Method and system for directing the generation of a video media event in a generation system based on a media event protocol file such that the video media event remains visible at a predetermined location in a second web page while a user navigates from a first web page to the second web page which does not refer to the video media event

• US 8,046,795 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2001
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Nga Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US09/835,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20070214482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,847 Days
• Field of Search: 725/40, 725/43, 725/131, 715/210, 715/768, 715/760, 715/790, 345/629, 345/635
• US Class Current: 725/43
• 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: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/205 Parsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21805 enabling multiple viewpoints, e.g. using a plurality of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23412 for generating or manipulating the scene composition of objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42216 for quick navigation, e.g. through an EPG
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/4622 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 : Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8541 : involving branching, e.g. to different story endings
• 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 21/8545 : for generating interactive applications
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for controlling a media generation system where a media event may be selected via a stateless software module, the system receiving a media event protocol file corresponding to the selected media event. The media generation system generates the media event based on the received media event protocol file.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a media generation system, comprising the steps of:

a) generating a user selectable media event in a stateless software module presenting a first Web page;

b) receiving a media event protocol file for the selected media event; and

c) directing the generation of the media event in the media generation system based on the media event protocol file, the media event being a video, the media event protocol file indicating a portion of the first Web page to be made transparent, the first portion being where the video is combined with the first Web page such that the video appears in the first portion of the first Web page, second portions of the first Web page also appearing with the video being presented in the first portion of the first Web page, the media event being processed while a user of the media generation system navigates to a second Web page which does not refer to the media event, the video, when the user navigates from the first Web page to the second Web page, remaining visible in the second Web page in a first portion of the second Web page, the first portion of the second Web page occupying the same location as the first portion of the first Web page defined by the media event protocol file.

2. The method of controlling a media generation system of claim 1, further comprising the step of parsing the media event protocol file and wherein step c) includes directing the generation of the media event in the media generation system based on the parsed media event protocol file.

3. The method of controlling a media generation system of claim 1, wherein the stateless software module is a Web browser.

4. The method of controlling a media generation system of claim 1, wherein step a) includes generating a user selectable link coupled to a media event in a page of a Web Browser.

5. The method of controlling a media generation system of claim 4, wherein step b) includes receiving a media event protocol file from the selected link for the media event.

6. The method of controlling a media generation system of claim 5, wherein the media generation system is a windowless system.

7. The method of controlling a media generation system of claim 5, wherein the media generation system is a video generation system and the media event is a video media event.

8. The method of controlling a media generation system of claim 7, wherein the media generation system is a television set top box.

9. The method of controlling a media generation system of claim 8, wherein the media event protocol file includes the screen location for the video media event within a page of the Web Browser.

10. The method of controlling a media generation system of claim 9, wherein the media event protocol file includes the height and width of the video media event within the page of the Web Browser.

11. The method of controlling a media generation system of claim 10, wherein the media event protocol file includes the channel location of the video media event.

12. An article of manufacture for use in controlling a media generation system, the article of manufacture comprising non-transitory computer readable storage media including program logic embedded therein that causes control circuitry to perform the steps of:

a) generating a user selectable media event in a stateless software module;

b) receiving a media event protocol file for the selected media event; and

c) directing the generation of the media event in the media generation system based on the media event protocol file, the media event being a video, the media event protocol file indicating a portion of the first Web page to be made transparent, the first portion being where the video is combined with the first Web page such that the video appears in the first portion of the first Web page, second portions of the first Web page also appearing with the video being presented in the first portion of the first Web page, the media event being processed while a user of the media generation system navigates to a second Web page which does not refer to the media event, the video, when the user navigates from the first Web page to the second Web page, remaining visible in the second Web page in a first portion of the second Web page, the first portion of the second Web page occupying the same location as the first portion of the first Web page defined by the media event protocol file.

13. The article of manufacture for use in controlling a media generation system of claim 12, further comprising the step of parsing the media event protocol file and wherein step c) includes directing the generation of the media event in the media generation system based on the parsed media event protocol file.

14. The article of manufacture for use in controlling a media generation system of claim 12, wherein the stateless software module is a Web Browser.

15. The article of manufacture of use in controlling a media generation system of claim 12, wherein step a) includes generating a user selectable link coupled to a media event in a page of a Web Browser.

16. The article of manufacture for use in controlling a media generation system of claim 15, wherein step b) includes receiving a media event protocol file from the selected link for the media event.

17. The article of manufacture for use in controlling a media generation system of claim 16, wherein the media generation system is a windowless system.

18. The article of manufacture for use in controlling a media generation system of claim 16, wherein the media generation system in a video generation system and the media event is a video media event.

19. A media generation system, comprising:

a) means for generating a user selectable media event in a stateless software module;

b) means for receiving a media event protocol file for the selected media event; and

c) means for directing the generation of the media event in the media generation system based on the media event protocol file, the media event being a video, the media event protocol file indicating a portion of the first Web page to be made transparent, the first portion being where the video is combined with the first Web page such that the video appears in the first portion of the first Web page, second portions of the first Web page also appearing with the video being presented in the first portion of the first Web page, the media event being processed while a user of the media generation system navigates to a second Web page which does not refer to the media event, the video, when the user navigates from the first Web page to the second Web page, remaining visible in the second Web page in a first portion of the second Web page, the first portion of the second Web page occupying the same location as the first portion of the first Web page defined by the media event protocol file.