Method and system for providing interactive look-and-feel in a digital broadcast via an X-Y protocol

• US 8,650,607 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2010
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Musicqubed Innovations LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Banbury Technologies LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Klappert, Walter R., Sequeira, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, RUEBEN M
• Application Number:
  US12/861,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20110055885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: 725/112, 725/113, 725/109, 725/110, 725/136, 725/43, 725/51, 715/201, 715/203, 715/205, 348/564
• US Class Current: 725/113
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• 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 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8583 by creating hot-spots
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A system for providing an interactive look-and-feel in a digital video broadcast via an X-Y protocol is provided. At a head-end, video information is digitized and associated with private data, such as event identifications, X-Y coordinates, link event identification and synchronization data. This information is then transmitted to a receiving end and is input into a set-top box. The set-top box receives the broadcast digital signal and includes a member for receiving the broadcast digital signal and generating a playable signal including indicia of the link data. The playable signal is then played on a playing device. The user is provided with a remote control or similar input device for selecting from the indicia. Upon selection of a desired indicia, the user may exercise the predetermined link associated with the selected indicia in order to obtain the desired playable signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating private data including an indication of a number of hot-spots on a screen and link data;

linking a first hot-spot to a first of a plurality of playable video signals by at least a first portion of the link data, the link data including a first display location of the first hot-spot on the screen;

linking a second hot-spot to a second of the plurality of playable video signals by at least a second portion of the link data, the link data including a second display location of the second hot-spot on the screen;

processing the private data and the plurality of playable video signals to generate a digital signal, wherein the digital signal includes the private data and the plurality of playable video signals;

transmitting a first portion of the digital signal during a first time interval, wherein the first portion of the digital signal is associated with the first of the plurality of playable video signals;

transmitting a second portion of the digital signal during a second time interval, the second portion being a different portion from the first portion, the second time interval being a different time interval from the first time interval, wherein the second portion of the digital signal is associated with the second of the plurality of playable video signals; and

transmitting the digital signal, including the indication of the number of hot-spots and the link data, from a server during the first time interval and the second time interval.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the server is a head end server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital signal includes audio data, video data, binary data, or combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the digital signal includes interleaved bits of at least one of the audio or video data and the binary data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second display locations are defined by a set of coordinates.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion and the second portion of the digital signal are transmitted from the server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the link data further includes a synchronization time indicating temporal position of the plurality of playable video signals.

8. A method comprising:

receiving a digital signal from a server during a first time interval and a second time interval, the digital signal being based on private data and a plurality of playable video signals, the private data including an indication of a number of hot-spots on a screen and link data, a first hot-spot being linked to a first of a plurality of playable video signals by at least a first portion of the link data, the link data including a first display location of the first hot-spot on the screen, a second hot-spot being linked to a second of the plurality of playable video signals by at least a second portion of the link data, the link data including a second display location of the second hot-spot on the screen;

receiving a first portion of the digital signal during the first time interval, wherein the first portion of the digital signal is associated with the first of the plurality of playable video signals;

receiving a second portion of the digital signal during the second time interval, the second portion being a different portion from the first portion, the second time interval being a different time interval from the first time interval, wherein the second portion of the digital signal is associated with the second of the plurality of playable video signals;

generating a first display location of the first portion of the digital signal and a second display location of the second portion of the digital signal based on the link data;

highlighting, by a processor and a graphics memory, at least one of the first or second hot-spots with a polygonal highlight;

causing the screen to simultaneously display the first portion of the digital signal associated with the first of the plurality of playable video signals in the first display location, and the second portion of the digital signal associated with the second of the plurality of playable video signals in the second location;

activating, by the processor, one of the first or second hot-spots having the polygonal highlight as a selected hot-spot associated with one of the first of the plurality of playable video signals or the second of the plurality of playable video signals; and

causing display of a playable video signal associated with the selected hot-spot on a full screen.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the link data further includes a synchronization time indicating temporal position of the plurality of playable video signals.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first of the plurality of playable video signals is generated in synchronization with the second of the plurality of playable video signals based on the synchronization time.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the digital signal includes audio data, video data, binary data, or combinations thereof, and the method further comprises:

receiving, by an infrared input, a directional request from a remote unit;

moving, by the processor, the polygonal highlight from one of the first or second hot-spots to another of the first or second hot-spots in response to the directional request; and

changing, by the processor, a shape of the polygonal highlight in response to the directional request.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the digital signal includes interleaved bits of at least one of the audio or video data and the binary data.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the first and second display locations is defined by a set of coordinates.

14. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions executable by one or more processors, the instructions comprising:

instructions to generate private data including an indication of a number of hot-spots on a screen and link data;

instructions to link a first hot-spot to a first of a plurality of playable video signals by at least a first portion of the link data, the link data including a first display location of the first hot-spot on the screen;

instructions to link a second hot-spot to a second of the plurality of playable video signals by at least a second portion of the link data, the link data including a second display location of the second hot-spot on the screen;

instructions to process the private data and the plurality of playable video signals to generate a digital signal, wherein the digital signal includes the private data and the plurality of playable video signals;

instructions to transmit a first portion of the digital signal during a first time interval, wherein the first portion of the digital signal is associated with the first of the plurality of playable video signals;

instructions to transmit a second portion of the digital signal during a second time interval, the second portion being a different portion from the first portion, the second time interval being a different time interval from the first time interval, wherein the second portion of the digital signal is associated with the second of the plurality of playable video signals; and

instructions to transmit the digital signal, including the indication of the number of hot-spots and the link data, from a server during the first time interval and the second time interval.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions executable by one or more processors, the instructions comprising:

instructions to receive a digital signal from a server during a first time interval and a second time interval, the digital signal being based on private data and a plurality of playable video signals, the private data including an indication of a number of hot-spots on a screen and link data, a first hot-spot being linked to a first of a plurality of playable video signals by at least a first portion of the link data, the link data including a first display location of the first hot-spot on the screen, a second hot-spot being linked to a second of the plurality of playable video signals by at least a second portion of the link data, the link data including a second display location of the second hot-spot on the screen;

instructions to receive a first portion of the digital signal during the first time interval, wherein the first portion of the digital signal is associated with the first of the plurality of playable video signals;

instructions to receive a second portion of the digital signal during the second time interval, the second portion being a different portion from the first portion, the second time interval being a different time interval from the first time interval, wherein the second portion of the digital signal is associated with the second of the plurality of playable video signals;

instructions to generate a first display location of the first portion of the digital signal and a second display location of the second portion of the digital signal based on the link data;

instructions to highlight, by a processor and a graphics memory, at least one of the first or second hot-spots with a polygonal highlight

instructions to simultaneously display, on the screen, the first portion of the digital signal associated with the first of the plurality of playable video signals in the first display location, and the second portion of the digital signal associated with the second of the plurality of playable video signals in the second location;

instructions to activate, by the processor, one of the first or second hot-spots having the polygonal highlight as a selected hot-spot associated with one of the first of the plurality of playable video signals or the second of the plurality of playable video signals; and

instructions to display a playable video signal associated with the selected hot-spot on a full screen.

16. A system for transmitting multi-screen video images, the system comprising:

a video switch configured to receive a plurality of video signals and to output first chosen video signals from among the plurality of video signals;

a video effects device configured to receive the first chosen video signals and to output a multi-screen video signal;

a first video encoder configured to receive the multi-screen video signal and to output an encoded video signal including the multi-screen video signal;

a second video encoder configured to receive at least one second chosen video signal from among the plurality of video signals, to encode the at least one second chosen video signal, and to output the encoded at least one second chosen video signal;

a processor configured to generate protocol data associated with the multi-screen video signal, wherein the protocol data includes an indication of a number of hot-spots on a screen and link data;

a remultiplexer configured to receive the encoded video signal including the multi-screen video signal, the protocol data, and the encoded at least one second chosen video signal, and to produce a composite signal; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the composite signal including the number of hot-spots and the link data.

17. A method for processing a plurality of videos, the method comprising:

tuning to a frequency band associated with multi-screen video;

retrieving data including at least video data and private data for a plurality of videos associated with the multi-screen video, wherein the private data includes X-Y protocol data and an indication of a number of hot-spots on a television screen;

causing display of each of the plurality of videos on a same television screen;

enclosing each of the plurality of videos in a corresponding hot-spot from among the hot-spots based at least in part on the X-Y protocol data;

highlighting, by a processor and a graphics memory, one of the plurality of videos with an overlaying polygonal highlight;

moving the overlaying polygonal highlight to another one of the plurality of videos in response to a directional request; and

causing, in response to a select request, display of the another one of the plurality of videos with the highlight in a full screen on the same television screen.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein displaying each of the plurality of videos includes simultaneously displaying each of the plurality of videos on the same television screen.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein a plurality of screen locations are defined at least in part by the X-Y protocol data, and wherein the plurality of screen locations include the corresponding screen location, the method further comprising:

activating, by the processor, one of the plurality of screen locations associated with a first of the plurality of videos; and

causing display of the first of the plurality of videos in the full screen on the same television screen.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

changing, by the processor, a shape of the polygonal highlight in response to the directional request;

activating, by the processor, another of the plurality of screen locations associated with a second of the plurality of videos; and

causing display of the second of the plurality of videos in the full screen on the same television screen.