Post production visual alterations

• US 7,752,642 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2008
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: Intellocity USA, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Lemmons, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B.
• Application Number:
  US12/255,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20090094637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 725/32, 725/34, 725/40, 725/44
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23412 for generating or manipulating the scene composition of objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• 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 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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 21/44012 involving rendering scenes according to scene graphs, e.g. MPEG-4 scene graphs
• 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 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• 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 21/854 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 21/858 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and system in which “labels,” comprising supplemental information such as advertising, promotional, or informational elements including interactive elements, may be superimposed post-production into a video stream. This can be done by using overlay screens including interactive overlay screens or by combining video segments. As such, the labels do not have to physically be part of the actual scene during filming. Once a video stream is created, a space for available advertising is designated either manually or automatically by pattern recognition techniques. A list of available advertising space is generated. During viewing of television broadcasts, advertisements are placed in the video signal. Labels are displayed by superimposing an HTML page that is blank except for the advertisement onto the video signal. Advertisements can be superimposed post-production, and can be personalized and localized. The advertisements can be customized on a per-household basis.

Claims

1. A method of superimposing a label that contains informational material onto video content to supplement said video content, said method comprising:

detecting a suitable location on said video content for placement of said labels;

determining placement and contour data for said suitable location;

combining said placement and contour data with a video signal for said video content to create a combined video signal;

transmitting said combined video signal to a receiver system; and

placing said label in said video content using said placement and contour data from said combined video signal.

2. The method of superimposing said label onto video content to supplement said video content as set forth in claim 1, said method further comprising:

accessing a database of advertisers from said receiver system;

selecting an advertiser record from said database of advertisers based upon an attribute in said advertiser record; and

retrieving said label from said advertiser record.

3. The method of superimposing said label onto video content to supplement said video content as set forth in claim 2 wherein said attribute specifies a type of suitable location for an advertiser associated with said advertiser record.

4. The method of superimposing said label onto video content to supplement said video content as set forth in claim 2 wherein accessing said database of advertisers from said receiver system comprises accessing a central computer system across a computer network.

5. The method of superimposing said label onto video content to supplement said video content as set forth in claim 1, said method further comprising:

downloading instructions into said receiver system; and

generating a bitmap for said label by executing said instructions on said receiver system.

6. The method of superimposing said label onto video content to supplement said video content as set forth in claim 1 wherein placing said label in said video content using said placement and contour data comprises:

adjusting said label to fit the contour of a physical object shape in said video content; and

superimposing said adjusted label onto said video content.

7. The method of superimposing said label onto video content to supplement said video content as set forth in claim 1 wherein placing said label in said video content comprises overlaying a computer generated bitmap on said video content.

8. The method of superimposing said label onto video content to supplement said video content as set forth in claim 1 wherein said label comprises an interactive element that a user may select to obtain more information.

9. The method of superimposing said label onto video content to supplement said video content as set forth in claim 1 wherein said label comprises a digital image.

10. The method of superimposing said label onto video content to supplement said video content as set forth in claim 1 wherein said label comprises a segment of digital video.

11. A receiver system for superimposing a label that contains informational material onto video content to supplement said video content, said system comprising:

a receiver module, having a processor and a memory, for receiving a combined video signal comprising video content and label placement data, said label placement data comprising placement and contour data that specify a location for placing said label;

a selection module, having a processor and a memory, for selecting said label from a plurality of labels; and

a combination module, having a processor and a memory, for placing said label in said video content using said placement and contour data.

12. The receiver system for superimposing said label onto video content to supplement said video content as set forth in claim 11 wherein said selection module accesses a database of advertisers from said receiver system, selects an advertiser record from said database of advertisers based upon an attribute in said advertiser record, and retrieves said label from said advertiser record.

13. The receiver system for superimposing said label onto video content to supplement said video content as set forth in claim 12 wherein said attribute specifies a type of suitable location for an advertiser associated with said advertiser record.

14. The receiver system for superimposing said label onto video content to supplement said video content as set forth in claim 12 wherein said selection module accesses said database of advertisers across a computer network.

15. The receiver system for superimposing said label onto video content to supplement said video content as set forth in claim 11 wherein said combination module downloads instructions into said receiver system and generates a bitmap for said label by executing said instructions on said receiver system.

16. The receiver system for superimposing said label onto video content to supplement said video content as set forth in claim 11 wherein placing said label in said video content using said placement and contour data comprises:

adjusting said label to fit the contour of a physical object shape in said video content; and

superimposing said adjusted label onto said video content.

17. The receiver system for superimposing said label onto video content to supplement said video content as set forth in claim 11 wherein placing said label in said video content comprises overlaying a computer generated bitmap on said video content.

18. The receiver system for superimposing said label onto video content to supplement said video content as set forth in claim 11 wherein said label comprises an interactive element that a user may select to obtain more information.

19. The receiver system for superimposing said label onto video content to supplement said video content as set forth in claim 11 wherein said label comprises a digital image.

20. The receiver system for superimposing said label onto video content to supplement said video content as set forth in claim 11 wherein said label comprises a segment of digital video.