Method and apparatus for interaction with hyperlinks in a television broadcast

• US 7,343,617 B1
• Filed: 10/25/2000
• Issued: 03/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson Television Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: GoldPocket Interactive, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Dakss, Jon, Miller, Andrew, Sarachik, Karen, Milazzo, Paul, Rose, David, Bove, V. Michael Jr., Katcher, Dan, Altschuler, Jon, Wachman, Josh
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, NGOC K
• Application Number:
  US09/695,900
• Time in Patent Office: 2,694 Days
• Field of Search: 715/700, 715/708, 725/51, 725/60, 725/61, 725/135, 725/136, 725112-113, 382282-283
• US Class Current: 725/61
• 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 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• 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 21/4622 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 21/4725 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• 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 5/91 Television signal processing therefor

Abstract

A system and method of adding hyperlinked information to a television broadcast in which an interactive content icon is used. The broadcast material is analyzed and one or more regions within a frame are identified. Additional information can be associated with a region, and can be transmitted in encoded form, using timing information to identify the frame with which the information is associated. The system comprising a video source and an encoder that produces a transport stream in communication with the video source, an annotation source, a data packet stream generator that produces encoded annotation data packets in communication with the annotation source and the encoder, and a multiplexer system in communication with the encoder and the data packet stream generator. The encoder provides timestamp information to the data packet stream generator and the data packet stream generator synchronizes annotation data from the annotation source with a video signal from the video source in response to the timestamp information. The multiplexer generates a digital broadcast signal that includes an augmented transport stream from the transport stream and the encoded data packets. A receiver displays the annotation information associated with the video signal in response to a viewer request on a frame by frame basis. A viewer can respond interactively to the material, including performing commercial transactions, by using a backchannel that is provided for interactive communication. The interactive content icon can be used to inform a viewer of the presence of hyperlinked information, for teaching the viewer how to use the system, and for informing the viewer about the hyperlinked information.

Claims

1. In a hyperlinked television system including a broadcaster transmitting a hyperlinked television broadcast and a receiver receiving the transmitted hyperlinked television broadcast, a method for indicating to a viewer of the hyperlinked television broadcast that a video object of a video frame has associated therewith hyperlinked information, the video object being displayed based on video frame data, the method comprising:

determining by the receiver whether the video object in the video frame is visible to a viewer of the television broadcast during a particular shot, wherein the video frame is associated with one or more visibility bits, and the receiver determines whether the video object in the video frame is visible to the viewer based on the one or more visibility bits;

displaying an interactive content icon responsive to the determination by the receiver that the video object is to the viewer during the particular shot, the icon for indicating that the video object has hyperlinked information associated therewith;

receiving user actuation of a user input device in response to the display of the interactive content icon; and

visually highlighting the video object during the particular shot in response to the user actuation of the user input device, wherein the visually highlighting is automatic based on the one or more visibility bits and not in response to a user pointing or selecting the video object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said interactive content icon reflects a subset of the buttons on a remote control.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the interactive content icon in response to a signal contained within the hyperlinked television broadcast.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the interactive content icon in response to a change in a video image that is displayed.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the interactive content icon in response to a viewer'"'"'s use of a remote control.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said interactive content icon conveys information about content of said hyperlinked information associated with the object.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said interactive content icon conveys information about a number of objects having said hyperlinked information associated therewith.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said interactive content icon conveys information about an action associated with the object, said action comprising displaying at least one of text and graphics and switching to another video stream.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said interactive content icon comprises an alphanumeric character.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein alphanumeric character displays a time period remaining until an interaction opportunity will occur.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the video objects visible to the viewer during the particular shot are each automatically highlighted in sequence based on the one or more visibility bits without the user pointing or selecting each of the plurality of the video objects.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein said interactive content icon is displayed with a visual effect that changes with time, simulating the action of depressing one or more buttons of said remote control.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

automatically changing the video object in the video frame that is visually highlighted.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the automatically changing of the video object is not dependent on a user pointing or selecting the video object.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the automatically changing of the video object is in response to a passage of a predetermined period of time.

16. A method for indicating to a viewer of a hyperlinked television broadcast that a video object of a video frame has associated therewith hyperlinked information, the method comprising:

displaying an interactive icon for indicating that the video object has hyperlinked information associated therewith, wherein said interactive icon reflects a subset of the buttons on a remote control; and

visually highlighting the video object in the video frame, wherein said interactive content icon is displayed with a visual effect that automatically changes with time, simulating the action of depressing one or more buttons of said remote control, wherein each change of the visual effect is accompanied with an automatic change of an object in the video frame that is visually highlighted.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said displayed interactive content icon includes a display of text that explains that functionality of the one or more buttons.

18. A hyperlinked television system for indicating to a viewer of a hyperlinked television broadcast that a video object of a video frame has associated therewith hyperlinked information, the video object being displayed based on video frame data, the system including a broadcaster transmitting the hyperlinked television broadcast and a receiver receiving the transmitted hyperlinked television broadcast, the receiver comprising:

a display;

a processor; and

a memory operably coupled to the processor and having program instructions stored therein, the processor being operable to execute the program instructions, the program instructions including;

determining whether the video object in the video frame is visible to a viewer of the television broadcast during a particular shot, wherein the video frame is associated with one or more visibility bits, and the receiver determines whether the video object in the video frame is visible to the viewer based on the one or more visibility bits;

displaying an interactive content icon on the display responsive to the determination that the video object is visible to the viewer during the particular shot, the icon for indicating that the video object has hyperlinked information associated therewith;

receiving user actuation of a user input device in response to the display of the interactive content icon; and

visually highlighting the video object during the particular shot in response to the user actuation of the user input device, wherein the visually highlighting is automatic based on the one or more visibility bits and not in response to a user pointing or selecting the video object.

19. The receiver of claim 18, wherein a plurality of the video objects visible to the viewer during the particular shot are each automatically highlighted in sequence based on the one or more visibility bits without the user pointing or selecting each of the plurality of the video objects.

20. The receiver of claim 18, wherein the interactive content icon indicates a time period remaining until an interaction opportunity will occur.

21. The receiver of claim 18, wherein the program instructions further include:

automatically changing the video object in the video frame that is visually highlighted.

22. The receiver of claim 21, wherein the automatically changing of the video object is not dependent on a user pointing or selecting the video object.

23. The receiver of claim 21, wherein the automatically changing of the video object is in response to a passage of a predetermined period of time.

24. A hyperlinked television system for indicating to a viewer of a hyperlinked television broadcast that a video object of a video frame has associated therewith hyperlinked information, the video object being displayed based on video frame data, the system including a broadcaster transmitting the hyperlinked television broadcast and a receiver receiving the transmitted hyperlinked television broadcast, the receiver comprising:

a display;

a processor; and

a memory operably coupled to the processor and having program instructions stored therein, the processor being operable to execute the program instructions, the program instructions including;

determining whether the video object in the video frame is viewable during a particular shot, wherein the video frame is associated with one or more visibility bits, and the receiver determines whether the video object in the video frame is viewable based on the one or more visibility bits;

displaying an interactive content icon on the display responsive to the determination that the video object is viewable during the particular shot, the icon for indicating that the video object has hyperlinked information associated therewith; and

visually highlighting the video object during the particular shot, wherein said interactive content icon is displayed with a visual effect that automatically changes with time, wherein each change of the visual effect is accompanied with an automatic change of an object in the video frame that is visually highlighted.