Methods, systems, and computer program products for selectively facilitating internet content and/or alerts on a television crawl screen, closed caption and/or picture-in-picture area

• US 8,756,633 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2005
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): Alata, Yassin
• Application Number:
  US11/311,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20070143796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,102 Days
• Field of Search: 725 32- 36, 725 37- 51, 725 60- 61, 725 63- 68, 725110-111, 725/136, 725138-139, 725 80- 81, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153, 709/231, 709/238
• US Class Current: 725/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Content from a source, such as the Internet, may be displayed on a window on a television, such as a crawl screen, closed caption area, or picture-in-picture (PIP) area. This may allow a user to watch television and view both television content and Internet content simultaneously without the need to access another device, such as a laptop computer, personal digital assistant, or the like. For example, a user may connect a data processing system, such as a computer, to a video control module, e.g., digital video recorder (DVR) or other box used to control a television. The user may then access a tool bar, for example, provided with an Internet browser that runs on the data processing system to identify portions of one or more Web sites to be displayed on the television through the video control module. The video control module may also be configured to allow the user to interact with the Internet content displayed on the television through use of the television remote, for example.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a video control module comprising a processor, first content from a television signal source;

presenting, by the video control module, the first content on a display device;

receiving, by the video control module, web page content from a computer device;

presenting, by the video control module, the web page content on the display device;

identifying, by the video control module, second content and second information associated with the second content from the web page content via a capture box arranged on the display device;

receiving, by the video control module, the second content and the second information by way of a wireless connection in response to a detected occurrence of a user-defined event comprising a change in data associated with the second content, wherein the second content is generated by a source other than the television signal source, and wherein the second information defines a first window on the display device for presenting the second content;

presenting, by the video control module, the second content in the first window on the display device such that the first content from the television signal source and the second content are simultaneously displayed on the display device, wherein the second content comprises auction information;

receiving, by the video control module, a bid associated with the auction information;

transmitting, by the video control module, the bid to the source other than the television signal source;

presenting, by the video control module, a set-up menu from the computer device for selecting a location of a plurality of locations for the first window to be presented on the display device and for selecting a size of a plurality of sizes for the first window to be presented on the display device, wherein the set-up menu comprises a first option for beginning or ending presentation of Internet-sourced content at the display, wherein the set-up menu comprises a second option for adding and subtracting the Internet-sourced content at the display, and wherein the set-up menu comprises a third option for showing the Internet-sourced content in a pop window before presentation at the display;

receiving, by the video control module, a location selection and a size selection by way of the set-up menu;

transmitting, by the video control module, the location selection and the size selection to the computer device; and

receiving, by the video control module, the second content configured for presenting the second content in the first window of the display device according to the location selection and the size selection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-defined event comprises one of a sports score change, a stock quote change, an auction bid price change, or a ticket availability change for a ticketed event.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-defined event is defined by the computing device, and wherein the presenting of the web page content on the display device is responsive to user input that identifies a portion of a web site to be displayed.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising crawling, by the video control module, the second content across the window.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising displaying, by the video control module, the second content using simple syndication as a format.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving, by the video control module, input via an interface associated with the window on the display device; and

performing, by the video control module, an action based on the input that is received.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein performing the action comprises one of operating a control on the display device, providing the input to an application, or executing the application.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer device is operable to perform operations comprising:

receiving a plug-in that displays a content selection menu on an Internet Protocol network browser on the display device; and

establishing a communication session over the Internet Protocol network browser.

8. A computing device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

transmitting a set-up menu to a set-top box for selecting a location of a plurality of locations for a first window to be presented on a display device of the set-top box and for selecting a size of a plurality of sizes for the first window to be presented on the display device, wherein the set-up menu comprises a first option for beginning or ending presentation of Internet-sourced content at the display device, wherein the set-up menu comprises a second option for adding and subtracting the Internet-sourced content at the display device, and wherein the set-up menu comprises a third option for showing the Internet-sourced content in a pop window before presentation at the display device;

receiving a location selection and a size selection from the set-top box according to the set-up menu;

identifying a selection of first content from a source other than a television signal source, wherein the identifying is by a capture box arranged on a display device;

receiving the first content from the source other than the television signal source;

transmitting the first content to a set-top box by way of a wireless connection, wherein the first content comprises auction information and wherein the first content is configured for presentation in the first window of the display of the set-top box according to the location selection and the size selection;

receiving from the set-top box a bid associated with the auction information; and

transmitting the bid to the source other than the television signal source.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the processor performs operations comprising detecting an occurrence of a user-defined event comprising a change in data associated with the first content and further comprising one of a sports score change, a stock quote change, an auction bid price change, or a ticket availability change for a ticketed event.

10. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the set-top box is operable to present a crawl of the first content across a window of the display device.

11. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the first content conforms to a simple syndication format.

12. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the set-top box is operable to present a user interface configured to receive input associated with the window of the display device and to perform an action based on the input that is received.

18. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the source other than the television signal source comprises an Internet source, and wherein the processor, responsive to executing the executable instructions, further performs operations comprising:

receiving a plug in module for an Internet Protocol network browser for presenting a content selection menu on an Internet Protocol network browser;

receiving a selection of the first content via the content selection menu; and

establishing a communication session at the Internet Protocol network browser.

13. A computer-readable storage device, comprising executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations comprising:

receiving first content from a television signal source;

presenting the first content on a display device;

receiving web page content received from a computer device;

presenting the web page content on the display device;

identifying second content and second information associated with the second content from the web page content via a capture box arranged on the display device;

receiving the second content and the second information by way of a wireless connection, wherein the second content is generated by a source other than the television signal source, wherein the second information enables defining a window on the display device for presenting the second content;

presenting the second content in the window on the display device such that the first content and the second content are simultaneously displayed on the display device, wherein the second content comprises auction information;

receiving a bid associated with the auction information;

transmitting the bid to the source other than the television signal source

presenting a set-up menu from the computer device for selecting a location of a plurality of locations for a first window to be presented on the display device and for selecting a size of a plurality of sizes for the first window to be presented on the display device, wherein the set-up menu comprises a first option for beginning or ending presentation of Internet-sourced content at the display, wherein the set-up menu comprises a second option for adding and subtracting the Internet-sourced content at the display, and wherein the set-up menu comprises a third option for showing the Internet-sourced content in a pop window before presentation at the display;

receiving a location selection and a size selection by way of the set-up menu;

transmitting the location selection and the size selection to the computer device; and

receiving from the computer device the second content configured for presenting the second content in the first window of the display device according to the location selection and the size selection.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, comprising executable instructions which when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform operations further comprising detecting an occurrence of a user-defined event comprising one of a sports score change, a stock quote change, an auction bid price change, or a ticket availability change for a ticketed event.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, comprising executable instructions which when executed by the processor cause the processor to further perform operations comprising presenting a crawl of the second content across the window.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, comprising executable instructions which when executed by the processor cause the processor to further perform operations comprising:

receiving input via an interface associated with the window presented at the display device; and

performing an action based on the input that is received.