Method and system to provide interactivity using an interactive channel bug

• US 8,296,792 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2001
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TVWorks LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Sahota, Ranjit, Carney, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Sumaiya A
• Application Number:
  US09/841,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20010047518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,201 Days
• Field of Search: 725/14, 725/34, 725/36, 725/37, 725/38, 725/39, 725/43, 725/45, 725/54, 725/61, 725/100, 725/131, 725/139, 725/40, 725/49, 725 51- 52, 348/564, 348/569
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed to provided interactivity using an interactive channel bug. The interactive channel bug (e.g., an “interactive broadcast channel branding logo”) allows a television user to access a variety of interactive services. The interactive broadcast channel branding logo may be configured to launch a functionality determined by a broadcaster. This functionality may change over time. The form of the interactive broadcast channel branding logo may also change over time in which the availability of new interactive services is indicated.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium providing instructions, which if executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform an operation comprising:

receiving a video transmission;

receiving a first interactive channel bug associated with a first content provider and a second interactive channel bug associated with a second content provider, wherein the first and the second interactive channel bugs comprise channel branding logos;

morphing the first and the second interactive channel bugs into the video transmission, wherein the first and second interactive channel bugs are used to facilitate interactivity without a need for tuning to a dedicated channel associated with interactive services; and

transmitting the video transmission with the first and second interactive channel bugs to a display system,

wherein the first interactive channel bug is replaced by the second interactive channel bug during a change of displaying content from the first content provider to content from the second content provider, and

wherein the first and the second interactive channel bugs are further configured to be displayed when triggered through an Internet Protocol (IP) pathway.

2. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, further providing instructions, which if executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform an operation comprising:

providing the first interactive channel bug as a graphical object.

3. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, further providing instructions, which if executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform an operation comprising:

selectively causing the first interactive channel bug to appear.

4. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, further providing instructions, which if executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform an operation comprising:

launching a functionality determined by the video transmission, the functionality capable of changing over time.

5. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, further providing instructions, which if executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform an operation comprising:

indicating an availability of new interactive services by changing a form of the first interactive channel bug.

6. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 5, further providing instructions, which if executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform an operation comprising:

indicating an availability of interactive services associated with the video transmission by the changed form of the first interactive channel bug.

7. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 5, further providing instructions, which if executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform an operation comprising:

indicating an availability of interactive services associated with a purchase of products or services by the changed form of the first interactive channel bug.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory having stored therein computer executable instructions, that when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to perform a method of;

receiving a video transmission;

receiving a first interactive channel bug associated with a first content provider and a second interactive channel bug associated with a second content provider, wherein the first and the second interactive channel bugs comprise channel branding logos;

morphing the first and the second interactive channel bugs into the video transmission, wherein the first and second interactive channel bugs are used to facilitate interactivity without a need for tuning to a dedicated channel associated with interactive services; and

transmitting the video transmission with the first and second interactive channel bugs to a display system,

wherein the first interactive channel bug is replaced by the second interactive channel bug during a change of displaying content from the first content provider to content from the second content provider, and

wherein the first and the second interactive channel bugs are further configured to be displayed when triggered through an Internet Protocol (IP) pathway.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second interactive channel bug is a graphical object.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first interactive channel bug is selectively morphed.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first and the second interactive channel bugs are a launching point for interactive services.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first interactive channel bug launches a functionality determined by a video transmitter or network operator, the functionality capable of changing over time.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a form of the first interactive channel bug changes to indicate availability of new interactive services.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the changed form of the first interactive channel bug indicates the availability of interactive services associated with the video transmission.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the changed form of the first interactive channel bug indicates the availability of interactive services associated with a purchase of products or services.

16. A method for providing interactive content comprising:

capturing and analyzing a video stream to locate a non-interactive video transmission bug;

determining a position of the non-interactive video transmission bug;

aligning a first interactive bug associated with a first content provider over the non-interactive video transmission bug at the position without user intervention;

displaying the first interactive bug over the video transmission bug within the video stream; and

replacing the first interactive bug with a second interactive bug associated with a second content provider during a change of displaying content from the first content provider to content from the second content provider,

wherein the first and the second interactive bugs comprise channel branding logos and

wherein the first and the second interactive bugs are further configured to be displayed when triggered through an Internet Protocol (IP) pathway.

17. A method comprising:

transmitting a video transmission;

transmitting a first interactive channel bug associated with a first content provider

and a second interactive channel bug associated with a second content provider,

wherein the first and the second interactive channel bugs are configured to be morphed into the video transmission,

wherein the first and second interactive channel bugs are further configured to be used to facilitate interactivity without a need for tuning to a dedicated channel associated with interactive services,

wherein the first interactive channel bug is configured to be replaceable by the second interactive channel bug during a change of displaying content from the first content provider to content from the second content provider,

wherein the first and the second interactive channel bugs comprise channel branding logos, and

wherein the first and the second interactive channel bugs are further configured to be displayed when triggered through an Internet Protocol (IP) pathway.