Distributed system for linking content of video signals to information sources
First Claim
1. A system for product advertising comprising:
- an advertising engine comprising a processor and a memory device storing processor-executable instructions configured as;
an information-extraction tool for acquiring collective product information, pertinent to a set of products, from product data bases through a network;
an authoring tool, distributed to a plurality of authoring computers, for;
tracking product images appearing in a first display of a specific video recording received from a video source to produce a tracking record relating each product image to a respective time instant and a respective spatial position;
associating product identifiers to said product images;
andproducing an overlay directory relating each of selected product images to respective information within said collective product information;
andan augmented-display tool for tracking said product images appearing in a subsequent display of said specific video recording and displaying selected product information corresponding to a subset of said product images selected by a viewer of said subsequent display;
andan information depot comprising at least one memory device storing;
a global product directory containing said collective product information;
a video-source directory providing network addresses of video sources providing video recordings; and
a video-content directory storing overlay directories of a plurality of video recordings produced by said plurality of authoring computers using said authoring tool;
wherein said advertising engine is configured to distribute said augmented-display tool to a plurality of viewing computers and each viewing computer is configured to access said video-content directory to acquire an overlay directory associated with a respective video recording.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for product advertising through a telecommunication network is disclosed. The system comprises an advertising engine and an information depot. The advertising engine comprises an information-extraction tool for acquiring product information, an authoring tool for tracking product images appearing in a display of a video recording, and an augmented-display tool for relating product images appearing in a display of a video recording to respective product information. The information depot comprises a global product directory and overlay directories for a set of video recordings. A number of authoring computers connect to the advertising engine of the present invention as well as streaming video sources and advertising databases to generate content of the information depot. The advertising engine distributes the augmented-display tool to viewers'"'"' computers which accesses the video-content directory and the product directory to acquire respective overlay directories and associated product data.
53 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system for product advertising comprising:
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an advertising engine comprising a processor and a memory device storing processor-executable instructions configured as; an information-extraction tool for acquiring collective product information, pertinent to a set of products, from product data bases through a network; an authoring tool, distributed to a plurality of authoring computers, for; tracking product images appearing in a first display of a specific video recording received from a video source to produce a tracking record relating each product image to a respective time instant and a respective spatial position; associating product identifiers to said product images; and producing an overlay directory relating each of selected product images to respective information within said collective product information; and an augmented-display tool for tracking said product images appearing in a subsequent display of said specific video recording and displaying selected product information corresponding to a subset of said product images selected by a viewer of said subsequent display; and an information depot comprising at least one memory device storing; a global product directory containing said collective product information; a video-source directory providing network addresses of video sources providing video recordings; and a video-content directory storing overlay directories of a plurality of video recordings produced by said plurality of authoring computers using said authoring tool; wherein said advertising engine is configured to distribute said augmented-display tool to a plurality of viewing computers and each viewing computer is configured to access said video-content directory to acquire an overlay directory associated with a respective video recording. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A system for collecting and distributing product information through a network, the system comprising:
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an overlay server computer comprising a processor and a memory device storing processor-executable instructions configured as; an information extraction tool for extracting product information, for a set of products, from a plurality of product servers and assembling said product information in a global product directory; an authoring tool for; tracking product images to produce a tracking record relating each product image to a respective time instant and a respective spatial position; and creating individual overlay directories for a plurality of video recordings acquired from a plurality of video sources, and assembling said individual overlay directories into a video-content directory; and an augmented display tool for displaying information relevant to products, belonging to said set of products, appearing in displaying a selected video recording from among said plurality of video recordings; and a plurality of authoring computers each storing thereon a copy of said authoring tool; wherein each of said individual overlay directories is stored in said memory device and contains; a time instant and spatial position of each appearance of a particular product in a display of a respective video recording; and
information relevant to said particular product;and wherein said overlay server computer is further configured to distribute said augmented display tool to viewers'"'"' computers. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for product advertising through a network, the method comprising:
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storing, in a memory device of an overlay server having a processor, network addresses of product servers, each product server providing information relevant to at least one product among a set of products; storing in said memory device network addresses of video sources collectively providing a set of video recordings; storing in said memory device; an authoring tool comprising software instructions for tracking objects appearing in a display of a video signal to produce a tracking record relating each product image to a respective time instant and a respective spatial position; and an augmented display tool comprising software instructions for determining a time instant at which a viewing computer detects a viewer'"'"'s selection of an object appearing on a display screen and a position of the object on the display screen; employing a plurality of authoring computers, each authoring computer; acquiring a copy of said authoring tool; acquiring a video recording; producing a display of said video recording on a computer screen; and capturing time and space coordinates of product images in said display corresponding to products among said set of products; creating an overlay directory of said video recording; and appending said overlay directory to a video-content directory; and distributing said augmented display tool to viewers'"'"' computers. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification