Mosaic channel video stream with interactive services

• US 8,056,099 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Camacho, Edgar, Feldstein, David E., Tirer, Ilan, Shurgot, Mark A., Le, Craig, Shanks, David E., Thompson, Matthew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEPARD, JUSTIN E
• Application Number:
  US11/513,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20070055989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,895 Days
• Field of Search: 725/133
• US Class Current: 725/41
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/409 Data transfer via television network
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4886 for displaying a ticker, e.g. scrolling banner for news, stock exchange, weather data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

An interactive mosaic channel video stream with indicators as to the action on a given video stream. The interactive mosaic channel is displayed on a video monitor, with a plurality of individual video feeds being presented at a given time, comprising a plurality of video cells presenting at least video information, each video cell associated with one of the plurality of individual video feeds, each video cell further comprising an area within the video cell reporting data related to the video feed, and a cursor, which can be moved between the plurality of video cells, for selecting at least one characteristic associated with a selected video cell, such that the user can then directly select a video program associated with the selected video cell.

Claims

1. An interactive system for presenting a matrixed video channel displayed on a video monitor, with a plurality of individual video feeds being presented at a given time, wherein each viewer channel comprises at least one individual video feed and program guide data, the interactive system comprising:

a receiver receiving a plurality of video cells on a single viewer channel presenting at least video information, each video cell comprising one of the plurality of individual video feeds, each video cell in the plurality of video cells further comprising an area within the video cell reporting non-textual data relating to a current content of the video feed of that particular video cell, the non-textual data being individualized to the current content of the video feed of that particular video cell and separate from the program guide data, each of the areas comprising the non-textual data being transmitted as part of the matrixed video channel and updated as events occur during the current content of the video feed; and

a cursor, which can be moved between the plurality of video cells, for selecting at least one characteristic of a selected video cell, such that the user can then directly select a video program of the selected video cell, wherein when the selected video cell is selected, a secondary video cell is displayed, comprising at least the selected video program and the presentations of the non-textual data from at least the plurality of video cells of the matrixed video channel, and the cursor is then movable between the presentations of the non-textual data from at least the plurality of video cells of the matrixed channel to select corresponding video feeds to each of the presentations of the non-textual data from at least the plurality of video cells of the matrixed video channel.

2. The interactive system of claim 1, wherein the secondary video cell further comprises displaying at least the data describing the current content of the video information in the video feed.

3. The interactive system of claim 2, wherein the secondary video cell further comprises displaying data describing the current content of at least one other video feed.

4. The interactive system of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic of a selected video cell is the audio of that video cell.

5. The interactive system of claim 1, further comprising displaying statistics describing the current content of the video feed.

6. The interactive system of claim 1, further comprising allowing gambling on events occurring in the video feed.

7. The interactive system of claim 1, further comprising allowing a user to interact with the video feed using computer-generated figures.

8. The interactive system of claim 1, wherein one of the video feeds is a selectable composite of other video feeds presented on the interactive matrixed channel.

9. The interactive system of claim 1, wherein one of the video feeds is a dynamic presentation of selected events on other video feeds.

10. A system for delivering at least one interactive matrixed video channel displayed on a video monitor, with a plurality of individual video feeds being presented at a given time, wherein each viewer channel comprises at least one individual video feed and program guide data, the system comprising:

at least one uplink facility;

at least one satellite, receiving at least one uplink signal from the at least one uplink facility;

at least one receiver, receiving at least one downlink signal from the at least one satellite, the at least one downlink signal related to the at least one uplink signal, the at least one receiver coupled to the video monitor, wherein the monitor simultaneously displays a plurality of video cells presenting at least video information, each video cell associated with one of the plurality of individual video feeds, each video cell in the plurality of video cells further comprising an area within the video cell reporting non-textual data related to a current content of the video feed of that particular video cell, the non-textual data being individualized to the current content of the video feed of that particular video cell and separate from the program guide data, each of the areas comprising the non-textual data being transmitted as part of the matrixed video channel outside of the individual video feeds and updated as events occur during the current content of the video feed; and

a cursor, which can be moved between the plurality of video cells, for selecting at least one characteristic associated with a selected video cell, such that the user can then directly select a video program associated with the selected video cell, wherein when the selected video cell is selected, a secondary video cell is displayed, comprising at least the selected video program and the presentations of the non-textual data from at least the plurality of video cells of the matrixed video channel, and the cursor is then movable between the presentations of the non-textual data from at least the plurality of video cells of the matrixed channel to select corresponding video feeds to each of the presentations of the non-textual data from at least the plurality of video cells of the matrixed video channel.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the secondary video cell further comprises displaying at least the data describing the current content of the video information in the video feed.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the secondary video cell further comprises displaying data describing the current content of at least one other video feed.

13. The interactive matrixed channel of claim 10, further comprising displaying statistics describing the current content of the video feed.

14. A system for displaying at least one interactive matrixed video channel displayed on a video monitor, with a plurality of individual video feeds being presented at a given time, wherein each viewer channel comprises at least one individual video feed and program guide data, the system comprising:

a transmitter, the transmitter transmitting the interactive matrixed channel; and

a receiver coupled to the video monitor and receiving the transmitted interactive matrixed channel from the transmitter, wherein the monitor simultaneously displays a plurality of video cells presenting at least video information, each video cell associated with one of the plurality of individual video feeds, each video cell in the plurality of video cells further comprising an area within the video cell reporting non-textual data related to a current content of the video feed of that particular video cell, the non-textual data being individualized to the current content of the video feed of that particular video cell and separate from the program guide data, each of the areas comprising the non-textual data being transmitted as part of the matrixed video channel outside of the individual video feeds and updated as events occur during the current content of the video feed; and

a cursor, which can be moved between the plurality of video cells, for selecting at least one characteristic associated with a selected video cell, such that the user can then directly select a video program associated with the selected video cell, wherein when the selected video cell is selected, a secondary video cell is displayed, comprising at least the selected video program and the presentations of the non-textual data from at least the plurality of video cells of the matrixed video channel, and the cursor is then movable between the presentations of the non-textual data from at least the plurality of video cells of the matrixed channel to select corresponding video feeds to each of the presentations of the non-textual data from at least the plurality of video cells of the matrixed video channel.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the secondary video cell further comprises displaying data related to at least one other video feed.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein one of the video feeds is a selectable composite of other video feeds presented on the interactive matrixed channel.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein one of the video feeds is a dynamic presentation of selected events on other video feeds.