Systems and methods for digitizing video related to products

• US 7,814,511 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2003
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Index Systems Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Westberg, Thomas E., Macrae, Douglas B.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US10/375,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20030177497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,784 Days
• Field of Search: 725 32- 36, 725 40- 42, 725/51, 725 60- 61, 725112-113, 348460-461, 345/547, 705/14.4, 705/14.49, 717/174, 717/178
• US Class Current: 725/42
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• 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 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• 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 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• 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 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

In one embodiment, the present invention is a t-commerce platform, which is linked to the content from a video signal that the user is currently watching. At some point during the broadcast of the content, a close-up of the product is shown. Simultaneous with this, a VBI-based trigger is added to the video signal of the broadcast. This trigger causes the television, a set-top box, or a similar device to capture in a memory, a “freeze-frame” of the image being shown. This action is transparent to the user while the video being displayed on the television is continuing normally. If the user chooses to perform an interactive “buy” transaction the saved image data is used as part of the interactive screen display.

Claims

1. A method for capturing a video frame related to a product from a video signal, the method comprising:

receiving a video in the video signal, the video comprising a plurality of frames relating to the product;

receiving a trigger in the video signal, the trigger identifying one of the plurality of frames relating to the product;

digitizing the frame identified by the trigger, responsive to the received trigger;

storing the digitized frame in a memory, responsive to the received trigger;

invoking downloaded software to perform a function related to the product;

displaying the stored frame, responsive to the invoking the software; and

providing an option to purchase the product related to the stored frame.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising downloading the software, wherein the downloaded software includes an interactive application for performing a function related to the product in a memory and invoking the downloaded software to perform the function related to the product.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the software is downloaded from a vertical blanking interval of the video signal.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the software is downloaded from the Internet.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the software is downloaded from a telephone network.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the software is downloaded from a wireless network.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the software is downloaded from a pager network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing a function related to the product is performing a function related to purchasing the product.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing a function related to the product is performing a function related to displaying more information about the product.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the received video on a television screen.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a video comprises receiving a video in a broadcast video signal.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a video comprises receiving a video in a replay of a recorded video signal.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising compressing the digitized frame of the video.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein compressing the digitized frame comprises decimating the digitized frame.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein compressing the digitized frame comprises compressing the digitized frame using JPEG standard.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored frame is displayed in an interactive programming guide.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored frame is displayed in a full screen television mode.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the digitized frame is stored in an advertisement database.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the digitized frame is combined with data stored in an advertisement database.

20. A television system for capturing a video frame related to a product from a video signal, the system comprising:

a receiver for receiving a video in the video signal, the video comprising a plurality of frames relating to the product;

a decoder for decoding a trigger in the video signal, the trigger identifying one of the plurality of frames relating to the product;

a video display generator for digitizing the frame identified by the trigger, responsive to the received trigger;

a memory for storing the digitized frame, responsive to the received trigger;

an input device for invoking software to perform a function related to the product;

a display screen for displaying the stored frame, responsive to the invoking the software; and

control circuitry configured to provide an option to purchase the product related to the stored frame.

21. The television system of claim 20, further comprising a communication link for downloading the software, wherein the software includes an interactive application for performing a function related to the product and an input device for invoking the downloaded software to perform the function related to the product.

22. The television system of claim 21, wherein the software is downloaded from a vertical blanking interval of the video signal.

23. The television system of claim 21, wherein the communication link is the Internet.

24. The television system of claim 21, wherein the communication link is a telephone network.

25. The television system of claim 21, wherein the communication link is a wireless network.

26. The television system of claim 21, wherein the communication link is a pager network.

27. The television system of claim 20, wherein the downloaded software includes code for purchasing the product.

28. The television system of claim 20, wherein the downloaded software includes code for displaying more information about the product.

29. The television system of claim 20, the display screen displays the received video frame.

30. The television system of claim 20, wherein the receiver receives the video in a broadcast video signal.

31. The television system of claim 20, wherein the receiver receives the video in a replay of a recorded video signal.

32. The television system of claim 20, further comprising an image compressor for compressing the digitized frame.

33. The television system of claim 32, wherein the image compressor is a PIP circuit.

34. The television system of claim 32, wherein the image compressor is a JPEG compressor.

35. The television system of claim 20, wherein the stored image is displayed in an interactive programming guide.

36. The television system of claim 20, wherein the stored frame is displayed in a full screen television mode.

37. The television system of claim 20, further comprising an advertisement database for storing the digitized frame.

38. The television system of claim 20, further comprising an advertisement database for storing advertisement data and storing the digitized frame data in combination with a portion of the stored advertisement data.

39. A television commerce system for capturing a video frame related to a product from a video signal, the system comprising:

means for receiving a video in the video signal, the video comprising a plurality of frames relating to the product;

means for receiving a trigger in the video signal, the trigger identifying one of the plurality of frames relating to the product;

means for digitizing the frame identified by the trigger, responsive to the received trigger;

means for storing the digitized frame, responsive to the received trigger;

means for invoking software to perform a function related to the product;

means for displaying the stored frame, responsive to the invoking the software; and

means for providing an option to purchase the product related to the stored frame.