Method and system for identifying addressing data within a television presentation

• US 8,130,320 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Original Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Inventors: Kikinis, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor
• Application Number:
  US12/275,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20090073315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 348/468, 348/473, 348/553, 348/554, 348/569, 725/59, 725/60, 725109-113, 382/176, 382/177, 382/229
• US Class Current: 348/473
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/635 Overlay text, e.g. embedded captions in a TV program
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1444 Selective acquisition, locating or processing of specific regions, e.g. highlighted text, fiducial marks or predetermined fields
• 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV

Abstract

Characters represented within a frame of a television presentation are identified. A pattern formed by a subset of the characters is identified if the pattern is indicative of an addressing datum. A provision is made for a selection of characters that form the pattern indicative of the addressing datum. In one embodiment, a web page is displayed upon a selection of characters that form a pattern indicative of a uniform resource locator for the web page.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a plurality of frames having an image associated with each frame;

displaying, by the computing device, the received plurality of frames;

receiving, by the computing device, a signal;

in response to receiving the signal, scanning, by the computing device, the image of a particular frame of the plurality of frames to identify alphanumeric characters represented within the image;

determining, by the computing device, if at least some of the identified alphanumeric characters within the image form a pattern indicative of an addressing datum;

in response to determining that at least some of the identified alphanumeric characters within the image form the pattern indicative of the addressing datum, modifying, by the computing device, the display to include an overlay that visually distinguishes the addressing datum; and

maintaining, by the computing device, the overlay while continuing to display the received plurality of frames, wherein maintaining the overlay includes dividing the display into at least two regions and continuing to display the received plurality of frames in one of the at least two regions.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein scanning the image includes pausing the frame.

3. The method of claim 1 further including providing, by the computing device, for a selection of the overlay.

4. The method of claim 3 further including:

upon receiving a second signal indicating a selection of the overlay, determining, by the computing device, that the pattern indicates a uniform resource locator for a web page; and

providing, by the computing device, a third signal to a computer to display the web page.

5. The method of claim 3 further including:

upon receiving a second signal indicating a selection of the overlay, determining, by the computing device, that the pattern indicates an email address; and

sending, by the computing device, an email to the email address.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the addressing datum includes at least one of a phone number, a uniform resource locator for a web page, and an email address.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the signal is received from a remote control.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

memory operatively coupled to the processor including executable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to;

receive a plurality of frames having an image associated with each frame;

display the received plurality of frames;

receive a signal;

in response to receiving the signal, scan the image of a particular frame of the plurality of frames to identify alphanumeric characters represented within the image;

determine if at least some of the identified alphanumeric characters within the image form a pattern indicative of an addressing datum;

in response to determining that at least some of the identified alphanumeric characters within the image form the pattern indicative of the addressing datum, modify the display to include an overlay that visually distinguishes the addressing datum; and

maintain the overlay while continuing to display the received plurality of frames, wherein maintaining the overlay includes dividing the display into at least two regions and continuing to display the received plurality of frames in one of the at least two regions.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein scanning the image includes pausing the frame.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the apparatus is one of a set top box, or a television.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the memory further includes executable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

provide for a selection of the overlay; and

upon receiving a second signal indicating a selection of the overlay, determine that the pattern indicates a uniform resource locator for a web page; and

provide a third signal to a computer to display the web page.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the memory further includes executable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

provide for a selection of the overlay; and

upon receiving a second signal indicating a selection of the overlay, determine that the pattern indicates an email address; and

send an email to the email address.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the addressing datum includes at least one of a phone number, a uniform resource locator for a web page, and an email address.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the signal is received from a remote control.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium including machine-executable instructions, that, when executed, cause at least one processor to:

receive a plurality of frames having an image associated with each frame;

display the received plurality of frames;

receive a signal;

in response to receiving the signal, scan the image of a particular frame of the plurality of frames to identify alphanumeric characters represented within the image;

determine if at least some of the identified alphanumeric characters within the image form a pattern indicative of an addressing datum;

in response to determining that at least some of the identified alphanumeric characters within the image form the pattern indicative of the addressing datum, modify the display to include an overlay that visually distinguishes the addressing datum; and

maintain the overlay while continuing to display the received plurality of frames, wherein maintaining the overlay includes dividing the display into at least two regions and continuing to display the received plurality of frames in one of the at least two regions.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 wherein scanning the image includes pausing the frame.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, further including machine-executable instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to:

provide for a selection of the overlay; and

upon receiving a second signal indicating a selection of the overlay, determine that the pattern indicates a uniform resource locator for a web page; and

provide a third signal to a computer to display the web page.