Method for interactive video content programming

• US 7,870,592 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2001
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jolly Seven, Series 70 of Allied Security Trust I (Allied Security Trust)
• Original Assignee: Intertainer Incorporated
• Inventors: Berry, Craig D., Easty, Allen D., Coles, Terrence T., Hudson, Ron J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry; Hunter B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chowdhury; Sumaiya A
• Application Number:
  US09/921,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20020078456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,451 Days
• Field of Search: 725112-113, 725/102, 725 37- 39, 725 40- 45, 725/103, 725/49, 725/109
• US Class Current: 725/112
• 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: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2542 for selling goods, e.g. TV shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8541 involving branching, e.g. to different story endings
• 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 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method for interacting with video by displaying one or more interface links associated with video content being displayed, pausing the video content when an interface link is interacted with, allowing the user to view ancillary content the interface link is linked to over a network, and un-pausing the video content after the user elects to continue viewing the video content. In one or more embodiments, the ancillary content may permit e-commerce, display additional video or other images, and/or include links to additional ancillary content. The present invention also includes a method for creating an interactive video.

Claims

1. A method for using an interactive video, the method comprising:

streaming the video from a remote location over an Internet protocol-based network and displaying the video on a visual display for a user, the video having at least one interface link associated therewith, the interface link adapted to be displayed on the visual display and being linked by a universal resource locator (URL) to ancillary content accessible over the network;

interacting, during the streaming of the video, in a single interaction with the interface link to both;

(a) interrupt, at the remote location, the streaming of the video at a point in time so as to prevent streaming of the video over the network; and

(b) transmit a request of the user for the ancillary content over the network to a remote site of the URL where the ancillary content is stored;

delivering the ancillary content over the network and displaying the ancillary content on the visual display; and

continuing the streaming of the video over the network from the point in time when the streaming of the video was interrupted after the interacting with the interface link.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the interrupting of the streaming of the video includes pausing the video.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes interacting with the interface link being embedded in the video.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes overlaying the interface link on the video on the visual display.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes interacting with the interface link originating from a feed separate from a feed of the video.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes hiding the interface link from view on the visual display when the interface link is not being interacted with by the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the video includes displaying the interface link as at least a partially transparent graphic.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes interacting with primary ancillary content having a link to secondary ancillary content.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the video includes displaying the interface link having an appearance of moving across a screen of the visual display as the video is being played.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes conducting a commercial transaction with the user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes accessing the ancillary content having a link to a site adapted to transact the commercial transaction.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes accessing the ancillary content including information relating to the video.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes accessing the ancillary content including video.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes conducting a commercial transaction using the ancillary content.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the video includes displaying the video having a plurality of the interface links associated therewith.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the network supports two-way communication.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the Internet protocol-based network includes an intranet-based network.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote location includes an endpoint server.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the endpoint server includes at least one video server, at least one web server, and at least one content database.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the network includes a wireless network.

31. The method of claim 20, wherein the accessing of ancillary content includes accessing the ancillary content having a link to a site adapted to transact the commercial transaction.

21. A method for using an interactive video, the method comprising:

streaming the video from a remote location over an Internet protocol-based network and displaying the video on a visual display for a user, the video having at least one interface link associated therewith adapted to be displayed on the visual display, the interface link being linked by a universal resource locator (URL) to provide access to ancillary content;

interacting, during the streaming of the video, in a same interaction with the interface link to both;

(a) interrupt at the remote location, the streaming of the video over the network at a point in time so as to prevent streaming of the video over the network; and

(b) the ancillary content over the network to a remote site of the URL where the ancillary content is stored;

displaying the ancillary content on the visual display; and

continuing the streaming of the video from the remote location over the network and continuing the display of the video on the visual display from the point in time when the streaming of the video was interrupted after the interacting with the interface link.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the interrupting of the streaming of the video includes pausing the video.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes interacting with the interface link being embedded in the video.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes overlaying the interface link on the video on the visual display.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes interacting with the interface link originating from a feed separate from a feed of the video.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes hiding the interface link from view on the visual display when the interface link is not being interacted with.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the displaying of the video includes displaying the interface link as at least a partially transparent graphic.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes interacting with primary ancillary content having a link to secondary ancillary content.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the streaming of the video includes delivering the interface link having an appearance of moving across a screen of the visual display as the video is being played.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein the accessing of ancillary content includes conducting a commercial transaction with the user.

32. The method of claim 21, wherein the accessing of ancillary content includes accessing the ancillary content including information relating to the video.

33. The method of claim 21, wherein the accessing of ancillary content includes accessing the ancillary content including video.

34. The method of claim 21, wherein the accessing of ancillary content includes conducting a commercial transaction using the ancillary content.

35. The method of claim 21, wherein the streaming of the video includes streaming the video having a plurality of the interface links associated therewith.

36. The method of claim 21, wherein the network supports two-way communication.

37. The method of claim 21, wherein the Internet protocol-based network includes an intranet-based network.

38. The method of claim 21, wherein the remote location includes an endpoint server.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the endpoint server includes at least one video server, at least one web server, and at least one content database.

40. The method of claim 21, wherein the network includes a wireless network.

41. A method for displaying an interactive video, the method comprising:

streaming the video from a remote location over an Internet protocol-based network and displaying the video on a visual display for a user, the video having an embedded interface link associated therewith while the video is displayed, the interface link being linked by a universal resource locator (URL) to ancillary content accessible over the network;

interacting, during the streaming of the video, with the interface link to both;

(a) interrupt at the remote location, the streaming of the video at a point in time so as to prevent streaming of the video over the network; and

(b) transmit a request of the user for the ancillary content over the network to a remote site of the URL where the ancillary content is stored;

displaying the ancillary content on the visual display; and

continuing the streaming of the video over the network from the point in time when the streaming of the video was interrupted after the interacting with the interface link.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the interrupting of the streaming of the video includes pausing the video.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes hiding the interface link from view on the visual display when the interface link is not being interacted with.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein the displaying of the video on the visual display includes displaying the interface link as at least a partially transparent graphic.

45. The method of claim 41, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes interacting with primary ancillary content having a link to secondary ancillary content.

46. The method of claim 41, wherein the displaying of the video includes displaying the interface link having an appearance of moving across a screen of the visual display as the video is being played.

47. The method of claim 41, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes conducting a commercial transaction with the user.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes accessing the ancillary content having a link to a site adapted to transact the commercial transaction.

49. The method of claim 41, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes accessing the ancillary content including information relating to the video.

50. The method of claim 41, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes accessing the ancillary content including video.

51. The method of claim 41, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes conducting a commercial transaction using the ancillary content.

52. The method of claim 41, wherein the displaying of the video on the visual display includes displaying the video having a plurality of the interface links associated therewith.

53. The method of claim 41, wherein the network supports two-way communication.

54. The method of claim 41, wherein the Internet protocol-based network includes an intranet-based network.

55. The method of claim 41, wherein the remote location includes an endpoint server.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the endpoint server includes at least one video server, at least one web server, and at least one content database.

57. The method of claim 41, wherein the network includes a wireless network.

58. A method for displaying an interactive video, the method comprising:

streaming the video from a remote location over an Internet protocol-based network and displaying the video on a visual display for a user;

displaying an overlaid interface link with the video based on a time elapsed during the display of the video, the overlaid interface link being displayed through a feed separate from a feed of the video, the overlaid interface link being linked by a universal resource locator (URL) ancillary content;

interacting, during the streaming of the video, with the interface link to both;

(a) interrupt at the remote location, the streaming of the video at a point in time so as to prevent streaming of the video over the network; and

(b) display on the visual display the ancillary content received over the network from a remote site of the URL where the ancillary content is stored; and

continuing the streaming of the video over the network from the point in time when the streaming of the video was interrupted after the interacting with the interface link.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein the interrupting of the streaming of the video pausing the video.

60. The method of claim 58, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes hiding the interface link from view on the visual display when the interface link is not being interacted with.

61. The method of claim 58, wherein the displaying of the video on the visual display includes displaying the interface link as at least a partially transparent graphic.

62. The method of claim 58, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes interacting with primary ancillary content having a link to secondary ancillary content.

63. The method of claim 58, wherein the displaying of the overlaid interface link includes displaying the interface link having an appearance of moving across a screen of the visual display as the video is being displayed.

64. The method of claim 58, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes conducting a commercial transaction with the user.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes accessing the ancillary content having a link to a site adapted to transact the commercial transaction.

66. The method of claim 58, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes accessing the ancillary content including information relating to the video.

67. The method of claim 58, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes accessing the ancillary content including video.

68. The method of claim 58, wherein the interacting with the interface link includes conducting a commercial transaction using the ancillary content.

69. The method of claim 58, wherein the displaying of the video on the visual display includes displaying the video having a plurality of the interface links associated therewith.

70. The method of claim 58, wherein the displaying of the video on the visual display includes interacting with a time code marker embedded in the video.

71. The method of claim 58, wherein the network supports two-way communication.

72. The method of claim 58, wherein the Internet protocol-based network includes an intranet-based network.

73. The method of claim 58, wherein the remote location includes an endpoint server.

74. The method of claim 73, wherein the endpoint server includes at least one video server, at least one web server, and at least one content database.

75. The method of claim 58, wherein the network includes a wireless network.

76. A method for conducting commerce over an Internet protocol-based network during the display of a video, the method comprising:

streaming the video from a remote site over the network to a user and displaying the video on a visual display, the video having an interface link associated therewith, the interface link being linked by a universal resource locator (URL) to a commerce site adapted to conduct commerce with the user that is accessible over the network;

interacting, during the streaming of the video, with the interface link during the display of the video to both;

(a) interrupt the streaming of the video at the remote site at a point in time so as to prevent streaming of the video over the network; and

(b) access over the network the commerce site linked by the URL;

displaying the commerce site on the visual display; and

continuing the streaming of the video from the remote site over the network from the point in time when the streaming of the video was interrupted after the accessing of the commerce site.

77. The method of claim 76, further comprising completing a transaction with the commerce site.

78. The method of claim 76, wherein the network supports two-way communication.

79. The method of claim 76, wherein the Internet protocol-based network includes an intranet-based network.

80. The method of claim 76, wherein the remote location includes an endpoint server.

81. The method of claim 80, wherein the endpoint server includes at least one video server, at least one web server, and at least one content database.

82. The method of claim 76, wherein the network includes a wireless network.

83. A method for creating an interactive video, the method comprising:

encoding and storing the video onto a remote storage medium at a first site;

creating a link program adapted to both;

(a) interrupt streaming of the video at the remote storage medium to prevent streaming of the video over an Internet protocol-based network to a second site; and

(b) access ancillary content accessible over the network with a universal resource locator (URL) to a remote site where ancillary content is stored, the link program linking the ancillary content and the video to a point in time when the streaming of the video from the remote storage medium is interrupted;

associating the link program with the video;

streaming the video and the link program over the network;

displaying the video on the visual display;

interrupting, at the first site, the streaming of the video in response to interacting with the link program so as to prevent streaming of the video over the network; and

continuing the streaming of the video over the network from the point in time when the streaming of the video was interrupted.

84. The method of claim 83, wherein the associating of the link program includes encoding the link program with the video onto the storage medium.

85. The method of claim 84, wherein the encoding of the link program is performed simultaneously with encoding the video.

86. The method of claim 83, wherein the streaming of the video over the network includes delivering the link program in a feed separate from a feed of the video.

87. The method of claim 83, wherein the streaming of the video over the network includes overlaying the video with the link program during the displaying of the video on the visual display.

88. The method of claim 83, wherein the associating of the link program with the video includes embedding a time code marker in the video to permit the display of an interface link to the ancillary content based on the time elapsed during the displaying of the video.

89. The method of claim 83, wherein the network supports two-way communication.

90. The method of claim 83, wherein the Internet protocol-based network includes an intranet-based network.

91. The method of claim 83, wherein the remote location includes an endpoint server.

92. The method of claim 91, wherein the endpoint server includes at least one video server, at least one web server, and at least one content database.