System and method to display media content and an interactive display

• US 8,281,337 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2007
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Van Vleck, Paul, Arellano, Javier, Garofalo, Donald, Sullivan, Marc, Edwards, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHNURR, JOHN R
• Application Number:
  US11/957,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20090158369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• Field of Search: 725/24, 725/37, 725/58, 725/105, 725/109, 725/32, 725/38, 725/100, 725/110, 725/131, 725/134, 725/151, 725/153
• US Class Current: 725/37
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method of displaying an interactive display at a set top box (STB) device is disclosed. The method includes receiving a media content stream. The media content stream includes a first content segment and a second content segment, where the second content segment is received at the STB device after the first content segment. The method also includes displaying a first interactive display, where the first interactive display includes at least one field to receive user input. The method also includes displaying a second interactive display after displaying the first interactive display but before displaying the second content segment. The method also includes performing a user-designated transition with respect to the second content segment based on a user input received via the second interactive display.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a media content stream at a set top box device, the media content stream including a first content segment and a second content segment, the second content segment received at the set top box device after the first content segment;

displaying a first interactive display, the first interactive display including a plurality of selectable options for performing an action related to the first content segment, wherein the plurality of selectable options includes at least a first selectable option to make a purchase related to the first content segment;

displaying a second interactive display before displaying the second content segment when a subscriber is interacting with the first interactive display; and

performing a user-designated transition with respect to the second content segment based on a user input received via the second interactive display.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the first interactive display in response to determining a time to display the first interactive display.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the time to display the first interactive display comprises identifying a marker in the media content stream, the marker identifying a closing credits segment of the first content segment or an opening credits segment of the second content segment.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the time to display the first interactive display comprises identifying a characteristic of a portion of the first content segment.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the characteristic of the portion of the first content segment is one of an opening credits characteristic and a closing credits characteristic.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the user-designated transition comprises displaying the first interactive display in a first window while concurrently displaying the second interactive display in a second window.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the user-designated transition comprises displaying the first interactive display while playing an audio portion, but not a video portion, of the second content segment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the user-designated transition comprises sending a request to a media content server while displaying the first interactive display, the request causing the media content server to pause transmission of the media content stream.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the user-designated transition comprises displaying the first interactive display while recording the second content segment at a digital video recorder.

10. A method of distributing media content at a media content server, the method comprising:

sending media content to at least one set top box device, the media content including a first content segment and a second content segment, the second content segment to be sent after the first content segment;

sending a marker to the at least one set top box device before sending the second content segment, the marker to instruct the at least one set top box device to display a first interactive display, wherein the first interactive display includes a plurality of selectable options for performing an action related to the first content segment, wherein the plurality of selectable options includes at least a first selectable option to make a purchase related to the first content segment;

instructing the at least one set top box device to display a second interactive display indicating that the second content segment is scheduled to be sent to the at least one set top box device when a subscriber is interacting with the first interactive display; and

receiving data associated with user input received via the second interactive display at the at least one set top box device, the received data identifying a user-designated transition with respect to the first interactive display and the second content segment.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving electronic program guide data, the electronic program guide data indicating a start time of the first content segment, an end time of the first content segment, and a time of the closing credits, wherein the marker is sent based on the time of the closing credits.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein sending the marker comprises:

identifying a portion of the first content segment; and

inserting the marker at the identified portion of the first content segment based on an identified characteristic, the identified characteristic including one of an opening credits segment and a closing credits segment.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the user-designated transition indicates that delivery of the second content segment to the at least one set top box device is to be delayed.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining the user-designated transition based on at least one of a user selection, a user profile, and a default transition; and

performing the user-designated transition.

15. A system to process a media content stream, the system comprising:

a processor;

a media content control module executable by the processor to;

receive a media content stream, the media content stream including a first content segment and a second content segment, the second content segment received after the first content segment; and

an interactive display module executable by the processor to;

display a first interactive display, the first interactive display including a plurality of selectable options for performing an action related to the first content segment, wherein the plurality of selectable options includes at least a first selectable option to make a purchase related to the first content segment;

display a second interactive display before displaying the second content segment when a subscriber is interacting with the first interactive display; and

perform a user-designated transition with respect to the first interactive display and the second content segment based on a user input received via the second interactive display.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the interactive display module is further adapted to display the first interactive display in response to determining a time to display the first interactive display.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the user-designated transition comprises displaying the first interactive display in a first window while concurrently displaying the second content segment in a second window by displaying the second window as a pop-up window that overlays the first window.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of selectable options further includes a second selectable option to purchase merchandise related to the first content segment.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the interactive display module is further adapted to determine the user-designated transition based on at least one of a user selection and a user profile.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the interactive display module is further adapted to determine the user-designated transition by retrieving a default user-designated transition.

21. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, including operational instructions executable by a processor to:

receive a media content stream, the media content stream including a first content segment and a second content segment, the second content segment received after the first content segment;

display a first interactive display, the first interactive display including a plurality of selectable options for performing an action related to the first content segment, wherein the plurality of selectable options includes at least a first selectable option to make a purchase related to the first content segment;

display a second interactive display before displaying the second content segment when a subscriber is interacting with the first interactive display; and

perform a user-designated transition with respect to the second content segment based on a user input received via the second interactive display.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the first interactive display is displayed in response to determining a time to display the first interactive display, and wherein determining the time to display the first interactive display comprises identifying a portion of a characteristic of the first content segment.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the operational instructions to perform the user-designated transition comprise operational instructions to send a request to a media content server while displaying the first interactive display, the request causing the media content server to pause transmission of the media content stream.