Method and apparatus for interaction with hyperlinks in a television broadcast

• US 8,356,329 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2007
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MK Systems USA Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ericsson Television Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Katcher, Dan, Miller, Andrew, Dakss, Jon, Wachman, Josh, Rose, David, Bove, V. Michael Jr., Sarachik, Karen, Milazzo, Paul G., Altschuler, Jon
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, NGOC K
• Application Number:
  US11/937,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20080066129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,895 Days
• Field of Search: 725/51, 725/60, 725/61, 725/112, 725/113, 725/135, 725/136
• US Class Current: 725/113
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/748 Hypervideo linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object in the context of video distribution systems H04N21/858
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• 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 21/4725 using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots details of information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• 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 5/91 Television signal processing therefor

Abstract

A system and method for adding hyperlinked information to a television broadcast in which an interactive content icon is used. The broadcast material is analyzed and one or more regions within a frame are identified. Additional information can be associated with a region, and can be transmitted in encoded form, using timing information to identify the frame with which the information is associated. A receiver displays the annotation information associated with the video signal in response to a viewer request on a frame by frame basis. The interactive content icon can be used to inform a viewer of the presence of hyperlinked information, for teaching the viewer how to use the system, and for informing the viewer about the hyperlinked information.

Claims

1. A method of indicating to a viewer of a hyperlinked television broadcast regions of a television broadcast image that have associated therewith hyperlinked information, the method implemented by a receiver comprising:

displaying an interactive content icon in a first defined region of the television broadcast image;

receiving a first type of user activation of a user input device in response to the display of the interactive content icon;

displaying said first defined region within the television broadcast image with a modified visual effect in response to the first type of user activation of the user input device;

receiving a second type of user activation of the user input device in response to the display of the region within the television broadcast image;

displaying a second defined region within the television broadcast image with the modified visual effect, in response to receiving the second type of user activation of the user input device;

receiving a third type of user activation of the user input device in response to the display of the second defined region within the television broadcast image with the modified visual effect;

displaying an information box within the television broadcast image in response to the third user activation of the user input device; and

in response to the expiry of a predetermined period of time without the second type or third type of user activation of the user input device, removing said display of said first defined region with the modified visual effect and displaying the interactive content icon in the first defined region.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying said first defined region within the television broadcast image with the modified visual effect that persists for a period of less than one second.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the persistence period of the modified visual effect is in the range of one-tenth second to one-quarter second.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the display of the first defined region with the modified visual effect occurs in response to a request from a viewer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the display of the first defined region with the modified visual effect occurs in response to a change in the content of the television broadcast image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the display of the first defined region with the modified visual effect occurs in response to a signal associated with said television broadcast.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said modified visual effect comprises a change in color.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said modified visual effect comprises addition of an alphanumeric character.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said modified visual effect comprises a change in luminosity.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said first defined region is a visible object in the television broadcast image and the first defined region is highlighted with the modified visual effect only after the first user activation of the user input device in response to the display of the interactive content icon.

11. A receiver for indicating to a viewer of a hyperlinked television broadcast regions of a television broadcast image that have associated therewith hyperlinked information, the receiver comprising:

a display;

a processor; and

a memory operably coupled to the processor and having program instructions stored therein, the processor being operable to execute the program instructions to;

display an interactive content icon in a first defined region of the television broadcast image;

receive a first type of user activation of a user input device in response to the display of the interactive content icon;

display said first defined region within the television broadcast image with a modified visual effect in response to the first type of user activation of the user input device;

receive a second type of user activation of the user input device in response to the display of the region within the television broadcast image;

display a second defined region within the television broadcast image with the modified visual effect, in response the second type of user activation of the user input device;

receive a third type of user activation of the user input device in response to the display of the second defined region within the television broadcast image with the modified visual effect;

display an information box within the television broadcast image in response to the third user activation of the user input device; and

remove said display of said first defined region with the modified visual effect and display the interactive content icon in the first defined region, responsive to the expiry of a predetermined period of time without the second type or third type of user activation of the user input device.