of said block, wherein said information storage device stores said block for an interval of time, said interval ending with said transferring of said block; and

wherein said transferring of said block occurs prior to encoding of said extracted component into a streaming media format; and

delivering said block of said extracted component from said information storage device and at least one unextracted component of said received information to an information display so as to display said block of said extracted component along with the unextracted component, said extracted component thus being displayed as a block-sized segment.

28. A method as claimed in claim 27 further comprising transferring said information storage device content to said information display system as a text script command.

29. A method as claimed in claim 27 further simultaneously comprising forwarding one or more of said extracted components and one or more of said unextracted components to an audio-visual media player.

30. A method as claimed in claim 27 wherein at least one of said unextracted components comprises video information.

31. A method as claimed in claim 27 wherein at least one of said extracted components comprises text information.

32. A method as claimed in claim 27 further comprising transmitting at least one of said extracted component to said information display system as a text script command.

33. A method as claimed in claim 27 wherein said information storage device content is transferred to said information display system by an audio-visual media player.

34. A method as claimed in claim 27 wherein said information display system comprises an audio-visual media player.

35. A method as claimed in claim 27 wherein said information release signal comprises a line feed character.

36. A method as claimed in claim 27 wherein said information display system comprises a video monitor.

37. A method as claimed in claim 27 wherein said information stream comprises at least a portion of a television broadcast.

38. A method as claimed in claim 37 wherein said at least one of said composite information stream components comprises closed caption information.

39. A method of simultaneously displaying text information and video information over the Internet in a streaming media format, the method comprising:

receiving information, said received information comprising video information and corresponding text information;

extracting said text information from said received information;

collecting said extracted text information in an information storage device, wherein said extracted text information comprises text characters, one of which characters being pre-selected to serve as an information release signal; and

in response to detection of said information release signal, transferring a predetermined segment of said extracted text information from said information storage device to an encoder, said information release signal delimiting an end of said predetermined segment, wherein said information storage device stores said predetermined segment for an interval of time, said interval ending with said transferring of said predetermined segment; and

wherein said transferring of said predetermined segment occurs prior to encoding of said extracted text information into a streaming format.

40. A method as claimed in claim 39, further comprising delivering said predetermined segment of said extracted text information from said information storage device and said received video information to a media player so as to display said predetermined segment of text information along with said received video information, said text information thus being displayed as a predetermined aggregation of said received text information.

41. A method as claimed in claim 40, wherein said predetermined segment is transferred to said encoder as a text script command.